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

wanderingcobra76 said:Based on those two CT scans, there’s a disc bulge that could be causing your trouble.
Usually, the standard advice for something like this is to start with plenty of rest, move into physical therapy, and eventually transition to doing some exercises at home.
Surgery is really only on the table if you start showing neurological deficits or if the pain becomes absolutely unbearable.
The tricky part is that people often rush into surgery, only to find they aren't feeling any better because scar tissue forms at the site and ends up pinching the nerve all over again.

Since you're young, I’d personally suggest trying to manage this through rest and exercise first.
It wouldn't hurt to grab a second opinion from a neurosurgeon just to get a hands-on physical exam—they'll have a much clearer picture of what's actually going on—but based strictly on the CT results, it's probably best to hold off on surgery unless it truly becomes necessary down the road.

I actually went through the exact same thing when I was 30, with a very similar scan. I did physical therapy, and I've been totally fine ever since, as long as I stay "consistent" with my workouts (honestly, anything works).
If I get lazy and stop moving, the pain tends to creep back in.😁

Thank you so, so, so much!
I'm already feeling a little better than I did on Sunday.
I'm curious though—what actually causes a disc bulge in younger people?
I don't have a physically demanding job, I exercise occasionally, I ride my bike, and I'm not overweight.

Casey Rogers47 said:Thank you so, so much!
I'm feeling a little better compared to how I felt this past Sunday.
I was wondering—what actually causes disc protrusion in young people?
I don't have a physically demanding job, I exercise occasionally, I ride my bike, and I'm not carrying any extra weight.

Degenerative changes in the spine can start as early as your 20s😁, so seeing a finding like that in someone in their thirties isn't actually all that unusual.

Genetics plays a massive role here—just as much as lifestyle does.
For instance, inconsistent workouts at the gym might aggravate spinal issues, or perhaps lifting heavy objects with poor posture and things of that nature.

I’m reaching out to vividsailor7 since I know his perspective, though I suppose any other specialist could weigh in here too.

I went in today to get an SSEP for my median and tibialis nerves, but I just couldn't handle the electrical stimulation. It was the exact same thing that happened when I tried electrical therapy for my back pain. The technician explained that my toes were supposed to react to the current, but instead, my entire leg started twitching, and then those spasms spread to my other leg and my pelvis—my toes didn't react at all. She tried one more time, but it was the same result. Basically, she triggered those abnormal spasms that are the whole reason I'm undergoing these tests in the first place. Then we tried the same thing with my fingers. My whole arm started twitching, very little movement in the fingers, but then my entire body and legs started spasming. I felt like I was in a "coma" because I was experiencing those abnormal movements again, and I couldn't even complete the essential testing. Now I'm spiraling into these dark thoughts that something is physically wrong with me. Even an hour after the appointment, I can still feel this "something" passing through my body. On October 20th, I have an eye exam for a fundus and Goldmann applanation tonometry, and on October 25th, I have an MRI. I'm honestly scared because I couldn't finish the test, and I'm wondering if the way my body reacted might actually point toward something specific.
I also saw a physiatrist, and he seemed genuinely surprised by how intense my reflexes were when he tested them with the hammer. He mentioned it was a bit strange to him, as he would have expected the opposite reaction, so maybe this does signify something....

wanderingcobra76 said:Spinal degeneration can start as early as your 20s😁, so seeing something like this on a scan when you're thirty isn't actually all that unusual.

Genetics play a massive role here, and so does your lifestyle.
For instance, hitting the gym with bad form or lifting heavy stuff with poor posture can definitely make those spinal issues worse.

Well, everything makes sense now. Especially the genetics part. I guess I inherited everything from my parents.🙂
I'm going to go grab that back brace I mentioned the other day; maybe it'll actually help take the edge off this pain.
Thanks for clearing that up for me!😉

Olivia Anderson10 said:I'm reaching out to vividsailor7 since I know him, but of course, any other specialists could weigh in too.

Today I went in for an SSEP of my median and tibial nerves, but I just couldn't handle the electrical stimulation. It was the exact same thing that happened when I tried electrical therapy for my back pain. The technician explained that my toes were supposed to react to the current, but instead, my entire leg started twitching uncontrollably, and then the spasms spread to my other leg and even my pelvis—my toes didn't react at all. She tried one more time, but the result was identical. Basically, she just triggered those abnormal spasms that brought me in for testing in the first place. Then we tried the same thing with my fingers. My whole arm started twitching, barely anything in the fingers, and then my entire body and legs started spasming. I felt like I was in a "trance" because I was experiencing those abnormal movements again, and I failed to get the actual test done. Now I'm spiraling into these dark thoughts that something is physically wrong with me. Even an hour after the appointment, I still feel this "something" traveling through my body. On October 20th, I have an eye exam for a fundus and Goldman VP, and on October 25th, I have an MRI. I'm terrified because I couldn't complete the test, and I'm wondering if the way my body reacted actually points to something specific.
I also saw a physiatrist, and he was genuinely surprised by the intensity of my reflexes when he tested them with a hammer. He said it seemed strange to him because he would have expected the opposite reaction, so maybe this means something too....

Specifically, right now I'm interested in the brain MRI. What was the feedback regarding the somatosensory evoked potentials?
I'm not sure if I asked this, but does anyone in your family have similar or other neurological conditions?

vividsailor7 said:Specifically, I’m looking into getting a brain MRI now. What was the actual takeaway regarding the somatosensory evoked potential?
I don't recall asking if there were any similar issues or other neurological conditions within my family history, though.

Since it was just me and my sister there, her take was basically that I might just be overly sensitive to electrical stimulation—telling me not to worry and things like that. When she asked if there had been any similar cases like mine in the family, the answer was no.
I won't be heading to the neurologist until I've finished both the eye exam and the MRI.
As for family history, there haven't been any neurological diseases (parents, grandparents, or anything further back—my mom isn't sure, so we're assuming there isn't one).

Olivia Anderson10 said:I was just hanging out with my sister, and she basically brushed me off, suggesting I might just be overly sensitive to electricity or something, telling me not to worry. When I asked if she’d ever dealt with anything similar to what I'm going through—she said no.
I'm holding off on seeing the neurologist until I get my eye exam and MRI finished.
There hasn't been any history of neurological issues in the family (parents, grandparents, even generations back—my mom isn't aware of anything, so she assumes we're clear).

It's possible, but you won't have the final word until you talk to a neurologist.

William Smith30 said:Yeah, I am.

Here are the results:

Right extensor digitorum brevis muscle: borderline intermediate innervation pattern with repetitive potentials at an 8mV amplitude.

Left flexor hallucis brevis muscle: barely on-to-intermediate innervation pattern showing clear separation of high potentials.

Right tibialis anterior muscle: borderline intermediate innervation pattern composed of low-voltage action potentials with amplitudes up to 2mV.

Right flexor hallucis brevis muscle: contraction-proportional sample composed of low-voltage action potentials.

Left extensor digitorum brevis muscle: nearly intermediate innervation pattern with clear separation of high potentials.

Right and left quadriceps femoris muscles: b.o.

CONCLUSION:

Moderate to significant chronic neural lesions were recorded in the L5 radicular distribution on the right, moderate on the right at L4, moderate on the left at S1, and mild on the right. No signs of acute denervation.
An MRI of the lumbar spine is indicated.

You need to get in touch with your neurologist immediately.

vividsailor7 said:That’s possible, but honestly, I’m letting the neurologist have the final word here.

Yeah, absolutely—the neurologist is really the one I'm listening to.
I just find myself hoping that the mere fact I couldn't get this specific test done isn't some sort of indicator for something serious.

I need some help interpreting my lab results

My bloodwork shows slightly elevated erythrocytes and glucose, but what’s actually worrying me is the following. If anyone could explain this to me, I'd appreciate it 😢:

Enzymes
s-AST-161 H (ref range is 54-119)
S-ALT-414 H (ref range is 10-36)
S-GGT-239 H(ref range is 9-35)

I'm 20 years old, I have never touched alcohol, and I don't even eat particularly greasy foods... if that matters, since I've realized these values seem to relate to the liver? :/

Andrew Morris9 said:I need some help interpreting these lab results

My erythrocytes and glucose are slightly elevated, but nothing is bothering me as much as this stuff. If anyone can explain 😢 :

Enzymes
S-AST-161 H (ref range is 54-119)
S-ALT-414 H (ref range is 10-36)
S-GGT-239 H(ref range is 9-35)

I'm 20, I don't drink alcohol and I don't eat super greasy food... if that even matters, since I just realized this is about my liver or what? :/

Go back and read the first post! Why did you even get blood work done? What symptoms are you dealing with? Have you taken any meds lately? Any chronic issues? How much do you weigh? Just post the full results so we can actually say something. What feels "slightly high" or "important" to you isn't the same thing for everyone else. And please, just transcribe the whole thing including the reference values. As it stands, all I can tell you is that you might have some kind of hepatitis, maybe gallstones, mono, fatty liver... Cheers.

I’ve actually posted about my elevated eosinophils before. I went through most of the standard tests, and here’s what they turned up: SE 42, E4.25, HB 12, LG/L HTC 36%, MCV 86.1, 9.3 L, 9.3 /OE 10%, LY16%, TR 278, iron 17, UIBC 31.
After running all the diagnostics, they couldn't find any sign of an infection or damage to my target organs, so for now, they're treating it as hypereosinophilic syndrome...
They started me on Decortin. Looking at those lab numbers above, is it really standard practice to jump straight to corticosteroid therapy? Since the diagnosis seems more like an educated guess than a certainty, isn't there a milder option out there?
If Nicholas Myers happens to be reading this, I’d really appreciate your take on it...

Kimberly Edwards2 said:I’ve actually posted an inquiry about elevated eosinophils before.. Most tests have been done and the results were mostly SE 42, E4.25 HB12LG/L HTC 36% MCV 86.1 9.3 L9.3 /OE 10% LY16%/ TR 278 iron 17, UIBC 31
Since the full workup didn't show any infection /no target organ lesions/, it's being treated as hypereosinophilic syndrome for now...
I was prescribed Decortin as treatment. I'm wondering if, based on the values listed above, it's standard practice to jump straight to corticosteroid therapy? Is there anything milder available, considering the diagnosis seems more like an assumption at this stage?
If Nicholas Myers is reading this, I would be so grateful for an answer...

Who did you see for the follow-up workup?
Who recommended that specific treatment?
Did you get your total IgE checked?

Everything was handled at the hospital—my internist recommended the treatment plan after going through all my test results.
My IgE came back at 21.9.
Is it possible they prescribed this because eosinophils have stayed elevated for more than six months? In my case, they were just caught by chance during a routine checkup about three months ago.
Thanks for the help.

Kimberly Edwards2 said:The processing was done at the hospital—and the specialist recommended the treatment after reviewing all my test results.
IgE is 21.9.
Is it possible they prescribed this because eosinophils have been elevated for more than 6 months? In my case, they were just discovered by chance during a routine physical about 3 months ago.
Thanks for the reply.

That really depends on how high they actually are, but honestly, my first thought would be a parasitic infection.

Kimberly Edwards2 said:I’ve actually reached out before regarding elevated eosinophils. Most tests have been done; results show SE 42, E4.25, HB12LG/L, HTC 36%, MCV 86.1, 9.3 L9.3 /OE 10%, LY16%, TR 278, iron 17, UIBC 31.
The workup didn't show any infection or target organ damage, so for now, it’s being treated as hypereosinophilic syndrome...
I was prescribed Decortin as therapy. Given the values listed above, is it standard practice to start corticosteroid treatment? Is there perhaps a milder option, considering the diagnosis seems more like an assumption at this stage?
If Nicholas Myers happens to be reading this, I would appreciate his insight...

Dear lady,

If my memory serves, since we last spoke, your current results look better than those from April 2011. Your eosinophil percentage is currently 10%, compared to when it was 26%, and even touched nearly 30% once.

Therefore, assuming you transcribed the results correctly, your eosinophil percentage is now 10%, which translates to an absolute count of 0.93 x 10^9. That number is technically elevated, but it isn't alarming by any stretch.

Considering you mentioned having no symptoms—that this was just an incidental finding during a routine checkup (and I hope you're still feeling fine)—and seeing as the numbers are improving (meaning the eosinophil count is trending down), I'm not entirely sure why your doctor opted for medication.

Since I don't know the full clinical picture—every test you've undergone or the specific basis for the diagnosis (based on what you've shared, the criteria for hypereosinophilic syndrome don't all seem to be met)—I can't determine if the Decortin is necessary.

I'd also be curious about the infectious disease workup you underwent. If I recall your posts from April 2011, you mentioned seeing an infectious disease specialist, but you didn't specify which tests were run to rule out an infectious cause for the eosinophilia.

The values transcribed from the lab reports are accurate. These tests were carried out at the end of August.
I only got my hands on the actual results a few days ago, and back then, the eosinophils were at 10%.
Everything else came back fine—bowel passages, tumor markers, ELISA for echinococcosis was negative, IgG for trichinellosis was negative, CRP is 1.7, and ANCA is negative. The only time eosinophils are mentioned is in the bone marrow biopsy results: Myelogram shows prom 2%, myelocytes and metamyelocytes 33%, seg 35%, ly 10%, plasma 1%, ebl 19%; diff shows seg 75%, eo 8%, ly 16%, mono 1%. In the punctate smears, there's moderately abundant hematopoietic tissue where the white-to-red cell ratio is about 8:1, favoring white cells. In the granulocytopoiesis, transitional and mature forms predominate, along with more numerous eosinophils. Erythropoiesis is mostly normoblastic and mature. Thrombocytopoiesis is slightly increased; some megakaryocytes look normal, some are dwarfed, and you occasionally see a megakaryocyte.
Protein electrophoresis showed total protein 73g/L, albumin 43.3, alpha 1 3.4, alpha 2 7.4, beta 7.2, gamma 11.8 g/l.
I had my final checkup two weeks ago—a colonoscopy—and I needed to bring in new results for it. This time, the eosinophils were elevated again, hitting 19%.
During the exam, they took a biopsy, and here’s what it says: Small intestine—the surface villi are normal and the crypts show a regular flow. Within the edematous lamina propria, there are some mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates along with some eosinophilic and neutrophilic leukocytes. Large intestine—histologically, the surface epithelium is preserved and the crypts are normal. Within the edematous lamina propria, there are mixed inflammatory infiltrates. You can also see some leukocytes within the cryptal epithelium, which corresponds to chronic localized active inflammatory changes of low activity in the large intestine area. No signs of IBD.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Kimberly Edwards2 said:The values transcribed from the lab results are correct. The tests were performed at the end of August.
I only got the actual results a few days ago, and back then, the eosinophils were at 10%.
Everything else came back fine—intestinal passages, tumor markers, ELISA for echinococcosis was negative, IgG for trichinellosis was negative, CRP 1.7, ANCA negative. The only time eosinophils were mentioned was in the bone marrow biopsy results: Myelogram shows prom 2%, myelocytes and metamyelocytes 33%, seg 35%, ly 10%, plasma 1%, ebl 19%; diff seg 75%, eo 8%, ly 16%, mono 1%. In the puncture smears, there is moderately abundant hematopoietic tissue where the ratio of white to red marrow is about 8:1, favoring white marrow. In the granulocytopoiesis, transitional and mature forms predominate along with numerous eosinophils. Erythropoiesis is mostly normoblastic and mature. Thrombopoiesis is slightly increased; some megakaryocytes look normal, some are dwarfed, and you occasionally see a megakaryocyte.
Electrophoresis showed no abnormal protein; total protein 73g/L, albumin 43.3, alpha 1 3.4, alpha 2 7.4, beta 7.2, gamma 11.8 g/l.
Two weeks ago, I had my final checkup—a colonoscopy—and I needed to bring new results for that, and the eosinophils were elevated again at 19%.
During the exam, they took a biopsy, and the findings are as follows: small intestine—the surface has orderly villi and the crypts follow a normal pattern. In the lamina propria, which is edematous, there are some mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates along with some eosinophilic and neutrophilic leukocytes. Large intestine—histologically, the surface epithelium is preserved and the crypts follow a normal pattern. In the edematous lamina propria, there are mixed inflammatory infiltrates. Some leukocytes are visible within the cryptal epithelium, which corresponds to chronic localized active inflammatory changes of low activity in the large intestine area. No signs of IBD.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Are you having any digestive issues?
Have you seen an internist-hematologist yet?

Back in April, I saw an infectious disease specialist because they found Blastocystis hominis in my stool sample. They put me on Metronidazole. By July, I went back for a follow-up, and the parasitology results came back negative.

I should mention that I haven't seen an allergist yet. But honestly, after everything that happened at the hospital, nobody even brought it up...

Digestion isn't actually an issue for me. Unfortunately, right around the time I started this whole battery of tests, my husband fell ill with cancer. I have to admit, dealing with the prep—the colonoscopy, those incredibly aggressive bowel cleanses, and everything else we've been managing at home—has been overwhelming. It’s hardly surprising then that the intestinal findings showed some signs of inflammation...

Kimberly Edwards2 said:Digestion isn't actually the issue for me. Honestly, ever since I started going through all these medical tests, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. I have to admit, dealing with things like bowel prep, colonoscopies—those incredibly aggressive cleansing routines—and everything else happening at home has been an absolute nightmare to handle. It’s really no wonder the results showed some inflammation in the gut...

You really ought to reach out to an internist—specifically a hematologist.