posted
My son (11 yrs.) has tested low in calcium on his regular blood tests the last month.
We increased his calcium intake (coral calcium tablets) & he drinks lots of 1% milk & eats yogurt, but it didn't bring it up to normal.
Checked out causes for low calcium - we supplement already with vitamin D3 because he was deficient in that & he takes magnesium supplements as well.
Anybody out there testing low in calcium? Is this a lyme thing, too? What do you do for it?
His blood work always comes back abnormal despite being on IV zithromax. His EOS (eosonophils) are always high, yet he does not test positive for allergies. His basophils are always high as well as his neutrophils, and his lymphocytes are always low.
Is there anybody out there with similar blood panel? Can you figure out what's going on? Would like some feedback please.
Posts: 81 | From Iowa | Registered: May 2007
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
up for answers; no knowledge on this....
mary, sorry to read somewhere that your dad rently passed away; was it sudden or had he been sick for quite some time. best wishes to you/yours during this time.
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posted
What about having a Celiac Disease blood panel taken? It sounds like he's not absorbing nutrients properly.
Posts: 215 | From Student | Registered: Oct 2007
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Mary, I had a somewhat similar test result this summer when I ended up in the ER with a broken bone.... several of my chemistry/hematology values were off. Among other things...
Months later, when I asked my doc to explain all this, he said that some of my blood work `didn't make sense' because the Neutrophil and Lymphocyte counts don't make sense compared to the RBC count - he said the RBC count must be a `red herring'. (!!!)
I'm not sure I buy that, but anyway.....
At the time of the test, I probably was not getting sufficient calcium or Vit D from diet or supplementation. (And I wasn't on antibiotics or any other meds.) I've managed to rectify my calcium/D3 intake, but won't get my blood tested again until sometime in March or April.
Even before this test, though, I was pretty sure that I had some kind of malabsorption or mal-assimilation problem. We will see what later tests show.... but I'd like to know what further tests can be run do determine how well I am processing what I eat.
It sounds like perhaps your son isn't assimilating properly, either.
And exactly how the odd hematology values factor in here is another mystery that I would like explained.... for both of us.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Retest the vitamin D to assure yourself that he can absorb it...If he cannot and it is below a certain value, all bets are off, as it has to be above a certain value for calcium absorption from the gut to take place. Alot of docs just assume that taking supplements means the supplements are being absorbed. An earlier comment about testing for celiac was a good one, that is one thing that interferes with D (and other nutrient) absorption, though not the only thing. If the D level hasn't moved with supplementation, then either the dose is too low, the quality of the supplement is suspect, or there is an intestinal barrier (ie: inflammation)to absorption. Other things are possible, but the previous mentioned things are the most likely. If the supplement currently used is ergocalciferol, it should be changed to a fish derived cholecalciferol. If the level is still low, tanning beds may hasten an increase, but their use must be very prudently implemented, ie: start low and go slow. Vitamin D hormone has very potent effects on the body, and if his level has been low for a long time, a rapid rise in level could cause a dramatic metabolic response, so even with oral supplements, be very careful.
Posts: 442 | From Biddeford, ME | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Thanks for the tips. Will re-test the Vit. D levels. I'm confident of the quality of the Vit. D3 supplement we're using - Dr. C. recommends it. He's taking 5000 IU twice daily.
I'll do a little more investigation - more blood tests.
BettyG - my dad was sick a long while & we were told he was dying some time ago. He had severe COPD & lived with little lung function for more years than they expected.
He also had damage from agent orange exposure on top of the Lyme disease, so he had a lot of strikes against him. Thanks. We miss him.
Posts: 81 | From Iowa | Registered: May 2007
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