Drae's got Labs!

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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Tincup
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

Post by Tincup »

drae wrote: Here's today's question: would it be safer for me to go get a glucose meter now (can't afford the keto meter yet). Safer, that is, that just depending on eating low carb to keep my blood sugar down, or, should I be watching to see that I'm not doing other things that drive it up?
Drae,

I think in your situation, a glucose meter is much more important than a keto meter. My diabetic friends tell me a Contour Next meter is a good combo of strip price plus accuracy. The meter can be had on eBay for $10 or less. Stripscan usually be had for ~100 for $25. If you feel you want a ketone meter at some point, I suggest the KetoMojo as their strips are around $1/each, much less expensive than the Ketone Xtra. Also it will test glucose for $0.29/strip.

This is a link on using a glucometer as a fuel gauge.
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

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Searcher wrote:
Tincup wrote:I have a large cohort of friends who eat huge quantities of sat fat, in the context of low carb or keto diets. They are anything but IR.
Tincup, in a low-carb diet, the insulin resistance induced by high saturated fat intake shows up in the response to a glucose tolerance test.
Yep, physiological insulin resistance. Well known in the low carb community. The late Joseph Kraft, MD addressed this in his 1975 paper (last page of the PDF).
Patterns V, when seen associated with normal or borderline glucose tolerance, suggested low carbohydrate diet. These cases did not allow categorization into diabetic or nondiabetic state. Such differentiation was possible if the glucose/insulin tolerance was repeated after two weeks of high carbohydrate diet.
When carb intake is low, fasting or starvation, the body shuttles glucose to the brain. Not an issue.
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Anna
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

Post by Anna »

Drae, my homocysteine was 10.5 (ever so slightly higher than yours) when I first had it checked almost a year ago. I was already taking small amounts of the same B vitamins that Stavia just suggested (being conservative out of fear of hypermethylation). My functional medicine doctor had me increase my doses and add TMG, and it dropped very quickly to 7. I can see the difference in my CBC too. I wish all my lab abnormalities were this easy to fix! Be aware that there are a lot of different opinions out there on supplementation of methylated B vitamins -- appropriate amounts and potential risks from overdoing it, especially long term. "Start low and go slow" seems to be a common recommendation.
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drae
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

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Here are some lab results from my new doctor. I'm posting them because mostly I have no idea how to interpret them in light of the protocol.

Please respond if you have some light for me. =) Thanks in advance!

Naturally, they show up a little wonky.

TSH 2.150 uIU/mL 0.600 - 3.300 uIU/mL

Free T4 1.23 ng/dL 0.71 - 1.40 ng/dL

Hemoglobin A1C 6.5 % 4.8 - 6.0 %
Estimated Average Glucose 140 mg/dL mg/dL

Hepatitis C Ab Nonreactive Nonreactive

WBC 5.7 10*9/L 4.5 - 11.0 10*9/L
RBC 4.58 10*12/L 4.00 - 5.20 10*12/L
HGB 13.1 g/dL 12.0 - 16.0 g/dL
HCT 40.7 % 36.0 - 46.0 %
MCV 88.9 fL 80.0 - 100.0 fL
MCH 28.5 pg 26.0 - 34.0 pg
MCHC 32.1 g/dL 31.0 - 37.0 g/dL
RDW 13.6 % 12.0 - 15.0 %
MPV 8.4 fL 7.0 - 10.0 fL
Platelet 247 10*9/L 150 - 440 10*9/L

Sodium 142 mmol/L 135 - 145 mmol/L
Potassium 4.6 mmol/L 3.5 - 5.0 mmol/L
Chloride 105 mmol/L 98 - 107 mmol/L
CO2 22.0 mmol/L 22.0 - 30.0 mmol/L
BUN 8 mg/dL 7 - 21 mg/dL
Creatinine 0.59 mg/dL 0.60 - 1.00 mg/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio 14
EGFR MDRD Non Af Amer 102 mL/min/1.73m2 >=60 mL/min/1.73m2
EGFR MDRD Af Amer 123 mL/min/1.73m2 >=60 mL/min/1.73m2
Anion Gap 15 mmol/L 9 - 15 mmol/L
Glucose 153 mg/dL 65 - 179 mg/dL
Calcium 9.9 mg/dL 8.5 - 10.2 mg/dL
Albumin 4.4 g/dL 3.5 - 5.0 g/dL
Total Protein 7.1 g/dL 6.6 - 8.0 g/dL
Total Bilirubin 0.8 mg/dL 0.0 - 1.2 mg/dL
AST 14 U/L 14 - 38 U/L
ALT 30 U/L 15 - 48 U/L
Alkaline Phosphatase 72 U/L 38 - 126 U/L

These were April 17, 2018. After that my blood pressure went up and I cut way back on salt, switching to Himalayan pink salt. The blood pressure is back down. I have a 6-weeks follow-up appointment in two weeks and would like help knowing what might help on the protocol. Not sure if the doc is going to get on board with that. Specifically, are there other tests indicated. I believe she plans to do a lipid panel this time.

Thank you!

Drae
Drae -- floundering forward, everlasting beginner.
Poco a poco. it don't work if you don't do it.
JulieG: Sticking with it slowly.
G.K. Chesterton: Practice makes progress.
A thing worth doing well is worth doing badly at first.
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

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drae wrote:Here are some lab results from my new doctor. I'm posting them because mostly I have no idea how to interpret them in light of the protocol.
If you have Bredesen's book, you can review his optimum range for various tests and look how your results compare. Don't forget to be proud of improvements (ex HgbA1C), even if it's not yet "ideal'.
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drae
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

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Thanks, Slacker. Will do. I love to celebrate the progress and try to teach others, too. What great things that thought says about you! You are always helpful and a joy.

Drae
Drae -- floundering forward, everlasting beginner.
Poco a poco. it don't work if you don't do it.
JulieG: Sticking with it slowly.
G.K. Chesterton: Practice makes progress.
A thing worth doing well is worth doing badly at first.
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SusanJ
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

Post by SusanJ »

Drae, you are heading in the right direction, so keep on keeping on with the insulin resistance work.

See if you can get a homocysteine test with the lipid panel (sometimes you have to get it separately). It will say a lot about how your methylation cycle is working and it can be fixed with supplements if necessary. A properly working methylation cycle has many benefits beyond lowering homocysteine - sleep, energy, mood, etc.

And let us know how the lipids turn out!
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

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Great progress!

As you switch salts, make sure you are getting your iodine. Either through an iodized salt or perhaps some sea veggies.
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

Post by Magda »

Drae,
Wonderful progress!
Your dedication and hard work is paying off. I am impressed with the drop in A1C department, its not ideal yet but the numer is moving down !
How are you feeling? Which diet and lifestyle change has made the biggest, positive difference in a way you feel today?

My best,
Magda
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach & MS Clinical Nutrition Student
IFM/Bredesen Trained, Reversing Cognitive Decline
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drae
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Re: Drae's got Labs!

Post by drae »

SusanJ wrote:Drae, you are heading in the right direction, so keep on keeping on with the insulin resistance work.
Susan, I always feel good when I hear your reassurance. Thank you!

I asked for the homocysteine just tonight when responding to the Doctor. Will keep you posted. I really know nothing about the methylation cycle and my intellectual brain doesn't seem to have waked back up yet. I hope to post my supplements again soon as I am looking at discontinuing my methyl B-complex and replacing what I need to individually. I hope you can look at that when I get it together.

Thanks so much!
Drae
Drae -- floundering forward, everlasting beginner.
Poco a poco. it don't work if you don't do it.
JulieG: Sticking with it slowly.
G.K. Chesterton: Practice makes progress.
A thing worth doing well is worth doing badly at first.
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