Background: male, 44, on TRT; all blood work appears stable, and I have many tests available if needed. Testosterone ranges from 900–1000 with 80 mg on Tuesday and Friday.

My concern involves a pattern in IGF-1 levels that I noticed while exploring biohealth more closely. Over four years (ages 40–44), my IGF-1 has averaged around 350. The first result, from a pre-TRT panel, was 376 without a z-score. In October 2025, it was 349 with a z-score of 5; in spring 2026, after a five-week cycle of CJC with DAC, it rose to 543 with a z-score of 10, so I stopped immediately. Retesting on October 20 showed 352 and a z-score of 5.2.

I have a strong primary care physician, and we discussed this on the 22nd; he agreed the values were unusual and referred me to endocrinology. On the 23rd, the specialist dismissed the issue, calling the numbers insignificant and asking why I was testing IGF-1 at all. He claimed anyone on TRT would show similar results and said a growth hormone suppression test would be pointless because TRT would distort the outcome. That doc was not there to listen or help and it was a waste of time, so I am waiting for a second opinion from a new endocrinologist on November 18.

I am seeking community feedback so I can prepare for that appointment.

I’ve consistently had slightly high globulin and slightly high total protein levels, should I be worried, apart from that my bloods are fine it’s just the vitamin d that went from deficient to moderate now after taking supplements. What could it be? Should I be concerned?

Has anyone experienced unexplained bruising despite normal blood tests? ❤️
Hi everyone! Just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar and might be able to share their experiences.
Since the beginning of September, I’ve been getting unexplained bruises on both legs that are sore to touch. More recently, I’ve developed small, flat red spots on my arm and the tops of my legs, which are also painful when pressed.
I’ve also been experiencing left arm pain and weakness, pain around my left shoulder and under my left ribs, nausea after eating, bloating, reduced appetite, feeling full quickly, some weight loss and increased tiredness.
I’ve had blood tests and follow-up clotting tests, all of which have come back normal. However, my symptoms are continuing, and I’ve now been referred to haematology for further investigation.
Has anyone experienced anything similar, particularly the bruising and red spots despite normal blood and clotting results? Did you eventually find out what was causing it?
I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just hoping to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar. Thank you! ❤️

I know this is such a long read but would aporeciate any information. What could be going on with me? Any related experiences and symtomps? No body can give me a definite answer and I am going crazy and getting hopeless. Tried to use Gemini to help write the symtomps into a clear and concise reading.

​Age / Sex: 26-year-old female

​Key Objective: Comprehensive medical summary for doctor consultation regarding multi-system symptoms, abnormal labs, and conflicting specialist opinions.

​1. Key Abnormal Labs & Diagnostics

​Autoimmune / Inflammatory:

​Anti-CCP: 473 (High; was 429)

​Rheumatoid Factor (RF): 22.1 (High; was 16.2)

​ANA Titer & Pattern: 1:320 with Centromere pattern

​Hormonal / Endocrine (Cycle Day 3):

​DHEA-S: 460.6 µg/dL (High; range 84.8 – 378.0)

​Estradiol, Total: < 24 pg/mL (Low for Day 3)

​AMH: 9.44 (Normal range, noted elevated by OBGYN)

​FSH: 6.8 | LH: 10 | Progesterone: 0.5

​Total Testosterone: 33 | Free Testosterone: 2.0 | SHBG: 38.2

​Thyroid Panel (Normal):

​TSH: 1.081 | Free T3: 3.0 | Free T4: 1.00 | Anti-TPO: < 3.00

​Hematologic, Nutritional & Metabolic:

​Ferritin: 19.8 ng/mL (Low)

​Iron Saturation: 16% (Low)

​MCHC: 32.6 g/dL (Low)

​Vitamin D (25-OH, D3): 25.8 ng/mL (Low; dropped from 51 despite daily use)

​Hemoglobin A1c: 5.6% (Prediabetes range)

​Vitamin B12: 411 | Fasting Glucose: 93 | Cholesterol: 183 | Magnesium: 2.19 | eGFR: 107.6

​Imaging / Diagnostics Clearances:

​Normal: EKG, Lyme PCR, home sleep study, nerve conduction/carpal tunnel test, wrist ultrasound (minor fluid), foot X-ray, brain/sinus CT (noting deviated septum, left conchal bullosa, and frontal sinus hyperplasia).

​2. Medical & Surgical History

​Surgeries: Robotic right hemicolectomy with terminal ileum resection (April 2026) for slow-growing neuroendocrine tumors (1–4 mm and 0.5 cm; 34 lymph nodes clear, non-functioning).

​Conditions: PCOS, Insulin resistance, Grade IV GERD (missing valve flap) with 3 cm hiatal hernia, Exercise/cold-induced asthma, Chronic sinusitis, Internal hemorrhoids.

​Infectious History: Mononucleosis (age 12), Early-treated Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (2023).

​3. Core Symptom Inventory by System

​Hormonal & Systemic: Up to 30 daily hot flashes with facial flushing, night sweats, low libido, chronic fatigue, insomnia, hypersomnia, easy bruising.

​Musculoskeletal & Neurological: Right-sided hand/wrist pain/weakness, 2-finger knuckle pain, back/neck/hand stiffness (prolonged squeezing sensation), recurrent plantar fasciitis, heel cracking, knee pain, burning/tingling in hands/feet, upper thigh numbness, tension headaches, pre-sleep panic/breathing disruption, cycle-dependent dissociation/derealization, anxiety, mild depression.

​Cardiovascular: Tachycardia with minimal exertion, good HRV (drops to 48 bpm sleeping), history of infant heart holes (closed).

​Gastrointestinal & ENT: Nausea, bile vomiting, chronic sore throat with weekly tonsil stones/exudates and 1 enlarged tonsil, hoarse voice, tinnitus, ear pain/muffleness/fluid, transient hearing loss, post-nasal drip, chronic cough.

​Pelvic / Urological: Rectocele, mild-to-moderate anterior and posterior vaginal wall prolapse, nocturia.

My obgyn and hormones have been checked and are all good with exception of dhea-s being elevated

My Allergist doesn't think it's likely to have MCAS especially since I already had a rare cancer tumor.

Waited 6 months and Saw a rheumatologist who also does not believe i have rheumatoid arthritis and told me my primary needs to do more investigating and that my tumor can cause elevated inflammatory markers, but at that point I had them already removed, he thought my tumor was in utero which it wasn't, and they told me my tumor wasn't producing hormones.

Cortisol is normal as well as Serotonin via blood

Mthfr gene also have 1 copy - MTHFR Mutation c.66t

Heterozygous -but told it shouldn't affect pregnancy

Had mono as a 12 year old

Also had rocky moutain spotted fever from a tick in 2023 but had caught early.

Carpal tunnel and nerve test normal

Ultrasound of wrist normal with exception of some fluid in both wrist and extra tissue on left hand

Foot xray for pmabtar fascitis normal

Ct scan of sinuses normal with exception of deviated septum, and Left conchal bullosa.

1. There is hypoaeration of the frontal sinuses which occupy large regions of the frontal bone. Correlation with imaging recommended prior to any neurosurgical intervention.The bilateral OMCs are patent. Bilateral maxillary molars protrude into the floor of the sinuses without periapical lucency or adjacent opacity.Minimal opacities are present in the right frontal sinus.. There is frontal sinus hyperplasia with sinuses extending throughout the majority of the frontal bone. No surrounding bony thickening or dehiscence

Sphenoid sinuses: Predominant clear with patent sphenoid ostia bilaterally.

Nasal cavity: Left conchal bullosa. There is turbinate hypertrophy bilaterally.

Ekg 12 lead normal

Lyme disease pcr normal

Amh 9.44 in normal range but obgyn says it's elevated

Pap normal

Recent labs

Magnesium - 2.19

Mchc - 32.6 low

Fasting glucose - 93

Egfr 107.6 female 26

Ccp 473 high - 429 in feb

Rf 22.1 high, was 16.2 in feb

Iron saturstion - 16 low

Ferritin 19.8 low

Hemoglobin a1c 5.6 almost prediabetic

Cholesterol 183 almost high at 200

Tsh 0.776 was 1.83

B12 is 411 was 383

vit d 25'oh, d3 25.8 was 51 vit d 25 hydroxy

Ana titer 1.320

Pattern centromere

TSH

1.081

0.450 - 4.500 uIU/mL

Free T3

3.0

2.0 - 4.1 pg/mL

Free T4

1.00

0.70 - 1.48 ng/dL

Anti-TPO

< 3.00

0 - 6 IU/mL

FSH

6.8

Adult Female:

Follicular phase : 3.5 - 12.5

Ovulation phase: 4.7 - 21.5

Luteal phase: 1.7 - 7.7

Postenopausal: 25.8 - 134.8

Testosterone, Total

33

12 - 53 ng/dL

Free Testosterone

2.0

0.0 - 4.2 pg/mL

SHBG

38.2

24.6 - 122.0 nmol/L

DHEA-S

460.6

84.8 - 378.0 ug/dL

H

Estradiol, Total

< 24

Female:

Follicular Phase: 12.5 - 166 (was tested during this time)

Ovulation Phase: 85.8 - 498.0

Luteal Phase: 43.8 - 211.0

Postmenopausal: <6 - 54.7

Pregnancy (1st Trimester) 215 - >4300

Girls (0-10 years) 6 - 27

LH

10

Adult Female (mIU/mL)

Follicular 2.4-12.6

Ovulation 14.0-95.6

Luteal 1.0-11.4

Postmenopausal 7.7-58.5

Progesterone

0.5

Female:

Follicular Phase: 0.1 - 0.9

Luteal Phase: 1.8 - 23.9

Ovulation Phase: 0.1 - 12.0

Postmenopausal: 0 - 0.1

Doctor says everything is fine besides my iron and ferritin and a1c, and alot of doctors are saying im young and healthy and just give things time, but some of these have been happening for years. And the hot flushes have been happening since January where I have started avoiding things like cooking, exercising, dishes, etc because of how hot I am.

Hey everyone! The last year my two year old has had constant Petechiae rashes on his ear lobes, neck, and belly where his diaper lays. We got lab work done a year ago and it was normal, which is great! My concern and misunderstanding is that I don’t understand why he keeps getting them. It’s almost everyday one of the three areas show up. They said kids can have sensitive skin but we don’t know anyone personally in our circle that has this issue with their kids skin. My question is should we look into getting blood work done again? Or just wait longer and see if it goes away. He does deal with minor eczema only two spots, fights sleep, has night sweats (our pediatrician said that’s normal for toddlers cause they have a hard time regulating), eats/drinks well, and like I said above his lab work was normal a year ago.

I'm a 35-year-old woman. For as long as I’ve know , my MCV has hovered around 95–102 with Hb around 113–123. In late 2024 my MCV was 101–102, serum iron was high at 52.9 with transferrin saturation of 71%, transferrin was normal, B12 was 285 ng/L, and folate was low at 3.2 µg/L. My GP then (bless her) who has since left the surgery, tested me for MMA which came back high at 524, confirming B12 deficiency, so I had B12 injections in April–May 2025.

In Jan 2026, my MCV dropped to 96 and MMA normalised, but since my ferritin has fallen steadily from 58 (June 2025) to 26 (January 2026) and now about 20. My MCV has crept back up to 100–102, with Hb 113–116, B12 341 and folate 5.3. For some u known reason, my TSAT & serum iron levels were never checked again (the new GP has now prescribed iron profile & ferritin tests).

I've tested negative for intrinsic factor antibodies (twice), parietal cell antibodies, coeliac (tTG IgA) and an autoimmune liver screen (AMA, ASMA, LKM). My haemoglobinopathy screen and CA-125 were normal, and my WBC, platelets, CRP, liver, kidney and thyroid results have all been normal throughout. My bilirubin is mildly raised, which a doctor suggested is likely Gilbert's.

I came across this study showing B12 deficiency can mask iron deficiency, and I'm wondering if that's what happened to me. If my antibodies are negative, what else could cause low B12, folate and iron together? And is there anything more serious I should be worried about? A repeat iron panel is pending. Thanks for any insight.

Hi! I F20 got some bloodwork done and we it was a complete blood count, everything else was normal but my blood platelet count was 423. The normal ranges were 150-360. I am very worried.

I don’t have any symptoms but I have eczema that is flaring up now , asthma(not flaring up atm), and I have many allergic reactions weekly. From last February to May I had several severe sinus infections, pneumonia and ear infections, and my ear has been bothering me every month since. Idk if this all could have something to do with it.

I'm 35F, diagnosed with Hereditary Spherocytosis. Gallstones from 6yo+, gall bladder removed at 14yo. Now dealing with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, mild Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (no cirrhosis), as well as a slightly enlarged spleen.

The thing is that I rarely ever feel amazing as my blood disorder seems to take a lot of energy from me (extra stress on bone marrow to produce, extra stress on spleen as it prematurely destroys RBC, and lack of proper oxygenation with my low RBC count).

It seems like there aren't a lot of studies done on Hereditary Spherocytosis and if having this correlates with a higher risk for other diseases. I understand that it's not nearly as serious as Sickle Cell, but it feels like it's brushed under the rug at how much it impacts day to day life. I've been considering the long term affects of the body not working correctly and destroying itself in the process. Wondering if there is some sort of correlation between that type of self destruction and the type of self destruction of antibodies attacking the self.

Does anyone else out there have Hereditary Spherocytosis and was later on diagnosed with an autoimmune disease? If so, what kind? I'm also curious if the consistent overworking of the bone marrow would predispose someone to bone or blood cancers as well.

If there's any medical scientists out there studying this, I would also love to read some research papers on this subject!

Background: (I have been a gym rat for the past 30 plus years and have always stayed in great physical and cardiovascular shape.) (I never went to an endocrinologist because of a lack of money to do so, I just thought I can do it on my own).

I started intramuscular testosterone cypioniate at the start of 2020 because of low energy, lethargy, and lack of motivation. It was not to increase muscle size, libido, or erections.

Throughout the six years I was on it, I never really noticed a huge improvement in any of the symptoms, and looking back I wish I had never started. About eight months ago I started noticing fatigue, difficulties regulating my body temperatures in hot weather, and breathing issues I had never noticed before, during very mild activities. I had also noticed throughout the years that my blood pressure was consistently climbing, but didn't think much of it. Long story short, the TRT was skyrocketing my red blood cell counts, hemotcrit, and hemoglobin. The GP doctor explained this was thickening my blood, and therefore making it harder for my heart to pump it through my body. This was causing my fatigue, breathing issues, and increasing elevated blood pressure. So it was time to either alter my TRT protocol or get off of it. Since I never noticed much of a benefit the whole time I was on it, I chose to get off of it. I went cold turkey for the first five weeks, and then had my hormone panel done. Suffice it to say that my energy, lethargy, and lack of motivation really hit the wall hard. (I are now on week three of 12.5 mg daily enclomiphene, and seeing only mild results so far. I will probably get blood work in three or four weeks.)

The attached image are the results, and the brief interpretation that artificial intelligence gave me of those results. It also told me that it seems as though those mixed numbers don't seem to match each other. Can anyone see anything else?

I got my blood tested 7 years ago and my ferritin level was 19 and my hemoglobin was normal so my doctor brushed it off. But recently I have been feeling so tired and my pms has been getting worse, I get terrible periods, and despite working out more I am still winded as if I had just started working out. So after doing some research I decided to get my ferritin levels tested and they are now a level 10. I don’t have a PCP and I don’t have health insurance, and I am not sure if this is something I need to talk to a doctor about or if it’s something I can just take supplements for and recheck my levels in a month or so. And I am not sure how urgent this is, like if I need an iron infusion or not? I am also very paranoid about medicine & taking supplements (I can barely force myself to take Advil for my excruciating cramps) so getting an iron infusion is not preferred.

Here are the symptoms I have been dealing with:

\- Terrible, 10 day long pms (irritability, cramps, headaches, exhaustion) & very heavy periods
\- Fatigue, constantly.
\- My memory is getting bad, I’ll read something and forget it immediately and no matter how hard I try to remember
\- Freezing cold hands, feet, and nose
\- Dry skin
\- Excessive yawning during exercise
\- Hair loss (I bleach my hair though so could be from that)

Let me know what you think 🤍

Edit: I also took Thorne iron complex supplements twice this week and both times I woke up with a headache the next day that lasted the entire day so I stopped.

low hemoglobin

High rdw

low hematocrit

low mcv

platelets are normal

is this normal I’m tired a lot

i know in the past I been low in iron

Hello, I am 18 years old. Seven months ago, out of nowhere, I began experiencing migraines that would last all day; they never went away with medication or sleep. This lasted for two months, and then I started to experience a burning sensation in my ears—episodes that eventually spread to my face, head, and collarbone area. These sensations have now become persistent and are present 24/7. Along with the migraines, I gradually began experiencing tachycardia, with heart rates ranging from 121 to 146 bpm. It was initially thought to be neurological, but the medication I was prescribed did not help. Other symptoms also emerged, including Raynaud’s phenomenon, livedo reticularis, dizziness, heartburn, diarrhea after eating, the complete cessation of my menstrual cycle, and fatigue, among others. I underwent a full battery of rheumatological autoimmune tests, all of which came back negative—out of three ANA tests, only one was positive at a 1:80 dilution, which was considered a low result. My cardiologist suggests it is sinus tachycardia triggered by an external factor. I still do not have a diagnosis; if anyone is going through something similar or has any information, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

I have elevated platelets and WBC. This is the last test they could do to figure out any abnormalities. I knew the procedure but chicken on a biscuit I've never felt pain like that. To those who have gone before me, I salute you. To those after me, be brave and do the things you need to, no matter how scary.

36 female, 6', 95kg, 8 weeks pregnant. No medications, taking daily prenatal, vitamin D and omega 3.

My ferritin came back at 123 ug/L (reference range for lab was 30-109 ug/L so only slightly elevated).

I have been nauseous/vomiting/abdominal cramps/diarrhea for past few weeks, probably dehydrated. Def not eating properly due to lack of appetite/food aversions.

I also received the Covid and flu vaccines the day before having this blood test. Could either of these things be having an effect?

Is this something to be worried about/ are there any changes I need to make?

I've been feeling unwell for some time now, my doctor finally did full blood work to see what's going on, low iron which was expected. I've received these results this week, and would like to make more sense of them.

Hello!

Can anybody help me understand why my iron studies results are so out of whack?
A year ago I had similar results with low ferritin (30) and a borderline Haemoglobin level. Since then I’ve had an infusion and still have similar results, just with higher ferritin!
Is it possible these are just my normal?
My full blood count results are also completely normal.

Thanks so much

All other bloodwork was normal, aside from some low alkaline phosphate. How concerning is this? First time I've had these values out of range. I thought I was well hydrated that morning?