Lab Result, Please Help!

Hello,

These are my first lab results since rny 2 weeks ago. I dont know if I should be concern. I would appreciate your advice and to help me read them as I dont understand much of this.

Thanks a lot,

They look fine for a first set of post-op labs - at this point the main concern is that nothing is seriously out of whack.

Most docs will just look at the report, see that everything is in the "normal" range and call it done, though some may have specific levels that they want to see for different parameters (our surgeon, for instance, likes to see the vit D levels above 70, though the stated "normal" range is something like, IIRC, 20-90.)

However, for those of us who want to be proactive on these things, what we do is keep a spreadsheet of these results over time and follow the trends - that is usually more important than any single report. This lets us make corrections before results get out of range. For you now, it is hard to establish a trend with one data point, so keep track or this until next time and see what direction things are headed.

This soon after surgery, RNY hasn't had a chance to effect your labs. Think years, not weeks or months.

The only one I would be concerned about is the ferritin. I would want it a lot higher than that. Be sure you are taking iron. Take it at least two hours apart from anything containing calcium, or coffee, tea, or soy. All inhibit iron absorption. Take iron with Vitamin C to absorb it better. 200 mg of C for every 30 mg of elemental iron. Heme iron is absorbed best, followed by carbonyl. Neither of those will constipate, but all of the other types of iron will.

What is Carbonyl? Do I take it after the Iron Heme( I am planning on buying it). I am taking Vitamin C 1000 mg a day with 65 mg Iron Ferrous Sulfate.

Carbonyl is another form of Iron. It is the easiest for us to absorb. Heme Iron is a good second choice. They are very similar in absorption rates.

Carbonyl iron can bother your stomach and has to be taken away from darn near everything LOL. Heme iron is better choice, because it causes less gastro distress, doesn't react to other vitamins and dairy, and is better absorbed.

Interesting...Carbonyl iron is the only one that did not bother my stomach. I've been taking it for over a decade on the recomendation of my surgeon. I was also told that you should never take any form of iron with calcium, coffee, or tea.

Non heme iron (mostly plant based iron) is not very well absorbed, to the the tune of 5-15%, so caffeine affects it much more. Heme comes from meat and absorbs much better and caffeine has much less effect on it.

Carbonyl iron is not plant based, it's from minerals.

It's not caffeine tgat inhibits iron absorption. It's the tannins in tea and coffee that's the culprit.

it's never bothered my stomach, either