[Tiss]

I have been on Prilosec for a week now due to heartburn and nausea which has increased over the last several months since I've been on Fosamax. Dr. took me off the Fosamax and told me to take the Prilosec. The Prilosec helps with the heartburn and stomach problems but is causing real anxiety so dr has now taken me off of it. Had blood tests run last week and dr today tells me that the test for the pancreas is slightly elevated. I won't see him for 2 more weeks and he is leaving on vacation so I can't talk to him about it. He doesn't seem too concerned. Haven't been able to find much info on the net. Does anyone know what would cause this or has anyone had it? Thx! Tiss

 

[Kathleen M.]

So sometimes slightly elevated means not one thing (nor does slightly lower than normal).Normal range is not every number every healthy person ever had show up. Nor is it every number that isn't a disease stated.They measure a bunch of people they know are healthy. They find the average and standard deviation and the usual "normal range" is 2 standard deviations lower and higher than the mean.So of the lets say 100 certifiably normal healthy people they measure only 95% of them will test normal in the range that they were used to set.When doctors aren't worried about a number it is because it is in that "slightly" range where the 5 out of 100 people who were used to set the normal range are, but aren't inside the statistic used. Usually there is some distance between the number that is the start of "abnormal" and the "clinically relevant" numbers. So for most things a bit high or a bit low is not a big deal and may even just be a small amount of lab error (which is why they don't use everyone who was healthy's numbers but the average and SD.)If the doctor isn't worried you shouldn't assume that means you have something extremely serious, etc. going on. It may be you or the lab just had an off day and the number was just a little bit off of where it should be.

 

[Tiss]

So sometimes slightly elevated means not one thing (nor does slightly lower than normal).Normal range is not every number every healthy person ever had show up. Nor is it every number that isn't a disease stated.They measure a bunch of people they know are healthy. They find the average and standard deviation and the usual "normal range" is 2 standard deviations lower and higher than the mean.So of the lets say 100 certifiably normal healthy people they measure only 95% of them will test normal in the range that they were used to set.When doctors aren't worried about a number it is because it is in that "slightly" range where the 5 out of 100 people who were used to set the normal range are, but aren't inside the statistic used. Usually there is some distance between the number that is the start of "abnormal" and the "clinically relevant" numbers. So for most things a bit high or a bit low is not a big deal and may even just be a small amount of lab error (which is why they don't use everyone who was healthy's numbers but the average and SD.)If the doctor isn't worried you shouldn't assume that means you have something extremely serious, etc. going on. It may be you or the lab just had an off day and the number was just a little bit off of where it should be.

Thanks K. Once again you've eased my mind! Tiss