Help Me Understand These Blood Test Results!

[Woolygimp]

Had some blood work done a couple weeks ago and was wondering if you guys can share your thoughts. I'm a 22 year old male, got "sick" when I was 17. I've been gluten free for a little over a year with some improvement, mainly involving the gastrointestinal symptoms. I no longer have any diarrhea, stomach pains, and so forth.

I am still extremely fatigued. I wake up exhausted and weak. I feel dehydrated and suffer from on and off brain fog, disorientation, can't stand bright lights, dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin. Hair is thinner than it use to be and I do notice strands falling out from time to time. When I had these tests done I was initially worried about Addison's disease. The fatigue is the worst and it's gotten pretty bad. I wake up tired and exhausted and don't "feel" right during the day. I get a burst of energy during the night though and feel somewhat better.

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TEST LEVEL ER/EXPECTED RANGE

Testosterone 209 ER(241-827ng/dl)

I'm 22 so I think 209 is significantly lower than the lab range. This can't be normal...

Follicle Stim Hormone 2.0 ER(1.5-14.0miu/ml)

Low FSH + low testosterone? Could this be a pituitary problem?

Cortisol, Random 5 ER(2-25ug/dl)

I took this test at 10am and I'm sure the lower end of the expected range is for the afternoon tests. Still a single random test isn't very accurate, I'm having a stim test done this week.

Aldosterone <1.6 ER(4.0-31.0 ng/dl)

I had some florinef (fludrocortisone) that I took several months back. All of my dehydration symptoms, the dry mouth/eyes/skin would go away as long as I drank a good bit of water and salt. I had initially thought those symptoms were Sjogren's but I no longer think that is the case. I think I have an Aldosterone deficiency, and maybe Addison's... and this is what has lead me to want the blood work and stim testing done. As you can see, my levels of cortisol/aldosterone are not too good.

DHEA 9.1 ER(1.9-7.6)

It's elevated which is a bit weird. Counter-indicative of a pituitary problem though.

Free T3 3.0 ER(2.3-4.2pg/ml)

Normal. Not sure what you hypothyroid sufferers make of this. I definitely have a few symptoms of hypothyroidism...

Reverse T3 400 ER(90-350pg/ml)

....and this may be why. It's elevated. Not sure what causes it.

TSH 2.0 ER(0.3-5.1uiu/ml)

I'm noticing that these labs have some very "wide" expected ranges.

Free T4 1.34 ER(0.73-1.95ng/dl)

Luteinizing Hormone 3.7 ER(1.0-9.0miu/ml)

I think this is also counter-indicative of a pituitary problem.

The rest of the lab was pretty normal. No thyroid antibodies, tested for thyroglobulin and TTG IGG. Both normal. No titers for any autoimmune diseases, Somatomedin-C was normal. Glucose, B12, Calcium, Potassium, Chloride, Sodium, Creatinine, SGOP, and SGPT were all normal.

My liver enzymes use to be off the chart which scared everyone as they thought I may have cirhhrosis or hep, but that was prior to going gluten free. Every liver test post-gluten free has shown that my liver has returned to normal.

My cholesterol is high too....and it's been high. I don't eat any dairy or eggs. I've heard dehydration causes that.

[loxleynew]

Most of your labs seem pretty normal.

As for the cortisol, 5 at 10am is roughly normal. It really depends when you wake up as well. The range for cortisol levels is supposed to be high in the morning, lowest at noon, then gradually level off in the evening but never get as high as the morning.

These are some more labs I would recommend getting if I were you. Saliva test to properly test your adrenals, as some symptoms do correlate to that. Get a full workup done for celiac while being on a gluten challenge diet. You said you were gluten free for over a year. This could be why you had negative results for the antibodies for celiac (IGG ect.) You thyroid results really do seem normal but high cholesterol can be a sign of an autoimmune disorder such as thyroid. You should re test those results outside of 4 weeks from your last tests to be sure. Also get your vitamin D levels checked. This is very important and could be effecting how tired you are.

Sorry you feel so bad

[Woolygimp]

Most of your labs seem pretty normal.

As for the cortisol, 5 at 10am is roughly normal. It really depends when you wake up as well. The range for cortisol levels is supposed to be high in the morning, lowest at noon, then gradually level off in the evening but never get as high as the morning.

These are some more labs I would recommend getting if I were you. Saliva test to properly test your adrenals, as some symptoms do correlate to that. Get a full workup done for celiac while being on a gluten challenge diet. You said you were gluten free for over a year. This could be why you had negative results for the antibodies for celiac (IGG ect.) You thyroid results really do seem normal but high cholesterol can be a sign of an autoimmune disorder such as thyroid. You should re test those results outside of 4 weeks from your last tests to be sure. Also get your vitamin D levels checked. This is very important and could be effecting how tired you are.

Sorry you feel so bad

I don't see how you could say they are pretty normal when most of those labs are out of range.

The range for cortisol levels is supposed to be high in the morning,

It was a morning test so isn't 5 extremely low? Look at my Aldosterone levels, it can't get any lower than that.

Vitamin D was tested and was normal. Cholesterol has been elevated for the past two years over 4+ tests, so it's not a one time thing.

[ravenwoodglass]

I can't tell you much about the test results but would suggest that perhaps a referral to an endocrinologist might be helpful.

[loxleynew]

I don't see how you could say they are pretty normal when most of those labs are out of range.

It was a morning test so isn't 5 extremely low? Look at my Aldosterone levels, it can't get any lower than that.

Well I guess I didn't mean to say all were normal, which they aren't, i'm just interperting them and keep in mind you should see an endocrinologist.

To start off with your thyroid all of those tests seem to be normal. The correct ranges for TSH is actually now .3 - 3.5 and anything over I would say 3.0 is borderline mild hypothyroid. You have 2.0, however TSH can vary ~ 1.5 per day depending when you took it and such, so that's why you need to have those results taken more than once. The free t4 and t3 are mid range which is normal however the free t4 is what you will see change as you become more hypothyroid. The reverse T3 is above range, slightly. This could indicate some strain on your adrenals, meaning you probably have too much stress in your life? However your free t3 is fine, so fixing whatever is addressing your adrenals might solve this.

Not so sure about the testosterone, but yea it seems low, should definatley check with a endo. They usually test for this and could present some adrenal problems.

You already seem to know a lot about aldosterone and yea that's most likely why you are dehydrated. I highly doubt you have addisons unless it runs in your family. Also without doing more tests like a cortisol stress (I think this is what it's called) to really see what's going on.

Your cortisol was 5 which is low, but one cortisol test alone cannot tell us how bad your adrenals are stressed. This is why I suggested you do the saliva test to get all 4 readings throughout the day. It costs around $115 and you can actually order it yourself and do it at home. This also gives you the DHEA levels and prodisterone (sp?). What time do you wakeup? That would also help in telling how low your cortisol levels would be around that time.

This website would be good for you to take a look at. It describes all your labs and ranges in detail.

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[Pupsworth]

Hey there,

I got sick over a year and a half ago. I think I may have been going downhill for some time, but two years after the sudden death of my father, that's when the you know what hit the fan. I was wondering if you've had any recent or long term stress... I finally found a doctor that's more wholistic and he tested A LOT of things. My adrenal is definitely fatigued and I have some Candida problems (if you've never heard of this, you should definitely take a look). You should get checked for these. Also my B12 was really low. I'm thinking maybe the stress of losing my father took a toll on my adrenal gland (that and dealing with thyroid disease), and that set in motion horomonal imbalances and the other things I mentioned here. I think it may be beneficial to look for a doctor like this in your area. Most doctors don't know much about Candida or believe it exists, which is just ridiculous.

I did see an endochronologist and he was supposed to be one of the best, but I mentioned an eye problem where I focus in and out of things and he told me I'd have to go to an eye doctor for that, and my new doctor took one look at my eyes, without me mentioning anything, and said "oh, you have a soft adrenal gland." And endochronologists are supposed to know about adrenal functions!!! I'm much happier with my new doc, his appointments last an hour (plenty of time to get a healthy dialogue going- no doctor can know what's going on with you from talking to you for only 10 min), and he looks at the whole picture (where you are lacking and where you have too high of something). He uses supplements and treats the cause, not just the symptoms. I cannot stress how IMPORTANT having a doctor that knows and listens to you can be.

I don't know where you live, but if your docs aren't cutting it, seek out someone like I mentioned. I went gluten free, dairy, egg, and soy free on my own and feel better, but not back to normal.

As for the thyroid levels, some doctors use a much wider range to see if you are normal, but I strongly believe that a doctor should listen to you to see if you are feeling ok on a certain dose or if you'd like to try some meds to see if they help. A doctor should never ever let numbers speak for you and what your gut tells you you're feeling.

One more thing, I've heard that taking psyllium husk powder with a beverage or water can reduce cholesterol and it's good for regularity. Don't know how you are in that area, but being backed up can cause some of those symptoms also.

So there's my input. I hope you find the problem. You could be difficient in something, or Candida and adrenal disfunction (especially burst of energy during certain parts of the day) have symptoms like the ones you mentioned.

Had some blood work done a couple weeks ago and was wondering if you guys can share your thoughts. I'm a 22 year old male, got "sick" when I was 17. I've been gluten free for a little over a year with some improvement, mainly involving the gastrointestinal symptoms. I no longer have any diarrhea, stomach pains, and so forth.

I am still extremely fatigued. I wake up exhausted and weak. I feel dehydrated and suffer from on and off brain fog, disorientation, can't stand bright lights, dry mouth, dry eyes, dry skin. Hair is thinner than it use to be and I do notice strands falling out from time to time. When I had these tests done I was initially worried about Addison's disease. The fatigue is the worst and it's gotten pretty bad. I wake up tired and exhausted and don't "feel" right during the day. I get a burst of energy during the night though and feel somewhat better.

------------------

TEST LEVEL ER/EXPECTED RANGE

Testosterone 209 ER(241-827ng/dl)

I'm 22 so I think 209 is significantly lower than the lab range. This can't be normal...

Follicle Stim Hormone 2.0 ER(1.5-14.0miu/ml)

Low FSH + low testosterone? Could this be a pituitary problem?

Cortisol, Random 5 ER(2-25ug/dl)

I took this test at 10am and I'm sure the lower end of the expected range is for the afternoon tests. Still a single random test isn't very accurate, I'm having a stim test done this week.

Aldosterone <1.6 ER(4.0-31.0 ng/dl)

I had some florinef (fludrocortisone) that I took several months back. All of my dehydration symptoms, the dry mouth/eyes/skin would go away as long as I drank a good bit of water and salt. I had initially thought those symptoms were Sjogren's but I no longer think that is the case. I think I have an Aldosterone deficiency, and maybe Addison's... and this is what has lead me to want the blood work and stim testing done. As you can see, my levels of cortisol/aldosterone are not too good.

DHEA 9.1 ER(1.9-7.6)

It's elevated which is a bit weird. Counter-indicative of a pituitary problem though.

Free T3 3.0 ER(2.3-4.2pg/ml)

Normal. Not sure what you hypothyroid sufferers make of this. I definitely have a few symptoms of hypothyroidism...

Reverse T3 400 ER(90-350pg/ml)

....and this may be why. It's elevated. Not sure what causes it.

TSH 2.0 ER(0.3-5.1uiu/ml)

I'm noticing that these labs have some very "wide" expected ranges.

Free T4 1.34 ER(0.73-1.95ng/dl)

Luteinizing Hormone 3.7 ER(1.0-9.0miu/ml)

I think this is also counter-indicative of a pituitary problem.

The rest of the lab was pretty normal. No thyroid antibodies, tested for thyroglobulin and TTG IGG. Both normal. No titers for any autoimmune diseases, Somatomedin-C was normal. Glucose, B12, Calcium, Potassium, Chloride, Sodium, Creatinine, SGOP, and SGPT were all normal.

My liver enzymes use to be off the chart which scared everyone as they thought I may have cirhhrosis or hep, but that was prior to going gluten free. Every liver test post-gluten free has shown that my liver has returned to normal.

My cholesterol is high too....and it's been high. I don't eat any dairy or eggs. I've heard dehydration causes that.

[Woolygimp]

I'd just like to add that the fludrocortisone definitely, without a doubt, helps with my dehydration. If I take it and then eat salt and drink a good amount of liquids, my mouth/eyes/skin become moist and I feel much, much better.

So if my aldosterone is low then how is that a possibility if I don't have Addison's?