interesting, was on the thread talking about calcium supplementation:

http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=470554&#Post470554

and realized, not only was i taking 5000 IU vit D daily, but another 1000-2000 IU vit D daily in my calcium supplement (citracal). so, basically averaging 6-7K vit D a day and losing it. that's a lot of D that my body is either utilizing or getting rid of.

interesting.

especially when some caution taking more than 4000 IU a day.

just shows we're not all cut from the same cloth.

Sue - this link will provide a possible answer - Parathyroid refers:-
http://www.inspire.com/groups/national-o...page=20#replies

Near the bottom of that section of the discussion on pp20, by arrowsp (you might 'just' find your answer in her input) she also posts this link:- http://www.betterbones.com/bonehealth/medicaltestingforosteoporosis.aspx

In addition, see posts further up on pp20 by lilypads and LaraPizzorno. All relevant.

thank you molly for both of those links.

looks like its time for me to read about these topics once again.

my old endocrinologist was wonderful. he not only monitored my thyroid hormones, but also the D, Ca, and parathyroid.

his replacement, a young woman with an outstanding pedigree (harvard undergrad, columbia MD/PhD, Johns Hopkins residency) berated me for taking so much vitamin D, berated me for taking all the supplements my rheumy (who's actually making me feel so much better) has me on, then proceeded to extend the time she'd see me out to 9 months instead of 6, and gave me paperwork to only test for the thyroid hormones, and not even the full spectrum that Dr. C used to. simply put, i need a new endocrinologist, someone more like Dr. C. i don't want to fall through the cracks on all of this. it is not acceptable that my D levels fall when on 7000 IU daily. to me that is an indication of some bigger problem.

could be magnesium. as soon as i started taking it, leg and foot cramps minimized, and bowels got a bit better. when i upped it, these things improved even more. and maybe its also contributing to other things improving. but then the next question is "why am i so deficient in Mg?" when i wasn't in the past? i get quite a bit from my diet. will have to investigate this further.

i know all of these things work together. have read about all of this over and over again. had a good endocrinologist that was helping me to work on these things. then he retired....and the new woman and i don't see eye to eye. i miss Dr. C.

ok: more reading about magnesium and parathyroid and......

thank you once again

And this - posted by jroc on the thread 'Help': am posting here as pertinent:-
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evol...inal-chill-pill

Magnesium -

Sue - Stay away from Endocrinologist - get referred to an Endo Surgeon - another friend - not to scare you - had gone to 8 Endocrinologist - all saying there was nothing wrong with her (even up to last week) - if it wasn't for an Endo/Surgeon and a 9th and final Endo (just out of school) who finally heard her health issues and the discovery of Hurtle cancer.

Please Please look into this further.

Hugs
Gerri & Makaylah

thanks molly

new research topic of the week: magnesium!

here's a fun fact: ~1/3 of all enzymes use metal cofactors, with the most common being magnesium. so yes, know how important it is. but surprised at the deficiency, assumption based on past symptoms and response to those. wonder if i can have a blood test for magnesium? i'll look into that.....LOL, have had it tested, three times now, since supplementing......in the normal range, and at least the last two times, done without taking the magnesium so it wouldn't interfere with the testing.........still, will read up. could take more of my supplement, see if that helps anything.......but first, need to find a doctor to talk to about this......but who.........ok, research.........

and thanks gerri, will look into that as well

reading reading........

if i had to hedge my bets, i wouldn't be surprised if the doctor that i saw last week were correct, and its my fatty, faulty liver that is causing me the problems with my vitamin D.........

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/9/85

only one way to fix that, lose weight........

and for the record, she's a physician's assistant that specializes in female endocrinology.......and yet seems more knowledgeable and more interested than most......that's partly because both she and her daughter are dealing with some of the same health issues i am, plus her daughter has crohn's. i think when a doctor has something or has a family member with that, that helps increase their interest / motivation in a topic.

but will keep reading...........

serum magnesium test or red blood cell magnesium test? i don't think it's likely to be a major factor in the vit-d mystery but was just curious.


or try alpha-lipoic acid - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18972440
or green tea extract - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00440.x/full

thanks jroc,

don't remember the details of the Mg testing. since it didn't seem to be an issue, i didn't focus on it.

though i do know i need Mg supplements as evidenced by the leg and foot cramps improving. so will continue to read the new info posted within.

as for the liver, i've been on vit E for several months and started the alpha lipoic acid 2 months ago. as my ALT had been going down, thought these would would only help. but, while i think supplements can help, the fact that the ALT has risen since on Vit E and ALA, as my weight went back up, clearly i'm not doing myself much service if i ignore the weight issue. with that said, may start taking the milk thistle.

read an article going on and on about the virtues of ALA for liver disease. then at the end of the article, in fine print, it stated that the patient in question was actually put on not only ALA but vitamin E and milk thistle. so really, it wasn't necessarily the ALA, but rather either all three of those, or one of those three.

or maybe i need more ALA. i started with a lower amount, figuring if i saw improvement, that would be good enough.

anyway, either way, all signs point to getting serious once again about the liver.

just interesting that even the vitamin D issue points back to the liver.

I would be wary of the better bones link and sales pitch. I have seen that site post completely incorrect information and when called on it she deleted it but never corrected her incorrect statements