January Lab Update

I posted this earlier on Melissa's Good Carb thread, but would really like to know what you think. Doesn't it seem odd that my eating hasn't shown some improvement to the labs. I guess I am also a bit afraid that something might be wrong with my liver... although I have no medical reason to believe this.. just a hunch. Does anyone have any suggestions? BTW, I have increased my calories into the 1000-1100 range and find that eating is much easier than it was before this time. Other than the hair loss, I still need to dress warmly for sleep and use a heated blanket. I am a bit afraid. Ro Hi, Everyone... I have an update on my lab results, which I want to share with the Dec '06 MB. Many times I wonder just how accurate the Nutritionist info is to their patients. So many people report that their labs are near perfect. I am not one of those people. I have been on many supplements and have requested my specific lab result #s and the normal ranges for the tests. I feel that I eat well...many of the foods that you've listed above and more...all to ensure that I will be OK. I don't eat sugars or over-processed foods. I journal all of my foods, paying attention to the protein levels, etc. I have been taking Potassium pills since surgery and eating potassium-rich foods. Many of these foods are high in Vitamin A. My July labs were low in Vit. A so I started taking a little over 10,000 units per day and added more Vit. A-rich foods. In the July results, I was at 19 based on a normal range of 38-98. My January labs were ZERO; based on 30-90...so I am to double the supplements and up the Vit A foods. --0-- Vitamin A the "eye", cancer, and infection preventing vitamin... oh great... just the Vit to have a --0-- Please understand that I knew the risks of malnutrition going in and that I am not in a Panic over the results. Boy, am I disappointed that my efforts to eat well have not shown up in the labs. Just knowing that I do monitor the lab #s and have been eating in kind gives me some peace. I can't imagine the shape that I would be in if I had not been eating these rich foods. The local lab did not complete the test for B7... Biotin.. but I updated the Nut that my hair has been falling out again... hair loss... so I am taking a second Biotin now. The main concern was my Potassium. Due to taking blood pressure meds that reduced my potassium, I needed IVs in the hospital, as my labs were at 2.3, which is near total body depletion. My January labs decreased slightly from the "July" 3.8 to 3.7, which is in the low normal range based on 3.5 - 5.3... I will be continuing on at least 2 pills per day again and eating more potassium-rich foods. The Nutritionist OK'd changing to Calcium Citrate plus Vit D... it must have Vit D and can be a pill or chewable. I also take a Vit D supplement, as that was low in July. Here's my supplement arsenal: 2 multi-vitamins, 3 calcium w/ Vit D, 2 - 3 potassium, 2 sublingual B12, 3 Vit C, 2 Biotin, 1 Vit D, and 20,000 units Vit. A. I take the calcium with food, but not with the other supplements. I halve the potassium and take it 4 times a day for maximum absorption. Same for the multi-vits. I quarter the Vit C and take it through out the day for maximum absorption. All supplements are taken with food and the remaining are spaced AM and PM. Based on Pre-WLS cholesterol #s, WLS has been very helpful. My 2004 Total was 216 with 135 LDL and 45 HDL; January Total is 124 with 65 LDL and 46 HDL. The 70 point drop in LDL puts me in the normal range (< 100) Another plus is that my iron is normal, as is my copper. I ASK for the actual result #s and the ranges... this is my advice to everyone. Thanks for your support! XOXOXO Ro

Ro, just wanted to let you know I will read this over tomorrow and give you an opinion then. I am so tired tonight that none of this makes a bit of sense to me... But i am so proud of how diligent you are with your vitamins and lab tests. You are an awesome patient and are going to be be one of your surgeons star patients. This is how all of us should be. Hugs! Molly

No Super Patient Here... I've had a few too many health scares and NEED to be good. Ro

Ro, now that I am awake your post is definitely written in English. This does sound very confusing from the standpoint that you are altering your diet and taking the correct supplements and still having low lab values. You obviously know a lot more about vitamins and supplements than I do so I can't counsel you on it except to wonder if you should switch to a different brand of multivitamin? Is your current one made specifically for bariatric patients or an OTC? (Pardon me if you've discussed this on the mb before but I can't remember.) Of course all of us are going to have different lab results based on our own body chemistry, age, diet, surgeries and various other factors but my good lab results come with the help of Optisource four times a day. Other supplements I regularly take are calcium w/D (this a change for me since D was the only vit. I was low on at the 1 yr checkup), magnesium, B-100 complex. Some days I take an extra B-12 in sublingual form if I feel really sluggish. Considering the fact that I take two blood pressure medications still, thyroid supp., two stomach medications plus an antidepressant it makes me wonder why my lab values aren't significantly lower. You'd think meds like these would have a negative effect on absorption. My surgeon gave me a copy of my lab values but honestly they don't mean a lot to me since I don't know a lot about them. I am supposed to be getting re-tested for the D in another month and hopefully the additional calcium/d supplement will be helping that. Have you x-posted this over on the nutrition forum? I wonder if a registered dietician would be able to give you a better answer and it would be interesting to see what they have to say about it. Great news about your cholesterol, iron and copper! It is nice to know that you have made good strides on those. Keep up the good work! Molly

I have been having a really hard time adjusting to this amount of pills! I try to keep things straight, but it is confusing. My sorter is a "joke". It seems like I am taking pills all day... which I am. DH is the one who helps with the lab info and update info. I feel overwhelmed... and he "reminds" me (auuggghhh) to "take" this now...