This year's annual labs

[DianaCox]

First, a confession - I forgot to stop taking my vitamins yesterday. I didn't take them this morning, but my results might be higher than the "true" values. Yesterday, I took my prenatal (in the morning), two D3s, as well as both doses of my calcium, zinc and MgCit. My K1 should be OK.

This year, for some reason, the same tests totaled 18 tubes (instead of 14 or 15), and FIVE of them were foil-wrapped. I don't know why, but that's OK with me.

I'm expecting everything will be fine - let's see if I'm right (next month I will be 12 years out).

 

[southernlady]

I hope you get a good report.

I get my next set in August. I have mine pulled every 6 months still.

 

[DBmom23]

would you list out what supplements you take this far out just out of curiosity? i know everyone has to individualize, but it's still interesting to see how your list compares to a newbies list from vitalady.

 

[aaa]

Vitamin A, B, C, E, K1 draws are generally protected from the light. Often a lipid draw, too. There's not one standard used by labs all over the county as far as I know.

(I just had my 6 mos. done yesterday.)

 

[DianaCox]

My current regimen:

AM:
2 regular Citricals (630 mg elemental calcium as citrate)
1 250 mg MgCit capsule (from Vitalady)
1 50 mg zinc
1 Prenavite (prenatal multivitamin)
1 500 mg vitamin C
1 Primal Defense Ultra
MWF: 1 50K IU dry D3 (Vitalady)
SuTuThSa: 1 each K1 and K2 (Vitalady)
1 40 mg Protonix
1 5 mg Adderall XR

PM:
2 regular Citricals (630 mg elemental calcium as citrate)
1 250 mg MgCit capsule (from Vitalady)
1 50 mg zinc
1 500 mg vitamin C
1 Culturelle
1 50K IU dry D3 (Vitalady)
Edited to add (because I forgot):
1 40 mg Protonix
1 136 ug Levoxyl
1 5 mg Melatonin

And I get iron infusions as needed.

 

[newanatomy]

I am waiting on results for my 18 month draw.

 

[DianaCox]

And the first set of labs are in.

But first, let me say (with a combo of pleasure and a smidge of annoyance) that my husband's much more limited labs came back right away yesterday, and with one teensy exception (his HDL cholesterol was 38 with a target of at least 40 - but look at his TOTAL cholesterol - it was 125!), despite his refusal to allow me to help him with my oh-so-helpful advice about how to eat better, etc., between really and truly finally quitting smoking, quitting drinking altogether, taking vitamins (some of the time), losing weight, and cutting back on some of the sugar he was eating, his labs were ridiculously good. With a family history of T2D and multiple slightly high readings over the last 17 years, his fasting blood sugar was 96. All his liver enzymes are normal, his cholesterol was 125 and his TGs were 90 (!! - maybe it's time to drop the statin? his TGs when I met him were over 600 and his cholesterol was 350 or something like that). In fact, Charles was just approved (at age 63) for life insurance. Go Charles!

OK, now back to ME - not a smidge of anything out of range - 12 years out and rocksteady:

Vit D3: 81 (last year it was 88 - I'm taking the same amount - 10 pills/week - as last year - if it drops again next year, I will up my dosage again)

Lipids:
Cholesterol <200 mg/dL 156
Triglycerides <150 mg/dL 111
HDL Cholesterol >40 mg/dL 57
LDL Cholesterol <130 mg/dL 77
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio <5.0 2.7

PTH, Intact 10 - 70 pg/mL 41

TSH 0.34 - 4.82 uIU/mL 1.06

CRP-ULTRAQUANT <3.0 mg/L 0.7

Vitamin B12 211 - 911 pg/mL 757 (@OldBroad - again, the only B12 I take is 8 mcg/day in my Prenavite - maybe you could ditch yours altogether?)

Folate 1.1 - 20.0 ng/mL 15.6

CBC results (everything normal):
WBC 4.0 - 11.0 K/uL 7.8
RBC 3.90 - 5.40 M/uL 4.15
Hemoglobin 12.0 - 15.5 g/dL 12.9
Hematocrit 35.0 - 47.0 % 41.1
MCV 80 - 100 fL 99
MCH 27.0 - 33.0 pg 31.1
MCHC 31.0 - 36.0 g/dL 31.4
RDW <16.4 % 12.5
Platelet Count 150 - 400 K/uL 233
Differential Type Automated
Neutrophil % 49.0 - 74.0 % 63
Lymphocyte % 26.0 - 46.0 % 28
Monocyte % 2.0 - 12.0 % 6
Eosinophil % 0.0 - 5.0 % 2
Basophil % 0.0 - 2.0 % 1
Abs Neutrophil 2.0 - 8.0 K/uL 4.9
Abs Lymphocyte 1.0 - 5.1 K/uL 2.2
Abs Monocyte 0.0 - 0.8 K/uL 0.5
Abs Eosinophil 0.0 - 0.5 K/uL 0.2
Abs Basophil 0.0 - 0.2 K/uL 0.1

Iron 35 - 150 ug/dL 113
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) 250 - 450 ug/dL 273
Iron % Saturation 15 - 50 % 41

Magnesium 1.8 - 2.4 mg/dL 2.0

Phosphorus 2.5 - 4.9 mg/dL 3.2

 

[DianaCox]

And a few more came in late - and apparently, I boasted too soon:

Ferritin 3 - 293 ng/mL 296 H (I can live with that - I had infusions in January or February, and it was higher than that, so it's coming down as expected)

CERULOPLASMIN 20 - 60 mg/dL 17.0 L Ruh roh - it looks like I'm going to have to add copper for the first time.
FYI - my past labs for this marker - you can see I've been in the just barely OK range for a while, so this isn't a huge surprise:
7/19/11 7/6/12 7/16/13 7/18/14 7/9/15
23.4 28.2 25.1 22.3 17.0 L
Sodium 136 - 145 mmol/L 141
Potassium 3.5 - 5.1 mmol/L 4.3
Chloride 98 - 110 mmol/L 106
CO2 (Bicarbonate) 21 - 32 mmol/L 25
Glucose 70 - 99 mg/dL 88
Urea Nitrogen (BUN) 6 - 25 mg/dL 13
Creatinine 0.40 - 1.00 mg/dL 0.45
GFR Est-Other >60 See Cmnt 108
GFR Est-African American >60 See Cmnt 125
Calcium 8.2 - 10.2 mg/dL 9.6
Total Protein 6.4 - 8.2 g/dL 6.3 L
Albumin 3.2 - 4.7 g/dL 3.7
Bilirubin Total <1.1 mg/dL 0.9
Alkaline Phosphatase 26 - 137 U/L 110
AST 0 - 37 U/L 35
ALT 0 - 60 U/L 75 H

So, my protein is a little low - I may not be being diligent enough about it lately. They caught me.

My ALT has been a little high from time to time - but slight elevation is not considered to be terribly significant ("Unlike the biochemical values in general, serum AST and ALT levels do not follow a normal bell-shaped statistical distribution in the population. In the case of the typical bell-shaped statistical distribution, normal is defined as the mean of the distribution ± 2 standard deviations (SDs). Going by this definition, 2.5% of normal individuals will have values above the normal range. As the curve (for serum AST and ALT levels) is generally skewed, this results in more normal individuals stumbling into the 'slightly above normal' range.")

And, I need to go get copper to add to my regimen (how much? anyone taking it? recommendations?) and do a little better on my protein consumption. Maybe it's time I bought myself some of that Unjury chicken soup flavored protein drink?

Trying to remember what other labs I'm waiting for - Vit A, Vit K, thiamine (B1), niacin/niacinamide (B3), pyroxidine (B6), biotin (B7), zinc - probably a couple of others I can't recall.

 

[southernlady]

And if you raise your D, your PTH just might go down. Which helps your bones.

My last D was 115, my PTH was all of 15.

 

[newanatomy]

I take 2 mg of chelated copper. It is taken with your iron and C.

 

[aaa]

Your BUN is good. I'm always dry. I'm sure I will be this time, too.

I take Vit. Shoppe brand copper.

 

[DianaCox]

Your BUN is good. I'm always dry. I'm sure I will be this time, too.

I take Vit. Shoppe brand copper.

I don't know what that means - that you're always "dry." Meaning dehydrated?
How much copper should one start out with? Should it be taken away from certain things, like zinc (which would be annoying, because I take zinc with both of my doses of supplements each day)?

 

[DSRIGGS]

I started taking copper when I found I was anemic from being severely malnourished, but I haven't taken it for a while because I want my zinc up solidly in range before worry about the copper which wasn't that low.

Regarding my labs I am a little pissed this morning. I sent a message to my GP through the website on Tuesday and asked for my CMP, CBC, A, D, E, K, Zinc, Copper and Lipids.....and this morning I get up after freaking fasting and make special trip to the hospital for my labs. I get checked in and go back to the room and noticed only 3 or 4 vials so I say to lady that doesn't look live nearly enough tubes. She says that my Dr ordered CBC, CMP Lipid and B......who the fuck cares about B when my B is always above range without taking any? How the hell do you miss the other important labs that I have been getting drawn every month (skipped last month due to travel) for the last 7 months? So I fasted, made a special trip, and gave up my lounging on a Saturday morning for freaking nothing.....and now I have to waste another morning/be late to work another day this coming week all because some freaking incompetent can't follow simple freaking instructions.

 

[DianaCox]

If it helps a little, I don't think you have to be fasted for the ones you missed.
I would have had the lab CALL the GP while I was standing there, and get the other labs ordered. Of course, I also CALL the lab before I leave the house to make sure they have all the orders I asked my PCP to put in. I'm anal that way - and I HATE taking the time to drive up to my doctor's office in Palo Alto any more often than I have to.

 

[DSRIGGS]

If it helps a little, I don't think you have to be fasted for the ones you missed.
I would have had the lab CALL the GP while I was standing there, and get the other labs ordered. Of course, I also CALL the lab before I leave the house to make sure they have all the orders I asked my PCP to put in. I'm anal that way - and I HATE taking the time to drive up to my doctor's office in Palo Alto any more often than I have to.

Saturday morning, the GP (who I really like by the way) wasn't going to be reachable to put the order in,

I called yesterday to the hospital to make sure they had the order,,,,,,,i just didn't think my Dr's staff would fuck up the order when I actually typed out exactly what I needed.

They give me crap if I don't fast, and I was having lipids checked so I fasted. I could have had some of them drawn, but I saw no need to be stuck twice.

Oh well...life goes on.