Vitamin D testing

I got my 12 week labs done Friday and wanted to have them add the Vit D test that people are talking about, but there was no place on the order sheet for any kind of Vit D test. This was at Lab Corp. I would think a nation wide organization like that would have that test. What lab did people get their vit d levels checked in?

[Bill1954]

Diane, they can hand write anything they want to on the lab order. My test was checked as 'vitamin D 25-hydroxy'.

In parentheses below it says, "This test quantifies the sum of vitamin D3, 25-hydroxy, and vitamin D2, 25-hydroxy.

The reference range given in this result was 30-80 ng/mL. (my result was 22 ng/nL)

Bill

[nygirl7]

Qwest but I'd be sure it would be on any regular old CBC - actually there were several different results on my tests for different Vitamin D tests......

[Bill1954]

Diane, they can hand write anything they want to on the lab order. My test was checked as 'vitamin D 25-hydroxy'.

In parentheses below it says, "This test quantifies the sum of vitamin D3, 25-hydroxy, and vitamin D2, 25-hydroxy.

The reference range given in this result was 30-80 ng/mL. (my result was 22 ng/nL)

Bill

[Bali05]

labcorp does Vit D , my last one was a little high so I am supplementing less.
compensating for summertime

[Cory255]

Just simply ask the Doctor to run the test, I'm sure he will get out his little book, and write a script for it.  I've also learned that you can actually die from drinking too much water.  Be careful, and good luck with rest of your tx.  

[mikesimon]

You didn't know that?

[Cory255]

I'm very certain that I know that.  Thanks for your concern.  I didn't think it was common knowlege, I actually learned from that from one of my mentors.  

Cory.

[mikesimon]

Well, it's a good thing to know but it is highly unlikely a person would drink enough water that it would cause death. It takes whole lot of water and though we are encouraged to drink a lot of water during TX I cannot recall anyone here dying from too much water.

I didn't ask you whether you know it now - I asked you whether you really didn't know it before the apparently recent learning episode: "I've also learned that you can actually die from drinking too much water".

As I clarified in my personal message to you in response to your personal message to me - I didn't know whether or not you were serious about not knowing that. I thought it was generally common knowledge that too much water could kill you. Perhaps it is not so common after all.

Mike

[Bill1954]

Three years ago we had a rather high profile death from this right here in Sacramento; the cause was listed as ‘water intoxication’. A local radio station help a contest, and a contestant drank herself to death trying to win a video game system. It’s apparently profitable, for anyone that’s interested; a jury awarded the family $16,000,000 in damages.

Feeling thirsty :o)?

http://www.kcra.com/news/21466354/detail.html

[spectda]

Artist Andy Warhol died from a cardiac arrhythmia. His family sued the hospital, claiming the arrhythmia was a result of water intoxication from being overloaded with fluids after routine gallbladder surgery.

"Water intoxication (also known as hyper-hydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water. Normal, healthy (physically, nutritionally and mentally) individuals have little reason to worry about accidentally consuming too much water. Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume large amounts of water, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet excessive amounts of fluid are still consumed.[1]
Water can be considered a poison when over-consumed just like any other substance. The recommendation from the medical field is to drink about 2-2.5 liters per day[2] depending upon body mass. Water intoxication would only occur at levels far higher than that.

At the onset of this condition fluid outside the cells has an excessively low amount of solutes (such as sodium and other electrolytes) in comparison to that inside the cells, the fluid shifts through osmosis into the cells in order to balance its concentration. This causes the cells to swell. In the brain this swelling increases intracranial pressure (ICP). It is this increase in pressure which leads to the first observable symptoms of water intoxication: headache, personality changes, changes in behavior, confusion, irritability, and drowsiness. These are sometimes followed by difficulty breathing during exertion, muscle weakness, twitching, or cramping, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and a dulled ability to perceive and interpret sensory information. As the condition persists papillary and vital signs may result including bradycardia and widened pulse pressure. The cells in the brain may swell to the point where blood flow is interrupted resulting in cerebral edema. Swollen brain cells may also apply pressure to the brain stem causing central nervous system dysfunction. Both cerebral edema and interference with the central nervous system are dangerous and could result in seizures, brain damage, coma or death."

[Trish77]

"I thought it was generally common knowledge that too much water could kill you. Perhaps it is not so common after all. "

Not so common as one might think.  I recall reading about that tragedy Bill, the radio station contest and the fact that not one person came forward to say anything about how risky that actually was and that the contest went forward.  And there are various reports of runners who drank too much water and died as well.  You would think they would have known better but it seems not.  

[copyman]

This is why I don't tell people to drink half their weight in water when TX'ing. I think this formula is an internet thing and have never heard a doctor suggest it. Of course staying hydrated during TX is good but mixing in some other beverages such as juice and gatorade is fine. The body will tell you when it is thirsty.

[Diane12855]

It isn't half their weight... if a person weighs 140 lbs, they are supposed to drink 70 oz. of water... or other beverage through the whole day. So if they are awake for 16 hours, they should drink about 5 oz. per hour. That isn't going to hurt anybody.

[nygirl7]

As a rule aren't you supposed to drink 6 - 8 glasses of water a day for proper diet?

"Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" --- drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters)."
Source: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_water_should_you_drink_each_day

But as Diane said you should drink the water slowly over the entire day not try and jam it all in at once. THAT is where you can die of water intoxication - I think most people (radio contests not included) understand this basic fact but maybe we should put that caveat in there each time.  ;)

Isn't that just about what we suggest? 120 pound person to drink 60 ounces of water a day? At least that is the way I understood it from my doctor - that we were trying to make sure to drink the PROPER amount of water to stay correctly hydrated (also assuming we get water from food and vegetables however the meds do cause dehydration....)........not kill ourselves by drinking 5 gallons a day.

"Do you know how much water you would have to drink in order to die of it?
WikiAnswers - How much water does it take to cause water intoxication? The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day!"

15.5 liters is 3.96 gallons = 512 ounces.

I don't think anybody on here ever suggested anyone that they drink 512 ounces a day, more like a tenth of that amount which would just be what the body requires to do it's just properly.

It's just easier to explain in half your body weight a day - but we could just as easily say 6 - 8 ounces a day or the 8x8 method.........semantics of a pretty common basic thing of nature.

[nygirl7]

PS

The recommendation from the medical field is to drink about 2-2.5 liters per day[2] depending upon body mass. Water intoxication would only occur at levels far higher than that.

How much is 2.5 liters in ounces? - ~84 ounces
2 Liters - 67.63

it seems pretty much on target to me judging by the math the 1/2 rule works as good as 8x8 or 6-8 regardless.

[IAmTheWalrus]

Well, I did not know that it was a realistic threat. I guess I considered it possible but did not know there were actual incidents of this as referenced in the previous comments.

After my TP, I was forcing a lot of water and became nauseated and stricken with anxiety at the sight, smell or thought of dringing water! This was while still in the hospital. I thought I was going to die from it for a while. I guess common sense needs to rule in these occassions.

Thanks for the heads-up!

[Trish77]

I've never been one to drink much water even when running so could never consume large amounts while on treatment.   I really went by the colour of my urine and my side effects while on treatment to determine if I was getting enough water.  The darker my urine, the more water I needed and if I was starting to get headaches and noticed my nails ridging more and my skin drying out...whatever physical symptoms existed, I'd know I wasn't getting enough water.  I still go by that ... when my urine is getting dark, I need more water.  

[Trinity4]

I could not consume large quantities of water on treatment either.  My stomach would distend and I became terribly uncomfortable even when drinking small quantities throughout the day. I didn't get any relief from the side effects by consuming more water either but that was my experience.  If you're taking an AD, one of the side effects is dry mouth so that can contribute to the thirsty all the time feeling too.  I believe our body tells us how much water we need and everyone has their own comfort zone.  As long as the body is kept hydrated I don't see any problem.

Trinity  

[Diane12855]

You were forcing water while in the hospital? Didn't they have you hooked up to IVs? If so, I bet you were really overhydrating. I'm glad you stopped drinking the water.

Diane

[IAmTheWalrus]

They had me drinking a lot even before the iv was out, but mostly this was after.