First Signs Of Malabsorption??

[can]

HELLO EVERYONE. I wonder if high PTH and low vitamin D ( like OZZ and I--and anyone else out there???? ) is a sure fire way to spot vitamin and mineral malabsorption in a more timely fashion?

[LIZARD]

My near-ZERO D level was dx'ed in December '07 and my CD wasn't picked up 'til the following May, once the D was back to normal. Not sure...:confused:


LIZARD :)

[NancyM]

Well, if your out in the sun at all then low vitamin D isn't due to gut issues, it's due to either not converting it from your skin exposure (some people do convert poorly) or else your body is using it up very quickly.

But other vitamins could indicate malabsorbtion, I think you just need to figure out which ones are absorbed from the small intestines. I seem to recall B12 is one. If you take D3 orally then I'm not exactly sure where it gets absorbed. Just make sure you're taking enough of it and of the right type. D2 is pretty useless. Some people require pretty high doses of D3 to get theirs up into a good range. Dr. Davis says it can range from anywhere from a couple 1000 iu's up to 16,000 iu to get people into an optimal range. I suppose once you reach that range you cut back to where you can maintain it.

I just joined a Vit. D study where I get my D3 levels tested every 6 mo. So right now I'm taking 10,000 iu because at 4,000 iu I hadn't seen any increase. Hopefully now I'll get a good reading and can try to figure out a good maintenance dose with future tests.

[Naominjw]

Blood tests are so important, but doctors are so reluctant to order them! Our society wants to "keep down costs", but it seems to me that testing people is NOT the place to do it. Catching something early in one person can save a million dollars. What's the cost of few blood tests?

I have read that some Celiac is so stealthy. I read that in some cases the only outward sign is a case of chronic urticaria (hives).

[Zonulin]

Let's see - my son's obvious outer signs of malabsorption at age 9 were:

chronic nausea
weight loss to the point of being skeletal
chronic vomiting
chronic diarrhea

You'd have to be a fool to think that he WASN'T malabsorbing. And we met many such fools (20 out of 22 doctors). But this site has some ideas regarding less obvious signs of malabsorption: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/m/malabsorption/symptoms.htm

Karen

[can]

Thanks for everyone's reply. The more questions asked and answered, the more knowledge gathered.

[Naominjw]

Early signs in my daughter -
chronically complaining of muscle & joint pain
abdominal pain
constipation
short stature - constitutional delay
crying a lot
Intermittent BURNING sensation under her skin/like in the fascia over her muscles
Depression
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Irritability
sensitivity to environment

And for years they said it was "normal" followed by... it was all "mental".... right up until she was found to have osteoporosis in her teens.

[jcc]

First signs? For me, I didn't put it together until my B12 deficiency was diagnosed... after three years of symptoms. Although, I've had GI symptoms back as far as my teens, maybe even earlier. I remember throwing up a lot as a kid, too.

It should have been caught when my calcium level was below range several years before the B12 thing, something my doctor never even mentioned to me but I found out later after requesting all my old paperwork.

For my daughter, well, she had 6-8 episodes of diarrhea daily for a couple of years. Her weight dropped from the 75th % to the 25th % during those years. She also complained of stomach aches daily.

[Roz TM]

First signs of malabsorption for me were fatigue.

This was before I went gluten free and I thought the fatigue was due to my migraine medications. I wouldn't believe they were due to low iron and when my GP checked my ferritin was very low - 6 from memory. It took a long time to get it to 30s which still isn't high enough. Interestingly once I went gluten free, my monthlies became lighter - never thought they were that heavy but the only time my haemoglobin dropped was after them. So some low dose iron and vitamin c supplement help.
Never had my Vitamin D checked but we are told where we live by endocrinologists that we should all be taking Vitamin D - but to add another tablet without evidence to my already difficult to remember medications...
My Vitamin B12 was low normal also which according to some isn't enough. I take a good Vitamin B supplement now and can't manage to reduce it. I feel instantly tired.

And yes, being gluten free you would think the malabsorption issues would settle but the stuff is hidden everywhere and I'm extremely sensitive. Currently have upset tummy and rash from plain potato chips so I bought some gluten free cassava chips today at twice the price. But we have to have a treat every now and again, and it won't be the plain potato chips for a while... if ever. :D