Bloodwork Update
Monitoring Iron and Vitamin D as an Active 53 yr Woman
A number of you have told me that you appreciated me sharing my experience with my nutritionist and discussing the bloodwork I had done. So I wanted to follow up with the results of the bloodwork I said I would have done in December.
In November I had my annual exam, during which I told my doctor I wanted to have bloodwork done for my ferritin and vitamin D. Ferritin to see if I was still in Rasa’s target range of 50-80, and vitamin D because Rasa told me my test in June was low.
My doctor also put in requests for other tests that she wants to get data from, so this is the bloodwork I had done last week:
The short summary is that my doctor said all the results were good, but I wanted to dive into a couple of them further.
I had hoped to regroup with Rasa, but the expenses I have incurred this year due to menopause (another story), including care for my pinched nerve (another story), have been unexpected, and a lot. So I need to lean on my doctor to help me navigate the results at this time.
Vitamin D
After my June bloodwork Rasa said “Typically we try to be above 50 for optimal, but maybe this is your normal”. To recap: when I started taking my Omega 3, it has 1000u Vitamin D, so I had adjusted for that and decreased my Thorne Vitamin D3 pills to 1 pill at 1000u, for a total of 2000u Vitamin D between the two pills. But after my June bloodwork, I added back the 2nd Thorne Vitamin D3 for a total of 3000u between all 4 pills I take daily (2 Thorne Vitamin D after breakfast, 2 Omega 3 with Vitamin D after lunch).
I was disappointed to see with my most recent bloodwork that my Vitamin D level is still in the 30’s (it went from 34 to 37 in 6 months). My doctors comments on the result were “Vitamin D is still on the lower end of normal so I would still take a supplement (D3 2000 IU) daily.”
I discussed previously how my Vitamin D levels have been low for years and I started taking supplements after moving to Minnesota. I also know from all the information I have gathered about menopause that Vitamin D is very important.
Vitamin D is essential for muscle function. Research shows that Low vitamin D status is very common in postmenopausal women, and that correcting vitamin D deficits in postmenopausal women can help boost their muscle mass.
Listen/Watch at minute 5:20: Nutritional Supplements for Active Menopausal Women with Katie Linville, MS, RDN
Heather Hirsch discusses Vitamin D: The Best Supplements and Vitamins for Menopause from a Menopause Expert Physician
Ferritin and Iron
If you have been following my journey with the MPT you know that I found out thanks to my nutritionist that I had low iron and have been specifically monitoring my Ferritin levels. The goal was to get between 50-80, which I achieved after many months of taking a supplement called Ferrasorb daily (2 capsules).
In June I sent my results to Rasa and she advised an adjustment to switch to taking two capsules every other day.
My December test showed my ferritin level over the target range, but still well in the acceptable range.
My doctor also ran other tests for iron and specifically the iron result was alarming to me because it got flagged as ‘high’, as was another result that I honestly don’t know what it tells (% saturation, calculated).
My doctor always sends comments in my chart on lab results and this is what she said:
Your ferritin is in a great range. The other iron studies are likely due to iron supplementation. If you are supplementing daily, decrease to every other day; if taking every other day, decrease to 2-3 times weekly.
Since I am already on the every other day regimen, I am moving to every third day right now. I asked my doctor if I should switch to 1 tablet, but she said:
Usually the 50-80 range is the "don't go below" range; a lot of people struggle to even be in that range. Anything above the 50-80 range and below the upper limit of normal is just fine; no downside to this.
We will check again when we next meet to make sure it is still in an appropriate range.
So I now feel OK with where my iron levels are at. And remember, it took me over two years to get to this point. I started taking Ferrasorb in August 2022.
Guidance
The above shows how important it is to work with your doctor on guidance. The results above were a bit alarming to me, but knowing my doctor is reading the results and evaluating based on my situation is extremely helpful. I wish I could afford to work with Rasa again to hear her opinion, but it is helpful to know from when we worked together what her targets were for me.
Am I Better?
As I have stated before, I always hope when I enter into a challenge (low iron, low vitamin D, MPT, or now a pinched nerve) that there is a quick fix. I have learned that patience, perseverance, and having a team to support you for the long-haul are all important. Our bodies are ever changing, which means constant monitoring and care.
Do I still fill fatigued? Much less! Do the Ferrasorb and Vitamin D supplements help? Absolutely!