1. < Blood Cancers & Disorders

Low anion gap, worried

Posted by sjwhit @sjwhit, Jun 23 11:25am

Not sure where else to post this. I had blood work done and the anion gap came back low at 3. Everything else in the metabolic panel was normal. Albumin, calcium, total protein, creatinine, everything. All normal. My sodium was slightly low at 135. My CBC results were all normal - no anemia. The problem is when you search low anion gap Google says multiple myeloma which has me worried. My doctor was completely unconcerned but I have some anxiety about this. I have no symptoms. I’m 32.

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Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jun 23 11:40am

@sjwhit Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

A low anion gap reading is indicative of the acid-base balance in your blood. It could be caused by low protein, a medication side effect, or electrolyte unbalance. Your doctor is probably looking at the complete lab report. When was the last time you had had a complete report? Did your doctor indicate a need for further testing?

You will read from many members, that Google can be a blessing or a nightmare. It's easy to find information that is not clear. It's easy to find information that is good. Diagnosing multiple myeloma is not a clearcut procedure, and one test result for anion gap is not necessarily cause for concern.

My suggestion is to contact your doctor or his nurse practitioner [doctors these days are so hard to pin down without an appointment!] and ask if there is cause for concern. Will you do that?
Ginger

REPLY
2 replies
sjwhit | @sjwhit | Jun 23 12:43pm
In reply to @gingerw "@sjwhit Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. A low anion gap reading is indicative of the acid-base..." + (show)
@gingerw

@sjwhit Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

A low anion gap reading is indicative of the acid-base balance in your blood. It could be caused by low protein, a medication side effect, or electrolyte unbalance. Your doctor is probably looking at the complete lab report. When was the last time you had had a complete report? Did your doctor indicate a need for further testing?

You will read from many members, that Google can be a blessing or a nightmare. It's easy to find information that is not clear. It's easy to find information that is good. Diagnosing multiple myeloma is not a clearcut procedure, and one test result for anion gap is not necessarily cause for concern.

My suggestion is to contact your doctor or his nurse practitioner [doctors these days are so hard to pin down without an appointment!] and ask if there is cause for concern. Will you do that?
Ginger

Jump to this post

I expressed my concern to her and she said “yes technically it is low but honestly we gloss over the anion gap if everything else looks fine. If these were my labs I would not be concerned at all.”

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jun 24 11:57am
In reply to @sjwhit "I expressed my concern to her and she said “yes technically it is low but honestly..." + (show)
@sjwhit

I expressed my concern to her and she said “yes technically it is low but honestly we gloss over the anion gap if everything else looks fine. If these were my labs I would not be concerned at all.”

Jump to this post

@sjwhit When is your next appointment with this doctor? If you feel the need for a second opinion, ask for one! We need to advocate for our own health, and to have the right to feel comfortable with information given to us.
Ginger

REPLY
cindyc | @cindysummit | Jun 24 7:06pm
In reply to @gingerw "@sjwhit Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. A low anion gap reading is indicative of the acid-base..." + (show)
@gingerw

@sjwhit Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

A low anion gap reading is indicative of the acid-base balance in your blood. It could be caused by low protein, a medication side effect, or electrolyte unbalance. Your doctor is probably looking at the complete lab report. When was the last time you had had a complete report? Did your doctor indicate a need for further testing?

You will read from many members, that Google can be a blessing or a nightmare. It's easy to find information that is not clear. It's easy to find information that is good. Diagnosing multiple myeloma is not a clearcut procedure, and one test result for anion gap is not necessarily cause for concern.

My suggestion is to contact your doctor or his nurse practitioner [doctors these days are so hard to pin down without an appointment!] and ask if there is cause for concern. Will you do that?
Ginger

Jump to this post

Mine was low in my last results too. My doctor was not concerned at all.

But I am glad I asked!

Cindy

REPLY
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