Dear Doctors please do not do this:

[writegirl]

So, I just got a voicemail from an "unknown" number. Turns out it is my brand new PCP calling to tell me that "Hey, I called in a prescription for you but I don't want you to take it until I have a chance to talk with you about the results. Call the office tomorrow."

Of course, NOW I am freaking out. What kind of results would cause a doctor to call in a prescription on a holiday and then leave some terrifying cryptic voicemail message about it? Am I dying? My BP was excellent--what the heck did my bloodwork show exactly????

Thanks Doc, for making sure you scared the hades out me. No way I'll sleep tonight now. Awesome choice to leave a message like that for a patient!

 

[Larra]

Deep breath. Don't panic. Probably just to tell you your cholesterol is a bit high, or that there are potential side effects from the new medication, or something along those lines.
Though I agree this was not an ideal way to communicate.

 

[writegirl]

@Larra Thank you for your kind and quick response. I needed to be talked down a bit. Given the fact that I have a PhD myself and I'm not one to wait because the doctor said so, I called my pharmacy to see what she called in for me. The pharmacist was awesome about helping me. Turns out she called in prescription Vitamin D that I take once a week and the big one she called in is an H2 blocker combined with 2 antibiotics because I apparently have H-pylori (Helicobacter pylori) growing in my gut. Ugh, that explains so much of the inflammation I have been experiencing. What in the world caused that, I am unsure. But, essentially, I have a bacteria that can cause ulcers and all kinds of ugly stuff in my gut. Let's hope it hasn't done any such damage. I'm not angry at my doctor for leaving that cryptic and scary message but wow--she really aught to start that kind of message with "Hey, everything is alright so not to worry but..."

 

[southernlady]

The Vit D might help pre-op but don't waste your co-pay post op.

Honestly, you would do better just getting the Dry D3 (5000 for pre-op) and take it daily.

Once you are post-op, take the Dry D3 50000 DAILY!

 

[southernlady]

Oh and H. Pylorie is pretty common pre-op and a round of antibiotics will clear it up for surgery.

 

[writegirl]

@southernlady thank you for all that information! I have a really excellent D3 5000 that my dad gets for me. He's in the supplement industry and does a lot of research into them. By "Dry D3" do you mean like a pill or is "Dry" a brand? I'll be quite honest, I used to take my D3 religiously but I stopped after having a miscarriage last year. I kind of replaced it with wine for while and then just never started to take it again. I have bottles of it though and did take one earlier today, which gave me an energy boost and made me realize that I need to take it again. And then the doctor called. I guess that solidifies it for me: Take the D3 lol. Hearing the pharmacist say H-pylori gave me a sigh of relief actually. I was worried I was going to learn I am diabetic or something life-altering. A bit of bacteria in my stomach I can handle as long as it's treatable and does not denote some larger underlying condition. I seem to remember reading somewhere that a lot of people get this bacteria--that it's pretty common. Whew!

 

[aaa]

Sorry to hear what's been going on.

Dry Vit. D3 means not a gel capsule. Can be a pill or a capsule that isn't a gel cap.

 

[southernlady]

The dry D3 most DSers take us the BioTech brand, 50000 iu. There is also a Nivegan 50000 brand that is an acceptable substitute for the BioTech. Both can be found on Amazon (and are listed in the store http://bariatricfacts.org/pages/store/

 

[writegirl]

@aaa and @southernlady thank you both for explaining. I noticed on several posts about nutrition on this board that folks with DS are recommending 100 iu (at the least) per day of Vitamin D--Is this because it's harder to absorb after the DS? Should I start those high levels pre-op?

 

[CaraOC]

@aaa and @southernlady thank you both for explaining. I noticed on several posts about nutrition on this board that folks with DS are recommending 100 iu (at the least) per day of Vitamin D--Is this because it's harder to absorb after the DS? Should I start those high levels pre-op?

I'm post op DS 8 months and I take the dry D3 50,000 TWICE a day. I think one has to titration to effect on all required supplements based on their individual lab works.

 

[writegirl]

@CaraOC Thank you. Congratulations on your own surgery. How are you feeling? As far as the labs, I suppose I'll learn more when I speak to my PCP tomorrow and learn the results. I imagine she prescribed the 50,000 D3 because I have deficiency. She may tell me to take it more than once a week (once a week is just what the pharmacist said). I am curious to see how this goes.

 

[southernlady]

@aaa and @southernlady thank you both for explaining. I noticed on several posts about nutrition on this board that folks with DS are recommending 100 iu (at the least) per day of Vitamin D--Is this because it's harder to absorb after the DS? Should I start those high levels pre-op?

Start pre-op with the Dry D3 5000 daily. For a normie, unless severely low, that should work.

After surgery tho, the minimum recommended is 50,000 a day. Some need 100,000 a day, some as much as 200,000. Personally I need 50,000 a day M-F and 100,000 a day on Sat & Sun.

Almost without fail, a DS'er needs what SEEMS to be an excessive amount of D3. But how can a dose be toxic IF your lab results show you are still in normal range?

Post-op labs will tell you what you need as you go forward and live this life. Some need B12, I don't YET need any B's at all. What I get in my multi is enough. I also don't YET need to supplement A or E. But I need 2 of the 1,000 IU BioTech Vitamin K.

 

[southernlady]

As far as the labs, I suppose I'll learn more when I speak to my PCP tomorrow and learn the results. I imagine she prescribed the 50,000 D3 because I have deficiency.

1) ALWAYS get a copy of your labs.
2) Learn to read your own labs or ask for help. A doctor only looks at what is too high or too low...and you may be trending down and still be in normal range.
3) The prescription based D is D2 and is OIL based. D3 is OTC and doctors can not prescribe it. The prescribtion is worthless post op cause you malabsorb oil and it ends up in the toilet and not doing your body a damned bit of good.

I was given the prescription of D2 back in 2007. One pill a week...(50,000). This was 4 years before my surgery. I was able to climb from 1 to 15 in 3 years. I stayed on it THREE YEARS. Then I found out about Dry D3...started taking the 50,000 a day from BioTech in October of 2010. When I had my surgery in Jan 2011, I had gotten it from an 18 to a 54. MUCH better results on the dry in three MONTHS than on the prescription for over THREE YEARS.

 

[Clematis]

Perhaps not clear in this thread is that the chubby gel-like pills of D are oil filled (as are the prescription ADEK supplements too often prescribed by doctors.) DS patients malabsorb oil meaning the D in oil will be malabsorbed. That's why we take dry, powdered D, as well as A, E and K.

We are all different. I do not need 50k of D a day -- 3x a week (and whatever I get in multi, calcium and food) keeps me high normal.

 

[southernlady]

We are all different. I do not need 50k of D a day -- 3x a week (and whatever I get in multi, calcium and food) keeps me high normal.

Okay, so you HAD to be a ZEBRA!