Returned From Doctor's Appy. With Questions

[AnnieMarie]

I had my 6 month appt. with my rheumatoligist;I won't get into that. Well upon getting home I was looking over my labs and my ALK PHOPHATASE was flagged at 35 normal range 42-125 for my lab.

What would cause this?

I have been having some indigestion and was given protonix. HE also refeered me back to the GI. I don't know my appt. as of yet.

I really get annoyed when Dr.'s let you leave and do not discuss your entire lab work. I realize this may not be his field of expertise but he could offer an explaination.

Has someone else tested for this ??

The low reading has me stumped.

Thank you,

Annie

[BRUMI1968]

At some point, I printed out blood chemistry definitions from a website called: www.carbonbased.com/definitions.htm.

I don't know if they are still around or not. Here's what it says for ALK Phosphatase:

Produced in the cells of bone and the liver with some activity in the kidney, intestine, and plancenta, it is mostly found in an alkaline state with a pH of 9. Increased levels are seen extensively as a tumor marker, in bone injury, pregnancy, or skeletal growth (elevated readings). Growing children have normally higher levels of this enzyme. D3ecreased levels are sometimes found in hypadrenia, protein deficiency, malnutrition, and a number of vitamin deficiencies.

Normal adult range 20-125 Optimal 72.5

this reading puts yours in "normal", but it still seems low. Anyway, that's that. I'm going of to see if this website still exists.

[AnnieMarie]

Thanks Bully,

I will check out the site you posted.

I am also being treated for lupus/scleroderma so I have a lot going on.

I thought each lab had it's own range and each evaluation might be different according to that particular labs criteria. I say this because mine was deffinately flagged as low.

Thanks again for the info and the site. I don't use the message board as frequently as I should because I thought I had the gluten thing under control. However I am always here for recipes.

Thanks again I am gratefull for the info.

Annie

[BRUMI1968]

I scoped the site and couldn't find the same data. I suggest googling blood test definitions or blood count or something...someone must have something online about it.

[AnnieMarie]

I also checked that URL and found nothing.

I googled around and found only one site that had about the same info. that you posted. There just does not seem to be a lot of info. on low levles out there.

Annie

[kbtoyssni]

Why don't you give your doctor a call and ask her (orl eave a message for her to call you back)? My doctor is very good at calling me back as soon as she can.

[penguin]

Here's the info bully4you was looking for:

Open Original Shared Link

[skbird]

Hi - mine has been low each time it was tested the past few years. I have been able to find little about it - sometimes it has something to do with B12 deficiency, but that doesn't seem to be the case with me. I did find some info that it might have to do with acidity of the body, so I might be slightly acidic. My rheumatologist was interested in it but couldn't find any info to make any sense so we finally dropped it. I am not being treated by a rheumy now - all my tests minus my ANA come back negative.

I would love to know what it means, but it doesn't seem to leap out at me, either.

Stephanie

[AnnieMarie]

Stephanie my rhuemy picked up on mine as well. My ANA is always positive and SCL-70 too. My Complement 3 is usually low, but this has nothing to do woth the ALk.... test.

I have found some info. on this and celiac is one of the reasons as well as b12 and other things. Chelse offered a very informative URL, thanks for that!

The reason I want to pursue this is that constant buzzing type feeling that is happeneing in my feet. It is really disturbing to me when I get that electric type shock buzz throught the right hand side of my face.

I have been eating out a lot more often. So who knows? I will just have to wait to see the GI I guess.

Thanks for all the replies.

AnnieMarie

[skbird]

Actually, my complement 3 was low one time, not significantly, but flagged, but the next time it was fine. Alk Phos is always low, has been down to 22. My ANA has a nucleolar pattern which is indicated in scleroderma but nothing else checks out (thankfully!) so I've been dismissed. My ANA goes from 160-320.

I was having some weird joint pains in my right hand and sometimes my feet but it appeared to be just some weird phenomenon. But I'll keep it in mind for the future. I do take turmeric and my rheumy was pleased - he's East Indian and said lots of research is coming out about how great turmeric is for autoimmune and cancer, and that he thinks that the reaon autoimmune diseases are lower in India is because people eat so much curry, which has a lot of turmeric in it. Anyway, it's supposed to help with inflammation so it may be something you want to look into. Scleroderma is especially being seen as improved by turmeric, also cystic fibrosis.

Anyway, take care -

Stephanie

[BRUMI1968]

My doc had me on turmeric as well - for ITP, another autoimmune disease.

Interestingly, the combination turmeric, ashwaganda, zinc, and boswellia has shown to be a potent arthritis pain medication in dogs and humans. The symptoms decrease even if the actual problems stay the same. It may not have been R. Arthritis...I can't recall. I'll try to look it up again to check my facts.