Scary couple of days waiting on the NHS

[Mr Bump]

So last went for my annually blood test as i do have slightly elevated cholesterol (i take a very small statin).
got a call two days later doctor flapping, do i feel ok ? am i itching? is my skin jaundiced?

your liver function test has come back poor !

so next day he has me down at the surgery and takes 8x vials of blood and they are rush tested over the weekend for pretty much everything.

got the call today, everything dead normal apart from I am very vitamin D Deficient..............
oh and my cholesterol is down

so i have this crazy Vit D prescription to pick up tomorrow which is like a pint of some suspension 6 days in a row.

sheesh

 

[Steep]

Happy for you m8. Vit D is one of the few pills I take, one daily during the winter.

 

[lindsay]

That's a relief for you. A reminder to me that I should probably top up my vitamins too.

 

[Donnie]

Ummmmm eh?? Sounds a right flap ok, should have just repeated the LFTs given most likely reason was a spurious result given you were clinically well.
As for your crazy vitamin D prescription, just be sure on that prescription as it's more likely to be once a week over 6 weeks NOT over 6 days

 

[Mr Bump]

Ummmmm eh?? Sounds a right flap ok, should have just repeated the LFTs given most likely reason was a spurious result given you were clinically well.
As for your crazy vitamin D prescription, just be sure on that prescription as it's more likely to be once a week over 6 weeks NOT over 6 days

i think the doc did the right thing ordering them all when he called me he was pretty much close to asking me to
go to hospital , i am booked in tomorrow to discuss all the other tests as a few others have come borderline so i want to know
what they are about is it diet or lifestyle, i eat very healthy but i do have a few beers the prescription says 6 ampules?

 

[Box Brownie]

For most normally healthy adults vitamin supplements are not required or needed.

Taking them as 'self medication ' can present some risks of toxicity and that includes Vitamin D. Vitamin A and E would be a cause for concern too.

Note ~early Arctic explorers would kill and eat Polar bear livers and they overdosed on Vit A and some died.

Under a doctor's instruction with those fat soluble vitamins is important and as mentioned above requires testing to check the levels. And AFAIK they are not routinely checked for 'healthy' adults with no signs of deficiency .

PS likewise with mineral deficiency e.g. don't take iron supplements unless measurably anaemic!

 

[Donnie]

i think the doc did the right thing ordering them all when he called me he was pretty much close to asking me to
go to hospital , i am booked in tomorrow to discuss all the other tests as a few others have come borderline so i want to know
what they are about is it diet or lifestyle, i eat very healthy but i do have a few beers the prescription says 6 ampules?

OK well certainly now how I've been trained, we often get a result that on first glance is awful but then assessing the condition of a patient it doesn't fit, do a repeat and 99% were spurious samples.
As for the 6 ampoules then im wondering if you're prescribed a loading dose ie 50,000 units but again, that's supposed to be over 6 weeks not 6 days but see what he says. Hope all goes well.

 

[Mr Bump]

OK well certainly now how I've been trained, we often get a result that on first glance is awful but then assessing the condition of a patient it doesn't fit, do a repeat and 99% were spurious samples.
As for the 6 ampoules then im wondering if you're prescribed a loading dose ie 50,000 units but again, that's supposed to be over 6 weeks not 6 days but see what he says. Hope all goes well.

here it is

 

[Mr Bump]

This was the initial test result that caused the panic

@Donnie

 

[Mr Bump]

Happy for you m8. Vit D is one of the few pills I take, one daily during the winter.

looks like i will be doing the same

 

[welshwizard645]

This was the initial test result that caused the panic

@Donnie

View attachment 414747

The one I'd look at if your liver was doing a George Best would be Serum ALT, panic only sets in if it's 3x normal levels... Alk phos is within the basal range. But a lot of these values tend to waver on a day to day basis anyway...

I was advised by Doc when I was diagnosed as diabetic to take a Vit D tablet daily (since I work in an office). regular tablet doses are 1000 units of whatever (can't be bothered to go downstairs to check, it's late!) but apparently you need 10x that to overcome the lack of light in wintertime.... so those ITK say...

Last blood check I had my Hba1c was still elevated, but LFTs normal. Although my 'bad' cholesterorl was down, it was above the reference range (which has apparently been revised downwards)....

 

[Donnie]

Vitamin D deficiency is almost "normal" in the UK especially over the non summer months ie shorter days, compounded with the type of work you do. For example more common in those that have little exposure to daylight like office workers etc.
A raised ALT and a raised Bilirubin is all I see there in those results and nothing thats particularly worrying but of course I don't have access to all the results or your history. For example a raised bili / alt could be due to physical trauma, alcohol intake, hepatitis, some mild infection or there's even a genetic condition (name escapes me now) that causes raised bilirubin and needs no treatment, about 5% of the population suffer from it.

Again re the ampoules prescription thats 300,000 units which is right for loading dose in severe deficiency (though you've not provided your actual level) and again check what the prescription says please as there is no way that should be taken over a week Also, while you are there ask them how they will be monitoring your serum calcium during this treatment.

 

[Mr Bump]

@Donnie i had over tests for HEP and all negative so i think its just a higher alcohol intake, spoke to the doc this AM and he said was i drinking above 50 units a week which i said no but probably not far off on some weeks , so expect that is the answer, I have already set the hard limiter to alcohol for the foreseeable to 15-20 units a week, the two other results i want to check with him which were borderline below

bone (looks within parameters but outcome says borderline) and urea

 

[Donnie]

Your ureas normal and bone profile is fine other than a slightly low phosphate which will likely be related to your low vitamin d.

 

[Mr Bump]

Your ureas normal and bone profile is fine other than a slightly low phosphate which will likely be related to your low vitamin d.

thanks mate you have been a great help

 

[woof woof]

Glad things are sort of ok

Just an odd story,,,

A friend of ours said he'd received a letter from the hospital unexpectedly calling him in for some tests. It was only when he got there that the staff realised he wasn't the person they wanted to test as the letter meant for his next door neighbour had been wrongly delivered to him, and he'd opened it and read it but not noticed it wasn't for him. Our first thoughts were Dozy Fool and haha! Lucky you didn't have those tests... but this was quickly followed by being sorry for the neighbour who should have gone and hoping there were no consequences for the dealay.

 

[Mr Bump]

Glad things are sort of ok

Just an odd story,,,

A friend of ours said he'd received a letter from the hospital unexpectedly calling him in for some tests. It was only when he got there that the staff realised he wasn't the person they wanted to test as the letter meant for his next door neighbour had been wrongly delivered to him, and he'd opened it and read it but not noticed it wasn't for him. Our first thoughts were Dozy Fool and haha! Lucky you didn't have those tests... but this was quickly followed by being sorry for the neighbour who should have gone and hoping there were no consequences for the dealay.

to be fair i can't complain about the service so far from my local GP
loads of folk slag them off but I have been always handled well
my repeat prescription was stopped pending review and only on the review last week were these few things singled out and I am very glad.

been looking for a solid reason to reduce the alcohol a bit and they have delivered it oddly but i am actually quite happy with that
The Vit D thing yeah also happy to take that in board and my cholesterol is down so the small statin is doing its job.

there are a few of my friends at my age 55 that are on other medication for high blood pressure and pre-diabetic due to weight
problems that i also know drink to much and certainly eat poorly.

I suppose the lesson here is if you are in your 50s go and have a health check its free and good

 

[woof woof]

We both take a multi vitamin every day plus we try to keep our intake of fruit and veg up.

 

[Mr Bump]

We both take a multi vitamin every day plus we try to keep our intake of fruit and veg up.

i think i might have to look at a multivit just to cover the bases