I just got my blood work back. It’s all normal except for the second month in a row my glucose is below 70. Last month it was 67. Now it’s 65.
I’m on Orserdu w Mets to bone and liver. I googled Orserdu side effects and low blood glucose doesn’t seem to be one.
But in the rabbit hole I found all sorts of scary things. Including an extremely rare type of tumor that has only affected one or two MBC patients. So of course I am convinced I’m number 3 (lol)
i am in India on business and it’s the weekend so can’t email my oncologist until Monday. But wanted to see if anyone else had this?
Apparently (according to dr Google anyway) it can indicate very active liver tumor cells, not allowing the liver to release glucose back into the bloodstream.
Anyway I plan to ask my doctor and am scheduled for scans anyway when I get back but thought I’d throw this out to all of you anyway.
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hello my fellow liver Mets gal… I have never checked my blood sugar or I should say I have never had one out of whack to notice a blood sugar lab on our monthly labs… but I have wondered if I should be cutting back on my ice tea lemonades thinking the the sugar would fuel the liver Mets. And now I hear about a low BS kind of liver Mets… how strange… do tell us what the oncologist might share.
My blood work includes six measures of liver enzymes and disease. None seem to reflect glucose levels in the liver. Do you have this measured for a special reason?
It’s not liver glucose per se. It’s just blood glucose in general as measured on the comprehensive blood panel that I think we all get each month. Usually I hover around 70-80. Last month it was 67 then this month 65.
The liver panic is what Dr Google told me because of when it’s the weekend he is the guy to call 😵💫
That said all my blood work liver indicators are normal.
Actually, none of the measures in my bloodwork include glucose in the name. Besides the usual cytes and phils, etc., and liver functioning, there's a renal function panal, and several measures at the bottom such as magnesium, calcium, anion gap, but no glucose.
Glucose is not a regularly checked lab value unless it is necessary. It depends on what treatment you are on and if those drugs show that they can affect glucose levels. I was on a CDK 4/6 inhibitor for 5 years and never needed it to be checked. However now I take Afinitor and that drug is known to raise glucose levels so a random glucose is now part of my monthly labs. Hope that helps.
Of course there can be those oncologists that just check everything regardless if it is needed or not.
Interesting. Glucose has always been part of my bloodwork regardless of what drugs I’m on. I have two comprehensive panels—one that is for neutrophils, platelets etc. the other is for all the liver stuff like Albumin, protein etc. as well as sodium, chloride, potassium—and glucose.
This was the case at MKS, UCSF and now with a private oncologist.
Interesting how practices differ from place to place.
For sure practices differ from place to place - much dependent, I'm thinking, on whether or not health care is publicly funded. I think "awesome4forever" is Canadian, as I am.
Yes that's correct I am from Canada as well. When I first saw my oncologist at diagnosis time(2018) we sat down together for her to give me my yearly lab requisition and she said she was a firm believer in only ordering blood work that was necessary for the current treatment and that when treatments changed she would adjust accordingly. I really appreciated that because I follow the trends with all my lab values and why bother following something that isn't required. Most glucose levels on blood tests are random and not fasting so in reality the result tells you very little. If you went for labs and had not yet eaten/drank all day will be completely different from if you consumed a coffee say with sugars etc and food before you went.
The most common thing that comes to mind is hypoglycemia. I know it's hard to not worry but try not too til you see your doctor. If that's what it is it's treated with diet.
How do you feel? That's often a better indication of problems that blood work or scans. Being able to travel for business if a good indictor that you aren't in serious trouble! Oncs pay most attention to how we report feeling. And some oncs check their e-mail on the weekends!
I responded to another poster but am now reading your actual post. You are indeed down a rabbit hole that you need to pull yourself out of and dr google well you already know how dangerous and unreliable that is. A random blood glucose level that is not in the unacceptable elevated range is a totally useless result. No physician would ever look at it as something to deal with. If they are concerned with your glucose they would do a fasting glucose or even better order a Hgb AIC which gives the average glucose reading over the previous 3 months.
As to your comment around the liver not releasing glucose into the bloodstream....that is only the case if someone is suffering from very advanced liver cancer(end stage) the patient can develop what is called Type A hypoglycemia. Since you are traveling for business in India I doubt this would be you. Sorry I'm not the type to worry needlessly and I don't want you to either. Take care and enjoy your trip regardless if it is work related.
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