Finally got my lab results back...

ladipoet

Hello fellow ketofiles!

I finally got my lab results back (this will be a lengthy post because I'm posting my results here so consider yourselves forewarned):

CHOLESTEROL, TOTAL 216 mg/dL H 125-200 (was 175 in Nov. 2014)

HDL CHOLESTEROL 44 mg/dL L > OR = 46 (was 31 in Nov. 2014)

TRIGLYCERIDES 76 mg/dL <150 (was 132 in Nov. 2014)

LDL-CHOLESTEROL 157 mg/dL (calc) H <130 (was 118 in Nov. 2014)

CHOL/HDLC RATIO 4.9 (calc) < OR = 5.0 (was 5.6 in Nov. 2014)

NON HDL CHOLESTEROL 172 mg/dL (calc) H (was 144 in Nov. 2014)

GLUCOSE 79 mg/dL 65-99 (was 85 in Nov. 2014)

UREA NITROGEN (BUN) 7 mg/dL 7-25 (was 10 in Nov. 2014)

CREATININE 0.65 mg/dL 0.50-1.10 (was 0.75 in Nov. 2014)

eGFR NON-AFR. AMERICAN 111 mL/min/1.73m2 > OR = 60 (was 100 in Nov. 2014)

eGFR AFRICAN AMERICAN 129 mL/min/1.73m2 > OR = 60 (was 116 in Nov. 2014)

SODIUM 141 mmol/L 135-146 Result (was 139 in Nov. 2014)

POTASSIUM 4.0 mmol/L 3.5-5.3 (was 4.2 in Nov. 2014)

CHLORIDE 103 mmol/L 98-110 (was 102 in Nov. 2014)

CARBON DIOXIDE 25 mmol/L 19-30 (no change)

CALCIUM 9.0 mg/dL 8.6-10.2 (no change)

PROTEIN, TOTAL 6.7 g/dL 6.1-8.1 (was 9.1 in Nov. 2014)

ALBUMIN 4.0 g/dL 3.6-5.1 (was 4.1 in Nov. 2014)

GLOBULIN 2.7 g/dL (calc) 1.9-3.7 (was 3 in Nov. 2014)

ALBUMIN/GLOBULIN RATIO 1.5 (calc) 1.0-2.5 (was 1.4 in Nov. 2014)

BILIRUBIN, TOTAL 0.5 mg/dL 0.2-1.2 (no change)

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 65 U/L 33-115 (was 52 in Nov. 2014)

AST 15 U/L 10-30 (was 16 in Nov. 2014)

ALT 20 U/L 6-29 (was 26 in Nov. 2014)

KETONES 3+ A NEGATIVE (was 1+ in Nov. 2014)

WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT 6.5 Thousand/uL 3.8-10.8 (was 8.8 in Nov. 2014)

RED BLOOD CELL COUNT 4.41 Million/uL 3.80-5.10 (was 4.76 in Nov. 2014)

HEMOGLOBIN 13.4 g/dL 11.7-15.5 (was 14.3 in Nov. 2014)

HEMATOCRIT 40.5 % 35.0-45.0 (was 43.9 in Nov. 2014)

MCV 91.9 fL 80.0-100.0 (was 92.2 in Nov. 2014)

MCH 30.3 pg 27.0-33.0 (was 30 in Nov. 2014)

MCHC 33.0 g/dL 32.0-36.0 (was 32.5 in Nov. 2014)

RDW 14.3 % 11.0-15.0 (was 12.7 in Nov. 2014)

PLATELET COUNT 149 Thousand/uL 140-400 (was 182 in Nov. 2014)

MPV 10.9 fL 7.5-11.5 (was 11.3 in Nov. 2014)

ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHILS 3081 cells/uL 1500-7800 (was 5218 in Nov. 2014)

ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTES 2730 cells/uL 850-3900 (was 2464 in Nov. 2014)

ABSOLUTE MONOCYTES 423 cells/uL 200-950 (was 581 in Nov. 2014)

ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHILS 254 cells/uL 15-500 (was 510 in Nov. 2014)

ABSOLUTE BASOPHILS 13 cells/uL 0-200 (was 26 in Nov. 2014)

NEUTROPHILS 47.4 % (was 59.3 in Nov. 2014)

LYMPHOCYTES 42.0 % (was 28 in Nov. 2014)

MONOCYTES 6.5 % (was 6.6 in Nov. 2014)

EOSINOPHILS 3.9 % (was 5.8 in Nov. 2014)

BASOPHILS 0.2 % (was 0.3 in Nov. 2014)

FOLATE, RBC 939 ng/mL RBC >280 (was 6.3 in Nov. 2014 but the # from the 2014 report appears to be a different type of unit which wasn't specified)

TSH 2.93 mIU/L (was 1.90 in Nov. 2014)

VITAMIN D,25-OH,TOTAL,IA 64 ng/mL 30-100 (was 50 in Nov. 2014)
Vitamin D Status 25-OH Vitamin

Deficiency: <20 ng/mL
Insufficiency: 20 - 29 ng/mL
Optimal: > or = 30 ng/mL

HEMOGLOBIN A1c 5.2 % of total Hgb <5.7 (was 5.8 in Nov. 2014)

MAGNESIUM, RBC 5.3 mg/dL 4.0-6.4 (wasn't checked in 2014)

ZINC 97 mcg/dL 60-130 (wasn't checked in 2014)

My doctor was very happy with test results, with the exception of the LDL numbers. I told her that she should not worry about the LDL and due to the fact that she told me that she was worried I knew that meant that she hadn't read the copy of Phinney & Volek's book which I've given her back in April 2015. She was embarrassed to be caught out like that by me. I don't think Doctors like it when their patients know what they're talking about more than the doctor does! She did, however, promise to read Chapter 8 (the one on Cholesterol). lol

So, my doctor was also unable (or unwilling) to give me any recommendations as to how much Magnesium and Potassium I should be taking which is why I'm posting the results publicly here. I have been having issued with cramps in my feet and calves nearly every morning. Currently, I am taking 1 potassium capsule (Full Spectrum Vitamin K2 - it contains 500mcg of Vit K2 MK-4 & 100 mcg of Vit K2 MK-7) in the morning. I usually struggle to get 2500mg of potassium on a daily basis. I usually tend to fall more into the 2000-2300 range. This number includes the capsule that I take.

Re Magnesium: currently I'm taking two 200mg tabs of Magnesium Glycinate (so a total of 400mg) at night before I go to bed.

I would like advice and/or suggestions on how much you think I should increase my Magnesium and Potassium intake in order to make the leg/foot cramps go away. Not sure if this information is relevant but even though I do drink a lot of water every day I don't generally track that info on MFP. I aim for 8 glasses day.

wabmester

Looks good!

I'm a huge fan of Phinney and Volek, but I'm not sure I would fully trust their take on LDL. High LDL is a risk factor, and it's not just epidemiological -- the mechanism is known. Yours isn't high enough to worry about, but your doc can order a VAP or NMR if she wants to dig into it.

Blood tests of potassium and magnesium don't tell you much, because most is in your cells, not in your blood.

If you're already supplementing, I would start thinking about other causes of your cramps.

KnitOrMiss

Most of my results are pretty similar to yours. I have my appointment tomorrow so will check back with interpretation. One thing you might do is try not taking the potassium for a few days. While my Magnesium was low, taking potassium supplements (I was using lite salt) actually made me dump the magnesium, and so I was having more cramps. I'd try dropping the potassium for a week as long as they don't get worse. If that doesn't help, go back to both a week, then try dropping the magnesium a week. Our bodies do weird things.

Your supplement levels sound good, but remember, USDA food labeling does not require potassium to be tracked, so you may be getting way more than you think you are because labels are not consistent....

Also, make sure you're getting a good amount of salt. Your body regulates it, so your bloodwork likely wouldn't show it, so add some salt, too if you're under 3000-4000 mg daily. And 8 cups of water isn't that much, depending on your weight. So try adding or dropping a glass of water here or there to see if you need more or less...

Also, time your supplements with a meal for best absorption. I try to take my mag right after dinner... So many factors!

KnitOrMiss

Oh, and considering your history of neuropathy, I didn't see B12 on your list....did I miss it? A good B-Complex can have a lot to do with nerve/muscle discomfort, too...

KETOGENICGURL

Calling out your MD for old/dated info seems typical. Good for you!

I'm a firm believer in liquid Mg over pills that may pass thru the system too quickly to be absorbed enough. Epson salt warm water foot baths at night may be an added, cheaper option, I use Mg gel liberally on my skin all over every morning, and have NO issues with severe foot/calf/thigh cramps as I did before.

My nephrologist jerked me off of a perfect BP med (118/60) - Lisinopril- which protects my sole kidney...and put me on a calcium channel blocker (lets my BP get to 160/72!!) over ONE 'high' Potassium/Phosphorous reading… INSTEAD of actually talking to me, to learn I had altered my diet and was getting too much of both via diet --only during the last 2 months... which CAN be CHANGED easily by changing certain foods & meat!

The standard for top-of-scale Potassium seems to be 5.3 everywhere but the VA which has it at 4.8… so by your results my "5.0" reading wasn't over the mark after all. So I had to argue for testing one thing at a time..like let me alter my nutrition first before giving up a great med!! the concept of trying DIET before adding prescription meds is alien to most conventionally trained doctors.

KarlaYP

Some doctors feel threatened by informed patients! I think they need to get used to it myself. There aren't many who would be able to advise you on supplementation with magnesium, and potassium. I've had to wade into those waters for myself too. I couldn't fully shake the leg cramps. Now, I supplement 400mg of magnesium, 99mg potassium, and make sure to eat pork rinds daily. If I miss one of these, I will have cramps that night. I have ordered me some salt tablets since I'm not always hungry enough to eat.

ladipoet

wabmester wrote: »

Looks good!

I'm a huge fan of Phinney and Volek, but I'm not sure I would fully trust their take on LDL. High LDL is a risk factor, and it's not just epidemiological -- the mechanism is known. Yours isn't high enough to worry about, but your doc can order a VAP or NMR if she wants to dig into it.

Blood tests of potassium and magnesium don't tell you much, because most is in your cells, not in your blood.

If you're already supplementing, I would start thinking about other causes of your cramps.

I told my doc that I would just start using fats which have more MUFA's & PUFA's as opposed to mostly straight up saturated fats and that should help the LDL issue. I did ask the doc to order a test to check the particle size of the LDL but (1) it's not covered by the insurance; and (2) she doesn't actually have the option to ask for that test because they don't offer it to her.

ladipoet

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

One thing you might do is try not taking the potassium for a few days. While my Magnesium was low, taking potassium supplements (I was using lite salt) actually made me dump the magnesium, and so I was having more cramps. I'd try dropping the potassium for a week as long as they don't get worse. If that doesn't help, go back to both a week, then try dropping the magnesium a week. Our bodies do weird things.

Your supplement levels sound good, but remember, USDA food labeling does not require potassium to be tracked, so you may be getting way more than you think you are because labels are not consistent....

Also, make sure you're getting a good amount of salt. Your body regulates it, so your bloodwork likely wouldn't show it, so add some salt, too if you're under 3000-4000 mg daily. And 8 cups of water isn't that much, depending on your weight. So try adding or dropping a glass of water here or there to see if you need more or less...

Also, time your supplements with a meal for best absorption. I try to take my mag right after dinner... So many factors!

Hmm, interesting. I've literally only been taking the Potassium supplement for sightly over 2 weeks now since just before the blood work tests were done so not long at all. I take that one in the morning. I always take all of my supplements immediately after I've eaten, so yes, I take them with food for best absorption too.

I have no idea how to get that much sodium on a daily basis!! I wasn't a big salter of food before I switched to this WOE (the only things I used to salt were hard-boiled eggs and hash brows and that was it!) and as I said above, it's difficult for me to get 2500 mg a day - and I usually fall short of that!!

ladipoet

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Oh, and considering your history of neuropathy, I didn't see B12 on your list....did I miss it? A good B-Complex can have a lot to do with nerve/muscle discomfort, too...

I do take two B complex vitamin caps every day - one in the morning and one in the evening. My apologies, I did not detail the full list if what I take. Here is it:

4 caps cinnamon
6 caps biotin 1000 mcg
1 cap liquid aminos
2 caps B complex vitamins
4 caps MSM 1000 mg
2 caps Chromium Picolinate 200 mcg
4 tabs Vitamin D3 1000i.u.
4 caps Acetyl L Carnitine
1 teaspoon Lemon flavored Cod Liver Oil
2 tabs Magnesium 200 mg
1 tab Zinc 50 mg
1 cap Full Spectrum Vitamin K2

ladipoet

KETOGENICGURL wrote: »

Calling out your MD for old/dated info seems typical. Good for you!

I'm a firm believer in liquid Mg over pills that may pass thru the system too quickly to be absorbed enough. Epson salt warm water foot baths at night may be an added, cheaper option, I use Mg gel liberally on my skin all over every morning, and have NO issues with severe foot/calf/thigh cramps as I did before.

My nephrologist jerked me off of a perfect BP med (118/60) - Lisinopril- which protects my sole kidney...and put me on a calcium channel blocker (lets my BP get to 160/72!!) over ONE 'high' Potassium/Phosphorous reading… INSTEAD of actually talking to me, to learn I had altered my diet and was getting too much of both via diet --only during the last 2 months... which CAN be CHANGED easily by changing certain foods & meat!

The standard for top-of-scale Potassium seems to be 5.3 everywhere but the VA which has it at 4.8… so by your results my "5.0" reading wasn't over the mark after all. So I had to argue for testing one thing at a time..like let me alter my nutrition first before giving up a great med!! the concept of trying DIET before adding prescription meds is alien to most conventionally trained doctors.

Thanks. I've been looking for the liquid MG locally but I haven't been able to find any. Where do you get yours and is there a specific brand that is better than others or not really? I've heard/read about Epson salt foot baths but I just simply do not have the extra time available to incorporate them into a daily schedule. I work one full time job during the week, one part-time job during the week-ends and am currently undergoing a six-day a week medical treatment (non life-threatening) so I'm really not exaggerating about not having time to spare. I did request the "best" test for magnesium which the doctor had never heard of before and didn't have available for her to choose from anyway, but she did have the 2nd best test for magnesium available so that's the one we had done. It was NOT the standard serum test.

ladipoet

Karlottap wrote: »

Some doctors feel threatened by informed patients! I think they need to get used to it myself. There aren't many who would be able to advise you on supplementation with magnesium, and potassium. I've had to wade into those waters for myself too. I couldn't fully shake the leg cramps. Now, I supplement 400mg of magnesium, 99mg potassium, and make sure to eat pork rinds daily. If I miss one of these, I will have cramps that night. I have ordered me some salt tablets since I'm not always hungry enough to eat.

Huh. Interesting how different people's bodies respond differently to similar situations! I'm thinking salt tablets may be the way to go too.

ogmomma2012

If you are struggling with Potassium, you can always use Morton's Lite Salt which has potassium chloride and should really help increase your Potassium.

ladipoet

ogmomma2012 wrote: »

If you are struggling with Potassium, you can always use Morton's Lite Salt which has potassium chloride and should really help increase your Potassium.

I made up a HUGE batch of a seasoning recipe late last year called "Beautiful World Seasoning" which has salt and granulated kelp seaweed in it (seaweed is high is potassium too) and I season just about everything I eat with BWS unless I'm eating something sweet. I have already decided that in the next batch I make, I will be subbing out the salt for the Lite Salt for this very reason. But thank you for the suggestion.

And thanks to everyone for their thoughtful comments. I will just keep trying different things until I find a combination that works.

KarlaYP

@ladipoet, the sentiment of finding what works for you is the universal theme of every aspect of this woe. It's awesome to have the knowledge, and experiences, of others to draw from though!

Foamroller

I used to wake up with severe cramping during nights or whenever abrupt movements. I now take magnesium liberally. Very seldom cramping anymore. I think you may take too little mag, based on your OP. I take mag morning and evening and sometimes mid day, if trained hard. Ty for sharing the lab work

carlsoda

Glad I read this post - you reminded me I need to order my liquid magnesium! Here's where I get mine: http://nutrikey.net/products/magnesium-liquid-16-oz

I take 1 tsp every night and I've never had any issues with foot/leg cramps and I sleep great!

ladipoet

carlsoda wrote: »

Glad I read this post - you reminded me I need to order my liquid magnesium! Here's where I get mine: http://nutrikey.net/products/magnesium-liquid-16-oz

I take 1 tsp every night and I've never had any issues with foot/leg cramps and I sleep great!

Thank for the link. Will definitely check it out!!

ladipoet

Karlottap wrote: »

@ladipoet, the sentiment of finding what works for you is the universal theme of every aspect of this woe. It's awesome to have the knowledge, and experiences, of others to draw from though!

Yes, I agree! The people in this group tend to be very knowledgeable and very generous with their time in sharing what they know with others!!

ladipoet

Foamroller wrote: »

I used to wake up with severe cramping during nights or whenever abrupt movements. I now take magnesium liberally. Very seldom cramping anymore. I think you may take too little mag, based on your OP. I take mag morning and evening and sometimes mid day, if trained hard. Ty for sharing the lab work

I did ask my doctor specifically for her thoughts on how much magnesium and potassium I should be taking and she refused to give me any guidance. She explained why to me so I understand why she refused but (and excuse my abbreviated french) WTF??!! Isn't that part of what you're supposed to go to a doctor for? She suggest that I talk to a homeopathic doctor. Ok, Whatever.

KarlaYP

Most doctors don't know about supplements and choose not to educate themselves either! If theres not a drug rep pushing their poison, they don't take the time to learn anymore. They just don't like to say that they don't know. The "God complex" is very strong in some of these physicians!!

phxteach

My naturopath recommended this brand of magnesium, two capfuls (.75 tsp) a day. I notice it - a lot- when I do not take it. It is a formulation that does not give you diarrhea. http://mineralifeonline.com/magnesium-8oz/

Teneko

Just got my lab results back a couple days ago, too, and I am quite devastated at my terrible cholesterol levels.
There's a lot of things off in my labs that are pointing to poor absorption, too, so I guess I'll have to have that looked into. For example, in spite of taking B vitamins and multivitamins, I have some signs of B12 deficiency.

I guess I'll have to cut back on all that heavy cream and cheese, and start swapping in more olive and macadamia nut oil...

-T.

camtosh

Foamroller wrote: »

I used to wake up with severe cramping during nights or whenever abrupt movements. I now take magnesium liberally. Very seldom cramping anymore. I think you may take too little mag, based on your OP. I take mag morning and evening and sometimes mid day, if trained hard. Ty for sharing the lab work

I heard an online symposium doc say that her method for deciding how much magnesium to take is to add a pill every day until your dose gives you looser bowels then back off to the one-less pill amount. I haven't tried that yet... but I did buy magnesium oil from iherb.com and made a spray of distilled water with magnesium oil to use at night after my bath. It seems to help prevent leg cramping, though not sure if I have the right amount. No loose bowels yet...

leighn62

This has helped my night time leg cramps immensely. A good heaping teaspoon in some warm water before I go to bed. Tastes good. No carbs. I can sleep again! It's a magnesium supplement.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPUY3W0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

KnitOrMiss

Teneko wrote: »

Just got my lab results back a couple days ago, too, and I am quite devastated at my terrible cholesterol levels.
There's a lot of things off in my labs that are pointing to poor absorption, too, so I guess I'll have to have that looked into. For example, in spite of taking B vitamins and multivitamins, I have some signs of B12 deficiency.

I guess I'll have to cut back on all that heavy cream and cheese, and start swapping in more olive and macadamia nut oil...

-T.

I'm actually on the flip side of this now. I'm wondering what the signs of too much B12 are... Kombucha naturally has B vitamins through the fermentation process... I'm wondering if that's partially responsible for my 200+ point jump...

KnitOrMiss

ladipoet wrote: »

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Oh, and considering your history of neuropathy, I didn't see B12 on your list....did I miss it? A good B-Complex can have a lot to do with nerve/muscle discomfort, too...

I do take two B complex vitamin caps every day - one in the morning and one in the evening. My apologies, I did not detail the full list if what I take. Here is it:

4 caps cinnamon
6 caps biotin 1000 mcg
1 cap liquid aminos
2 caps B complex vitamins
4 caps MSM 1000 mg
2 caps Chromium Picolinate 200 mcg
4 tabs Vitamin D3 1000i.u.
4 caps Acetyl L Carnitine
1 teaspoon Lemon flavored Cod Liver Oil
2 tabs Magnesium 200 mg
1 tab Zinc 50 mg
1 cap Full Spectrum Vitamin K2

That's a lot of stuff!!! I'm glad it's working for you. I start having blood sugar crashes with cinnamon these days, so I have to be careful... sigh. And my B12 is up from 365 a year ago to 835 (pg/ml) now... Which according to my test, the upper threshold is 986....wondering what signs of HIGH B12 are...

ladipoet

phxteach wrote: »

My naturopath recommended this brand of magnesium, two capfuls (.75 tsp) a day. I notice it - a lot- when I do not take it. It is a formulation that does not give you diarrhea. http://mineralifeonline.com/magnesium-8oz/

Thanks for sharing the link. I will check this out.

ladipoet

Teneko wrote: »

Just got my lab results back a couple days ago, too, and I am quite devastated at my terrible cholesterol levels.
There's a lot of things off in my labs that are pointing to poor absorption, too, so I guess I'll have to have that looked into. For example, in spite of taking B vitamins and multivitamins, I have some signs of B12 deficiency.

I guess I'll have to cut back on all that heavy cream and cheese, and start swapping in more olive and macadamia nut oil...

-T.

I am sorry to hear that T. I hope that by changing up the good fats in your diet, your number improve

ladipoet

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

That's a lot of stuff!!! I'm glad it's working for you. I start having blood sugar crashes with cinnamon these days, so I have to be careful... sigh. And my B12 is up from 365 a year ago to 835 (pg/ml) now... Which according to my test, the upper threshold is 986....wondering what signs of HIGH B12 are...

I think I may discontinue the Cinnamon. I've been taking it for so many years now that it's just force of habit so I think I will use up the rest of my supply and not get any more. I only recently added the Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin K2 a few (2-3) weeks ago. Still trying to figure out which level needs to be adjusted. This week I'm focusing on trying to get my sodium intake up. I'm hoping it will make a difference but so far have noticed none.

Welcome2theHellmouth

A good quality magnesium makes a HUGE difference compared to the walmart/Walgreens kind. If you don't want to take liquid I recommend capsule form over tab form. My naturopath made a big deal about that. Pure encapsulations is a great brand.

totaloblivia

Teneko wrote: »

Just got my lab results back a couple days ago, too, and I am quite devastated at my terrible cholesterol levels.
There's a lot of things off in my labs that are pointing to poor absorption, too, so I guess I'll have to have that looked into. For example, in spite of taking B vitamins and multivitamins, I have some signs of B12 deficiency.

I guess I'll have to cut back on all that heavy cream and cheese, and start swapping in more olive and macadamia nut oil...

-T.

Read "cholesterol clarity". It really helps put cholesterol results into perspective. Also you should wait until you have finished losing weight and get re-tested as apparently cholesterol goes haywire while losing.