Vitamin/Lab advice

I just had my first set of labs since surgery. The doctor told me he is pleased with all of my results and does not think I need to supplement more than what I am at this time. I think that a few of my numbers are on the low end and that it would not hurt to make sure all stays well. I do have an appointment to get rechecked in 6 months to make sure everything stays stable. Here are the lower values that I saw. I would appreciate feedback. Thanks

My value (ideal range I was given)

Iron 49 ug/dl (50-170)

B12 328 pg/mL (211-911)

Vit D 34.5 ng/ml (30-100)

Albumin 3.6 g/dl (3.4-5.0) *up .1 since December

Calcium 8.8 ng/dl (8.5-10.1) *down .4 since December

They are great labs. Overdosing can lead to problems, I would not change anything right now.

Six months seems like a really long time to wait for repeat labs when your body is going through all these changes and shedding weight quickly. Just sayin'.

Not at all long. Your body has stores of most vitamins built up and it often takes years for deficiencies to show up. It is important to track your progress over time, but six months is a relatively short time.

If it were me, I would up the B12 - it's pretty low and is one that can tank quickly and deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage.

I agree about the b12. You body cannot store it and too much will not hurt you. Are you taking a sublingual? Mine tanked within a few months of surgery, and I felt like crap. Taking a sublingual fixed it very quickly.

I do use a sublingual. I am going to up it a little. Thanks!

I would up the B12 also. But most important, keep all your results. Start a spreadsheet, and track everything over time. Trends are very important. For instance, if you just got these same numbers, but they have dropped in each of your last three labs, they will absolutely be too low before you know it. The trends will tell you more about how to adjust than a single set of numbers.

The calcium tells you nothing about how much calcium you are taking. The only lab test that even begins to reveal anything about your calcium intake is PTH. That's one number you want low, not high. The only real test for bone health is a bone density scan.

Thank you for the feedback. I will definitely start a spreadsheet of my results. As well as add PTH to my next round of labs.

Save your results and start doing comparisons. If you see trending in the wrong direction, address then.