Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

Michael Foster12 said:Can someone with medical expertise explain what these results actually mean?
🤷

HLA TYPING RESULTS

phenotype:

HLA-A 2
HLA-B 38(16)
HLA-Bw 4
HLA-Cw 2
HLA-DR
HLA-DQ
HLA-DRw

HLA-A
HLA-B 27
HLA-Bw
HLA-Cw
HLA-DR
HLA-DQ
HLA-DRw

Thanks so much in advance.

I’m not a specialist, but I know a few things. It looks like you had HLA typing performed (identifying HLA antigens), likely to help diagnose an autoimmune condition. For instance, I know HLA-B 27 is linked to ankylosing spondylitis, which is an inflammatory rheumatic disease that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. HLA-Cw 2 is associated with chronic pancreatitis, and HLA-B 38 is linked to psoriatic arthritis. Just having these antigens doesn't guarantee you'll develop any of these diseases, just as some people can develop autoimmune issues without testing positive for specific antigens. Hopefully, a professional can give you a more detailed breakdown.

What does it actually mean when the white blood cell count hits 1.8?😕
I can see the doctors are extremely concerned; they've already drawn blood twice today, she was on an IV drip, and I have to go back in again tomorrow. 😕Everything is just completely falling apart😢

driftingseal3 said:What does it mean if white blood cell counts are at 1.8?😕
I can tell the doctors are really worried. She had her blood drawn twice today, was on an IV drip, and I have to head back tomorrow. 😕 Everything is just a mess right now. 😢

Leukopenia can stem from various causes, such as a viral infection, autoimmune conditions (like lupus or RA), a severe infection, or side effects from certain medications.

Brenda Harris81 said:Leukopenia can stem from all sorts of things: a viral infection, an autoimmune disorder (like lupus or RA), a severe infection, side effects from certain medications, and so on.

If there were some kind of active infection, wouldn't that show up in my CRP levels? My CRP is totally normal. I did have a virus recently, but I just don't get why my white blood cell count would drop this drastically.🤷
What exactly is RA? 🙈

driftingseal3 said:Wouldn't an infection show up on a CRP test? Mine is normal. I did have a virus recently, but I don't understand why my white blood cell count is so incredibly low. 🤷
What exactly is RA? 🙈

Rheumatoid arthritis. I won't try to play doctor here, though. There are just too many possibilities to guess without further testing to find the actual cause. Keeping my fingers crossed that it’s nothing serious. x

Brenda Harris81 said:Rheumatoid arthritis. Honestly, I am not going to go down the rabbit hole of self-diagnosing any further. I'm just crossing my fingers that it isn't anything serious.

Thanks. Look, I feel the exact same way—I'm convinced it's nothing—but I can't help the little bit of panic that creeps in anyway.😉

So, I had a bit of a whirlwind appointment at my local clinic the other day—the kind where everything happens all at once, you know? I had several cervical swabs ordered during the same visit: specifically, the standard panel for aerobes, chlamydia, ureaplasma, and mycoplasma via my insurance, plus I opted to pay out-of-pocket for an additional set testing for both aerobes and anaerobes.
The doctor actually took a quick peek at my hygiene levels under the microscope right then and there, and she spotted Gardnerella (which means an anaerobe is present), so she suggested I start some antibiotic vaginal suppositories.

Fast forward to the results: the aerobic test from my insurance came back positive, showing a significant amount of Group B Strep.

However—and here is where things get confusing—the private lab results for both the anaerobes and aerobes came back completely negative.

I am honestly at a bit of a loss here... what could be going on? Is it possible that when they took those negative samples (even though the doctor clearly saw enough Gardnerella earlier to justify prescribing me Dalacin, and subsequently, the Strep B was isolated), they were taken from the exact same spot as the others, essentially wiping away any remaining evidence before the swab could catch anything? Or is there some other explanation...? 🤷

Thanks so much! 🙂

My platelet count came back slightly low at 142, while the lab's normal range starts at 158.
A few other levels are also a bit down—especially my iron—but I already knew that. It’s been the same way for months now, so I've been taking iron supplements every single day.
Thanks.

Can someone please take a look at these labs for me? 🙂 My OB-GYN is out on vacation for another two weeks and I'm just sitting here staring at this stuff.

TSH 2.8 (0.46-4.68 mIU/I)

estradiol(E2) 161 *
(note: women: follicular phase 98-592
ovulatory phase 685-1404
luteal phase 120-738
postmenopause 20-141)

prolactin 634 (64-395 mIU/I)

testosterone 2.7 (0.2-2.7nmol/l)

DHEA-S 12.0 (0.9-11 µmol/l)

FSH 3.8 *
(note: women: follicular phase 2.0 -11.6 IU/I
luteal phase 1.4-9.6 IU/I
postmenopause 21.5-131.0 IU/I)

LH 14.5 *
(note: women: follicular phase 2.6-12.1 IU/I
luteal phase 0.8-15.5 lU/l
postmenopause 13.1-86.5 lU/l)

I can see for myself that my prolactin is way up there—super high—and from what I've been digging up online, the explanations aren't exactly making me feel great about this... 😢

Linda Peterson37 said:My platelet count is slightly low at 142, while the standard range starts at 158.
A few other levels are also a bit down, especially my iron, but I'm already aware of that since it's been the same for a few months now and I take iron supplements daily.
Thanks.

Here is a helpful link regarding thrombocytopenia.

Jamie Barnes60 said:Could someone please share their thoughts on these lab results? 🙂My gynecologist is out on vacation for another two weeks.

My TSH came back at 2.8, which falls right within the standard range of 0.46 to 4.68 mIU/L. Everything looks perfectly normal.

My estradiol (E2) level came back at 161.
For the ladies out there: during the follicular phase, the range is typically between 98 and 592.
The ovulation phase is currently between 685 and 1404.
Luteal phase 120-738.
Postmenopause (20-141)

My prolactin levels came back at 634 mIU/l, which is slightly above the standard range of 64-395 mIU/l.

My testosterone levels came back at 2.7 nmol/L, which puts me right at the upper limit of the standard 0.2–2.7 range.

My DHEA-S level came back at 12.0 µmol/l, which is just slightly above the standard range of 0.9 to 11 µmol/l. It looks like everything is looking pretty good.

My FSH level came back at 3.8.
For women: during the follicular phase, levels typically range from 2.0 to 11.6 IU/L.
The luteal phase levels are sitting at 1.4–9.6 IU/L.
Postmenopausal levels sit at 21.5–131.0 IU/L.

The LH level is at 14.5.
For women in the follicular phase (days 2–12), the recommended dosage is 2.6 to 12.1 IU/I.
The luteal phase levels came back at 0.8–15.5 IU/L.
Postmenopause (13.1–86.5 IU/L).

I can see that my prolactin levels are quite high, and from what I've read online, the explanations aren't exactly reassuring. 😢

It doesn't look that high to me. It might just be stress.

Can anyone weigh in on these results? 🙂
RBC 5.52 (4.07-5.42)
Hemoglobin 147 (121-145)
Hematocrit 0.451 (0.354-0.450)
MCV 81.7 (76.5-92.1)
MCH 26.7 (24.3-31.5)
MCHC 327 (304-346)
WBC 9.7 (4.4-11.6)
Neutrophils seg. 49.0 (34.0-69.0)
Neutrophils band 1.0 (0.0-2.0)
Eosinophils 4.0 (0.0-9.0)
Lymphocytes 42.0 (19.0-52.0)
Monocytes 4.0 (5.0-13.0)
Platelets 244 (178-424)
CRP 0.5 (
Thanks 🙂

Brenda Harris81 said:Look, it isn't actually that high. It could just be stress—honestly, life's been a mess lately for everyone.

Thanks for the input.

rowdymaker172 said:Hi,
I need some advice.
About a week ago, my knees felt slightly swollen and warm to the touch. On top of that, I had this intermittent itching all over my body, though there was no visible redness. The swelling went down after a couple of days, but the itching stuck around. My doctor sent me for blood work and a urinalysis. Iron is at 6; hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MCHC are all below the lower limit. Anemia. Urine came back clean—no bacteria. However, according to the biochemistry lab results, everything looks fine except for my immunoglobulin E, which is 799 (normal is up to 100). My skin is still itchy, especially when pressure is applied. My doctor prescribed iron and Renital for my stomach, and today, after seeing the results, she added Aerius tablets.
I assume those are to help with the itching. What I really want to know is how to bring that IgE level down and how to finally get rid of this itch. We're heading to the beach in two days, and I'd really rather not spend my vacation scratching myself and feeling miserable.
I haven't had any allergies before, and I can't pinpoint what might be triggering this reaction.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Best,

Sounds like an allergy. Allergies can pop up at any point in your life, especially if your immune system takes a hit or if high stress acts as a trigger.
The IgE itself isn't doing any damage; it’s just a marker indicating an allergic reaction is happening.
It wouldn't hurt to get some allergy testing done. Ideally, you'll find the culprit and remove it from the equation. Given how this is presenting, it could be something in your diet or perhaps a reaction to a medication...

Jamie Barnes60 said:Can someone help me make sense of these 🙂 results? My OB-GYN is on vacation for another two weeks.

TSH 2.8 (0.46-4.68 mIU/L)

estradiol (E2) 161 *
(notes: women: follicular phase 98-592
ovulatory phase 685-1404
luteal phase 120-738
postmenopause 20-141)

prolactin 634 (64-395 mIU/L)

testosterone 2.7 (0.2-2.7 nmol/L)

DHEA-S 12.0 (0.9-11 µmol/L)

FSH 3.8 *
(notes: women: follicular phase 2.0 - 11.6 IU/L
luteal phase 1.4-9.6 IU/L
postmenopause 21.5-131.0 IU/L)

LH 14.5 *
(notes: women: follicular phase 2.6-12.1 IU/L
luteal phase 0.8-15.5 IU/L
postmenopause 13.1-86.5 IU/L)

I can see for myself that my prolactin is quite high. Based on what I've read online, the explanations aren't exactly comforting 😢

Brenda Harris81 said:It’s not actually that high. It could just be stress.

I agree. That prolactin level isn't high enough to be seriously suspicious. Mild elevations happen all the time when you're dealing with chronic stress.
The best move is to just re-run the tests a few times over the next couple of months to see if there's an actual trend.

Grace Thompson57 said:I'm with you on this. That prolactin level isn't even high enough to be a major red flag. Honestly, seeing a slight bump like that happens all the time when you're dealing with constant, grinding stress—it’s just how the body reacts.
The smartest move is probably just to run the test again in a few months or so to see if it stays steady or actually starts trending upward.

Thanks for the input. 🙂

I’m looking for some perspective here. My wife had her routine physical about 20 days ago. Everything seemed fine, except for a slight anemia noted in her blood work. Her doctor suggested a follow-up test specifically focused on iron levels. We just got the results back today, and I’ll list everything that falls outside the normal range:
RBC 5.3 (H)
Hemoglobin 118 (L)
MCV 74 (L)
MCH 22 (L)
MCHC 303 (L)
Iron 5.8 (L)
UIBC 70 (H)
The biggest concern for us, however, is that her fecal occult blood test came back positive.
Our primary care physician has already sent over a referral to Gastroenterology.
We were actually scheduled to head out on vacation this coming Monday. The dilemma is: how long does it typically take to get an appointment with a specialist? In your opinion, is this something serious enough that we should cancel our travel plans, or should we go ahead with our trip and then tackle the next steps in September once we know more from the upcoming tests?

So, I have a close family member—a male, about 15 years old—who has been dealing with daily stomach pains lately. He isn't typically someone who gets sick often, and there hasn't been much of a history of serious illness in our family. However, he’s lost his appetite entirely; it's almost as if he doesn't even need food. He's dropped 12 pounds incredibly fast. This has been going on for over a month now.
I honestly don't know what might be causing this, so I was hoping someone here might have some insight...
Just to add some context, his father also went through a period of sudden weight loss once before. Could this just be genetic rather than an actual illness? Or, if anyone suspects something else, any input would be genuinely appreciated.

Please?

Betty Myers7 said:So, someone close to me has been dealing with daily stomach pains lately (he's male, almost 15, and there isn't really a history of major illnesses in his family; he's usually pretty healthy). He’s losing his appetite—to the point where he barely eats—and he's dropping weight fast. He's lost about 26 pounds, and this has been going on for over a month now.
I honestly have no clue what's causing it, so I figured I'd ask if anyone here might know, so to speak...
Just a side note, his father also went through a period of rapid weight loss once, so maybe it's just genetic rather than some specific disease, but if anyone suspects something else, any input would be helpful..

Please?

It's probably just gastritis. But it could be something more serious, so getting an endoscopy and some blood work done would be a smart move. They need to start treatment soon; if he keeps losing weight like this, he's just going to run into more complications, and then you're looking at a much bigger problem.

Richard Gomez10 said:I'm looking for some input here. My wife had her routine physical about 20 days ago. Everything seemed fine, but they noticed slight anemia in her bloodwork and advised her to get tested again, specifically focusing on iron levels. We just got the results back today, and here is what falls outside the normal range:
erythrocytes 5.3 (H)
Hemoglobin 118 (L)
MCV 74 (L)
MCH 22 (L)
MCHC 303 (L)
Iron 5.8 (L)
UIBC 70 (H)
And finally, what's worrying us most: the fecal occult blood test came back positive.
Her primary care physician gave her a referral to Gastroenterology.
We’re supposed to head out on vacation this Monday. The question is, how long does it actually take to get an appointment? In your opinion, is this something serious enough that we should cancel our plans and stay put, or can we go on vacation and then deal with whatever comes next in September once we see the follow-up results?

Based on those numbers, it's clear there's bleeding somewhere in the GI tract. Pinpointing the exact location is difficult, which makes it equally hard to gauge the severity with any real certainty.
I assume we're talking about occult bleeding—meaning nothing visible to the naked eye?
Are there any other symptoms? Nausea, pain, food sensitivities? What is her bowel movement pattern usually like?
How is she handling the anemia? Any weakness, lethargy, or fatigue?
Any history of digestive issues? Is she on any medications? Other health conditions?
How old is she?

This is just guesswork—but it could be anything from a stomach ulcer to something in the small intestine. Maybe hemorrhoids... It all depends on the answers to those questions and, more importantly, the actual diagnostic tests.