Blood work result questions
I had my bloodwork done for the first time last week and just got the electronic results (meaning i haven't talked to my doctor yet). I am 5 months post op.
So my Prealbumin is low (13), my
Creatinine is low (.63), my RDWSD is high (47.4), and my RDWCV is high (14.9).
Anyone want to talk to me like I am dumb and have no idea what all this means?? (Because well I have no CLUE what any of this means hahah)
Thanks
I have no idea on some of them, but when your prealbumin is low, it is generally because you aren't getting enough protein. That test can be thrown off by some types of medications, though (hormones and steroids are the ones I remember but there are others). Since you also have a low creatinine level (which is indicative of muscle wasting), though, it probably means that you really aren't getting enough protein and are losing muscle mass. (Some loss of muscle mass is unavoidable, though, with any type of rapid weight loss).
According to the reference levels on MY lab reports, both of those are just barely low, so probably not a big concern.
The only thing I know about the otehr two is that they have to do with yoru red blood cells. You can do a Google search and find out what they are if you really want to know before you talk to your doctor.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
High RDW means there is a lot of variation in size of your red blood cells, which could indicate some kind of deficiency. I have somewhat high values as well, although my surgeon's office hasn't said anything about them, so I guess they're not high enough to cause concern at this point. There's a lot on the internet about RDW values. For just a couple of examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell_distribution_width
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cbc/tab/test/
on 9/6/15 8:30 am
I have a low creatinine level on all my blood work -- yet my protein levels are good and muscle loss is at a minimum. I am very careful to hit my protein goals and usually take in 80 to 100 grams per day.
In seeing three specialists in endocrinology and bariatric medicine, I have been told by all three that in my case, having a low level of blood creatinine indicates nothing more than a great pair of kidneys.
Of course, I cannot speak of you or your health, but on that result, in the absence of anything else, I wouldn't be horribly concerned before seeing your doctor.
"What you eat in private, you wear in public." --- Kat