Vitamin D and the Medical Establishment

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

I am away from home right now and wanted to get a 25(OH)D test to

find out what effect my winter time vitamin D3 supplementation had

had.

People in my present geographical location are still in the stone age

wrt vitamin D. When I asked for a 25(OH)D test the doctor asked if I

had osteoporosis. I answered " No " , so he then asked: " Then why

would you want a 25(OH)D test? " So I had to explain about the

reference ranges and that my test result had come out below the low

end of the current reference range, and that I have been

supplementing and didn't want to go above a safe level. So he

said " OK " , and went off to get a manual to find out how to fill in

the form to order the test (!)

He insisted I have all the other tests done too - which is fine by

me - and I visited him again to get the results. They were all there

except the 25(OH)D. He suggested I call the lab and ask why it had

been delayed.

The lab's answer was: " That is such an unusual test that we have to

freeze the sample, send it off to the university 100 miles away,

where they will keep it until they have a large enough number of

samples requesting the same test so that they can run them all at the

same time. "

Sigh.

If I ever get the result I will report it here.

What is extraordinary is that this doctor thought vitamin D only to

be relevant if you actually HAVE osteoporosis. He seemed not to even

consider that it might be helpful to PREVENT it in those who don't

have it yet. And he doesn't seem to be aware of all the other

apparent benefits of vitamin D that we have been discussing here for

years.

From previous experience I have come to the conclusion that it takes

about 20 years for research results of major importance to filter

down to the people on the front lines of the medical system.

Fortunately, my previous doctor was an exception to this rule, and

was at the leading edge of the vitamin D issue. She actually was

interested in preventive medicine. The vast majority of the others

seem to have graduated from the " Pills and Procedures " school. They

believe it is better to wait until the patient turns up in their

office, or the morgue, complaining of, for example, a pain in their

left arm - so that they can prescribe a pill or a procedure - than it

is to prevent them from getting it in the first place.

Sigh.

This really does emphasize for me the enormous benefits of being able

to read all the stuff that gets posted here.

Rodney.