How in the hell.....

How in the hell can I be low on zinc, however every time I try to bone up and take more, my face starts breaking out??????

 Is this the first time you have been low on zinc?  Did you change brands?  How much do you take?

I've been low for a long time.  I keep trying to take more along the way.  I'm up to 300 mg of zinc and getting ill effects with a few different brands I've tried.  I space it out a few doses through the day.  I break out and let off a while and try again with a different brand.

That's weird!  Sorry to hear this.  Are you having any symptoms of zinc deficiency or just testing low on labs?  

Are you on any diuretics by chance?  They can decrease zinc absorption as much as 60%.

High-dose iron can decrease zinc levels also.  Do you take them at the same time?  Do you take high oral doses of iron or get infusions?  If so, there may not be much you can do about it.  

Is your copper normal on that much zinc or do you supplement?

Have you tried a sublingual zinc prep to bypass the gut?

I wish I could be more help, but I'm tapped out on this one.  

I don't know, because zinc deficiency tends to include the acne issues, not the other way around.  Perhaps you are reacting to something else in the vitamin or it is a coincidence.

Val, boy the ying and the yang of zinc/copper is tough.  Seems like I am always tweaking mine and watching for break outs.  Just this week I have started doing them on different days.   Have you tried Zinc picolonate?  Vitamin Shoppe sells a liquid zinc that you could use under your tongue.  I may try that next...

I've not seen the liquid zinc, but willing to try it.  Thanks

I'm testing low in zinc as well.  I (knock on wood) have never had break outs, so I'm not quite sure how much to increase.  What is zinc for anyway?  What does it do for us? I think I remember reading somewhere about it helping our immune system?