posted
For the last year or so, my blood tests have come back with slightly elevated Carbon Dioxide levels. I had it checked today and it was high at 34 on scale of 22 - 29.
I did a search on this before I posted this, but mostly read about LOW levels, not "high" like mine.
I use a cpap machine for the last few months, as I have sleep apnea. But my CD levels have been high for much longer than that.
Anyone else with HIGH levels? What causes it? What to do about it? It must not be too severe at this level, cause the doctors have never said much about it.
Thanks in advance for any input!
Posts: 67 | From Alabama | Registered: Feb 2010
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posted
I also had the same result and this is what I found in a search about the test.
In the body, most of the CO2 is in the form of a substance called bicarbonate (HCO3-). Therefore, the CO2 blood test is really a measure of your blood bicarbonate level.
The CO2 test is most often done as part of an electrolyte or basic metabolic panel. Changes in your CO2 level may suggest that you are losing or retaining fluid, which causes an imbalance in your body's electrolytes.
CO2 levels in the blood are influenced by kidney and lung function. The kidneys are mainly responsible for maintaining the normal bicarbonate levels.
The bicarbonate (or total CO2) test is almost never ordered by itself. It is usually ordered along with sodium, potassium, and chloride as part of an electrolyte panel. The electrolyte panel is used to detect, evaluate, and monitor electrolyte imbalances.
It may be ordered as part of a routine exam or to help evaluate a chronic or acute illness. It may be ordered at intervals to help monitor conditions, such as kidney disease and hypertension, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for known imbalances.
When an acid-base imbalance is identified, bicarbonate (as part of the electrolyte panel) and blood gases may be ordered to evaluate the severity of the imbalance, determine whether it is primarily respiratory (due to an imbalance between the amount of oxygen coming in and CO2 being released) or metabolic (due to increased or decreased amounts of bicarbonate in the blood) in nature, and monitor its treatment until the acid-base balance is restored.
The normal range is 20-29 mEq/L (milliequivalent per liter).
Lower-than-normal levels may be due to: A. Respiratory Alkalosis B. Metabolic Acidosis
Addison disease Diarrhea Ethylene glycol poisoning Ketoacidosis Kidney disease Lactic acidosis Metabolic acidosis Methanol poisoning Salicylate toxicity (such as aspirin overdose) Hyperventilation Severe malnutrition Some glaucoma medications Some antibiotics
Higher-than-normal levels may be due to: A. Respiratory Acidosis B. Metabolic Alkalosis
Breathing disorders, ie; COPD, Pulmonary Edema Cushing syndrome Conn's Syndrome Excessive vomiting Hyperaldosteronism Dehydration Overuse of Antacids or medications such as diuretics, and corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone and prednisone.
The following conditions may also alter bicarbonate levels: Alkalosis Delirium Dementia Renal tubular acidosis; distal Renal tubular acidosis; proximal
"The result of your CO2 test is measured by your doctor against a reference range for the test to determine whether the result is ``normal'' (it is within the range of numbers), high (it is above the high end of the range), or low (it is below the low end of the range). Because there can be many variables that affect the determination of the reference range, the reference range for this test is specific to the lab where your test sample is analyzed. For this reason, the lab is required to report your results with an accompanying reference range. Typically, your doctor will have sufficient familiarity with the lab and your medical history to interpret the results appropriately.
While there is no such thing as a ``standard'' reference range for CO2, most labs will report a similar, though maybe not exactly the same, set of numbers as that included in medical textbooks or found elsewhere online. For this reason, we recommend that you talk with your doctor about your lab results. For general guidance only, we are providing the reference range for this test below from the classic medical text, Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. "
-------------------- �Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it�s the only thing that ever has.� Posts: 149 | From Kansas/Missouri | Registered: Aug 2008
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posted
Thanks for the input! Yes, I was getting an electrolyte profile done when I saw this last week. My potassium was was borderline high, which gives me the shiver/shaking like symptoms.
karenl, that's interesting about the vit. c lowering the CO2. I've never read that. For a long time I was taking about 3000 mg of vit c daily, but I've just about quit taking any vit.c at all lately, as I'm taking lots of chlorella and don't want to mess the detoxing/binding that it's doing.
Thanks feelfit and lauirel for letting me know that I'm not the "Lone Ranger" here! :-)
Posts: 67 | From Alabama | Registered: Feb 2010
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posted
I don't have a clue where I read this, or I would most certainly give references! but...
My dad was severely sick about 3-4 yrs ago. Started after emergency colon cancer surgery, and the abx they put him on for an infection he developed. He was on Levaquin and Flagyl as well as something else...
Long story short, we eventually figured out he had Lyme and Co.
We weren't able to get all the testing done we wanted, and it was a fight to get ANY abx once we'd figured this out.
Finally, after much research regarding his symptoms and test results (one of which was consistently high CO2 levels), we managed to get him tested for erlichiosis, which we suspected was his biggest problem.
He was CDC positive and yet the docs still didn't want to treat the infection!
We did manage to get a couple of months of doxy finally, but we think he may still have a low-grade erlichiosis infection.
Why? In part because of his high CO2 levels.
I really wish I could remember where we found the info, but my Lyme brain just can't. =(
Anyway, apparently erlichiosis can cause high CO2 levels.
Posts: 155 | From Texas | Registered: Oct 2007
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Elevated levels of carbon dioxide can be caused by CNS depression, such as that induced by opiates, benzodiazepines and other drugs. Drug interactions can exacerbate the effects on the CNS and create even worse respiratory depression. Some doctors confuse this shortness of breathe and other symptoms with anxiety disorder or allergies/asthma.
Posts: 42 | From Lymeland USA | Registered: Mar 2010
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Serum CO2 is different from arterial blood gas CO2. The former indicates that the kidney's are conserving bicarbonate for what-ever reason and the latter that the person is hypo-ventilating. Oddly the latter if chronic is a cause for the former.
Beachinit.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
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