PAGING Poet Kelly!!

I am always saying to people that they need to educate themselves and not just follow their MDs orders, blindly.  But, Jesus Christ, don't be stupid, either.

I find it ironic we are both quoting the Vitamin D Council, but our interpretations are far different.

I guess actually seeing the consequence of people being hypo/hyperkalemic, hypo/hypercalcemic, etc. makes a difference in how you interpret ranges.  A 0.5 difference is clinically insignificant, but a 38 difference is not.

I guess she would think that the patient I had last week whose calcium level was 14.1 was doing great, when in all actuality, the hypercalcemia was a symptom of her undiagnosed lymphoma.

I agree with you absolutely.  

I get very concerned seeing people being diagnosed and treated on here - we have no idea of anyone's medical history (nursing 101!) - and while some doctors are complete f***wits, we really have to take responsiblity for ourselves and not absolve it to either our MD's or old ladies on the internet - do the research and make your own decisions! 

Internet doctoring, while interesting, is not that safe a practice!!!

They want you down to 50.  According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, if it's below 80, you're at increased risk for osteoporosis, heart disease and some cancers.  So they prefer you to be at higher risk for those things?  Well, that might be their preference, but I'm thinking you might prefer to keep your bones.

Did your PTH go down on this lab draw?  Because 118 for PTH is really scary.  That means you were most likely leaching calcium out of your bones because even if you take lots of calcium you won't absorb it well if your D is too low.  but you have to have a certain amount of calcium in your blood or your heart stops beating, so it drains out of your bones so you stay alive, you just have rotten bones.

Your D is not too high at 138.  That's according to the Vitamin D Council, which says problems from too much D generally do not occur until your level gets to 200-250 or higher.  So.  What I would do is cut back some because you don't need it to get higher, but I sure wouldn't stop it altogether.

I also really doubt that a dose of 15,000 IU a week would keep your level at least 80.  I talk to lots of people about their labs and their vitamins and I do not know one RNY patient that maintains a level of at least 80 with less than 10,000 IU a day.  There may be some out there, but none that have shared their labs with me.

You did a fantastic job of getting that D up!  good for you.

2 a week may be what you need. And check in Decemeber.

I would not stop taking it all together but then I am fighting just to get mine back up to the lower end of normal. I am taking Vitalady's 50,000 three times a day. It's coming back but VERY slowly!! I don't wish anyone the low level I had. My bones actually hurt then.