Vit D Deficiency...which test?

Hi Miriam!

I'm glad you brought this up as I had no idea what was going on nation wide with vitamin D testing. Seems it's the 'trendy' test to ask for and have done. And the results are not accurate since there doesn't seem to be much standardization. Below are some sites with good information and the first two I've added a paragraph from their site.

Great topic!
Chutz


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http://www.helium.com/items/1101125-vitamin-d-deficiency-testing-accurately-measuring-vitamin-d-level-testing

Blood tests are available that measure the two forms of vitamin D: 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (circulating) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (active). Each test is given for specific diagnostic purposes. They can be used to monitor disease state or supplement effects. Whatever test is used, it must be measured and interpreted accurately. Recent studies have shown that some testing methods give inaccurate results (Garland, et. al. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2006 Apr;35(2):217-20) and the mistaken belief that vitamin D levels are normal when in reality they are much lower. Consult with your doctor to determine which test is best for you and investigate which testing method is used.

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http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/diabetes/articles/2010/03/25/why-you-may-not-need-that-vitamin-d-test-after-all.html

Some experts, though, are starting to sound alarms about the boom in testing, which has been increasing by 80 to 90 percent per year, with several million people expected to be checked in 2010, according to Mayo Clinic pathologist Ravinder Singh. He says he's concerned about the lack of standardization among testing labs after seeing results vary greatly from lab to lab using the same blood sample. (In a separate matter, Quest Diagnostics, the nation's largest medical laboratory, last year revealed that it provided "questionable" vitamin D level results to thousands of patients that may have indicated levels were higher or lower than they actually were.)
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And the NIH.gov site is always good for fairly unbiased information.


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003569.htm

I had the 25 hydroxy test...several times.  My doctor keeps checking it.  I was low and just got in the so called normal range.  Normal at the lab my doctor uses is 32-100.  When I hit 33 he said I was in the normal range.  Personally, I want to be around 60!  Why would I be happy with just barely edging over the line?  

 

I, too, didn't know there were other vitamin D tests out there.  I did a search and came up with this.  There seems to be a couple of tests and which one you get depends on what symptoms you have.

 

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/vitamin_d/test.html

 

I hope this clears this up a bit.  All I know is once I starte taking the vitamin D3, my pain and fatigue got less.

 

Sherrine 

Thanks everyone.
From what I gathered, the test that most of you have had, and the one that showed I was severely low (12) was the 25 hydroxy, which is ... or was... considered the "standard of care".... This new doc I am seeing and I want to believe knows his stuff, because he is not only and MD, with a double certification in internal medicine and endocrinology, but he's also a Ph.D., he seems to think it is the other test that shows what normal is. All of his patients that tested low on the 25 hydroxy are now testing NORMAL on this other test. What I fear is that he's telling me I am within normal range, but I'm really low. Low vitamin D is linked to many health issues, including some types of cancer. I guess the answer is if I don't trust him, get another opinion and another blood test? I continue to take the 2,000 mg a day.

I also had the same test, but my GP told me I was low, but he put the test results up for me to see. The resukts said I was on the high side of normal. My GP wanted me to go on VitD as my results tols him I was low.
This is the same GP who told me that all I needed for pain was to take lots of vitmins and the pain of Fibromyalga. Yep that was his answer to my needing pain relief. If that sounds stupid wait to I tell you about the man who had diabities, he was told the same thing, no need for anything else. I talked to the man in question. I could name dozens of the same type of thing. It became the talk of the town. So I only do what I have always done 10 mins in the sun gives me 1,000 miligrams of vitD that is on my forearms hands and face. I know not everyone can do this in this country where we have so much sun winter and summer there are still people who do not get enough sunshine.
I am one off the lucky one live on 5 acres in the Sunshine stat here in Australia even in Winter we have at present our min is 60 to 70 degrees. I

Here was mine from January: result 41.1. They told me this is "healthy". I do feel better now than I did years ago when first diagnosed - I wish they had run a test on my d-levels then so I could compare. I take 400 mg per day + drink tons of fortified lactose free full-fat milk daily which has D3. Back when I was first diagnosed I was not on any vitamins, nor had I discovered a lactose free milk that I liked so much.

VITAMIND, 25 HYDROXY 41.1 30 - 80 ng/mL
Reference range: 30.0 to 100.0

(NOTE)

<20 ng/mL=Vitamin D deficiency
20-29 ng/mL=Vitamin D insufficiency
30-100 ng/mL=Optimal Vitamin D