First labs and need help.....

I had my RNY January 24th and they did my first labs April 2nd. 12 vials. So at about 10 weeks. I am curious if some of the figures are ok. I see vitamin D is 43 and I know that is low. SO HOW MUCH DO I TAKE DAILY OR WEEKLY TO BOOST THIS? I also see the ferritin is 163. Under B12/folate serum panel I see serum B12 is 556 and folate serum is 17.0. What does this mean? At the end it says something called RDW is 15.2 H and out of range and Zinc is also out of range at 55 L. They said to just keep taking the multi vitamins and sounded unconcerned.

My glucose is 99, total protein is 6.9, everything else seems to fall right down the middle.

I have no idea if I am doing good or bad so could someone please translate this for me. Thank you for your time and expertise.

I would love my ferritin number to be where yours is.  As for Vitamin D personally I don't want mine that low and shoot for 80-100 which I've been able to get to with higher supplementation of Dry D3.  How much are you currently taking.  Also with the B12 I want mine between 1000-1600 (my preferenace) so I'd up my sublingual B12.  How much are you taking here?

Do you have your PTH number?  You want this low with D3 higher to keep your body from leaching caclium from your bones.

The RDW low could be from several things, including the low B-12.  Read here http://www.medfriendly.com/redcelldistributionwidth.html

 

How much zinc is in your multi-vitamin?  What is the range of your labs on zinc?  It can be taken in additional supplementation however I'm not sure how much to take.

Well I am just taking the basics they started me out on. 500 sublingual B12 at bedtime and 36 chewable iron at bedtime. I am not taking a vitamin D3 supplement but I guess I need to. How much should I take do you think.

I don't see a PHT number listed anywhere. I will call back and ask about what and where that is.

My lab range on zinc is 60 - 130 and mine is 55. I have to check the zinc in the multi. I drink the celebrate ENS in the morning and tale a celebrate multi around 5 pm. So I would think it is top notch.

As far as RDW (whatever that is) goes the range on the labs is 11.0 - 15.0 and mine is 15.2 so it is a touch high I guess. I will have to see just what this is.

Thanks so very much for responding. I need to start right from the beginning tracking this. I made a file and will do a spread sheet to keep up with it. I need my teeth and bones and hair although that is thinning a little already.

Please feel free to make recommendations for supplementation.

I personally would increase the B-12 sublingual.  I currently take 2500 mcg a day which keeps my B-12 at around 1500 give or take.  Vitamin D3 needs to be dry form and yes I personally would take it if I were you.  I use this http://www.vitalady.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&k ey=1115X250 ....one per day and throw in a 50,000 iu about once a week. 

B-12 is a water soluable vitamin so you'll pee out what you don't need.  However, Vitamin D is falls under the fat soluable vitamins and there is a potential for toxicity so don't try to go crazy and over supplement......use something reasonable (probably the 5000 iu a day or several days a week) and retest your D3 in a a couple of months to see how it is impacting your numbers.

Most RNY folks need at least 10,000 IU D3 daily to maintain a good level (at least 80, according to the LInus Pauling Institute).  Since yours is low, I would take more than that to bring it up.  I'd do the 50,000 IU D3 from vitalady.com two or three times a week and retest in a couple months.

Low zinc is common in RNY folks according to the ASMBS in their latest guidelines.  So start taking some of that.

556 is almost low for B12 - below 550 is when people generally start to get symptoms like fatigue and depression.  How much have you been taking and how do you take it?

Hi Kelly:
My D was at 15 a couple of years before WLS so my pcp had me supplement and it came up to 43. It has apparently stayed there through surgery. I will get supplements this,weekend and start right on it.

Just buy zone at the drugstore and take it. What strength?

I take 500 sublingual B12 at bedtime. I never forget it or the iron. How much should I bump this up? I sure don't need to be depressed or fatigued.

Thanks for your response.

I don't see a PHT on this paperwork. Should it be here. I,guess I should call the surgeon and see what is sip,with that.

I have no idea how much zinc to take.  I can tell you I take 50 mg twice a week.  Whatever you start taking, get it checked again in a couple months.

I'm double the B12.

PTH is parathyroid hormone.  If it's high, it means you're not getting enough calcium, which often happens when your vitamin d level is low, even if you take plenty of calcium.

So what if your D3 is high and your PTH is high?  (This is Canadian.) 

My D is 236, the range is 75-199 sufficient. 

My PTH is 6.5, range is 1.6 - 6.9

Your PTH is within range.
D3 is high. So you should cut back on how much you are taking.
Too much D can have negative effects on calcium and phosphorous levels... just like too little D can.

Thanks I have started to cut back D.