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

Inflammatory markers are slightly elevated. Augmentin is one of the options being considered, and I believe their empirical approach was sound. Those ketone bodies are most likely just a result of mild fasting. An MVC of 82 isn't anything to worry about; there's really no need to dwell on it. Everything else looks fine to me, unless I've missed something...

Hi there.
I’ll just list the elevated values from my blood work and would appreciate some insight;

GGT 41 (0.0-38)
Cholesterol 6.1 (0.0-5.2)
Triglycerides 2.2 (0.0-1.9)
C-reactive protein 7.7 (0.0-5.0)

Urinalysis:

pH 5.0
ERY/HEMOG ++
PROTEINS 1
LEUKOCYTE ESTERASE ++
URINARY SEDIMENT 15*20l and E
lots of bacteria

Urine microbiology results:

Microscopic urine sediment analysis: Leukocytes + (up to 5)

For context, I don't drink alcohol, and my liver was slightly enlarged a few years back—likely from taking supplements.
Thanks in advance for any input.

I’m new here, so I figured I’d jump in and ask a quick question. At the end of last year, I had a chest X-ray done. The report mentioned my heart is slightly enlarged with a straight waistline—it says everything is compensated, but it also noted some emphysema in my thoracic organs. That sounds pretty scary... is it actually as bad as it sounds? My blood work also showed high cholesterol and triglycerides. I still have a few more tests to go, like checking my thyroid hormones and getting an eye exam, mostly because my blood pressure has been running a bit high too (around 140/90). If anyone knows their stuff and could walk me through this, or maybe just offer a little reassurance, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks so much for the help.

Hey everyone! Honestly, I think this thread should just be titled "Dr. Smith Answers"! 🙂

So, Dr. Smith—can I get a little help here? About a week ago, something happened that my doctor is calling hypoglycemia. It was pretty scary—I got dizzy, passed out, had this ringing in my ears, my hands went numb and then started shaking, and my vision went blurry—like I was seeing stars. My blood pressure dropped to 80/40, and my heart was racing like crazy... So, she sent me for blood work, and it turns out my red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and iron are all pretty low. She immediately told me I’m definitely anemic, but she was really thrown by the fact that there's blood in my urine. I'm not pregnant, my periods aren't heavy, and I'm on Yasmin, so she can't figure out where I'm losing the blood. Now I have to do a stool sample too, just to see if there's blood in there as well...
Anyway, I did a bit of surfing on Google and now I'm totally freaked out by the search results (stomach cancer...?). I guess I just want to know what she's actually aiming for with these tests?! What is going on with me?!😲
😕

dustyscout36 said:Hi everyone! I honestly think this thread should be titled "Dr. Smith Answers"! 🙂

So, Dr. Smith, could you help me out? About a week ago, I had an episode my doctor described as hypoglycemia—I felt dizzy, collapsed, had ringing in my ears, tingling in my hands followed by tremors, blurred vision with stars, blood pressure at 80/40, and a racing heart... She sent me for blood work, and the results show my red blood cells, hemoglobin, and iron levels are quite low. She immediately said I'm anemic, but she was surprised to see blood in my urine. I'm not pregnant, my periods aren't heavy, and I take birth control, so she isn't sure where I'm losing blood. Now I have to provide a stool sample to check for blood there too...
I've been browsing Google and some of the search results have me terrified (stomach cancer...), so I'm wondering what she might be looking for?! What is happening to me?!😲
😕

First, she mentioned you had a hypoglycemic episode, which means your blood sugar dropped. The question now is why that happened, because for most people, sudden hypoglycemia accompanied by those intense symptoms doesn't just occur out of nowhere... Secondly, regarding the iron-deficiency anemia, please don't worry; it is a very common occurrence among women. The tricky part is that the exact cause isn't always obvious, as it's often a multi-factorial issue rather than one single thing... For now, just forget about stomach cancer and similar scares. It is certainly necessary to complete the stool tests to rule out things like an ulcer or issues with the colon, but the primary cause is likely gynecological. It is difficult to be more specific at this stage...

Ashley Mendoza said:I'm new to this forum, so I have a quick question. At the end of last year, I had a chest X-ray—the results showed my heart is slightly enlarged with a straight waistline, currently compensated, and there's evidence of emphysema in the thoracic organs. Does that sound incredibly bad? Also, my blood work showed high cholesterol and triglycerides. I still need to get some follow-up tests done (thyroid hormones and an eye exam) because my blood pressure is also a bit high (140/90). Is there anyone here who understands this stuff who could shed some light on it? A little reassurance wouldn't hurt...
Thanks so much for any answers.

Hmm... the findings suggest your heart is compensating for elevated blood pressure and COPD—specifically, that emphysema. Moving forward, things can go in many different directions, but it really depends on you. If you truly put in the effort, you can expect a much better outcome. First, you'll need to quit smoking if you haven't already; however, if you've never been a smoker, then this is a completely different situation. By improving your lung function, managing your blood pressure, and stabilizing your lipid levels, your heart health should improve drastically. Unless you've lived with this condition for decades, in which case permanent changes are possible, though even then, significant improvements are still within reach...

Thanks, Dr. Smith! Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I felt sick... but then I started messing around with my diet—I’m super picky, don't eat much variety, and I've been constantly jumping from one fad diet to another... and now, here we are. 😢
For the next seven days, I have to cut out Vitamin C and red meat entirely—I'm currently trying to collect three stool samples. Once those go to the lab, I should get my results back from the FBI... I mean, hopefully this all clears up soon, because I have a mountain of studying to do. I just feel so exhausted all the time—my focus is totally shot compared to how it used to be, and I honestly just feel foggy and stupid! 🙂

dustyscout36 said:Thanks, Dr. Smith! Honestly, I can say for a fact I was never sick a day in my life... and then I just started messing around with my diet—I’m super picky, don't eat much variety, constantly jumping from one fad diet to another... and now, here we are with all these problems.😢
So, I’m on this ridiculous diet for the next seven days—no Vitamin C and absolutely no red meat. Great. Just great. I'm currently trying to hit that three-stool-a-day goal just so they'll actually take my samples for the lab. Once I get those results back, hopefully the doctors will check my iron levels. Fingers crossed everything comes back normal, because honestly, I have a mountain of studying to do and I can't deal with any more setbacks. I am constantly exhausted. Like, bone-tired. My focus is completely shot compared to how it used to be; I feel so foggy and just... stupid? It's frustrating as hell. 🙂

It was the exact same thing with me—caught some nasty virus back in November, and then I went in to get my bloodwork done. Everything on the panel came back totally low, especially my red blood cell count.
Two months ago, I was a total wreck. Just constantly exhausted, couldn't focus on anything, and my appetite was all over the place—I was being so incredibly picky. It was nothing but greasy, heavy, sugary junk food for me. But today? Everything's changed. I’m actually eating right now. I'll eat just about anything—fruit, veggies, meat, you name it. A complete 180.
My iron levels were an absolute disaster—just completely trashed—even though my UIBC and TIBC came back looking totally normal. My doctor put me on some iron therapy, and I went back for more blood work just a week later after seeing the hematologist. Honestly? The results were already starting to look better.
It’s obviously a gynecological issue. Period.
If I hadn't come down with that nasty virus, I probably wouldn't have even realized my iron levels were bottoming out.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast. I should probably brag a little—I’ve been on this super strict low-cholesterol diet for three days now. I haven't quite given up on the juice yet, even though I know that part is probably the most important bit. I'm also sipping on some homemade lemon and garlic tonic. Once I get my thyroid levels checked and have my eye exam done, I'll reach out again for some more advice. I think I'm already seeing some progress, too. My ankles and shins were really swollen over the last few months, but my legs look a bit slimmer now, so maybe that’s a good sign? Sending everyone my best and wishing you all strength.

Could someone please help me make sense of these lab results? My RF is 869 (normal is up to 15), Walderstrom is 168 (normal is up to 5), and my ESR is 78. Also, aCL IgM is >36, which is highly positive. LDH is 324, cryoglobulins are IgG at 5.69 and IgA at 2.60, with a protein level of 8.69 and glomerulonephritis mentioned. CRP is 14.9, and my IgM immunoglobulin is 8.90 (normal range included), while ANA-ENA came back negative.

Just wanted to add one more thing—my anti-CCP came back negative and I don't have RA, but I am dealing with a lymphoproliferative disease alongside everything else.

Thanks to everyone who can lend a hand here. I’m also seeing some high LDH levels, which is honestly making me a little nervous overall.

Sam Hall15 said:hm... the results suggest your heart is compensating for high blood pressure and COPD—that emphysema. I guess things could go in all sorts of directions from here, but it really mostly comes down to you. If you actually put in the work, you can probably expect much better outcomes. First thing would be quitting smoking, assuming that’s something you’ve been doing and haven't stopped yet; if you've never smoked, then it's a whole different story. By improving your lung function, getting your blood pressure under control, and fixing your lipid profile, your heart health should improve drastically. Unless you've been dealing with this for decades, in which case there might be some permanent changes, but even then, you can still expect significant improvement.

Just one more question, given my current cholesterol and triglyceride levels, does it make sense to take Omega-3 capsules?

Hey Anthony, could you please take a look at my lab results? I’d love to get your take on them before my checkup. If you can't, maybe someone else here knows their stuff? Thanks everyone!

Hannah Williams32 said:I've been dealing with a bladder infection since last February and it just won't quit. It's Escherichia... I've tried antibiotics, cranberry supplements, gallons of uva ursi tea...

Don't mix the uva ursi tea and cranberry. They both work, but if you take them together, they basically cancel each other out.

Hey everyone.
Quick question for you all. My five-year-old daughter is scheduled to have her tonsils out next week. We had to get some bloodwork done at the lab today, and one of the tests listed—I think it's called APTT, though the handwriting was pretty messy—has me wondering about something. Has anyone here actually had this specific test done, and did you end up having to pay out of pocket? We were charged $30. 😲
It’s for a kid. 😠 I mean, it's not like $90 is breaking the bank, but I thought kids were supposed to be exempt from copays.☕ I'm just trying to figure out if we got ripped off or if that's just how it works!

steeleagle15,
The APTT stands for activated partial thromboplastin time, and doctors run those tests before all sorts of surgeries.
As for the co-pay, I’m honestly confused about why they charged us when they specifically said kids were covered. Did they pull a fast one on us or what?
Sending lots of love—I hope everything goes smoothly with the little one's surgery. Hang in there, you'll be through this before you know it!

Please help me out here, I am totally freaking out
So, I just got my blood work back and here’s the deal
My IgE is at 170, when it’s supposed to be under 100
As for the specific IgE, everything came back negative
But the thing that’s actually killing me is the ASL—it hit 412!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I’m already picturing infections, heart issues, or who knows what else
I was mostly just getting these checked because of my tonsils

Sophia Adams63 said:Please help, I'm totally freaking out here.
I just got my blood work back, and here's the deal:
My IgE is 170, but it should be under 100.
All the specific IgE tests came back negative, which is fine,
but the thing that's really scaring me is the ASLO level—it's 412! I'm already imagining infections, heart issues, and God knows what else.
Basically, I had these tests done because of my tonsils.

That ASLO result is just an antistreptolysin test. It basically shows if you've dealt with a Group A strep infection. If left untreated, that can lead to things like glomerulonephritis, rheumatic fever, or other symptoms, maybe even some nasty strep throat. The main thing is to get started on antibiotics right away. Don't worry too much, everything is going to be fine. It's actually a great sign that your specific IgE is negative.
Don't go looking for heart infections; there’s no reason to panic. This is likely just from the strep inflammation in your tonsils.
Best,

Thanks
Regarding those allergies—I actually went in for some patch testing, you know, the epicutaneous kind—to check for metals, and it turns out I’ve got an allergy to cobalt.
My blood work came back looking totally fine, though.
But I'm wondering, why would my total IgE be elevated if it's just the cobalt thing???
Also, I feel like I've dealt with a million cases of strep throat my whole life—lately, it's been mostly the nasty, pus-filled kind—and now my ear keeps acting up and hurting all the time.
So, I went to see an ENT, and basically, they told me my tonsils are constantly swollen—the third one is huge, and even the other two stay enlarged most of the time.