Help with blood test results

armstrongpilot · Post by **armstrongpilot** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:03 am

I went and had blood work done because I've been feeling weak and tired with constant muscle pain....still having a hard time keeping weight up. I've been on entorcort for 1 month. My globulin and hemoglobin were elevated. My iron was low and vitamin d was low. Potassium and magnesium were on lower normal limit. My diet is mostly meat and rice now (tons of iron in diet). So why is mine so low.

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:32 am

Hi Pilot,

Since we have an IBD it is not uncommon for us to have low iron....even men and non menstruating women. We have absorption issues in our gut thus the low iron. My ferritin score got down to I think 16. Very low and I felt lousy. Does your doc want you to take a supplement? I responded to Proferrin. It is specially ordered in at Walgreens or CVS. No scrip necessary but it takes a day or two for them to order it in. It is "heme" iron which is the best absorbed.
Several members have taken it. I found it tough to tolerate when I took it (I was off of entocort at that time.) I could only take one a day due to gurgling.
A lot of the iron supplements act like laxatives. This one won't. It is centrifuged cows blood.

If you and or your doc thinks you need a supplement suggest take it while you are on Entocort. You will be able to tolerate it better while on Entocort and be able to take several pills a day and get your iron up quicker. If you supplement do another blood test in several months. It took me about 10 weeks to bring my ferritin score up to where I did not feel like death.

Don't drink tea or iced tea when you have your meats. It prevents absorption.

Cook with cast iron. Liver and/or shrimp and scallops also have high iron.

Post by **tex** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:53 am

If your blood test actually showed magnesium to be near the lower limit in the normal range, then you are very magnesium deficient. The body stores magnesium in muscle tissue, and withdraws it as needed whenever the diet is low in magnesium. Since magnesium is a vital electrolyte, the blood magnesium level doesn't begin to go down unless your muscles are running out of magnesium. That's a serious condition. When I was magnesium deficient I was steadily losing weight at the rate of about 2 lbs per week, no matter how much I ate. As soon as I began taking a higher dose of magnesium, I began to gain weight at about the same rate as I had been losing it. Note that I had been taking roughly 200 mg of magnesium supplement for years, but it just wasn't enough. And being low on magnesium, can interfere with a lot of other normal body processes.

Bananas and other foods contain potassium

I see that Brandy has already addressed your iron deficiency problem. Her remarks are right on target, of course.

Tex

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:18 am

Pilot,

If you google men, low iron, crohns, ulcerative colitis, celiac you will see that it is not uncommon for men with IBD to have low iron.

I took supplements for about 6 months. I no longer take iron supplements as I am in remission.

Looking back I think it would have been tough to eat my way out of my low iron scores, i.e. the iron supplement helped me feel better faster even though it still took awhile.

Hopefully some of the other proferrin users will chime in.

armstrongpilot · Post by **armstrongpilot** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:19 am

What kinda magnesium should I take? Brandwise. I heard it can be a laxative.....that would surely finish me off! My level was the lowest number on the normal test range...
Bananas make me I'll...like most foods now....hoping after entocort some foods will be OK again.

Post by **tex** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:40 am

The highest rated brand appears to be Doctor's Best (it's what I use) and their chelated magnesium (magnesium glycinate) is the safest form of magnesium. Here's what it looks like.

http://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Abso ... B000BD0RT0

No one here has reported it causing D. Virtually all of the other forms of magnesium can cause D if higher doses are taken. If you want to totally avoid the risk of magnesium causing D, use topically-applied magnesium oil or lotion, or soak your feet in Epsom salts, or add a little Epsom salts to bath water. It can be absorbed through the skin just as well (or better), and this totally avoids any risk of it causing D. Wnen I use a magnesium oil, I spray it on my legs, arms, belly, etc., about 15 or 20 minutes before I'm ready to take a shower.

You can find spray applicators of magnesium oil on Amazon, for example. Ancient Minerals is often mentioned as a popular brand, but there are others. Morton Salt Company makes a magnesium lotion that some members here like. I believe someone posted that they even found it at Walmart and other places for a very reasonable price. Online, it's more expensive:

http://www.amazon.com/Morton-Epsom-Loti ... B008X365AU

Tex

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:10 pm

I have no problem with magnesium glycinate KAL brand. I am 135 pound woman and take 600 mg per day. I take mine all at once in the evening as I have sleep issues and it helps with sleep.

I've also used the magnesium oil and epsom salt baths.

armstrongpilot · Post by **armstrongpilot** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 4:23 pm

Thanks for the info.....lc is kicking my butt. I feel 80 years old....I don't know how to get my energy and stregnth back.

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:29 pm

I can imagine being 34 yrs old it is hard to take life back a notch or two, heck at 48 I'm bucking it! Unfortunately though until you get enough healing under your belt this MC trip is gonna take a lot out of you if you don't embrace it, trying not to let it control you, but understanding it is a part of your life and will be from here on. (I really hate that part)

I can feel your depression in your words, and I really feel for you....type A personalities have it the hardest with this syndrome we just want to GO GO GO!!

Have you read my post? It really does have some good basic info in it, maybe it will help get you to a solid start again in this whole process http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21173 When we lose our way we feel as if MC is winning, I refuse to let it happen, how about you?

Hugs
Erica

armstrongpilot · Post by **armstrongpilot** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 9:23 am

Erica- i read your post and it seems helpful. I wouldnt say im a type A personality; however i used to have tons of energy and was always able to accomplish alot. Now it seems that just getting out the door is a strain. I am back to eating only rice and meats....still feeling sick and tired all the time. MY d has stopped; but anytime i add something- even a bannana or orange; i tried sweet potatoe and my symptoms come roaring back in a day or tow and seem to last for a week. Im out of food options i think......

what is remission? does it just mean that d stops, or will i ever get my stregnth and energy back? if i ever get to remission will one food screw up or food trial mess me up for weeks to months again?

im doing magnessium sprays now and taking 4000 iu vitamin d; hopefully this was a puzzle piece that will help

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:05 am

Hi armstrong,

You ask "what is remission? does it just mean that D stops, or will i ever get my strength and energy back?"

That question is hard to answer, we all experience this in different ways.

My experience was that even when D stopped, and this was of course a huge relief, it took 6-9 months after that, before I could say that I felt I had more energy, like preparing a meal, doing some household, run errands without being exhausted. But again, I had been sick for more than 4 years.

But, I'm the double of your age, and age plays an important role in how fast our body starts working again.

If you make sure you get small and frequent meals (every 3 hours was good for me) with enough proteins, enough rest, vitamin D and Magnesium, you are on the right track.

(Some days my English is lousy... apologize for that...)

Lilia

Post by **tex** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:22 am

Lilia's post is right on target of course. After the D stops, it takes a lot more healing time before the fatigue and brain fog fade away. But they usually do fade away, provided that we continue to be very careful with our diet.

After we have been in remission for a few years (long enough for some substantial healing), food "accidents" usually will only cause a brief, relatively minor reaction, unless we continue to have those "accidents" on a somewhat regular basis. If our diet continues to provoke immune system responses on a regular basis, immune system sensitivity remains high.

Tex

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 11:40 am

HI,
I ate the same 5 bland foods for what seemed a long time....I did not touch fruits or veggies and I only had really over cooked carrots and celery in my bone broth soup along with my gluten free noodles (that actually filled me up and felt really good) I did have to eat often during the day, so be sure to eat often and before you feel too hungry, who cares if it is 6 or 10 times a day that you eat, you are healing, this is Your time.

That soup I think was my saving grace, plus getting really good doses of Magnesium sprayed on me day an night and taking 5000mg VitD3...I still take 600mg of Mag a day in topical and internal now, along with the VitD3....I feel it has helped a ton, but I have been healing with really bland foods for quite a while and have only introduced a couple new veggies in month 5 and 6....yes the rice and protein diet gets old and doesn't give you as much energy as one would like, but it is the healing that you don't see going on inside that will turn the corner for you so don't give up it will happen.

Your body tells you when you can move onto the next item or agenda on the list ;-) Have patience...

Here's to as much healing as possible,
Erica

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 12:42 pm

Healing takes time, we need to avoid inflammation triggers, have the right nutrients, and nurture the body through the healing process. (just like when they put a cast on a broken arm)

it takes 2-3 months to correct nutritional deficiencies, there is no quick fix for this... and only once we have the right nutrients can good healing happen.

in line with the bland low inflammation type eating plan and the supplements, we have to do the mental and emotional work of life with MC, acceptance, peace with what is, learn patience, be ok that it will take months, learn how to nurture ourselves - guilt free, relax,

I had a roller coaster ride health journey for 3-4 years after my Dx, I got to a good remission state, to extent where GI specialist said I was 'in remission' but Mast Cell issues. stress and nutritional imbalances put me into a spiral of chronic issues, to the extent I was not well enough to work for 6 months. It has taken me 1.5 years to start to recover. It is a slow process to correct chronic nutritional deficiencies.
The advice we are giving you is to help you avoid further chronic issues..

hope this helps..