Vit D Vitalady ????

Last March my Vit D was 20.   My PCP gave me Calcitriol and I started taking D3-50 (50,000.)  PCP does not know about D3-50.  I had  my D check recently and it was 40.  I got a call from my PCP's nurse telling me about the 40 reading and said D was in "normal range" and to continue with the Calcitriol.  I had been aiming for 70 reading on Vit D.  I asked for a copy of labs.  i got them today.  Here is what the report says. Vit E, 25-Hydroxy, 40, Limits 32-100 Recent studies consider the lower limit of 32 ng/mL to be a threshold for optimal health. As I said I had thought a higher reading was good, now I do not know.  What do you guys think about this???   Also my BUN/Creatine Ratio is 29   8-27 is in normal range.  I know this is just a little bit high and probably does not mean a thing.    

Not Vitalady for sure!  Would never pretend to be her either!  LOL!   Anyway, yes, technically 32 may be the lab reference number for the low end of Vitamin D but it is better to have it higher than that.  I've heard your 70 figure. Here are a few medical journal references: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552033?rss http://www.redorbit.com/news/display?id=136622&source=r_heal th Key sentence in the second article is that calcium absorption is higher when D level is raised from 50 to 80. Kathy

Thanks for the links.  I too thought as you and they say.  The footnote from the lab threw me off.  I sure need to absorb all the calcium I can get. Thanks again. Paricia

Tell me your BUN and Creatinine, your weight, and your age and I could tell you more.  I suspect you may have been a little dry when you had your labs drawn. 

Bun/Creatinine was 29, My weight is 130 and I am 62 years old.  You may be right about being dry.  I had them done early in the morning and I was fasting.   I do not care much for water and decided not to drink my usual Crystal Light.  I notice at one point when I was giving the lab report, I said Vit E, I should have said Vit D.   Thanks for your reply  and help. Patricia    

BUN and creatinine are two separate values.  The BUN should look like a number in the 20's and the creatinine should look like a number 0.5 or 1.1 (just numbers to show you what it looks like not necessarily what yours should be).  The ratio doesn't tell me what I need to know to explain and truly is rarely used. I can't really comment on the Vitamin D as I don't really have expertise in that area.  It sounded like you were being told it was fine because you were in the normal range, but the nurse and/or the doctor are not looking at the subtleties you were asking about.  A registered dietician (someone with degree in nutrition and certification as a registered dietician (RD) not just some one called a nutritionist who might be trained to talk about general diet advise) could address the points you asked about based on your specific info.  You should find one in your area and make an appointment and take copies of all labwork and tell them ALL supplements not just what your doctor told you to take.  Your doctor should be told how much vitamin D you are taking as well.  Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is thus stored rather than excreted.  You can develop toxicity with excessive supplementation.  According to your labs you are at a safe level, but you and your doctor need to be on the same page about how much supplementation you are requiring.

Thanks for the information.  MY Bun is 23 and my creatinine,serum is .8 Believe me my PCP is not interested in what I am taking and my surgeon isn't either 

You're fine.  You probably were a touch dry which made the ratio off.  Sounds like it's time for a new doctor.