Jen B., Lab Response Here

Jen, OH formatting is a mess and won't let me respond, but I think you might be crashing on your calcium, zinc, and iron markers. It looks like your last PTH was getting higher than we want and this time your calcium was lower than we like. You want calcium around 9.2, PTH around 26 and vitamin D3 over 70 and closer to 100. I agree that your ferritin is way too low. I see people posting about infusions when their ferritin drops below 10. Do you take iron supplements once you've had an infusion? It might help keep the levels higher longer. The other thing I noticed was your albumin below 4. We need to keep it in the 4s, prealbumin near the top of the range and protein serum as close to 7. Albumin is more telling than protein serum and prealbumin. You might need to supplement zinc more. I have to take extra zinc away from all my other vitamins to keep that number up. I would say you might want to add protein shakes back in to your diet and decrease the carbs.

--gina

I just saw this. I do take iron, 120 mg of vitalady carbonyl. I have only had one infusion in 2011. My PCP does not get excited about my ferritin, I need to find a hematologist that is used to weight loss patients.

I cut back on my D when my liver enzymes elevated but it didn't make a difference so I take what I will go back to what I used to take.

I have been researching like crazy and think I'm heading the direction of malnutrition so I'm going to get very serious about protein shakes, more calcium and zinc plus lower carb. My A and K are not back yet. The higher my liver enzymes go, the lower my albumin drops. Also my AGAP is low, not good from what I am reading. 

I also have some leg swelling, I don't know if it related because I have had varicose vein problems for years and years. The edema is mild, it's more tight feeling than swollen.

I'm also going to make an appointment with my surgeon. I'm going to get a prealbumin test done. 

I have probably been too complacent. Want to get this back on track before I get myself in trouble! 

That swelling could be protein malnutrition and you might need 5 to 6 whey protein isolate protein shakes a day to fix it.  Albumin is the best indicator of protein nutrition according to the dietitians I've talked to.  Prealbumin isn't going to tell you that much, it's a short term nutritional marker, so don't be mad if your surgeon doesn't want to pull that additional lab.

The carbonyl is the right stuff to fix ferritin but you may need to take more. I was taking 300mg a day to fix my levels and also added Proferrin which is heme iron. This combo worked for me really well but it took a year to bring all my levels up. The good thing about heme iron is that you can take it closer to other vitamins and foods, unlike carbonyl iron, which you probably know the drill about no calcium, caffeine, wheat, eggs, etc on hour on either side of taking it.

Here are my calcium related supplements:  600mg of calcium citrate only 6 times a day, 3mg boron with each calcium dose as well as dry magnesium citrate each time. Daily I take 50,000IUs of dry D3, 600mcg vitamin K2, and I'm on hormone replacements.

I still buy from Vitalady too, best products going.  : )

--g 

I bought some IsoPure unflavored from Amazon. Hopefully I can mix that with different things and it will be ok. I hate the fake flavor of protein shakes and can't stand artificial sweeteners! I feel like a bit of an idiot for not catching this sooner. I have been diligent about vitamins and my labs. My PCP actually said with my latest, everything is normal, just take a little extra zinc. My gut was telling me something is obviously wrong. I'm just glad I caught it now with your help! At least I have remained relatively stable since my last labs. 

When do you take the Proferrin? I actually have some. It didn't seem to be working for me but I'll try it again. I take the carbonyl as soon as I wake up and don't eat for at least an hour. 

I wonder if my liver just isn't working very efficiently right now. I'm trying to wrap my head around how my iron can be good, the highest it has been with the exception of after my infusion, but I ferritin is so bad. 

Someone on another board mentioned that my cholesterol is too low. What's your opinion on that? I looked into it and read my LDL should be at least 70. Think that I have any hope in raising that by eating loads of high cholesterol foods? I think I need to eat A LOT of eggs! My cholesterol before surgery was only around 170 but my HDL was low.

I take K2, both MK4 and MK7. What do you take?

Thanks!

Jen

I take the Proferrin at bedtime and the carbonyl mid afternoon.  I take 2 Proferrin tablets and if your ferritin is low you might want to slowly increase the carbonyl over a couple of weeks time to 300mg a day.

Increasing eggs in your diet is a great idea, I don't know if it will help cholesterol totals but they would be great for your albumin. What was your total cholesterol? 

I take Vitalady's K2 (MK-7). I just think we need more than the normal amount, just like some of the other vitamins we take.

In May my total cholesterol was 117, HDL 55, LDL 51. I'm going to try to get my HDL up and see if it works. A 3 egg omelet with lots of cheese a day to start!

Do you think it's possible to already be feeling better from upping my protein? I've lost 10 lbs since early last week. I'm guessing a lot of it is water weight but I'm 1 lb lower than my lowest. I've been making smoothies with plain yogurt, milk, raspberries, a bit of honey and the unflavored protein powder. Can't even taste the nasty stuff in there! I also started taking liver detox herbs. 

I see a few of you posting about protein coffee, what is that exactly?

Thank you!

May be the increase in protein and other vitamins is having a positive affect already. That would be great!

--Here are my Protein Coffee directions and recipe.

Brew a pot of your favorite reduced caffeine coffee - we like chocolate raspberry (you can also brew chai tea and use in place of coffee)

In a 20 oz blender bottle with wire ball, add 3 oz of 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy whipping cream (HWC), 3 oz of cool water, a packet of Truvia or Splenda, a couple of dashes of cinnamon, and a heaping scoop of Syntrax Nectar vanilla protein powder.
Shake about 5 seconds to blend
Pour the protein slurry into a huge mug and fill to the top with hot coffee (You can also leave it in the blender bottle and just add the hot coffee on top, just don't shake it again. Gently tilt to blend.)
Sir to blend and enjoy!

Always add hot liquid to cold protein slurry to keep the protein from clumping.

Always check the ingredients of a protein powder before you buy it to ensure the first ingredient listed is whey protein isolate. Don't trust the splashy label on the front.Here are my Protein Coffee directions and recipe.

Thank you! I will give it a try.

Jen,

I have problems with these levels too. These ideas you may be able to incorporate into your regimine to give you the balance back..

..Iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium..the Zinc is easiest to change... I use the cold eze cold losenges one three times a wee****il it starts to taste strong and with an off flavor...then I back off to once a week or a half, once a week..

Iron, I have found foltrin as a prescription, OR buffalo liver capsules 4 a day, as a supplement will keep my Iron up. Magnesium I take at night with the calcium ...be sure to follow your clinics protocol , I did and still have lost all my teeth 20 years later...from many cracks that were not repairable..I make bone broth to help with strengthening of my bones, from leftover chicken bones, it is filled with calcium magnesium selenium and zinc... so far I am holding it together and my last levels just showed a bit of low iron, (I'd been lazy taking my liver extract) Hope these help you get your self balanced and feeling your best. dh