Iron - ACK!!

[Guest guest]

Hi Fellow Grads:

Finally got my 2-year labs back. Just lost my last hour's work

putting them into an excel spreadsheet to post *gRRRr* *cry*

Will tackle it again tomorrow. In the meantime, the only thing that I

saw of major concern was my iron levels (which I suspected, since I

bruise if a feather touches me).

Here are the iron results:

Ferritin: 6 (range 15-150)

Iron: 67 (range 30-160)

TIBC Calculated: 398 (range 228-428)

Iron Saturation: 17% (15% - 50%)

Guess I need to start being faithful to my iron?

Also, I was tested for insulin resist. ....weird results:

Glucose, Fasting: 92 (range 70-110)

Glucose, 1 Hour: 96 (range 70-190)

Glucose, 2 Hour: 67 (range 70-165)

This test was primarily for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), to

see whether or not I need to go on Glucophage (pills prescribed for

diabetics). These results throw me for a loop....

Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed, and I'll post the rest of my test results when

I stop kicking my computer long enough to do the spreadsheet again

*sigh*

Thank you,

Staci

Open Proximal RNY 10/9/00

The Sainted Dr. Wetter

408+/185/150(?)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/14/02 10:02:53 PM Central Standard Time,

inocent1@... writes:

<< Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed >>

-------------------------------

Don't have any comments to offer, but your post has reminded me of a couple

q's I've been meaning to ask the list for some time:

1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium RDA in them?

Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2% DV, the

RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium. I read a book

that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the RDA) for potassium as

100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any stand-alone potassium supplements

I've looked at only come in 99mg--also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My

protein shakes have 225mg potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

2. Is there such a thing as an addiction to salt? Similar to being addicted

to sugar? Years ago, when I was inpatient 6 weeks for my " eating disorder "

(we compulsive overeaters were lumped in with the bulimics and anorexics) I

remember saying that one of my binge foods was cashews. And the dietician

said she didn't think it was the cashews I craved so much as it was the salt,

and probably ANYthing salty would serve the purpose. I find myself thinking

about that these days, as I seem to crave salty things fairly often, and in

fact, the same foods without salt do not appeal to me anywhere near as much

as they do WITH salt. If I get a bag of Rancheros that didn't get salted too

well at the factory, I eat far less at a time than from a bag that's

well-salted. Ditto any kind of nuts, meat, fish, chicken, etc. I'm beginning

to view salt restriction as a means of reducing caloric intake. What's up

with that?

3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low potassium make you

crave salt?

Would appreciate any info on the above that anyone has to offer.

Thanx,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/14/02 10:02:53 PM Central Standard Time,

inocent1@... writes:

<< Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed >>

-------------------------------

Don't have any comments to offer, but your post has reminded me of a couple

q's I've been meaning to ask the list for some time:

1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium RDA in them?

Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2% DV, the

RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium. I read a book

that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the RDA) for potassium as

100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any stand-alone potassium supplements

I've looked at only come in 99mg--also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My

protein shakes have 225mg potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

2. Is there such a thing as an addiction to salt? Similar to being addicted

to sugar? Years ago, when I was inpatient 6 weeks for my " eating disorder "

(we compulsive overeaters were lumped in with the bulimics and anorexics) I

remember saying that one of my binge foods was cashews. And the dietician

said she didn't think it was the cashews I craved so much as it was the salt,

and probably ANYthing salty would serve the purpose. I find myself thinking

about that these days, as I seem to crave salty things fairly often, and in

fact, the same foods without salt do not appeal to me anywhere near as much

as they do WITH salt. If I get a bag of Rancheros that didn't get salted too

well at the factory, I eat far less at a time than from a bag that's

well-salted. Ditto any kind of nuts, meat, fish, chicken, etc. I'm beginning

to view salt restriction as a means of reducing caloric intake. What's up

with that?

3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low potassium make you

crave salt?

Would appreciate any info on the above that anyone has to offer.

Thanx,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/14/02 10:02:53 PM Central Standard Time,

inocent1@... writes:

<< Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed >>

-------------------------------

Don't have any comments to offer, but your post has reminded me of a couple

q's I've been meaning to ask the list for some time:

1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium RDA in them?

Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2% DV, the

RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium. I read a book

that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the RDA) for potassium as

100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any stand-alone potassium supplements

I've looked at only come in 99mg--also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My

protein shakes have 225mg potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

2. Is there such a thing as an addiction to salt? Similar to being addicted

to sugar? Years ago, when I was inpatient 6 weeks for my " eating disorder "

(we compulsive overeaters were lumped in with the bulimics and anorexics) I

remember saying that one of my binge foods was cashews. And the dietician

said she didn't think it was the cashews I craved so much as it was the salt,

and probably ANYthing salty would serve the purpose. I find myself thinking

about that these days, as I seem to crave salty things fairly often, and in

fact, the same foods without salt do not appeal to me anywhere near as much

as they do WITH salt. If I get a bag of Rancheros that didn't get salted too

well at the factory, I eat far less at a time than from a bag that's

well-salted. Ditto any kind of nuts, meat, fish, chicken, etc. I'm beginning

to view salt restriction as a means of reducing caloric intake. What's up

with that?

3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low potassium make you

crave salt?

Would appreciate any info on the above that anyone has to offer.

Thanx,

Carol A

[Guest guest]

> >

> > 1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium

RDA in them?

> Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2%

DV, the RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium.

I read a book that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the

RDA) for potassium as 100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any

stand-alone potassium supplements I've looked at only come in 99mg--

also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My protein shakes have 225mg

potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

>

*********You're right, I never realized that multi's often have no

Potassium. Hmmm. According to The Vitamin Book, the RDA for Potassium

is 2000-6000 mg.

> 3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low

potassium make you crave salt?<

>

**********Apparently, sodium and potassium work together. Again,

from The Vitamin Book:

" The water surrounding body cells contains 31 times as much sodium as

potassium. Inside the cell, the ratio is reversed, with 16 times as

much potassium as sodium........

Together, sodium and potassium provide the electrical potential

necessary for cell membranes to be selective as to what they will or

will not allow in or out of the cell. The flow of sodium and

potassium into and out of cells is self-regulated to maintain the

proper concentration of each ion inside the cell. As electrolytes

flow across the cell membrane, they carry water with them. "

[Guest guest]

> >

> > 1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium

RDA in them?

> Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2%

DV, the RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium.

I read a book that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the

RDA) for potassium as 100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any

stand-alone potassium supplements I've looked at only come in 99mg--

also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My protein shakes have 225mg

potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

>

*********You're right, I never realized that multi's often have no

Potassium. Hmmm. According to The Vitamin Book, the RDA for Potassium

is 2000-6000 mg.

> 3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low

potassium make you crave salt?<

>

**********Apparently, sodium and potassium work together. Again,

from The Vitamin Book:

" The water surrounding body cells contains 31 times as much sodium as

potassium. Inside the cell, the ratio is reversed, with 16 times as

much potassium as sodium........

Together, sodium and potassium provide the electrical potential

necessary for cell membranes to be selective as to what they will or

will not allow in or out of the cell. The flow of sodium and

potassium into and out of cells is self-regulated to maintain the

proper concentration of each ion inside the cell. As electrolytes

flow across the cell membrane, they carry water with them. "

[Guest guest]

> >

> > 1. Why do multi-vit's have such a small percentage of potassium

RDA in them?

> Based on the mg's given on the Centrum label which is supposedly 2%

DV, the RDA is 4000. TwinLab's Daily Two doesn't have ANY potassium.

I read a book that gave the ODI (which is usually higher than the

RDA) for potassium as 100mg. Is the Centrum label wrong? Bcuz any

stand-alone potassium supplements I've looked at only come in 99mg--

also quite low if the RDA is 4000. My protein shakes have 225mg

potassium in them and I do 4 a day. Is this enuf?

>

*********You're right, I never realized that multi's often have no

Potassium. Hmmm. According to The Vitamin Book, the RDA for Potassium

is 2000-6000 mg.

> 3. Re your love affair with the salt-shaker, why would low

potassium make you crave salt?<

>

**********Apparently, sodium and potassium work together. Again,

from The Vitamin Book:

" The water surrounding body cells contains 31 times as much sodium as

potassium. Inside the cell, the ratio is reversed, with 16 times as

much potassium as sodium........

Together, sodium and potassium provide the electrical potential

necessary for cell membranes to be selective as to what they will or

will not allow in or out of the cell. The flow of sodium and

potassium into and out of cells is self-regulated to maintain the

proper concentration of each ion inside the cell. As electrolytes

flow across the cell membrane, they carry water with them. "

[Guest guest]

Staci,

Your iron doesn't look that bad. Your ferritin is somewhat low, but that is

the storage form of iron. What is your Hgb and Hct and the rest of the CBC?

That will tell how the iron you have is effecting your blood count. Your

fasting and one hour glucose are fine, the two hour is slightly low, meaning the

insulin was high causing your blood sugar to drop slightly. This would only be

of significance if your had symptoms (got dizzy, light-headed, sweaty, fainted,

etc) and is usually not considered abnormal unless you have a level below 60. It

is a condition called hyper-insulinemia (high insulin in the blood after

eating). Your potassium is perfectly fine based on your lab's normal limits.

You don't need to do anything different with them.

doc carolyn

** Do not consider this medical advice. It is a personal opinion only, based on

my medical school education and training. (MD,MPH) Please see your own physician

for any medical advice.**

Iron - ACK!!

Hi Fellow Grads:

Finally got my 2-year labs back. Just lost my last hour's work

putting them into an excel spreadsheet to post *gRRRr* *cry*

Will tackle it again tomorrow. In the meantime, the only thing that I

saw of major concern was my iron levels (which I suspected, since I

bruise if a feather touches me).

Here are the iron results:

Ferritin: 6 (range 15-150)

Iron: 67 (range 30-160)

TIBC Calculated: 398 (range 228-428)

Iron Saturation: 17% (15% - 50%)

Guess I need to start being faithful to my iron?

Also, I was tested for insulin resist. ....weird results:

Glucose, Fasting: 92 (range 70-110)

Glucose, 1 Hour: 96 (range 70-190)

Glucose, 2 Hour: 67 (range 70-165)

This test was primarily for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), to

see whether or not I need to go on Glucophage (pills prescribed for

diabetics). These results throw me for a loop....

Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed, and I'll post the rest of my test results when

I stop kicking my computer long enough to do the spreadsheet again

*sigh*

Thank you,

Staci

Open Proximal RNY 10/9/00

The Sainted Dr. Wetter

408+/185/150(?)

Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

Staci,

Your iron doesn't look that bad. Your ferritin is somewhat low, but that is

the storage form of iron. What is your Hgb and Hct and the rest of the CBC?

That will tell how the iron you have is effecting your blood count. Your

fasting and one hour glucose are fine, the two hour is slightly low, meaning the

insulin was high causing your blood sugar to drop slightly. This would only be

of significance if your had symptoms (got dizzy, light-headed, sweaty, fainted,

etc) and is usually not considered abnormal unless you have a level below 60. It

is a condition called hyper-insulinemia (high insulin in the blood after

eating). Your potassium is perfectly fine based on your lab's normal limits.

You don't need to do anything different with them.

doc carolyn

** Do not consider this medical advice. It is a personal opinion only, based on

my medical school education and training. (MD,MPH) Please see your own physician

for any medical advice.**

Iron - ACK!!

Hi Fellow Grads:

Finally got my 2-year labs back. Just lost my last hour's work

putting them into an excel spreadsheet to post *gRRRr* *cry*

Will tackle it again tomorrow. In the meantime, the only thing that I

saw of major concern was my iron levels (which I suspected, since I

bruise if a feather touches me).

Here are the iron results:

Ferritin: 6 (range 15-150)

Iron: 67 (range 30-160)

TIBC Calculated: 398 (range 228-428)

Iron Saturation: 17% (15% - 50%)

Guess I need to start being faithful to my iron?

Also, I was tested for insulin resist. ....weird results:

Glucose, Fasting: 92 (range 70-110)

Glucose, 1 Hour: 96 (range 70-190)

Glucose, 2 Hour: 67 (range 70-165)

This test was primarily for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), to

see whether or not I need to go on Glucophage (pills prescribed for

diabetics). These results throw me for a loop....

Oh yeah...Potassium on the LOW end of normal...no wonder I'm having

such a terrible love affair with my salt shaker....you nailed THAT

one Mama ! LoL!

Potassium: 3.7 (range 3.3-5.1) And this is while using Salt Lite,

which is half sodium & half potassium...and LOTS of it! ;-)))

Any comments welcomed, and I'll post the rest of my test results when

I stop kicking my computer long enough to do the spreadsheet again

*sigh*

Thank you,

Staci

Open Proximal RNY 10/9/00

The Sainted Dr. Wetter

408+/185/150(?)

Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

Doc Carolyn:

Thank you!! You've helped to set my mind at ease. My PCP said the

same thing (and now that several sources agree with him, I'll believe

him ;-) Now I won't freak out all weekend! LoL!

Staci

> Staci,

> Your iron doesn't look that bad. Your ferritin is somewhat

low, but that is the storage form of iron.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/02 4:25:16 PM Central Standard Time,

nanpug@... writes:

<< Well, actually I used to supplement with Potassium. Dr. Atkin's includes

that in his list of supplements. I believe it is because when you are on a

diet and " losing " and drinking a lot of water you " leech " the potassium from

your kidneys. When I first did Atkin's several years ago I wasn't

supplementing enough and I got REAL weak and tired in the chest after a

couple of weeks....went back and read that part of the book

again.......upped my potassium and it was gone in 24 hours. If I can find

the book I will read it and let you know if it was for everyone or just

Atkin's followers! >>

----------------------------

,

I'm posting this reply to the group as well as to you bcuz I'm hoping

there'll be some further discussion on this. Did u see Doc Carolyn's post a

few days ago? About it's probably not a good idea to be taking potassium

w/out a doctor's recommendation?

Carol A