Blood Test - Menifee,CA

Low Vitamin D and Selenium are not good for the reasons you note and should not be taken lightly. I don't want to scare you anymore so that is all that I will say about that.
Do what you can to get them up. I would suggest some time in the sun outside without sunscreen and also supplements. Brazilian Nuts are one of the highest selenium content you can find. You only need one actually and you will get more than enough. Selenium IS something that you can get too much of. I think it is 70 mcg that is suggested. Take vitamin b12 supplements too.

It's not really a problem until a doctor says it's a problem. Wait until you have your follow-up in 2 weeks and ask the doctor all your questions then, or call and ask them over the phone now.

Oh, and it's easy to become deficient in things, it happens to many people from time to time.

Stop stressing, relax and enjoy your summer.

Malia B is right. Because of what you eat or don't eat you are not getting the vitamin D in your foods. And if you don't get out in the sum much you are not going out in the sun enough. My dr said mine being low is probably adding to my head aches. I take supplements for it.

I recently heard a dr. say that its rare to see someone whos vitamin D is in the normal range. Its just so common these days to be deficient in vit D and its okay to be in at the low end of the normal range (with your white blood cells) b/c physicans still consider this normal. Good for you to be taking charge of your health!

Here's a couple possibilities on why your vitamin D is so low...

You already said you don't drink much milk.... milk is fortified with vitamin D.... We also get vitamin D from things like fish, and eggs...... you also don't eat much of the processed foods, which is where people do get a bunch of vitamins....

Our bodies also manufacture vitamin D using sunlight..... and doctors are seeing more vitamin D deficiencies because people use so much more sunblock! Kind of a "catch-22"...... use sunblock, don't manufacture as much vitamin D... don't use sunblock, and increase your risk of getting sunburn and ultimately skin cancer!

You are trying to eat more healthy, just may really need to look at where you get the different vitamins/minerals and focus on those foods.

Try not to stress about it... if it were really serious, the doctor would be calling you in much quicker.

Don't forget, that the most likely reason you are low is that the numbers for where you "should" be are based on a population-wide average, not your personal baseline. (I, for instance, have naturally very low sodium levels. My baseline is usually just below "average.") If your appointment is not for another two weeks, then the doctors are not worried that this is harming you. When my sodium levels got too low, even for me, the phone call with my test results included instructions to go to the ER; my doctor had already filled out my admitting paperwork. When my iron levels were low, the phone call included instructions on the proper supplements, but they weren't low enough for my doc to be concerned enough to schedule a follow-up test.

Not only that, but every average for a general population has a degree of error. Your vitamin D is 10% low, for example, but for some people, 20 nanograms/microliter is adequate, for some people, their baseline is closer to 50 n/l, and a count of 20 requires treatment. Your overall health will be taken into consideration with all of this. You might get some good advice on how to keep your levels up - long-term deficiencies can cause problems - but it doesn't sound like your doctor is particularly worried.

Keep in mind, too, that on the internet, you can find a million things wrong with you. There will ALWAYS be something awful to match whatever symptom you have, whether physical bothering you, or the result of a blood test. To paraphrase an old medical analogy, your blood test was like the sound of hoofbeats. The problem is, you are now looking for zebras, when the most likely issue is a horse. In other words, think simple, not exotic. I agree with your assessment - right now, your biggest problem is you stressing yourself out.

Let us know when you hear, though. Sending well-wishes your way!

No... Not something to freak out over.

Just change your diet a smidge.

From a medical standpoint, while minor/superficial deficiencies are generally no big deal (6000% below normal = things like organ failure, yours are 2% & 10%)... Minor deficiencies SOMETIMES create quirks in the longterm do need to be addressed, but can also just reflect a microcosmic period. Like no doc in their right mind orders chlorestrol testing right after holidays after days of feasting and desserts. Skews the results.

A couple minor deficiencies should be easily fixed with diet. If not, then you're looking at something else. But that's very rare.

Oh, on the 'rare' part of what you read online:

Depending on where you live, and your lufestyle, certain things are common or rare. No need to worry about rare, when it's an easy fix.

Just as an example: Iodine deficiencies in the US are rare EXCEPT in the kosher & health nut populations. Why? Because tablesalt is iodized. For kosher Jews, and those of us who used kosher salt/don't eat a lot of pre packaged food... Iodine deficiencies are common. (low iodine creates thyroid problems, btw). Not being kosher, I eat a lot of shellfish. So I get my iodine there. No worries. My Jewish friends eat 'medicinal' frenchfries from McDonald's. Easy fix for both of us.

Don't stress too much. For now, aside from taking the supplements you could start by going to nutritiondata.com to look up foods rich in the things you're deficient in.

When you see your Dr. make sure you understand what levels you as an individual should have and how he/she thinks you should get there, particularly if you want to avoid supplements. If needed see a nutritionalist to fine tune everything to your lifestyle.

I say it's worth spending some time now figuring out some basics about your what your body needs... at least until menopause or the next life-changing event hits and things shift again ;)

Good luck.

Hi Robyn-

I work for a testing laboratory as a Women's Health Specialist. There are a number of ways these tests can be run and reported: Some labs will just report a total D, others D2, D3 and total D. I have one of my reps in the Menifee, Murrieta and Temecula area. If you feel comfortable providing the physician's name (in PM) I might be able to decode it for you. I have my guess who you see.

You need to be concerned with the vitamin D and B12. Deficiency of vitamin D can CAUSE cancer. My rheumatologist put me on 1000 mgs of vitamin D per day. You need a full spectrum of vitamin B - did you know that? You never want to isolate one B vitamin, so make sure your multivitamin has the full B spectrum in it - don't just take B12 by itself.

I'm sorry, but you've been eating poorly. If I were you, and I really mean this, I'd get your doctor to send you to a dietician, preferable one who deals with vegetarians. You need to understand HOW to get what you need in real food. There's nothing wrong with the supplements, but you are missing the point in researching the ranges of your blood test results. You need to eat better.

Make this a priority and a mission, Robyn. Being willing to learn to eat what your body needs is an investment in your future. Getting enough Vitamin D TODAY can yield huge dividends by preventing cancer later on in your life. Working with your doctor to get your body back to healthy levels is going to help you live a lot longer. Just because you hadn't felt bad yet doesn't mean that you would have continued to feel fine, given time and damage to your system.

Good for your doctor for doing this blood work.

Dawn