Recent bloodwork. Can anyone translate?

Snookum96

Active Member
Hi,
I was hoping someone might be able to interpret some lab tests for me. I understand them individually but I'm not sure if they mean anything viewed together.
My A1C was 5.5 (I'm not diabetic). Until a couple years ago I was really fit, exercised a lot and ate really healthy. I'm 34 so even my Dr was surprised and I've improved my diet although it wasn't that bad in the first place.
My EOS and ALS were both high but just barely. Just high enough for the computer to flag them. ALT was normal.
Can anyone tell me whether when taken together these point to anything?
Thanks
 

Snookum96

Active Member
That makes sense sorry, here they are
A1C - 5.5 range <5.5
EOS - 0.6 range 0.0 - 0.5
ALS - 32 range 7 - 31
There were a lot of different tests but I didn't want to make people go through pages of stuff. These were the only ones that were borderline or abnormal.
Thanks!
 
My EOS has been elevated off and on for many years (25+ years). I've never had a doctor even acknowledge that it was elevated, let alone be concerned about it. I asked about it a couple of times and they just shrugged and said it didn't mean anything, which is problem I have frequently had with other elevated readings on other blood tests. Doctors don't seem to pay much attention to EOS, but there was a television series years ago called "Northern Exposure". There was a character in it Mike Monroe (Anthony Edwards) who moved to Alaska because he had severe allergies and multiple chemical sensitivity (sound familiar?). He used to monitor his EOS because he said it was an indicator of reaction to antigens. I do have a lot of allergies, and allergies are an autoimmune problem just like CFS. (The local doctor thought he was nuts but he ran the EOS tests, and others, for him anyway. By the end of Monroe's stay in Alaska the doc started to wonder if Monroe wasn't right about the EOS levels.) I've wondered if the EOS readings are related to CFS somehow.

I couldn't find the ALS test so I don't know what that's for. Wikipedia says the elevated A1C could mean you're pre-diabetic. I looked at my most recent A1C (5.0 in range of 4.0-5.6). Right underneath the results it says, "Hemoglobin A1C values of 5.7-6.4 percent indicate an increased risk for developing diabetes mellitus." If I were you I'd start watching your ratio of carbohydrates to protein in your diet, and I'd cut back on sugar, especially added, processed sugar, wherever you can*. My sister and I did that about 15 years ago and it has helped with the CFS fatigue and helped keep our weight down. We've found that for every gram of protein we can afford 3 grams of carb. For instance, if you eat a square of cheese that has 7 grams of protein you can afford 21 grams of carbohydrate, so you could eat the number of crackers with it that would provide up to 21 grams of carbohydrate. Unprocessed carbs are less of a problem than processed ones. Cinnamon (also in capsule form) and beta-glucan can help control blood sugar, and both are over-the-counter available. If we eat more carbs than that we feel shaky and more tired. If we eat a lot of carbs we break out in a cold sweat and can pass out. The Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation published an Anti-Inflammatory diet (by Keith Wilkinson, ND) several years ago that applies to all autoimmune-inflammation type illnesses (which would include CFS and FM). It recommends cutting or eliminating sugar, starch, red meat, refined oils (i.e., cold pressed olive is good, canola oil isn't) and others. It can be found at https://www.sjogrens.org/files/brochures/anti-inflammatory_diet.pdf .

I know that doesn't answer your question about looking at them as a group. I'm not sure if they do mean anything as a group. I'm not a doctor, but it's been my experience that they very often don't know what to do with the results either. I've been arguing with them about my RF (rheumatoid factor) results. They sent me to a rheumatologist. She said I don't have rheumatoid arthritis - yet, so she interpreted the elevated level as a "false positive". What it really means is I have Sjögren's Syndrome. It says that right on the result report, but Sjögren's is like CFS in that it takes forever to get diagnosed. Doctors really drag their heels whenever an autoimmune disease is present, and we've had a really hard time (read practically impossible) finding doctors that know anything about autoimmunity.

Hope this helps!
Kim D
________________________
*Artificial sweetners (i.e., aspartame) are a no-no on the anti-inflammatory diet. Stevia is a good substitute, but I use about half as much. If you use it in equal amounts (1 tsp. sugar = 1 tsp. stevia) there can be an aftertaste. Xylitol and sorbitol are good too, although they can cause loose bowels or even diarrhea, so use them carefully until you find out how you react. Stevia, xylitol and sorbitol are all natural sweeteners. Evaporated cane sugar is supposed to be better than standard processed sugar. The processing makes it worse.
 

Snookum96

Active Member
Thank you @kim.der.acquiro !
I was aware of the diabetes connection with a1c but didnt know about EOS. I actually used to watch that show too! It makes sense because before I got sick I didn't have any allergies and now I have some, not sure what they are but my ENT said there is inflammation in my nose indicative of allergies.

I'm also sensitive to pretty much everything I eat now. After meals I always feel stoned. I eat very little sugar because it makes me feel even worse but I will look into the protein carb ratio.

Thank you for the link!

Btw AST is asparate aminotransferase. It's typically used in conjunction with ALT to check liver condition. Since my ALT was normal though she doesn't think it's necessarily involves the liver since AST can be found elsewhere in the body.
 
You're very welcome. Thanks for telling me what AST is. You meant AST, not ALS? (I never make typos like that - LOL.) I looked at my liver panel. My ALT - 13 (range 5-60), AST - 36 (range 16-40), so my AST is a lot higher up in the range than my ALT is, like yours (though not above range like yours).

I think they also monitor EOS in things like AIDS so it has something to do with viral load and viral infections.
Best Wishes,
Kim D
 

Remy

Administrator
My AST has been elevated only once...and that was when I was in the throes of glutamate excitotoxicity caused by Valium withdrawal.
AST was once called glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT). I believe it is elevated not only as a sign of liver damage but also when glutamate and GABA are dysregulated. This also ties into the microglial theory of brain inflammation that's been discussed in great detail in articles and threads elsewhere.

Eosinophils can release glutamate.

http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(07)02499-2/fulltext

An A1C of 5.5 converts to approx 111 mg/dl blood glucose level. This is not good. You are probably getting sugar related damage at this level and it is wise to try to reverse this ASAP. The first thing I would do is buy a blood glucose meter to see your fasting blood glucose and post prandial numbers. Are you high all the time or responding properly still to sugar? Ideal is fasting in the 70s and 80s, you may spike over 120-140 after a heavy carb meal but numbers should fall back down to below 100 within 2 hours.

The single most useful supplement I used to reverse my prediabetes is Vit C. I use the powder, a teaspoon in every liter of water I drink. Benfotiamine is also useful for limiting damage done by glycation. High fasting insulin levels may be helped by the addition of hops.
 

Snookum96

Active Member
Thank you both for the info.

@Remy
My fasting blood sugar has always been fine, this time it was in the normal range but high in that range. I will look up the exact numbers when I get home.

This is the first time I have had A1C tested and it does concern me, from what I understand it is sort of like a 3 month average.

I am so frustrated with the A1C. I have spent most of my adult life very active with a great diet and now I'm danger of diabetes. It just doesn't make sense!

I just started taking Vit C so that's good and I will look into the Benfotiamate as well.

Was your prediabetes a surprise to you as well?
 

Remy

Administrator
Was your prediabetes a surprise to you as well?
This is my third episode with this disease over the past 20 years with periods of remission in between.
When I'm "well", my blood sugar metabolism and my weight is fine basically no matter what I do or eat.
When I'm "sick", I can eat basically nothing and gain weight like mad and have horrible blood sugar numbers. So I'm not surprised by the metabolic dysregulation at this point. I think it's a crucial marker for the disease for me. Now my labs are good, but the metabolic dysregulation remains. But hopefully the sugar related damage has been mitigated.
I keep waiting for the day the weight starts to fall off me again and then I will know I'm on my way to remission again. Hope springs eternal. :)
 

weyland

Well-Known Member
I too have had mild eosinophilia throughout my illness and haven't been able to figure out why. I convinced my PCP to send me to a hematologist about it but even he had no idea what would cause it.

As discovered in the recent Lipkin/Hornig blood cytokine study, GM-CSF levels were elevated in ME patients sick > 3 years. This is a cytokine that can encourage eosinophil development. Their CSF study also found increases in CCL11, which is a chemokine that attracts eosinophils. I'm sure there's something to these findings but who knows what.
 

VLynx

Member
Mild eosinophilia probably indicates allergies.

Elevated AST indicates some stress to the liver. Often this is from medications, especially acetaminophen (Tylenol). Such a slight elevation is not a cause for worry. It could be a transient thing. See if it is still elevated in a few months.
 

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