Stuff to know about vitamin D - long
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Distal RNY 6/11 SW 456 CW 311 Complications: Small bowel strangulation 12/23/2012, non healing surgical incision--ongoing. Still.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
on 1/6/12 12:34 pm
All my surgeon ever says is, "you're a little low on so and so." It would help if I could read it myself. I have enough medical training to be dangerous (CNA/GNA/CMA).
Always get a copy of your lab report, don't just get "you're a little low" from your doc.
So look at your lab report. They are really easy to read and you don't need any special medical knowledge to read them. Your lab report will list the normal ranges and on mine, if something is high or low, they have it in bold type and put a big H or L next to it so it's easy to spot.
The normal values they list will all be accurate except two. You want to pay close attention to those two.
It will say something like 211-911 for B12 and you really want your B12 to be about 900-1000, but it's OK up to at least 2000. Below 550, people get symptoms like depression and fatigue. Below 400, people get permanent nerve damage in their hands and feet. I have no clue why they list it normal below that.
It will say something like 30-80 for vitamin D but you really want your D about 80-100. Lower than that, we are at increased risk for things like osteoporosis, heart disease and some cancers. It can safely be higher than 100. If your D is really low, you want to pay close attention to your PTH and calcium levels. If your D is low, you won’t absorb calcium well, no matter how much you take. When that happens, your PTH usually goes up so you start leaching calcium from your bones to keep the calcium level in your blood good (because your heart won’t work right if the level of calcium in your blood gets too low).
Most other things, like iron and ferritin and protein, etc, you want near the top of the normal range.
Your PTH, you'd rather have near the bottom of the normal range. High PTH suggests you aren’t getting enough calcium and are leaching calcium out of your bones.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Thank you Kelly for all you share about vitamins.
And I just want to add..... be sure to get a copy of your labs. Do not depend on the sugeon's staff to interrupt your needs. They look for the report for H (high) or L (low). Sometimes all the lab results aren't in when you are at your appt..
Example: I went for my 6 month appt. in mid December. I was told my labs were all okay. I told RN that I supplemented zinc because it had been low (they never told me, I saw it on the report after my 3 mo. appt). She told me I could stop because my zinc was fine. Yes, it's fine because I am supplementiing it. I asked twice what my zinc level was and she did not say. I am not going to stop. Supplementation put me in the mid of the normal range. If I stop I will go low again.
I was told all my levels were fine, B-12 was high, I could cut back. Again, not going to do that. They felt 800 was fine. I want it over 1000.
I specifically asked if my D was okay and she said it wasn't back yet, sometimes it took 2 weeks but the dietitian would call if it was low. I picked up a copy of my labs this week giving time for D to be returned. They never called me so it should be okay but wanted to be sure. It is well below 80 and also below range for normal people which is 30. Why didn't I get a call. I called the RD as soon as I received it to get a prescription for D3 50,000 IU so my medical spending plan will cover the expense. I placed an order with Vitalady for D3. Until then I am taking several lower D3 a day to get in 10,000 IU per day.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.