Good Morning. Labs 101

Just thinking you might be looking at your labs and wondering what your goals should be. While be in range is ok, it's not optimal and you know we sink faster than a rock if we go off our vitamins and protein, right?

Vitalady's suggested targets helped me get started understanding a little more about my labs as did www.labtestsonline.org and the Linus Pauling web site for vites and nutrients.

Vitalady's Suggested Targets (US Measures):

This is NOT medical advice, just my own targets for the main blood levels I watch.

 

Protein:             7's

Albumin:           4's

Pre-Albumin:     20-30's

Iron:                  80-100

Ferritin:             200-300

HGB:                12+

HCT:                 36+

Vit A:                60- 80

Vit D:                80-120

Calcium:           9.0-9.4

PTH:                 20-40

Vit B1:              Mid to top of range

Vit B6:              Mid to top of range

Magnesium:      Mid range (but also go by if we have leg/foot cramping)

Zinc:                 Mid range

Vit B12:            1000 +

Folate:              Top of range 20

AST (sgot):       Below 40

ALT (sgpt):        Below 40

 

We usually want to "meet or beat" pre-op levels. In some cases, higher is better, and in other cases (Cholesterol, PTH for example), lower is better.

The only things I personally don't mind being on the high end of “out of range" are Ferritin and B12. But that applies to me.

 

My doctors don't show interest in any of these until I am out of range. I am interested when I begin heading that direction.

I'm in the mid to high range on everything as of my 6 month check up. I was triple on my B12, so I have cut it in half and we'll see what happens on my next labs. Now that I can eat quite a bit more and eat lots of good whole foods, I am getting more vitamins that way. Plus I don't have the malabsorbtion issue, since I'm a sleever.

You mean your B12 was like 3,000 or higher? You can go to 2,000 and that's fine.

I think it was 2,900.

Makes sense, then. Let's see the next labs and you can tweak from there.

I'm past due for my 2 year labs.  I was supposed to get them down about the time my Mom had surgery so I put them off but I had better get my boney butt in gear. 

Gina,
Thanks for always reminding us about the importance of good labs.  I will take a look at what you've posted tonight and compare to my 6 month labs.  I don't get them drawn again until February when I'll be 1 year out. 

Have a fun day!

Great to know.  My iron was at 11, yes 11 not a type-o.  that's probably why they freaked and I'm now doing iron infusions every week.  I had stopped the Flintstones and went to chewy gummy vitamins that my kids take.  I didnt realize that the gummies dont have iron in them. Now I read every label looking for the "important" ones.  Lesson learned the hard way.  I dont mind the infusions too much. they start the IV and then I sit there for an hour and I get too read.  Makes me have some "me" time.  I dont want to do them again though so now I'm taking Centrum adult chewables.  Hope they work better.

Well, iron mixed in a multi isn't going to do you any good. Iron is a weakling and other vitamins compete for the same receptors in our intestines for absorption. The only exception that I'm sure of is heme iron that Colorado Labs makes and sells as Proferrin Forte (prescription) and Proferrin ES (over the counter). The Proferrin doesn't make you constipated either. You might want to look Proferrin up on the Web. They have a very informative web site.

I have all of Vitalady's vitamin plans if you're interested. I'll post all the links in the morning with my good morning post.

--g

My iron was also down to 11 and I have been receiving iron transfusions for about 3 weeks. This week will be the 4th week. How many transfusions are you receiving? My PCP ordered a series of 4 weeks. This week will be the 4th week.