Vitamin/mineral Levels Normal With Gluten Intolerance?

[Buffheart]

Hi all! I am still somewhat new here and haven't posted a lot. In August 2010 my GI doctor told me I might have gluten intolerance/sensitivities. From what I have read a lot of people with Celiac/gluten intolerance have deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. I have blood drawn a couple times a year and they always come back fine. No anemia, thyroid fine, all levels completely normal, even though I don't take multivitamins and don't always eat too healthy. How is this possible? Is this normal for people with gluten issues?

[psawyer]

Vitamin deficiency is common in celiacs, but is not universal. Depending on the level of damage to the villi, you may absorb enough nutrients to not test as deficient. I would guess, though, that you are at the lower end of the "normal" range.

[healinginprogress]

I think it really depends on how much damage has been done to your intestines...it's different time frames for different people, it seems. My symptoms have progressively gotten worse over the years, this last year being particularly awful and with significant weight loss. I think it's possible that maybe your insides aren't that damaged, yet...but trust me, you don't want to get to that point! Will your doctor send you for the blood test for gluten sensitivity?

[Buffheart]

I had some kind of tests done in May. They were in-depth tests and they came back indicating that something was amiss, but my endoscopy was totally normal. I even have the pictures! Unfortunately I do not have a copy of my test results.

[Strawberry-Jam]

My iron always came back normal, but "a little on the low side." And I've never had other bloodwork come back abnormal until the celiac blood panel, which was very positive.

[Buffheart]

Actually, I did have blood work done about a month ago to test vitamin/mineral/blood sugar, but my doctor never called and told me the results like she said she would...

I can only assume everything was normal, like usual.

[shopgirl]

All of my vitamin and mineral levels checked out too

[sa1937]

Actually, I did have blood work done about a month ago to test vitamin/mineral/blood sugar, but my doctor never called and told me the results like she said she would...

I can only assume everything was normal, like usual.

We can never ass-u-me anything. I make it a point to always pick up a copy of my lab work. You're entitled to copies of all your test results.

[mushroom]

I agree with Sylvia. Your readings can be strictly interpreted as normal, but you can be on the very bottom rung of the ladder, barely hanging on. With most nutrients that gluten intolerants become deficient in, you need to be mid-range, not at the lowest possible level of normal

[Buffheart]

Next time I see my doctors I will ask for copies. How long does blood work take? I can't imagine it would take a month to test fir vitamin, minerals, and blood sugar, especially when there are several labs nearby.

What is lower "normal" range? Is it good?

[mushroom]

Well, I guess what I was trying to say is, if a hypothetical range of normal for Vitamin D is 32 to 320, and you measured 32 on the test, you would not be at optimum health and it wouldn't take much to push you under. Also, what is being measured is what is circulating in your blood stream only, not what is actually contained in your cells, which could be lower. So it is a real warning flag that you need some more Vitamin D. A better reading would be around 200, which is a lot different than 32. Vitamin D controls so many functions in the body, including the making of bone, and you want to make sure your bones are as strong as possible, I would think.

Some tests take longer to process than others, some cannot be done in house and have to be sent to specialized labs. I believe Vitamin D is one of these.

[anabananakins]

Well, I guess what I was trying to say is, if a hypothetical range of normal for Vitamin D is 32 to 320, and you measured 32 on the test, you would not be at optimum health and it wouldn't take much to push you under. Also, what is being measured is what is circulating in your blood stream only, not what is actually contained in your cells, which could be lower. So it is a real warning flag that you need some more Vitamin D. A better reading would be around 200, which is a lot different than 32. Vitamin D controls so many functions in the body, including the making of bone, and you want to make sure your bones are as strong as possible, I would think.

Some tests take longer to process than others, some cannot be done in house and have to be sent to specialized labs. I believe Vitamin D is one of these.

Yeah and a lot of doctors just look at the range and if you're 'normal' you're ok. I don't think that gives the whole picture. For what reason are we at the bottom of the range? My doctor isn't worried about my iron levels, but I'm sitting on the very bottom rung of that ladder.

Also there are unrelated issues that could cause problems in the future. My B12 was within the normal range but I'm taking a drug that can cause B12 levels to deplete (Metformin) so they could get worse despite me being gluten free. The "normal" results might only be at a moment in time, not necessarily indicative of ongoing good health.