IgG level question

[JennaShi]

Quick question,

While I’m waiting to hear back from the doc, would this seem at all concerning to you?

[AndrewT]

Dear JennaShi,

I'm NOT, too sure, that I would be 'Exactly Re-Assured' either! However Consultant DO Sometimes, send each other, quite 'Alarmist' Messages. Perhaps it's just, the 'Way' They communicate.

My Consultant, Dr Andi, sends me Copies of my Blood Results.... a 'Hang Over' from my 'Old Doctors' (who could Lose anything, no matter how important!). Sometimes there is Highlighting, or Underlining... with a 'note', from Doc... to say 'don't worry too much'.

Don't 'Worry', too much, Jenna.

AndrewT

[JennaShi in reply to AndrewT]

Andrew, isn’t it great to get results more quickly from our doctors? Your doc seems like an awesome guy and thank you, I appreciate your note, you’re right best not to worry; there is plenty of time to practice this skill these days 😄

[EOLHPC]

Hello jennashi: am suspecting you’re not in the U.K., cause our IgG test results are formatted differently here. I have family in the States & lots of types of their blood results are measured differently.

But, seems like your IgG result is ok, but it’s right at the top of IgG normal range, so maybe that’s significant in combo with your medical history + other tests & symptoms.

My IgG is chronically below normal reference range, which is called hypogammaglobulinaemia. (Chronically above normal reference range IgG is hypergammaglobulinaemia). My complements are also chronically low

There are a number of causes for both versions of abnormal IgG levels. Here’s a link to wiki’s IgG info - it’s only short 😉, but it explains a bit about the link between complements & IgG:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imm...

❤️🍀❤️🍀 Coco

[EOLHPC in reply to EOLHPC]

👍

Here’s one of my U.K. IgG blood test reports

[happytulip in reply to EOLHPC]

How often do they measure your hypogammaglobulimia Coco? I've got my results but no follow up plan as yet. MDT etc....

[EOLHPC in reply to happytulip]

Well, before COVID every 6 months, but now seems more like every 12...of course cause I have chronically below range IgA & M they have to measure them too (of course, my full official diagnosis is panhypogammaglobulinaemia...aka antibody deficiency disease aka primary immunoflippin deficiency disease...ALL those terms get run out in my reports 🤣🤣🤣🤣).

Knowing what I do about your case, I expect you will have a MDT approach...but I don’t YET (I will when/if the intestinal failure becomes Elemental via TPN, or even via tube)...however, at our regular 6 monthly appts, my immunology consultant always gets me to say what’s happening at my other clinics, so there is THAT sorta ‘touch’ of Multidiscipline (eg when I told him about the spine surgery, he IMMEDIATELY wrote officially to my neurosurgeon stipulating my care stuff)...

[happytulip in reply to EOLHPC]

Oh, I really hope you don't have to go down the TPN route for your sakes x

[EOLHPC in reply to happytulip]

Thanks: am doing my level best to avoid it...about to begin my 4th year on elemental nutrition unable to digest food...totally adapted to no food...if you’d told me this was in my future, I’d never have believed you 😄...the great thing is: we gastroparesis+chronic intestinal failure folk have a really solid U.K. online support group...makes as much pos diff to me, as our wonderful LUK forum & UK PID forum 😅👏👏👏👏👏

[happytulip in reply to EOLHPC]

I don't want to jinx anything but so far I am able to manage my gastroperisis on my own with limited help from gastro....but I know whos first on my list if I need help Coco xx

[EOLHPC in reply to happytulip]

🤩There is it...I managed GP from childhood, but a big crunch came in 2002-3: I had 6 years on domperidone + PPI while completely reviewing/revising my nutrition. The medics said I could never come off those meds, but I successfully weaned myself & have never gone back on because my revised version of exclusion diet etc worked!

Even now, my GP is a prob, but manageable without those meds + stomas, etc. It’s the CIF that’s 🙄incorrigible 🤷🏼‍♀️: but OMG do I feel better than I have in DECADES on Elemental Nutrition & plain rice cakes 😏. The main thing for immunodeficiency patients is to avoid the tubes, stomas etc that so many GP & CIF patients segue into relying on. So, keep up the good self help ht🌷 👏👏👏👏👏🍀❤️🍀❤️

[JennaShi in reply to EOLHPC]

Coco, that is correct :), I’m not in the UK. I’m sorry yours and complements are chronically low, have you figured out why they are so?

Thank you for the link I did check it out and found it helpful and am actually wondering if they are high because we had a three and half hour drive and I didn’t drink alot of water for fear of having to stop to use the bathroom and being in a hurry.

[EOLHPC in reply to JennaShi]

I love that you’re being open-minded about underlying causes in your case! Hope you’re making a list of these sort of questions...but maybe your memory is better than mine (I have chronic list-making-itis😄)

Who really knows what has caused my below normal range IgG, A & M 🤷🏼‍♀️, but my Immunology clinic thinks my infant onset lupus + panhypogammaglobulinaemia aka Antibody Deficiency Disease (a Primary Immunodeficiency Disease which my history indicates started in childhood) are due to a combo of genetic paternal & maternal predispositions + 5 months of daily in-utero exposure to the internationally notorious endocrine disruption artificial oestrogen Diethylstilboesterol (know as the Hidden Thalidomide):

rarediseases.info.nih.gov/d...

Rheumatologists don’t always test immunoglobulin levels, but mine did because I needed to start IV bisphosphonate for osteoporosis. My rheumy immediately ordered blood tests for bone cancers etc & also urgently referred me to immunology for investigations...which included looking closely at my medical history & resulted in my diagnosis.

[JennaShi in reply to EOLHPC]

Coco, thank you, I’m hopeful. The last couple of these test results seem to be weird so. Ya know, I’m right up there with you about memory and it sucks; I will be making a list too.

Wow, you have a great doctor who has taken the time to thoroughly look over your diagnosis. It sounds like you have been doing alot of research to better understand everything as well. Are you at peace with knowing this is the cause?

That’s something I’ve been pondering too, the cause/ trying to process what that is and how to manage the pain and other symptoms. Is there something that you’re taking that will help your antibodies stand up fight?

I hope you’re staying safe in this season on life.

[EOLHPC in reply to JennaShi]

Yes: I do feel pretty much at peace with all my 🦓ness...but I have had 67 years of this and it’s really only in the last 11 of those that I’ve become convincingly & thoroughly diagnosed + adequately & effectively medicated....But in those decades before things began to improve for me, I was lucky to figure out a lot about the sort of lifestyle techniques & body therapies that could really help me...including meditation, etc etc, so...

Re me & antibodies: because I cannot make antibodies, I have none to stand up & fight. But immunology has me on long term daily antibiotics & long term IgG replacement therapy, which is basically an antibody replacement therapy...and all this helps me a lot! Even so, immunology wants me to keep shielding at home indefinitely, so....

Take care & stay safe ❤️🍀❤️🍀

[happytulip]

I totally agree with Coco. You're at the top end of normal but out by one point. I would be extremely surprised if you were to receive any supplementary immunoglobulin as a result of this.

They may want to recheck it in the future which would indicate you have a thorough doctor.

[JennaShi in reply to happytulip]

Thank you for your message this is the first time it’s been high, usually my IGM is high so I’m just wondering if it was high due to being dehydrated. We had a 3.5 hour drive and I didn’t drink alot of water for fear of needing to use the bathroom and being in a hurry. I’m glad Coco gave me the link, I think I may have been worrying more so, had this not been an option.

[Hidden]

Looking at the lab report numbers: your value is 1,520 mg/dL or 1,520mg/100ml for serum IgG.

The reference range given is 726-1,521mg/dL or 100ml.

Just within the range?! Note that 1dL=1/10 of 1000ml=100ml.

No worries?🤔🤷🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏽‍♀️ Or do different labs use different ranges for normal? My analysis is simply reached by looking at the numbers. The units are important eg L OR ml or dL? Note that 1000mg=1g so one has to multiply or divide by a factor of ten🤔

As @Barnclown has said UK and US differ in units used.

She’s an expert on here having suffered with the condition 😨❤️ for many years.

This I found on the Oxford University hospitals university NHS trust:

Normal Ranges Adult:

IgG 6.0 - 16.0g/L=6,000-16,000mg/L=600-1,600mg/dL

As you can see it has a higher upper normal🤷🏽‍♀️🤷

Different lab “normal”? Different machine?

No worries. Your value of 1,520 is below 1,600.

(But please check my maths)! Thanks.

[Pumpkin2009]

Ig-G is also one of the Covid antibodies. Did you have the vaccine, or been exposed or had it? Just another thought. Has it ever been elevated before? other viruses and inflammation also can elevate it and although it is just over, if it has been low in the past it might be signaling something.

Healing hugs.

[JennaShi in reply to Pumpkin2009]

It seems like, from looking around, that IgG is antibodies for alot of things in general. Thank you for your note, I haven’t had the vaccine and haven’t, to my knowledge, had covid or been in contact with anyone who had Covid

[Roarah in reply to JennaShi]

In my experience doctors really do not worry about normal results on either side of the scale. Normal range is “ normal”.