Optimal Vitamin Levels?

Hello there!

So latley I have been experiencing a lot of fibromyalgia type of pain and headaches.  I realize that part of this could be because my viatmin levels are out of whack.  I have been getting iron infusions for low Iron, but I just noticed that my vitamin D level is a 16.  They didn't say a word to me about it!  Also, after reading on these boards, I realzied that they didn't test me for my B1 either. 

So here is my question....what do I have tested vitamin wise and what are the ranges I want to see?  I am lucky to have a doctor that listens to me and helps me through all of this, so I want to make sure I tell her what i need on Monday. 

Funny how until I discovered this board, I never paid any attention to the vitamin levels....the doctor nor my surgeon has ever expressed any kind of concern!

Thanks in advance!

Here is the list of labs I get done.

CMP
Lipid Profile
CBC with differential
B12
Bili-direct
Ferritin

Iron/TIBC

PTH
Magnesium
Folate
Thiamine (B1)

B6

Vitamin E

Vitamin K
Uric Acid
Vitamin A

Vitamin D (25 hydroxy)

Zinc
Phosphorus
Copper

Selenium

Prealbumin

And here is something I've posted before about what we want our labs to show:

It's always a good idea to get a copy of the lab report when you have labs done. Doctors will sometimes tell you your labs are good when they really aren't, plus if you see the numbers yourself you can track trends. Like if you get your iron tested today and it's still in the normal range but it's dropped a lot since you had labs done three months ago, you'd want to start taking more iron. Docs usually will not tell you if it's dropped, just that it's normal now.

I have a spreadsheet I use to track my results.  I’d be happy to send anyone a copy if you want.  Pam has one on her blog you can download too.  Andrea sells a lab tracker workbook that includes all kinds of interesting info about labs and also has places to track your results.  Of course you can devise your own system, as well.

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.

Calcium is better around the middle of the normal range.  If your calcium is on the high side, strange as it may seem, that’s often a sign that you need more calcium.  It can be an indication that you’re leaching calcium from your bones because you’re not absorbing enough calcium.

With your D that low, are you taking a BIG dose of D3 now?

 

Kelly,
How often do you get your labs done? I am a year and a half out, I just assumed every six months.

Yeah, I do mine every six months.  That's my plan for the rest of my life.