This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I know I said that I would tell everyone what my GP said about what vit D level you should have or how much of a supplement I should take. Well, sorry to tell you but that won't happen.

I had to see an intern because my GP has decided to not take appointments after 2:30 anymore which kind of sucks for us working people. I told the intern that since there had been so much news lately about how Vit D may be beneficial to people with MS I would like to get my level checked. He kind of stared at my with a blank look and then looked at my last blood test and said I wasn't Vit D deficient because I would have been hypo-calcimic(sp?). I then said "Ok but what level should I be at and how much of a supplement could I take without becoming toxic?". He just repeated that I wasn't Vit D deficient but if I really wanted he could run the test but that wasn't a test they normally run. Duh. I'm not normal, I have MS! Like he was doing me a favor or something.

Needless to say I was pretty frustrated and I don't even know if he ran the test or not. They did take 3 vials from me after the nurse had to try both arms and my hand before having success. (if she had just listened to me in the first place I told her they can never get blood from my arms, I have rolling veins- but whatever!) What a crappy visit.

I will let everyone know what, if anything, he has to say. I'm also going to ask my neuro in March. He's usually not very pro-supplement but maybe since there has been so much in the news, he'll give me some info.

Don't worry I asked my Dr. to run Johns' insulin levels. He put up a fight but ok'd it in the end. John's results come back minus the insulin levels so I called and asked what gives and my Dr. says they must have forgot to run it. Ya I'm that stupid. Pissed me right off.

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John was diagnosed Jan 2005. On lipitor 20mg .On Copaxone since July 4,2005. Vitamin D3 2000iu-4000iu (depending on sunshine months)June 10 2005(RX::Dr. O'Connor) Omega 3 as well Turmeric since April 2005. Q10 60mg. 1500mg liquid Glucosamine Nov 2005.

Yeah, the intern gave me a very patronizing look like I was completely off my rocker. He's not an MS specialist, I doubt he even knows that much about it with the questions he asked me. Oh well, I'm over it, it just pissed me off that he was so condescending.

maybe some of them act like that when their patients catch them off guard. i find it helps to take in the journal abstracts that tell them what to test for and why.

you can also argue the definition of deficient, e.g. well i might not be "deficient" but i could be "insufficient" in some way that my calcium level wouldn't pick up on. and what's wrong exactly, with going for "optimal"?? grr all that stuff makes me so mad!

i have uric acid abstracts ready to take to my doctor on wednesday, that should be a fun and interesting conversation. but i clearly remember the fun i had getting my tests for 25(OH)vitamin D3. my doctors are very understanding and cooperative when i get them all the information required - i find you just have to go in there and clearly show the route to what you want, and the science behind it, and stick to your guns. keep at it!

What do you expect your dr to do about it? In aus, its already part of the std liver function test (which is what triggered my interest 2yrs ago).

hey cure, i don't expect her to do much about it, i just need to know it so that i can decide if anything needs to be done.

i just plan to give a rationale for ordering the test. whether or not it's part of liver function testing here (that may be how i got my level originally because i did one baseline test before deciding not to go on rebif) i don't get liver function testing because i'm not on any pharmaceuticals.

if she says my level was normal last time, i.e. why bother testing again, then my abstracts will demonstrate that it's particularly in my in interests not to just be "normal" but that we need to track where i'm at with a view to being "optimal". i'm a big fan of monitoring for optimal instead of waiting til deficiency indicators start rearing their heads!