The most annoying thing in the world of health is being told your labs are “normal” but you still feel off!
People come to me often because their doctor ran labs, but nothing showed up.
Yet they know something isn’t right.
Most of the time, I can find clues in those same “normal” labs.
Look at your numbers and see if you’re at the high or low end of the ranges.
Then pair your lab values with your symptoms to decide what to dig into next.
I call this smart sleuthing and it’s not more testing for testing’s sake.
When symptoms linger and standard labs don’t explain why, I look at 4 core areas that typically drive inflammation and throw health off course:
1. Nervous System–Immune Connection
Often impacted in chronic illness or long-standing stress
Lab Clues in your Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP):
- Low WBCs (White Blood Cells)
- Neutrophils lower than (or close to) lymphocytes or lymphocytes higher than neutrophils (often related to a chronic viral infection).
- Low calcium, CO2, or electrolytes (you may not feel stressed but your body is showing signs you’re pushing yourself to the limits).
2. Liver–Gut Health
Key for detox, digestion, and immune regulation – in your CBC and CMP tests.
Lab Clues:
- High-normal or elevated AST/ALT (note: run your labs at least 2 days after strenuous workouts to not see a false elevation)
- Anemia (low RBCs, hemoglobin, or ferritin)
3. Mitochondria + Circulation
Affects ability to make energy and recovery from workouts/stressful days
Lab Clues:
- Low electrolytes (in your CMP test)
- Platelets, Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), Hemoglobin (Hgb), Hematocrit (HCT), Red blood cells (RBC)
- B12 and folate
4. Blood Sugar + Insulin Resistance
Often overlooked in early stages
Lab Clues in your CMP and Lipid Panels:
- Fasting blood sugar > 90
- High-normal albumin/globulin ratio (indicates “sticky” blood)
- Elevated triglycerides
Labs are only part of the story.
Symptoms are the compass.
To rule out these root causes, I often recommend these additional markers:
- Inflammation: C-reactive protein, uric acid, Apolipoprotein A/B, Lp(a), NMR lipoprofile (breaks down sizes of your cholesterol particles)
- Blood sugar: Hemoglobin A1c + fasting insulin
- Liver + detox: Ferritin, stool pancreatic elastase, B12, folate, homocysteine
- Energy + circulation: Full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3/T4, T3 uptake, Anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), Thyroglobulin Antibody (Anti-TG), plus a micronutrient panel
When you know what to look for and how to connect the dots you can stop chasing symptoms and start solving them.
Bottom line?
Normal doesn’t always mean optimal.
If you’re feeling off, your body is speaking.
Let’s make sure you’re listening to the right clues.
Here’s to listening to your body,
Dr. Jannine Krause
Curious about a lab review with me? $49 gets you a full review and evaluation of symptoms. No pressure to work with me and you’ll leave with a detailed plan for next steps. Click HERE to schedule a call.
