Lilith's guide to blood draws: Before, during, and after

Has anyone here actually dealt with elevated liver enzymes? How do they typically run those tests? I'm curious about what the symptoms look like and if there's really a connection to being on birth control. Thanks.

A simple blood draw from the vein reveals elevated transaminase levels—specifically ALT and AST. While these numbers typically don't present any immediate, glaring symptoms, they serve as a quiet red flag indicating some form of liver distress, whether that's stemming from certain medications, a diet heavy in greasy takeout, or perhaps a bit too much time spent at the local pub.

If you're on birth control, it might be a good idea to have your liver checked once in a while just to be safe... I make sure to go for an annual checkup myself...

When you’re getting bloodwork done, they usually check your AST, ALT, and Gamma GT. Bilirubin isn't actually an enzyme, but doctors almost always run it alongside those transaminases anyway.
People often call liver enzymes "transaminases," but honestly, trying to explain what it means when just one specific number is high is a total headache. Still, I think it’s a smart move to get these checked once a year—especially if you're on any meds, enjoy a few drinks, or eat a lot of greasy comfort food.
If your levels come back slightly elevated, don't freak out; it doesn't automatically mean your liver is in trouble. But, if that happens, you'll definitely want to follow up with some imaging like an ultrasound, a CT scan, or an MRI.

Does anyone know what it means when GGT and ALT levels are significantly low? I'm not sure if there's a connection, but my platelet count is down too, iron is high, and I've been running a slight fever—nothing crazy, maybe around 99°F—on and off for the last two years.

Maybe I just need more bourbon in my diet? :-) Just kidding.

Look, if you really want to see those GGT levels spike, just go hard on the drinks tonight.🙂

Just kidding! In reality, having low ALT and GGT doesn't usually mean much clinically. However, seeing low platelets combined with high iron and a slight fever could definitely point toward something else. It’s tough to say for sure without the full picture, though—like knowing your white blood cell count, reticulocytes, or B12 levels.

That combo could potentially suggest some mild anemia. My best advice? Definitely check in with your doctor to get the full rundown.😉

:-))
Everything else looks fine, including my white blood cell count, but I haven't had my B12 checked yet (not sure if any other numbers can give a hint). My main priority was seeing a nutritionist, so for now, I have to stay away from beans, beets, and my absolute favorite—broccoli (which is honestly the hardest thing for me to give up). She gave me some plum-based honey to help regenerate my liver and a certain tea that, I have to admit, smells amazing. I’m heading to see my doctor today, but if she tries to push antibiotics on me, I’m probably going to pass (unless things get really serious, which I don't think they will)
It’s not like I’m dealing with anything massive; I just get these occasional sharp pains near my liver and my stomach acts up a bit. From what I’ve researched, it seems like GERD, and my gastroenterologist actually agreed, though he’s still insisting on an endoscopy. I’ll go through with the scope eventually, but I’d much rather try to fix this naturally first using home remedies like chestnut honey and ginger. If that doesn't work, then I'll look into conventional medicine. As for the temperature issues, I’ve kind of gotten used to them (even if I do annoy people by complaining about being cold when everyone else is perfectly fine). I also assume the temp is just part of whatever is going on in my body, especially since my resting heart rate is pretty high, sitting around 90-100. I guess you could say I'm just operating at a high energy level :-)))
Thanks

Has anyone here gone through hormone replacement therapy? I'm curious about the whole process—what it's actually like, where you went, how the scheduling works, and if there's a long waitlist. Thanks!

Which hormones are we talking about here?

They’re asking me to get these checked out: FSH, LH, E2, TSH, fT3, fT4, PRL, free testosterone, FAI, SHBG, androstenedione, DHEA-S, and 17-OHP.

Olivia Sanchez16 said:They’re asking me to get these checked out: FSH, LH, E2, TSH, fT3, fT4, PRL, free testosterone, FAI, SHBG, androstenedione, DHEA-S, and 17-OHP.

Check this out

Thanks, I think I’ve managed to find most of what I need. Only one thing though... I'm clearly an outlier here. I haven't had my period in exactly seven months, and I'm reading that certain hormone tests have to be done during your cycle. Does that mean I can't even get the bloodwork done until it finally shows up?

feralwolf24, your nutritionist was just using some basic logic to 🙄 tackle everything. High iron levels? She suggests cutting out anything packed with it 🙄 (like beans, beets, or my personal favorite—broccoli )
. Now, whether you actually follow that advice strictly is totally up to you 😉.

The liver enzyme results show things are looking fine on that front—don't sweat those low numbers, they don't really mean much clinically. But, the nutritionist did suggest drinking some prune tea to help with liver regeneration 🙄
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If your doctor wants to put you on antibiotics, there’d better be a solid reason behind it than just a slight fever around 99 degrees
. As for the honey and your stomach situation, honestly, honey just doesn't sit right with some people; it can cause mild discomfort that feels a lot like light gastritis. So, before you go running off for that endoscopy they recommended, maybe have a quick chat with a gastroenterologist about it first
.

When it comes to antibiotics, my experience is pretty much this: you show up at the doctor's office, and you're basically guaranteed a prescription—even if you actually went in asking for an eye exam! :-) Honestly, I feel like "antibiotics" has become shorthand for almost any standard medical treatment these days. As for my stomach, it’s a real trooper; it handles just about anything I throw at it without complaining. But once it decides to act up—like hitting me in the middle of the night when I'm craving something specific—it’s absolutely infuriating. Usually, though, once I finally eat something, I feel better almost instantly. I guess I've figured out that my personal medicine is just eating, eating, and more eating. :-) Lately, though, I’ve been getting this weird taste in my mouth, and when I spit, there’s blood. I haven't really been coughing, so I don't think I burst a capillary from straining. On the other hand, after testing it out with some forced coughing, it feels more like something in my throat just spat blood out. It’s worth mentioning that I am a smoker, though I’ve been pretty moderate lately. A couple of months ago, I was going through a phase where I was smoking about four packs a day. I’m guessing my body is just trying to clear out the damage from that mess.

Hey everyone,
If my white blood cell count and ESR come back normal, does that just rule out bacteria? I'm wondering if those levels could still spike if there's a virus involved.

I could, but I don't have to. You can see elevated lymphocyte levels in a differential blood count—anything over 46%—even if your total white blood cell count stays perfectly normal. Since lymphocytes are just one specific type of white blood cell, the math works out that way. And honestly? Your ESR doesn't necessarily need to be high either. It never was for me when I dealt with a virus. The real key is getting that full differential done.

Like I mentioned, I’ve been running a low fever for about two months now. Finally ran into a doctor who was maybe a bit too thorough—she had me pull ten vials of blood today, even though I already gave three just ten days ago. My head has been spinning ever since, and it’s been about ten hours since they drew it all. Should I be worried, and what’s the best way to bounce back quickly?
heeeeeeeelp

oh, come on, don't even go there 👎

when you donate blood, they only take about a pint—and trust me, nobody's dying from that...

Gregory Myers said:Like I mentioned, I’ve been running a low fever for about two months now. Finally ran into a doctor who was maybe a bit too thorough—she had me pull ten vials of blood today, even though I already gave three just ten days ago. My head has been spinning ever since, and it’s been about ten hours since they drew it all. Should I be worried, and what’s the best way to bounce back quickly?
heeeeeeeelp

Look, I've donated blood before and I survived!😁

The reality is that feeling lightheaded and dizzy happens, but honestly, it's totally normal so don't sweat it!

... let me know what the doctor says once you get the results...
but seriously, don't even sweat it—you were probably just starving, and when you combine that with the heat and having blood drawn, it’s an easy way to crash... everything is gonna be totally fine... 😘