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

I had a lung decompression following spine surgery, and they ended up diagnosing me with "low pseudoimmune esterase levels." Honestly, I have absolutely no clue what criteria the administrators used to categorize that under women's health?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I really need some help here.

My complete blood count came back looking totally fine, except for one thing: my white blood cell count is sitting at 18,600. I’m feeling absolutely fine, though—no symptoms or anything at all.

What could be going on????

Alright, this isn't really about my prescription numbers, it’s more about the specific medication my doctor suggested. I hope nobody gets annoyed with me for starting a whole new thread just over this 😉

So, I had an appointment with my ophthalmologist recently. My left eye has been feeling incredibly dry, and she recommended I pick up some Predni ophthal gel. I’ve been using it for two weeks now, but honestly? Zero improvement. So they switched me over to a different ointment. During the visit, the doctor mentioned that an ointment might actually work better than the gel. I totally blanked on asking her *why* though, so does anyone here know the logic behind that? Like, what’s the deal with how this gel works compared to an ointment? To make matters worse, the label is all in German since you can't even find this stuff in the US, so I'm basically flying blind here 🤷

Sophia Kelly27 said:Look, this isn't about my eye prescription. It’s about the medication my doctor suggested. I hope nobody minds me bringing this up here; I felt stupid starting a whole new thread just for this 😉
.
So, I went to the ophthalmologist recently. My left eye is really dry, and they told me to get Predni Optihal Gel. I used it for two weeks and saw zero improvement, so they switched me to an ointment instead. During the visit, the doctor mentioned an ointment might actually work better than the gel. I totally blanked on asking her why, so can someone explain the difference? What's the logic behind the gel? The label is only in German because you can't find this stuff in the US, so I have no clue what it says. 🤷

Explaining the whole thing would be too long, but basically, I think your doctor misjudged which med was right for your condition. That’s why she’s switching things up after the Optihal Gel failed to work for two weeks. If a treatment fails, you stop and swap it out.

Predni Optihal Gel uses prednisolone as its active ingredient, which is a synthetic version of the body's natural cortisol hormones. Prednisolone is part of the glucocorticosteroid class of drugs. It works by reducing inflammation and allergic reactions, which is why it's used for inflammatory or allergic eye issues. You shouldn't use Optihal Gel if you have eye infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Also, don't use this gel if you are pregnant or nursing.

Hope that helps a bit...

James Rogers said:I need some help here.

My full blood count is normal, except my white blood cell count is at 18,600. I don't feel sick at all.

What could it be????

White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow to protect the body from infection. There are five different types of leukocytes, each with its own specific job. This is why a differential count is essential alongside a standard CBC—to get the full picture of what's happening inside you.

Based on that;
It could be an infection or inflammation...
You might be on certain medications...
You might have sustained an injury or a burn...
You could have had a minor heart issue you didn't notice...
It could be stress...
Physical or mental exhaustion could be the cause...
Exposure to extreme temperatures, like a sauna...
You could be pregnant...

As you can see, it could be anything, or it could be nothing worth worrying about.
I've only listed a few possibilities here. To really analyze this, we'd need to look at the RBCs, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, Platelets, various indices, and the ESR.

But if you say everything else looks fine, it’s likely just stress or physical/mental strain...

---pardon the grammar, it's not our strong suit---

Nancy Miller11 said:Look, I could go on forever about this, but to keep it brief: I honestly think your ophthalmologist botched the prescription for your condition. You’ve been using that Optihal gel for two weeks now and it hasn't done squat. At this point, you really need to ditch that stuff and start a completely new treatment plan.

So, let's talk about Optihal-gel for a second. The main player here is prednisolone, which is basically just a synthetic version of the cortisol your body naturally pumps out. It falls under that whole glucocorticosteroid category. Basically, it’s designed to knock out inflammation and kill off allergic reactions, so it’s a go-to for various eye inflammations or allergy issues. But—and this is a big "but"—don't go using it if you've got an eye infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. That would be a disaster. Also, if you're pregnant or nursing, keep this stuff far away from your eyes. Just a heads-up.

I hope I was actually helpful for once... maybe even a little bit.

Thanks a million.
So, what kind of treatment do you think would actually work here? I’ve got this dry eye thing going on in my left eye only, while the right one feels perfectly fine. My doctor told me it isn't anything dangerous or life-threatening, but she admitted she has no clue why it’s been dragging on for this long. 🤷 So, I've been stuck on this eye routine for about a month now. I'm hitting the artificial tears 5 or 6 times a day, and I’ve been slathering on Tobrex ointment every morning and night. It's been going on for a month straight. Just... great. 😢

So, I’ve been on birth control for almost a year now, and I finally went in for some bloodwork last week. Turns out my fibrinogen levels are high—the upper limit for normal is 4, but I clocked in at 5.4. What does that actually mean? Am I going to be forced to quit the pill?

Oh, and one more thing... at the bottom of my lab results, it says: "Fibrinogen elevated (itis?!) all other tests within normal limits."

Does anyone have a clue what "ITIS" means here?

I just got my semen analysis results back, and the diagnosis listed is TERATOZOOSPERMIA.

Would any kind soul be willing to explain what that actually means in plain English?

Thanks in advance!

That basically means most of your sperm count is abnormal. It’s definitely going to make starting a family more difficult, but it’s NOT impossible; you'll just have to navigate a more complicated medical process.

Regarding the resonator—don't sweat it too much. Growth can continue up until age 25, and sometimes even beyond that. Even if it doesn't happen, it isn't exactly some impressive number you'd want to brag about everywhere, though outside of niche internet forums, you're actually pretty much at the average. Beyond that, girth matters more than length. If we're talking pencil thin, then you might actually have something to worry about 😉
...

I was hoping someone with actual medical expertise could help me make sense of these results:

hematocrit: 39.5%
hemoglobin: 131 g/l
iron: 6 micromol/l
TIBC: 55 micromol/l
UIBC: 49 micromol/l
ferritin: 152 microg/l

Does this look like an early sign of iron deficiency, or could it point toward something else entirely, like internal bleeding?...
For context, I'm male.

Looking for some input here
I went in for bloodwork and my MPV came back at 11.8 (upper limit is 10.8) and my MCH is 350 (upper limit is 345). Everything else looks normal. What do these two elevations actually mean? Could this point to a specific condition, or is it nothing to worry about? Thanks in advance.

Kenneth Alvarez12 said:Could someone who actually knows what they're doing help me make sense of this:

hematocrit: 39.5%
hemoglobin: 131 g/l
Iron: 6 micromol/l
TIBC: 55 micromol/l
UIBC: 49 micromol/l
Ferritin: 152 microg/l

So, does this point toward an iron deficiency, or maybe something else (like internal bleeding?...)
I'm male, by the way.

Look, I'm definitely not a doctor or anything, but everything here looks like it falls within the normal range. Honestly, I don't think there's any reason to stress out. Your hemoglobin is a tiny bit on the low side—usually you want to see it between 138 and 175—so maybe you're losing a little blood somewhere? But it's not low enough to freak out about. Still, you should probably check in with your doctor just to be safe...

I have a question and I need an answer immediately because I am freaking out. I just finished a 24-hour Holter monitor test and here is the diagnosis:
Total of 126,636 QRS complexes, continuous sinus rhythm, tachycardic. Daytime heart rate was mostly between 70 and 130 bpm, hitting 140-168 bpm during light exertion, and ranging from 57 to 100 bpm while sleeping.
The minimum rate was 57 bpm during sleep, but the average was as high as 90 bpm, with a maximum peak of 168 bpm. There were no pauses and no PVCs, just 40 isolated SVES. No SVT was detected, though there was sinus tachycardia at 140-168 bpm during exertion—which was supposedly appropriate for the level of activity!!!!!!! Let’s be clear: my biggest physical effort was climbing three flights of stairs. My dad picked up the results and the doctor told him I need to stay by my phone because they might call me into the hospital. Please, someone explain this to me urgently. I am terrified. For context, I am 26 years old, 5'1" tall, and weigh 128 lbs.

So, about 15 years back, I dealt with some Hepatitis B stuff—though, if I’m being totally honest, nobody ever actually sat me down and told me if I definitely had the virus or if I was just exposed to it.
Back then, I spent six months stuck on this super strict liver diet because my anti-HBc and HBe markers came back positive (just once, though), all while my triglycerides were through the roof—even though my ALT and AST levels seemed fine.
Does that mean I actually had hepatitis or what?

I’ve been getting my liver enzymes checked regularly since then and everything looks okay, but... I still get this weird, dull ache right where my liver is. Why would that be?
Just to be clear, I don't touch fatty foods, and I don't have any gallbladder issues or anything like that.
Also, could the kidney problems I've been dealing with over the last couple of years—specifically with Hashimoto's—have been triggered by that hepatitis mess?

Emily Moore14 said:Could someone perhaps help me make sense of this doctor's conclusion regarding mild chronic hepatitis occurring alongside thyroid disease?

The report indicates that all my biochemical tests are within the normal range.

Thanks in advance!

I haven't really come across an explanation yet, so if anyone happens to know, I suppose they could try translating this into plain English for me.

Emily Moore14 said:I still haven't found any explanation for this, so if anyone knows, could you please give me a layman's "translation" of what this actually means?

I’ll feel free to interpret this—even if I might be off base here—but essentially, it looks like you have fatty liver, or hepatic steatosis, which is part of some hyperlipoproteinemia caused by hypothyroidism... assuming, of course, that you actually have an underactive thyroid.

In plain English (assuming I'm reading between the lines of what they meant): you've got actual fatty liver. Usually, it's a reversible condition—it's often referred to as NASH—and why is it fatty? Well, maybe because your thyroid isn't cranking out enough hormones, which drags your metabolism down to a crawl, so your body is slow to break down fats, and—boom—they just start piling up in your liver. I don't know how much simpler I can make that.

Kate Collins67 said:I suppose I could offer an interpretation, though I might be mistaken here, but it seems you’re dealing with fatty liver disease—steatosis hepatis—stemming from hyperlipoproteinemia, which, assuming you have hypothyroidism, would likely be a consequence of that underlying condition.

If I’m interpreting his point correctly—which I might be wrong about—it seems you're dealing with a fatty liver. Usually, that's a reversible condition, often referred to as NASH. As for why the fat is accumulating, I suppose it could be that your thyroid isn't producing quite enough hormones, which might slow down your metabolism; if that's the case, your body probably just struggles to break down fats efficiently, leading them to settle in the liver. I don't know much more about it than that, I guess.

I suppose I should thank you for the clarification. Fortunately, I don't personally deal with fatty liver issues; this isn't my own medical report. I'm not entirely certain how much weight that carries here, though I imagine there is some connection to be made, given that... I suppose one might call it overweight, though I find such terms rather blunt. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that we're seeing cases of fatty liver when people choose to ignore their doctor's dietary guidelines while simultaneously overdoing it on various medications. It seems like a predictable outcome, I guess.

Can someone please help me out here?
What could these numbers actually mean?
AST 152
ALT 273

Just three weeks ago, my mom had bloodwork done at the hospital, and everything was perfectly normal.
This is for my mother. She’s complaining about gallbladder pain that radiates straight through to her back, but she doesn't have any other symptoms. About a year ago, her doctor told her she had fatty liver disease. She isn't overweight, and her skin has always had a slightly yellowish tint, though that's just how she's always looked.😕😕
Help!

stormyjackal46 said:Can someone please help me out here?
What could these numbers possibly mean:
AST 152
ALT 273

Just three weeks before these results came in, she had bloodwork done at the hospital and everything was within the normal range.
This is about my mom. She’s complaining about gallbladder pain that radiates straight through to her back—otherwise, she doesn't have any other symptoms. About a year ago, her doctor told her she has fatty liver disease. She isn't overweight, and her face looks a bit yellowish, but honestly, she's always looked that way.😕😕
Help!

Look, if she’s dealing with pain under the right ribs that shoots into her back—especially if she’s running a fever or showing signs of jaundice (yellowing skin or yellowed whites of the eyes)—she needs to see a doctor immediately. This sounds like it could be choledocholithiasis leading to cholangitis.
Actually, regardless of those specific symptoms, she really ought to check in with her primary physician anyway—I mean, where did these lab results even come from? Someone had to order them, right?
It might turn out to be nothing major, but we're lacking a lot of context here...

My grandmother, who is 76, has an elevated sedimentation rate—though the rest of her bloodwork looks fine—and she’s been dealing with black stools for a little while now.
She had surgery to remove colon polyps about 15 years ago.
Aside from this, she isn't showing any other signs of serious illness; her appetite is steady, she hasn't lost weight, and she isn't in any pain, but this discoloration is definitely worrying us.
We have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy scheduled for Tuesday, but in the meantime, could anyone offer some insight into why her sedimentation might be high or what else could be causing the black stools? I would truly appreciate any help.