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

Maria Perez46 said:I mean... I was dealing with these brutal headaches until recently, but they’re finally starting to taper off. Lately, I've been okay, except for feeling pretty wiped out and having these aching muscles.

But if we're talking about feeling absolutely terrible? Yeah, I am. Well, mostly mentally, because I'm a massive hypochondriac at heart, but this whole situation has basically broken me.

I've been taking Helix.... and a ton of Advil to deal with the migraines.

Look, I get it—autoimmune stuff is a massive pain in the ass with no actual cure, just ways to manage it, so... yeah.

Looking back on things now, I used to wake up with these pains in my hands all the time. I figured I was just sleeping on them funny, but now I'm thinking maybe that wasn't it. And I get those tingles in my hands and feet too. I always chalked that up to being sedentary and poor circulation, especially since my neck is a bit messed up. ☕

I remember about two years ago, I had a low-grade fever—over 98.6—for more than two months straight, and the doctor just brushed it off like it was "nothing serious."

Now that I'm reflecting on it, maybe all of that together actually *was* a sign... Who knows.

The worst part is having to wait until Monday to see my doctor to find out what the next move is. 🤷 I think I'm going to lose my mind by then!

Given everything you're describing, the best move is to get checked out by an internal medicine specialist—specifically an immunologist or rheumatologist. If you're in New York City, there's a solid clinical immunology department over at the Mayo Clinic.

wiredcanyon2 said:Given everything you've mentioned, the best move is to see an internal medicine specialist—specifically an immunologist or rheumatologist. If you're in New York City, for instance, the clinical immunology department at Mayo Clinic is excellent.

I don't live in New York City, though I do reside here. That was my thought too, as soon as my GP handed me the referral.

The only thing I've heard is that waiting lists for an immunologist can stretch on for months. I'm honestly not sure how accurate that is right now...

Maria Perez46 said:I'm not originally from New York City, but I live here now. Yeah, that's exactly what I thought once my GP handed me the referral.

The only thing I've heard is that waiting for an appointment with an immunologist can take months. Does anyone actually know if that's true?

Hmm, honestly, I have no clue. It’s totally possible, though. There are way too many patients and not enough doctors because the government is always pinching pennies on healthcare :/ so yeah, could easily be. If you want, I can shoot you a DM with a recommendation for someone, then you can figure things out with your own doctor from there.

wiredcanyon2 said:Hmm, I honestly don't know. It’s definitely possible; there are plenty of patients, but not enough doctors since the government is cutting costs :/ so it could happen easily. I can send you a recommendation via PM, then you can follow up with your own doctor...

Sure, thanks!

Can nicotine be detected in blood tests? If so, how long does it stay in your system?
I guess I'm just one of those teenagers who doesn't want her parents knowing about her smoking habit. 😁

My TSH is sitting at 0.418 (normal range is 0.470-4.640), while my mom’s is over 6. They told me I have hyperthyroidism and she has hypothyroidism. Does this sound like a mistake? By my logic, if the number is above the reference range, it's hypo, and if it's below, it's hyper. 🤷

Brian Cox5 said:My TSH is 0.418 (ref: 0.470-4.640), while my mom’s is over 6. They told me I have hyperthyroidism and she has hypothyroidism. Isn't that backward? Logic says if the result is above the range it's hypo, and if it's below, it's hyper... 🤷

It’s not a mistake...
TSH is just the pituitary hormone that tells your thyroid how much to pump out. If the thyroid goes rogue and ignores those orders by overproducing T3 and T4, the pituitary senses the excess through a feedback loop and dials back the TSH production...
You can't really call someone hypo or hyperthyroid based on TSH alone... you need to check the actual thyroid hormones too.

Procter & Gamble, LAC, ACA

Does anyone know where I can actually get this test done? I’ve been getting sent on a total wild goose chase—they sent me from the Mayo Clinic to Petrov, then back to the Mayo Clinic from Petrov, and finally they just straight up told me they have no idea where to go to get it measured.

My apologies if I'm posting this in the wrong thread, but I wasn't sure where else to turn.

Yesterday, my mother came home from the hospital because my grandmother ended up back there again. Both she and I are left feeling pretty confused by the medical reports, so I have a few questions. If anyone can help clarify things, I’d be very grateful.

If a patient is diagnosed with metastases on both the right and left sides of the brain, which leads to swelling on one side, is it actually possible for the metastases on one side to recede or disappear while the other side remains swollen and shows no visible signs of them?

Currently, all the findings—including the MRI—show no sign of tumors or metastases. However, the doctors are still insisting it might have been metastases, even if they aren't showing up on the scans now.

Mom is starting to wonder if there was ever even cancer at all, since every doctor seems to have a different story. The latest tests suggest she actually had a stroke. Apparently, she also had one about a year ago; the specialists at the Mayo Clinic called it an old stroke, but the doctor at the General Hospital in Brooklyn is saying that isn't true. On top of that, doctors never found a primary source, and now the most recent imaging shows no evidence of metastasis anywhere.🤷

mellowraven32 said:It’s not a mistake.
TSH is the pituitary hormone that basically "orders" the thyroid on how much of its own hormones to pump out. If the thyroid is acting up and ignoring the pituitary—meaning it's overproducing hormones (T3, T4)—the pituitary uses a feedback loop to dial back TSH production because it "sees" there's already too much thyroid hormone in the system.
Keep in mind, you can't diagnose someone with hypo- or hyperthyroidism based on TSH alone; you need to look at the actual thyroid hormones too.

Thanks so much for clearing that up. 🙂
I have a few more questions about the thyroid. If TSH is high but T3 and T4 are normal, or if only T3 is high or only T4 is high while TSH stays normal, what's actually happening there? Every time I get my bloodwork done, something is always out of range. What does hyperthyroidism actually look like on lab results? And also, what’s the deal with the difference between fT3 vs T3 and fT4 vs T4?

Brian Cox5 said:Thanks so much for the explanation. 🙂
I have a few more questions regarding the thyroid. If TSH is elevated but T3 and T4 are within range, or if only T3 is up or only T4 is up while TSH remains normal, what’s actually happening there? Every time I get my thyroid levels checked, something seems to be off. What does hyperthyroidism actually look like on lab results? Also, what is the distinction between fT3 and T3, and fT4 and T4?

I hope the colleague won't mind me jumping in here.

Building on what the colleague already explained, a situation where TSH levels are high but T4 and T3 values fall within the reference range is classified as subclinical hypothyroidism.

It’s essentially a form of "hidden" or latent hypothyroidism—a state where the thyroid is working overtime just to manage to produce enough hormones. Opinions on treating this vary, but in many instances, hormone therapy is prescribed.

Regarding T4 versus fT4: the term T4 refers to total thyroxine, whereas fT4 represents the free version. In certain scenarios, measuring total T4 isn't a reliable indicator of thyroid function.

For instance, T4 levels can sometimes be falsely elevated due to various factors, such as taking oral contraceptives or estrogen supplements, pregnancy, liver issues, or genetic predispositions.

In those specific cases, testing for free thyroid hormones provides a much more accurate picture than testing for total hormones.

There are also opposite scenarios where certain medications might artificially inflate free hormone levels, making the total hormone measurement the more dependable metric.

To summarize: primary hypothyroidism—reduced thyroid function, which is by far the most common type—is marked by high TSH and low fT4 (T4). Subclinical (latent) hypothyroidism shows slightly elevated TSH alongside normal fT4 (T4). Central hypothyroidism, which is quite rare, presents with low or normal TSH paired with low fT4.

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) is typically characterized by low TSH accompanied by high fT4 (T4). There is also T3 thyrotoxicosis, identified by high fT3 (T3) with normal fT4 (T4) and low TSH. Finally, there is subclinical hyperthyroidism, where TSH is low but both fT4 (T4) and fT3 (T3) remain within the normal range.

As you can see, interpreting thyroid function results is quite complex.

Furthermore, as the colleague pointed out, we cannot make any definitive conclusions about a thyroid disorder based solely on TSH levels.

Best regards. 🙂

Thanks a ton to both of you for the explanations; things are looking a lot clearer now. 🙂

How do I calculate my LDL?Usually, it's listed right on the lab results, but now all I have are these numbers: HDL 2.82
Cholesterol 10.3
Triglycerides 1.48

I asked about this earlier, but then I realized there was already a thread for it;
my iron levels are elevated.
Iron 35.1 (8-30)
TIBC 78.4 (49-75)
UIBC is fine at 43.3 (26-59)

On top of that, my segmented neutrophils (from the CBC?) are low: 41.9 (44-72)

Does anyone have any idea why my iron is high?
I was under the impression I was anemic...

I don't eat meat, I don't smoke, and I don't drink. I'm a 30-year-old woman, 58kg/168cm.
Thanks!

Sandra Brooks91 said:So, you want to figure out your LDL? Not exactly the most fun math problem to tackle while staring at a lab report, but here we go. Basically, if you aren't looking at a direct measurement—which some labs do, but not all—you’re stuck using what doctors call the Friedewald formula. It’s the standard way they crunch the numbers in the States. Here is the breakdown: **LDL = Total Cholesterol – HDL – (Triglycerides / 5)** That's it. That's the whole "secret" formula. To make it work, you just need three specific pieces of data from your blood work: 1. Your **Total Cholesterol** number. 2. Your **HDL** (the "good" stuff). 3. Your **Triglycerides**. Just plug them in, and boom—there's your LDL. One quick heads-up, though: this formula isn't perfect. If your Triglycerides are sky-high (like, over 400 mg/dL), the math starts getting wonky and unreliable. In those cases, the calculation can give you a weirdly low number that doesn't actually reflect reality. If that happens, your doctor will likely order a "Direct LDL" test instead, which bypasses the math entirely and just measures the particles directly. But for most people staring at a standard panel, the formula above is how the sausage gets made. Usually, there’s a bunch of extra info on the lab results, but right now all I’ve got are these values:
HDL 2.82. Low. Real low. Just sitting there looking at the numbers like they’re supposed to mean something more than just a bad sign. Honestly, seeing an HDL that low is basically a red flag from your own body. It’s not exactly a gold star on your medical report. I’ve seen some weird stuff, but this is definitely heading in the wrong direction. Needs work. Lots of it.
Cholesterol at 10.3. Yeah. Just saying.
Triglyceride 1.48. Pretty much textbook.

I asked about that down below, but then I see this thread exists too;
So, my Iron levels are through the roof.
Iron 35.1 (8-30). Just a quick heads-up on my latest labs—looks like my Iron is sitting at 35.1, which is slightly north of that standard 8 to 30 range. Not exactly a crisis, but definitely worth keeping an eye on.
TIBC 78.4 (49-75)
TIBC is looking fine at 43.3 (range is 26-59). No issues there.

On top of everything else, my Segmental [DKS?] is sitting at 41.9, while the normal range is supposed to be between 44 and 72. Just great.

Anyone have any clue why my bile levels spiked?
I was dead certain I was just dealing with anemia...

I don't eat meat, I don't smoke, and I don't drink. Just for context: 30 grams. Female, 58 kg, 168 cm.
Thanks!

Why did you even bother searching for all that? Look, your Iron is slightly elevated, but you have to realize that variations happen—both between different people and between different labs. Reference ranges aren't some universal law; they change from one lab to the next. Just because you’re a tiny bit over what a lab calls the "normal limit" doesn't mean you actually have a clinical issue. It’s not that deep. As for the DKS, it’s probably totally fine regardless of that slight dip in unsegmented neutrophils (you didn't list the other cell counts, so I’m assuming everything else is within range). Honestly, DKS on its own doesn't mean a damn thing! You have to look at the absolute leukocyte count to make any sense of it. For example, someone could have an absolute leukocyte count 20 times higher than normal—which points toward leukemia—while their DKS looks perfectly normal. If you aren't feeling like garbage, your results are likely fine. What about your liver enzymes? How are your AST, ALT, and GGT looking? Also, can you repost those results for which week they were taken? 🙂 Hey there.

Thanks for the reply. My Leukocytes are at 7 (range 3.4-9.7), AST is 17 (8-30), ALT is 10 (10-36), and GGT is 14 (9-35)... essentially everything is within the normal range, even if that ALT is hovering right on the edge. I had these tests done because of some issues with my menstrual cycle and to keep an eye on my LDL levels, which I haven't managed to calculate yet 🙂

Sandra Brooks91 said:Thanks for getting back to me. My Leukocytes are at 7 (normal range 3.4-9.7), AST is 17 (8-30), ALT is 10 (10-36), and GGT is 14 (9-35)... so basically everything is within the normal limits, even if that ALT is hovering near the edge. I had these tests done because my menstrual cycle has been acting up and for routine LDL monitoring, which I haven't managed to calculate yet.🙂

Your LDL cholesterol is: 7.18
Formula: LDL = Total cholesterol - HDL - (Triglycerides x .20)
or LDL = cholesterol - (HDL + triglycerides/5)

Look, your ALT is perfectly fine, not "on the edge." If we were actually talking about a borderline case, we'd say it's when it hits the upper limit—that's the only time it actually matters. Generally speaking, women have slightly lower iron levels due to their cycles, so their reserves aren't quite what men's are. Having slightly elevated iron on its own doesn't tell us anything significant. Especially since your liver enzymes look solid. If your liver enzymes were through the roof, we might have some things to consider, but this isolated thing? Don't sweat it.🙂

I have incredibly frequent cycles, so this high iron level really caught me off guard.🙂 Thanks for everything!

Hey

So, does a glucose reading of 8 mean diabetes?
Is it possible this is just some temporary, passing thing?

Brenda Lewis43 said:Hey

Does a glucose level of 8 mean diabetes?
Could this just be a temporary thing passing through?

Who are we talking about here? A 3-year-old kid or an 86-year-old grandma? Does the person actually have symptoms (like hitting the bathroom constantly or being thirsty??), and are they overweight? There’s way too much context needed; you can't just look at one lab result and call it. There are different types of diabetes depending on age, too. They really need to run some functional tests, like an OGTT... A glucose reading of 8 on its own doesn't tell you anything! peace

I have a question regarding some blood work results. My daughter (2.5 years old) has a few lumps on the right side of her neck. Her blood count shows segmented granulocytes at 0.238 (normal range 0.340-0.720), lymphocytes at 0.648 (0.190-0.520), and leukocytes at 5.9 (6.0-16.0); everything else seems to be within normal limits, including LDH at 219 (150-360).
What might these numbers indicate? Thanks.