I have some odd lab results, input please

[southernlady]

I had some labs pulled yesterday to try and maybe explain my weight loss over the last 6 months that seemingly won’t stop.
BTW, we also pulled cortisol and it was just a hair below absolute mid norma.

The concerning one’s are the RBC/WBC/ hemoglobin/etc. Anothor was my high TSH, but normal T3 and T4.


Previous lab:



Any thoughts?

Every time I try Dr. Google with High TSH, Low T3, T4, it returns info assuming I’m asking about high T3 and high T4. Assuming hypothyroidism as in gaining weight. But I’m NOT GAINING.

 

[Larra]

I am mystified too. Any chance of an endocrinologist assessment?

 

[southernlady]

I am mystified too. Any chance of an endocrinologist assessment?

I’m gonna ask for one.

 

[southernlady]

Talked to her last night. They don’t worry til the TSH gets over 10. She also had some other tests done, since none were fasting, I had them done today.

 

[Larra]

Sounds ok so far, but weight loss is still unexplained. Keep us posted.

 

[southernlady]

The only fat left on my body is my mid section. And even that is disappearing. I’m hoping to stop the loss and have it shift like it did back in 2012/2013. I’m considering a consultation with Dr. K to see if he has any suggestions for my medical team here. I can afford the out of pocket consultation fee but seeing him isn’t a possibility as he doesn’t accept Medicare. In fact very few of the top vetted bariatric surgeons accept Medicare so if I need anything beyond what my current medical team can do, my options are limited.

I will not let any bariatric surgeon here touch me as none here even know what the DS is. Closest is Dr. Gintaras Antanavicius in Abington, PA. The other closest is Dr. Sudan. My original surgeon stopped taking Medicare while I was still a patient, I was grandfathered in but since I haven’t seen him in 10 years so I would be considered a new patient and he won’t accept me.

Right now, I’m still a BMI of 22 but just barely. My labs while a bit screwy aren’t terrible. I’m due a full set in April but I know I can get those sooner if needed. My PCP will go along with that. As long as my labs are okay, I won’t squawk too loud til I hit a 19.5 BMI. But there is a fine line between 19.5 and 18.5. Only a few pounds.

It was suggested I’m not absorbing food but if I wasn’t absorbing food, wouldn’t I also not be absorbing my vitamins? But if my labs are fine, something else is going on.

 

[Larra]

I thought Dr. K did accept Medicare but not Medical (CA's version of Medicaid) but that could have changed. I clearly remember someone (not in this group) going out of our area to his area because Dr. Rabkin doesn't accept Medicare but Dr. K did. You might want to give his office a call and see what he accepts these days, if you haven't already. Or maybe someone else here has current info.

 

[southernlady]

I didn’t see it anywhere on his website and checking Healthgrades did not help. But whatever we do, we need to be mobile again and our rig isn’t.

 

[southernlady]

Okay, adjusting the Topamax apparently has helped stop the downward trend. I’m still taking 50 mgs a day which is half what I was taking and where it was helping the tremors. I weighed 124 this morning. As long as I stay in this range, we consider this a win. I told her that if I had dr below 120, I was gonna ask for a full DS panel (not due til April) so I could contact Dr. K for a second opinion. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying but sometimes you need more help. And he’s one of the best at figuring out strange issues esp with DSers. I used the heart surgeon/heart transplant surgeon example as to how he fits in the DS world.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I weighed 124 this morning. As long as I stay in this range, we consider this a win.

good!

 

[MsVee]

Wonderful news.

 

[Georgepds]

Ré "Okay, adjusting the Topamax apparently has helped stop the downward trend. "

FWIIW... before I had surgery the GP prescribed Topamax for weight loss..I think themechanism was appetite control

 

[southernlady]

Still at 124 this morning. Of course, as cold as it I added about 10 lbs of clothes/boots just to go outside.

 

[southernlady]

FWIIW... before I had surgery the GP prescribed Topamax for weight loss..I think themechanism was appetite control

What it says in the prescribing info is that is suppresses appetite and it mimics anorexia. Most anorexics dont want to eat. Not wanting to eat wasn’t my issue so it wasn’t suppressing mine at all.

 

[southernlady]

My neurologist had another med in her wheelhouse for tremors. It’s actually a beta blocker that has a side effect of helping with tremors, my PCP has actually taken it. She cleared me for it. My blood pressure is not low, it’s normal so if it drops my blood pressure some, I’m okay, I just need to watch it. Another side effect is actually weight gain which would balance the teter totter of the Topamax. Shes not taking me off the Topamax. Thankfully my PCP totally understands my reluctance to be on prescription drugs. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the disease that are curing. She has the same reluctance.