I've been hit or miss with my supplementation since January and been feeling bad on and off since January. I actually deliberately stopped my supplements in Feb because I was feeling bad but then have never gone back totally on them.

I had bloodwork done earlier this month because of my leg pain that I mentioned in my Roll Call post.

B12 level was 966 with the normal range being 180-914. Can you have too high of a B12? It seems odd with the symptoms I've been having that my B12 is that way. I *may* have taken a sublingual B12 that morning but I may not have. I don't honestly remember. (And yes it would have been really stupid to take one right before going to have my B12 level tested but this summer has been so crazy busy that my brain is on overload.)

Calcium level was 9.4 with the normal range being 8.6-10.2. A couple of years ago I had some funny leg pain and my doc suggested taking calcium and that fixed it up. And I haven't been taking my calcium very regularly even though I don't consume a lot of dairy products (have been eating a lot of greens, though). So I don't know if I should be taking calcium now or not.

Feeling very frustrated with the whole thing because the gluten free diet was supposed to be my cure all. I'm supposed to feel a ton better than I did 2 years ago and really I don't seem to. (Though I am thrilled not to be having the big D anymore.)

I'm looking for some awesome earth shattering insights here, but I'd settle for some small insights.

Lovely to have a place to "see" everyone again!

Editing to add that I forgot the cortisol part. I asked for my cortisol to be tested because from what I read on the internet, that would explain my reaction to the Armour thyroid (as mentioned in the Roll Call thread. Cortisol level was 23.5 with a normal scale of 5-25.

Rachel

I would strongly urge you to consider using some digestive enzymes. I have severe nutritional deficiencies which I have been getting treated for. I discovered recently that my pancreas may have been effected by the deficiencies.

I found supplementing enzymes has made a difference. Now, some people can find that using specific enzymes will allow them to eat foods that are allergic or sensitive, but not everyone has that experience. But all the same you should consider using them because as we age our pancreas does not produce the level that it did when we were younger.

You said your calcium levels were high even though you don't eat diary. First blood calcium levels, I think, may be more about your parathyroid hormone functioning properly, then it may have to do with your diet. Honestly, if your calcium levels were low your doctor would take that very seriously. Do not view especially calcium blood levels as any indication of your nutritional profile.

Usually with some food allergies or sensitivies there are problems with absorbtion. This can effect your nutritional status.

Your body can make the most of that calcium in plant foods if you give it the proper enzymes to make sure that oxalic acid doesn't interfere with the absorption.

Actually the idea that just eliminating those foods will cause you to feel much better is not exactly honest info, I think. Any adult with a chronic problem like food sensitivities may have other issues like nutritional problems or other digestive concerns. Are you sure your GI tract has healed completely? Are you supplementing those nutrients that are known to be associated with allergies?

One thing you can try on your own to get an idea about your nutritional status is to buy some Zinc Status. This product tells you your zinc status or if you have a zinc deficiency immediately. I use orthomolecular for my deficiencies. According to ortho, you would likely be the type low in zinc and high in copper. Copper is a heavy metal and can be stored in the body to levels that will impact on your health. But being low in zinc may cause your body to store other heavy metals too. Zinc is needed for MT (metallothionein) to get heavy metals into your bloodstream and then your kidneys to be excreted. This is not what you want.

Ortho says that people with low histamine levels usually are the ones to have food issues. (I have pyroluria and low histamine levels) Histamine is something your doctor can check for you, but won't be able to help you correct though. Ortho helps balance histamine levels with nutritional supplements.

I am clueless on the whole cortisol thing, but I think maybe Judy and others may have some input.

I've been in the supplement limbo situation at times.

For a time, I was beginning to feel like I wanted to upchuck anytime I took my vitamins...and decided that maybe I was getting too much of something and laid off.

Well, I have to say I have learned one thing. I can not lay off my B12. I know my B12 level is high...last tested many years ago at about 1000, but anytime I have cut back I begin having B12 deficiency like symptoms in a matter of days to a week. I know that my level doesn't drop that quickly, but I need the daily intake.

Still, I have trouble staying on the wagon of my other supplements, and over time, I do start feeling less well. Most recently, I was again having regular chest pains (something reminescent of my B12 def days). I added back B6 (that has some magnesium with)...and tried to remember my multi...and the chest pain is gone. I had been having it for almost a month...finally started remembering to take more of my vitamins...and now it has been gone since.

So...two things. One is knowing what we really need...and two is keeping up with it. I struggle on both counts. My current doctor hasn't done any blood testing for anything (well, TSH and T4)...although I haven't had any major complaints...and in a way...it has felt good to be well enough to just exist without medical intervention.

In a perfect world, I'd see an integrative/orthomolecular type doc who would do the appropriate nutritional testing~ but I lack the motivation at this point to pursue it. If you are really feeling slumpy, I'd find that doctor who is willing to scrutinize what you may be missing...too high or too low in. (I don't think B12 is something you can be too high in...not from anything I've ever read.)

Hope you can figure things out~

I think the digestive enzymes is probably a very good tip from orthomolecular. How many times have I said I was going to try that for myself and my daughter, and haven't???? I've heard from many who have had good results with digestive enzymes.

Cara

Rachel,

I do know that Armour thyroid has both T4 and T3 (the biologically active form of the thyroid hormone). Many people do just fine on a T4 replacement only but others have a hard time converting T4 to T3 and need to supplement with a small amount of T3. I really need this as my T3 levels are low but my body can not handle much because my adrenals are stressed. Usually stressed adrenals are reflected as low cortisol but I have read that cortisol levels elevate before a total crash. I know cortisol levels vary throughout the day. Weak adrenals might have been the reason you could not handle Armour thyroid. My holistic doctor is very good at sorting all of this out and he has put together a chart on his website so one can try to determine if their symptoms are due to weak adrenals or low thyroid. Here is a link to the chart http://www.drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp

Hope some of this helps.

--Judy

Hi there Orthomolecular,

I used to take enzymes, I should start again.

Interesting you should mention parathyroid. I was just reading about that recently. That's on my list of things to talk to my new doc about.

Very cool! I had never heard of this. I've got it on my shopping list now.

I had never heard of orthomolecular medicine until your post, so thanks for the info. I'm still researching it and seeing if I can find a practitioner in my area.

Thanks!

Rachel

Hi Cara,

Thanks! I feel better hearing this.

Yes, I agree. It's hard. I've thought about doing nutritional testing to see if I can find my deficiencies, but as you know sometimes as a mom it's hard to find time to do these things. We'll see how my new doc is and go from there.

Rachel

Hi Judy,

That chart is fascinating. I have stuff on both side, but I see my son on the weak adrenal side. Wihich could make sense if you consider his extremely premature birth and 5 months in the NICU--however that was 9 years ago. How do they treat weak adrenals? And is there any way to test it other than blood tests? (Poor guy just hates needles!)

I'll bring the whole adrenal thing up to my new doc when I see her next month.

Thank you!

Rachel

My physician had me do a saliva test for adrenal fatigue. http://www.diagnostechs.com/main.htm

Hmmmm - they use to have a thyroid spit test but I don't see that on the current webpage.

Anne

Thanks, Anne! Saliva is something I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to get from Colin!!

Rachel

I had a brand of multi-vitamins that did that to me too. I'd feel nauseous every time I took them. I think it might have been magnesium, but I've taken stronger magnesium since and felt just fine.