Zinc

[SoBe]

Last year I lost all of my hair (totes bald) due to a severe zinc deficiency. My levels were down to 5 (range 11-19). I also had terrible skin issues and my nails were falling off. Probably should be noted that I was quite anaemic too which helped things along no doubt.

When I became aware of this (the consultant that is in charge of my aftercare had not given me the correct feedback for my labs, everything was apparently fine! - I now get copies of everything!!!

Basically in March my labs showed my zinc had improved greatly and was now 17.4, so I was pretty happy but wanted it at the top end at 19 at least, given my problems, so have continued to take the same supplemental amount (200 elemental) as I knew I was having more bloods last week so could then adjust as and when.

I've just had a call from the hospital and she informed me that in 11 weeks since my last bloods, my zinc has plummeted again to 6 (from 17.4). Most of my other bloods have moved in the right directions, my D is up above 100 now and my protein has gone up etc, it's just the zinc.

I'm at a loss and now wondering if there's some medical condition that could be affecting my zinc level as I just don't see it being the supplementation which raised it up to 17.4 and I've not changed and in 11 weeks, this seems a dramatic change?? Any advice?

 

[southernlady]

SoBe, what changed in March? Did you add or subtract any other vitamins/minerals?

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/zinc might be of helping in your research.

 

[SoBe]

That's the thing Southernlady, my vitamins have remained the same except for a reduction in folic acid as I was way too high (way over max range) so I stopped the folic acid (still have it in my B-50 anyway) and that's now come down slightly but not a lot, everything else is holding or improving.

 

[southernlady]

SoBe, from what I am reading, BLOOD testing zinc is not very accurate. I know we rely on what our blood work tells us but there is still so much about the human body that is a mystery. Keep hunting for the answer.

 

[DSRIGGS]

What range is that? My Zinc is on a scale of

 

[southernlady]

What range is that?

Scott, she's in the UK.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Scott, she's in the UK.

Yeah I assumed she might be but still not sure what the unit of measure is being used.

 

[southernlady]

Yeah I assumed she might be but still not sure what the unit of measure is being used.

I'm not either.
@SoBe what unit of measurements is being used for your zinc lab value?

 

[SoBe]

I'm not either.
@SoBe what unit of measurements is being used for your zinc lab value?

Umol/L

 

[DianaCox]

Need to know whether plasma or serum: http://www.diabetesexplained.com/zinc-diagnostic-test.html

Serum:
The reference range is 10.7 - 22.9 µmol/L (70-150 µg/dl).
A concentration below 7 µmol/L (46 µg/dl) is indicative of a decided deficiency.

Plasma:
The optimal range of plasma zinc is 13.8 - 22.9µmol/L ( 90-150µg/dl).
Clinical signs of zinc deficiency may occur when plasma zinc concentrations drop below 9.9µmol/L (65 µg/dl)

"My levels were down to 5 (range 11-19)"

I can't really be sure which your numbers fit on this scale, but I'm guessing it was plasma zinc, and yes, you're very low.

 

[SoBe]

It's Plasma sorry. UK ref range changed recently according to not on sheet, ours is 11-19. My levels are in the 5s now, everything I've tried only briefly raised them. It's been decided the high reading in between all those 6s and 5s was a false reading as the biochemist said he felt it impossible to change from 6s to 17s and back to 6s in 11 weeks. I'm so frustrated and yes it's low, more than half the minimum.

 

[DSRIGGS]

It's Plasma sorry. UK ref range changed recently according to not on sheet, ours is 11-19. My levels are in the 5s now, everything I've tried only briefly raised them. It's been decided the high reading in between all those 6s and 5s was a false reading as the biochemist said he felt it impossible to change from 6s to 17s and back to 6s in 11 weeks. I'm so frustrated and yes it's low, more than half the minimum.

Sorry to hear. I struggle to keep my zinc Just below min range and I take 300 units of zinc daily. How much zinc are you taking and do you supplement copper? I am told those two negatively affect each other

 

[SoBe]

Hi DSRIGGS:

I do take copper but I take it first thing with my heme iron and don't start my zinc regime for 4 hours after to make sure they don't counteract. My copper levels are good and I've been told with the amount of zinc I'm taking I have to watch these closely.

I am taking 300mg of ELEMENTAL zinc split out into two forms, gluconate and sulphate at the moment. This is a big amount and it causes some gastric distress let me tell you! Does your units mean elemental?

I'm in the UK and we don't have anywhere as near as many options as the USA members. I had to buy my heme iron from JAPAN! You cannot get it here full stop. Same seems to be the case with Orotate sadly. We can import it from the states of course but by the time we pay for the shipping, the customs charges etc, it can end up 400% the price.

I tried chelated and piccolate but my labs tanked down to 5 on them so I went back to the above. I've managed to get back to the 6.3 I was before the tank but it's not getting any higher.

Here in the UK doctors don't know anything about malnutrition and frankly don't wish to learn. I have a bariatric team that take my bloods but don't don't even contact you to tell you that you are deficient, which is how I got into the mess I was in. I now demand a copy and deal with it myself. I've asked for IV infusions to at least get it up to a level above 10, when it was up there the side affects weren't noticeable, but now are awful. I don't have any skin on the inside of my mouth at the moment because my new side effect is mouth ulcers constantly. Past months eating has not been fun! I can't drive in the dark (even when it's not pitch dark) due to nightblindness (my A is perfect - all other labs are now), confirmed as a side effect by my Drs, so I may lose my job come the winter. It's very stressful.

 

[aaa]

So sorry to hear what you're still going through.

You're taking 300 mg. zinc/day (As Zinc Gluconate, Oxide, Aspartate). Do you eat with it? I always do and take 400 mg./day of zinc with little gastro. side effects (split into 4 doses; perhaps you need to split it up during the day). I also take 18 mg./day of copper (split into 3 doses during the day). It's good you wait 4 hours inbetween them. I generally wait 1 hour+.

 

[SoBe]

Hi A! How are you? Are you still on WLSinfo?

Are you sure you take 400 Elemental? 400 Elemental (unless oxide) is over 2000mg zinc...See below:

1. Zinc Acetate: 50 mg (15 mg elemental zinc)
2. Zinc Gluconate: 50 mg (7 mg elemental zinc)
3. Zinc Sulfate: 50 mg (12 mg elemental zinc)
4. Zinc Oxide: 50 mg (40 mg elemental zinc)

I take 150mg Elemental of gluc and sulphate so you can see how much gross zinc that is from above. I also take 4mg Elemental of copper which is 16mg gross.

I take my copper with my iron and my zinc in 6 separate sessions at least 2 hours apart. I have to take it with other vitamins cause as you can see my current schedule takes at least 14 hours of the day!