26 replies to this topic

[SweetJade1980]

i couldn't put the results into two seperate columns... with one showing the normal ranges and the other showing my results. The posting doesn't let me

sorry for any inconvience in reading.

LOL, that's quite alright. I must say Frogprince I do believe I have never seen anyone post such extensive results! Unfortunately, there’s this one section that I can’t quite understand. I can’t seem to figure out what is your value amongst this date (bolded ones?). Perhaps you can clarify it for me or maybe Karmagirl or Bryan will come along and do so.

Result *Serum Follicle Stimulating Hormone 4.55 mIU/ml
N.V.
Mean 4.2mIU/ml
95% range 1.5-14mIU/ml
n 16

Result *Serum Luteinizing Hormone 5.24 mIU/ml
N.V
Median 3.3MIU/ml
95% range 1.4-7.7mIU/ml
n74

Result Serum Total Testosterone 6.03 ng/ml
N.V 20-49 yrs
Median 2.86-15.1 ng/ml
95% range 2.70-17.3 ng/ml
Absolute Range
n 68

N.V >50 yrs
Median 4.38 ng/ml
95% range 2.12-7.42 ng/ml
Absolute Range l 2.12-7.55 ng/ml
n 19

Otherwise, what I noticed was:

Postive OGT (Glucose intolerance, Insulin Resistnace)


Low-Normal White Blood Cell (WBC) count

High Neutrophil count

Low Lymphocyte count

High-Normal Eosinophil count (borderline)

High Monocytes count



High LDL Cholesterol

[Low HDL/LDL Cholesterol Ratio]


Low-Normal Cortisol


Low-Normal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

Low Thyroxine (T4)



Something I noticed about my basic test results, even before I was officially diagnosed, was that I had minor abnormalities in my WBCs as well, but the doctors were never concerned (see list below). Perhaps whenever I took them I wasn’t feeling 100% well, perhaps this is “normal�, or perhaps this is yet another indicator that we are dealing with some sort of immune problem. Can anyone share their input here? Although, I’ve learned recently that Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, etc are types of SILENT Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, therefore our immune system must play a much larger role than was previously known, in the development of these disorders.

Otherwise, you already knew you didn’t tolerate sugar well because you were clear or close to it, through diet alone right? Yet I bet it feels good to be able to actually put a name to what you have, right? Oh and if you aren’t exercising regularly, you probably want to do that as it will give you an extra boost. =)

Abnormal results
The white cell count and differential are interpreted according to a person's clinical condition and medical history. Leukocytosis (a white count increased to over 10,000/uL) is seen in bacterial infections, inflammation, leukemia, trauma, and stress. Leukopenia (a white count decreased to less than 4,000/ L) is seen in some viral infections or severe bacterial infections, and conditions that affect the bone marrow such as dietary deficiencies, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and autoimmune diseases.

Key Terms
Band
Immature neutrophil.

Basophil
White blood cell that increases in response to parasitic infections and allergic reactions.

Differential
Blood test that determines the percentage of each type of white blood cell in a person's blood.

Eosinophil
White blood cell that increases in response to parasitic infections and allergic reactions.

Leukocytosis
A white count increased to over 10,000/ L.

Leukopenia
A white count decreased to less than 4,000/ L.

Lymphocyte
White blood cell that fights viral and some bacterial infections by direct attack or the production of antibodies.

Monocyte
White blood cell that increases during a variety of conditions including severe infections. It removes debris and microorganisms by phagocytosis.

Neutrophil
White blood cell that increases in response to bacterial infection. It removes and kills bacteria through phagocytosis.

Phagocytosis
A process by which a white blood cell envelopes and digests debris and microorganisms to remove them from the blood.

http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/...ifferential.jsp 

Perhaps later I can find other sites that may tell us more about what those variations mean. Otherwise, mind checking these links out:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...pic=55155&st=20 (read bottom of page 2 & 3)

http://www.pcosliving.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31

Bye for now =P

[karmagirl]

SweetJade, you're right - the bolded values are his test results!

The other values give additional info because tests from different labs can be highly variable on these. The means/medians/n values/CIs are part of the historical control data for that specific laboratory.

Frogprince: I'm in agreement with most of what SJ says - I wasn't particularly impressed by your WBC data, but the other links and info she provides sare helpful, seeing as chronic low-grade inflammation or suppression can be mildly contributing. It may also be that not enough is known or not enough has been pieced together; the immune system is one of the most complicated to understand and interpret. The only one more complicated, I think, is the nervous system.

At any rate, I think the glucose/insulin are worth pursuing.

Congrats for getting the tests done and finding out! It's always nice to know, huh? I encourage you to get your bloodwork done as often as your doctor recommends. This baseline is really valuable for future comparison, to keep an eye on your overall health.

:o)

[SweetJade1980]

Karmagirl,
Thanks so much for clarifying that for me. Ugg, the human body is absolutely complicated, but I'm glad we have a future doctor helping is out around here!


Frogprince,
Like Karmagirl mentioned now you have a baseline of sorts. You already changed your diet before you had the results so this may have altered your data, but you can compare this set to any future ones. In fact, next time you should ask if you can specifically find out about your Free Testosterone, DHEA, DHEA-S, & Androstendione are, because you are reading Normal for Total Testosterone, but one of these indiv. androgens may be higher (like some of your WBCs). Also, you may want to ask about gettng your C-Reactive Protein checked (measure of inflammation) just for kicks.

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understandin...crp/glance.html
http://www.health-tests-direct.com/what_is...ive_protein.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...996&query_hl=73


Also, here's another link if about WBCs http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/intro/bldcells.htm#n

Otherwise, for those that didn't catch it:

My endrocronologist explained to me that I don’t respond well to simple sugars. I don’t quite remember word for word what he said, but he did explain to me why I break out from carrots, corn, peas, and especially bananas. He told me to minimize simple sugars and to avoid sugary fruits.

...........................................................

He explained to that I had high levels of testosterone, but at the same time, I have such a high metabolism and that explains why I have such difficulty gaining weight.

Since I am a man, he said dealing with testosterone issues might affect my manhood and fertility so I might not be able to do anything about it, but the glucose discovery was a big thing. I can deal with that through diet. Thanks so much for your suggestions. Anyways, here are my results: Tell me what you think.

Insulin Resistance can lead to Hyperandrogenism. Therefore, if you find you have high testosterone levels, then changing your diet, exercising, and if need be Insulin Sensitizing supplements/medications will lower your androgens (but won't stop all DHT production). Thus, this is how males can safely balance out their hormones without worrying about affecting their manliness. Furthermore, these diets appear to be...self-correcting in that if you males were experiencing Andropause (low testesterone, high estrogen) it would correct for this as well!

Take care

[karmagirl]

Sweetjade, I finished school years ago, but I will never practice medicine on civilians - I just do biological research mostly, and military medical flight evaluations/consults, sometimes.

Just to clarify!

[SweetJade1980]

Sweetjade, I finished school years ago, but I will never practice medicine on civilians - I just do biological research mostly, and military medical flight evaluations/consults, sometimes. 

Just to clarify!

LOL, yeah I could have figured that out by your age. He he anyway, I'm glad you chose to do research. It should keep you current on things, right?

[karmagirl]

Not always, heh. I did do the hormone work for grad school, so I always keep current on that. But one can only keep up on so many things! I tend to spend most of my reading time on issues near and dear to my heart (you know what those are!!), and the ones relevant to my work for the Navy, which range from chem-bio to aviation physiology. I'm also an aerobics instructor, and tend to do a lot of reading up on whatever, based on my clients' questions. Finally, I'm trying to learn more about aircraft themselves since I spend a lot of time in/around them now.

[SweetJade1980]

Not always, heh.  I did do the hormone work for grad school, so I always keep current on that.  But one can only keep up on so many things!  I tend to spend most of my reading time on issues near and dear to my heart (you know what those are!!), and the ones relevant to my work for the Navy, which range from chem-bio to aviation physiology.  I'm also an aerobics instructor, and tend to do a lot of reading up on whatever, based on my clients' questions.  Finally, I'm trying to learn more about aircraft themselves since I spend a lot of time in/around them now.

LOL, yeah it seems you have your hands full, but I'm glad you've managed to find time to stop in and help educate and give others hope around here. You show a level of calmness, patience and openmindedness that some people don't always exhibit. So thanks for being here =)

[SweetJade1980]

Just out of curiosity:

Diabetes. 2005 May;54(5):1566-72. Related Articles, Links 


Intensive lifestyle intervention or metformin on inflammation and coagulation in participants with impaired glucose tolerance.

Haffner S, Temprosa M, Crandall J, Fowler S, Goldberg R, Horton E, Marcovina S, Mather K, Orchard T, Ratner R, Barrett-Connor E; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group.

Increases in subclinical inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and impaired coagulation have been associated with increased obesity and insulin resistance. Only a few small studies have examined the effect of lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, increased physical activity, and insulin-sensitizing intervention on inflammation and coagulation. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) clinical trial studied the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention or metformin on progression to diabetes relative to placebo in 3,234 adults with impaired glucose tolerance. The effects of these interventions on CRP and fibrinogen at 12 months are examined in this report. Metformin reduced CRP in women compared with the placebo group. In men, the median changes in CRP from baseline to 1 year were -33% in the lifestyle group, -7% in the metformin group, and +5% in the placebo group. In women, the changes in CRP from baseline to follow-up were -29% in the lifestyle group, -14% in the metformin group, and 0% in the placebo group. In the lifestyle group weight loss rather than increased physical activity seems to account for most of the changes in CRP. Only modest reductions (although significant) were seen in fibrinogen levels in the lifestyle group relative to the metformin and placebo group. Lifestyle intervention reduced levels of nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors relative to both placebo and to a lesser degree to metformin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...347&query_hl=73

Clin Chem. 2004 Oct;50(10):1762-8. Epub 2004 Aug 12. Related Articles, Links 


C-reactive protein and features of the metabolic syndrome in a population-based sample of children and adolescents.

Lambert M, Delvin EE, Paradis G, O'Loughlin J, Hanley JA, Levy E.

Department of Pediatrics, Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. marie.lambert@umontreal.ca

BACKGROUND: C-Reactive protein (CRP) is a risk marker for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In youth, limited data are available on the distribution of high-sensitivity CRP as well as on its association with components of the metabolic syndrome.

METHODS: In 1999, we conducted a school-based survey of a representative sample of youths 9, 13, and 16 years of age in the province of Quebec, Canada. Standardized clinical measurements and fasting plasma lipid, glucose, insulin, and CRP concentrations were available for 2224 individuals.

RESULTS: The distribution of CRP was positively skewed. The median and 95th percentile values by age and sex ranged from < 0.2 to 0.56 mg/L and from 2.72 to 6.28 mg/L, respectively. A total of 7.7% of 9-year-olds, 5.5% of 13-year-olds, and 12.8% of 16-year-olds had CRP concentrations > 3.0 mg/L, the threshold defining the adult high-risk category. We observed a strong relationship between CRP concentrations and both body mass index (BMI) and fasting insulin values. The association between CRP and insulin concentration was markedly attenuated after adjustment for BMI, whereas that between CRP and BMI remained unchanged after adjustment for insulin: a 1 SD increase in BMI was associated with a 52% increase in CRP concentration. An increased CRP concentration was independently associated with a worsening of the lipid profile, whereas the association between increased CRP values and high systolic blood pressure was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for BMI.

CONCLUSIONS: The metabolic correlates of excess weight, including a state of low-grade systemic inflammation, are detectable early in life. Their health impact in adults remains to be fully examined. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...596&query_hl=80

Hmm...so does anyone think that if we all got our C-Reactive Protein checked (hsCRP: $28 - $50) that it would be able to tell us if we had some sort of chronic inflammatory disorder?

Thus, while teenagers are usually thought to simply grow out of acne, if they were to get their CRP checked and it was high, they would know that the likelihood of that happening is not as great because high CRP levels is indicative of being at risk of developing or exisiting Insulin Resistance, Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc. (???) Therefore, perhaps this would encourage those that test postive to see an Endocrinologist for further diagnosis, not to mention hopefully change their lifestyle behaviors for the better.

[callmeback]

For the testosterone problem, he was right there is little you could do. There is zinc, and propecia which is a hair loss med for men...ONLY men. It does not block DHT conversion as much as spironolactone, so the chances for low sexual drive, and some gynecomastia is extremely rare. I would look into it if I were you

[karmagirl]

callmeback - just wanted to let you know, in case women are experiencing hair loss: I take finasteride (Propecia). The contraindication is actually pregnancy, not sex. So long as there's no chance of pregnancy, women can take it, much like Accutane.

And it works best when taken as soon as hairloss is experienced, or within six months/1 year of start of loss.

I'd just hate for anyone to think it might not be a viable option if they're female and losing hair, and a doc has informed them it's androgen-related. It's bad for guys when they're receding, but imagine how fun it is for us gals, who aren't supposed to lose our hair!!!

Oh, and if anyone's worried about insurance coverage for Propecia, another trade name - Proscar - is the same drug, and is more often covered because it was developed to treat prostate enlargement, not "cosmetic" hair loss. Ergo, you get the same drug, but it's covered (in some cases)!

:o)

[taghiyawat]

WOW! I'm happy for you frogprince, you've finally pinpointed the main culprit + you've got great inputs from karmagirl and sweetjade. We hope you keep us posted of your developments. We're thrilled to know.

[callmeback]

My mom was losing her hair and her doctor did not even prescribe it to her. So she took spironolactone. But there is breast tenderness, etc. I know! It is so much harder for a woman to lose hair, then men. With men, it is barely looked at/ I brought it up more so, for his acne problem, as I would imagine Finasteride/proscar would help with the acne problem. I know the medication used for prostate enlargement uses 5mg, as the one used for hairloss uses 1mg. Is there a proscar pill that uses 1mg to minimize side effects?>