Vitamin D Deficiency and other Medical Topics

[SkyHog]

I went to the doctor for a much needed checkup, and he decided I needed a BUNCH of tests. Pooped in a tube, peed in a jar, bleed in a vial, and got some shots.

Met again with the doc today and got the following results (just the bad stuff):

Fasting Glucose: 100 (reference 70-99) - only a point high....
Cholesterol: 235H (Reference 0-200)
Triglycerides: 233H (Reference <=149)
HDL 35L (Reference >=39)
LDL 166H (Reference 0-99)
VLDL 47H (Reference 0-40)

Vitamin D - 12.5 Lf (Reference 32-100) <---Was prescribed Vitamin D for a deficiency

So ....is horrible Cholesterol any thing I need to ground for? What about Vitamin D deficiency?

 

[gprellwitz]

Not a doc, but the cholesterol is more a long term issue than a groundable one. Diet, exercise, and meds if prescribed. I think that most, if not all, of the meds are fine with the FAA.

I don't think that Vit D deficiency is grounding. What are the symptoms? My SIL was also diagnosed with this, and she had been very lethargic before going on high doses of Vit. D. (50000 IU weekly, IIRC). Based on that, I "self medicated" with OTC Vit. D supplements, because I think it probable that I don't get enough through sunlight or diet.

As usual, I'll be interested in what the Docs have to say.

 

[SkyHog]

Not a doc, but the cholesterol is more a long term issue than a groundable one. Diet, exercise, and meds if prescribed. I think that most, if not all, of the meds are fine with the FAA.

I don't think that Vit D deficiency is grounding. What are the symptoms? My SIL was also diagnosed with this, and she had been very lethargic before going on high doses of Vit. D. (50000 IU weekly, IIRC). Based on that, I "self medicated" with OTC Vit. D supplements, because I think it probable that I don't get enough through sunlight or diet.

As usual, I'll be interested in what the Docs have to say.

Vit. D symptoms were massive lethargy, some weak spells, and some other unmentionable issues. I'm prescribed 50,000 units twice weekly.

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

 

[Jim Logajan]

What about Vitamin D deficiency?

I have no idea if vitamin D deficiency would cause you to be grounded (I'd bet not) but would still advise you take a supplement for it daily. [Edit: I see you were already prescribed it.] Turns out vitamin D is correlated to telomere length, and telomere length is correlated to age longevity. (Telomeres are a sort of "end cap" on DNA strands.) So taking vitamin D may help slow your aging. Researchers are looking into it.

(Also with regard to slowing aging, a possibly new vitamin, pyrroloquinoline quinone (generally abbreviated to PQQ,) has definitely been shown to promote mitochondrial biogenesis; or as Wikipedia notes: "The implications of this revelation for human health and longevity are significant because the only other known methods proven to stimulate mitochondiral biogenesis in aging humans are intense aerobic exercise,[26] strict caloric restriction,[27] and certain medications such as thiazolidinediones[28] and the diabetes drug metformin.[29]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrroloquinoline_quinone)

 

[SkyHog]

I have no idea if vitamin D deficiency would cause you to be grounded (I'd bet not) but would still advise you take a supplement for it daily. [Edit: I see you were already prescribed it.] Turns out vitamin D is correlated to telomere length, and telomere length is correlated to age longevity. (Telomeres are a sort of "end cap" on DNA strands.) So taking vitamin D may help slow your aging. Researchers are looking into it.

(Also with regard to slowing aging, a possibly new vitamin, pyrroloquinoline quinone (generally abbreviated to PQQ,) has definitely been shown to promote mitochondrial biogenesis; or as Wikipedia notes: "The implications of this revelation for human health and longevity are significant because the only other known methods proven to stimulate mitochondiral biogenesis in aging humans are intense aerobic exercise,[26] strict caloric restriction,[27] and certain medications such as thiazolidinediones[28] and the diabetes drug metformin.[29]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrroloquinoline_quinone)

Might explain why I look so old (and always have). Not kidding. I'm 29, but look like I'm in my early 40s. When I was a teenager, I looked like a later 20 year old.

 

[gkainz]

Vit. D symptoms were massive lethargy, some weak spells, and some other unmentionable issues. I'm prescribed 50,000 units twice weekly.

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

obstructive sleep apnea, treated and controlled with cpap is a special issuance - untreated is serious stuff

Edit - typos corrected - my phone screen is too small for this stuff! re: the post below with the blog about horrors of OSA Special Issuance, I guess crap happens. But, I've been on SI for OSA for something like 10 years now? No big deal, no horrible hoops, at least, for me.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

Read this before you do it:

http://blog.mytransponder.com/?p=308

 

[Gary F]

Fasting Glucose: 100 (reference 70-99) - only a point high....
Cholesterol: 235H (Reference 0-200)
Triglycerides: 233H (Reference <=149)
HDL 35L (Reference >=39)
LDL 166H (Reference 0-99)
VLDL 47H (Reference 0-40)

Vitamin D - 12.5 Lf (Reference 32-100) <---Was prescribed Vitamin D for a deficiency

So ....is horrible Cholesterol any thing I need to ground for? What about Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency is common but easily treated. I think 50,000 units twice a week is overkill as a long term treatment and would go to 1,000 to 2,000 units of D3 a day for maintenance after your level is in the normal range. Excessive Vitamin D supplementation may be harmful.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...hat-could-be-bad-for-your-health-2154057.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008

Your cholesterol numbers are very unfavorable. I have seen worse but you should really work on this. The low HDL and high triglycerides are evidence of excessive consumption of carbohydrates, especially sugar. The LDL is way too high as well. I recommend that you restrict total calories, animal fat and total carb intake, especially sugar. I would also put you on a statin (HMG CoA reductase inhibitor). Here are the official guidelines on treating cholesterol but I am inclined to use statins more liberally since they have an excellent safety record and some of them are available for $4 per month.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atglance.htm

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

Good idea. Your medical is much more important than your health.

 

[Gary F]

Vit. D symptoms were massive lethargy, some weak spells, and some other unmentionable issues. I'm prescribed 50,000 units twice weekly.

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

Sleep disordered breathing which includes obstructive sleep apnea can lead to serious health issues including several different heart problems. One problem is falling asleep at inopportune times like when driving or flying. Cardiac issues include a propensity to develop atrial fibrillation and possibly pulmonary hypertension or heart failure. The most common symptoms are snoring and excessive daytime somnolence and possibly lethargy. This is not an all or none condition, the severity varies considerably. Ask your physician if he really believes that you have the problem or is just being thorough (screening test) as this can affect your ability to fly.
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com...agement/pulmonary/sleep-disordered-breathing/

 

[SkyHog]

Read this before you do it:

http://blog.mytransponder.com/?p=308

These types of stories are precisely why I plan on doing everything I can to naturally fix any issues I may have. Lose weight, cut back on caffeine, etc.

 

[SkyHog]

Good idea. Your medical is much more important than your health.

Yep. You nailed it

 

[tonycondon]

yea get yourself down to 200 lbs of man love instead of 260 and i bet those numbers straighten right out.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

yea get yourself down to 200 lbs of man love instead of 260 and i bet those numbers straighten right out.

Makes the "How do I cram all this into a Part 103 Ultralight and/or LSA" problem a lot easier too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcJac6OykfM

 

[Gary F]

Weight loss can result in improvement of many problems, medical as well as payload issues. Too bad it is so difficult to accomplish. Don't forget that sugar is poison.

 

[tonycondon]

Weight loss can result in improvement of many problems, medical as well as payload issues. Too bad it is so difficult to accomplish. Don't forget that sugar is poison.

i lost 15 lbs between christmas and mid april. have kept it off with a steady diet of chocolate and dr. pepper.

 

[Gary F]

i lost 15 lbs between christmas and mid april. have kept it off with a steady diet of chocolate and dr. pepper.

I have not heard of that diet, you should write a book and get rich. It probably would not be helpful for the OP as he has high triglycerides and low HDL and a fairly high fasting glucose. The new target for triglycerides is under 100. Fasting glucose should be under 90.

 

[steingar]

Loosing weight will involve exercise, which will likely carry you outdoors, exposing you to more sunlight and UV, which should fix the Vitamin D deficiency as well.

 

[SkyHog]

Loosing weight will involve exercise, which will likely carry you outdoors, exposing you to more sunlight and UV, which should fix the Vitamin D deficiency as well.

That's the thing. I spend a good chunk of time outdoors as it is. I do a lot of yard work and play with my dogs a lot outside. So its not a lack of sunshine.

I have some gastrointestinal issues (another thing I have to look forward to - edoscopy. yay), which the doctor said could be preventing the absorption of Vit. D.

 

[tonycondon]

I have some gastrointestinal issues (another thing I have to look forward to - edoscopy. yay), which the doctor said could be preventing the absorption of Vit. D.

too many green chiles...

 

[Everskyward]

Did you ever quit smoking? I don't just mean real cigarettes but those fake ones too?

 

[jhausch]

That's the thing. I spend a good chunk of time outdoors as it is. I do a lot of yard work and play with my dogs a lot outside. So its not a lack of sunshine.

I have some gastrointestinal issues (another thing I have to look forward to - edoscopy. yay), which the doctor said could be preventing the absorption of Vit. D.

Keep looking until you find a doc to prescribe breast milk

 

[steingar]

That's the thing. I spend a good chunk of time outdoors as it is. I do a lot of yard work and play with my dogs a lot outside. So its not a lack of sunshine.

I have some gastrointestinal issues (another thing I have to look forward to - edoscopy. yay), which the doctor said could be preventing the absorption of Vit. D.

Sounds like it, you've have to be quite the couch potato to not produce enough Vitamin D. I even have enough living in the frozen north and working inside a windowless closet.

Good luck getting it all resolved. Weight loss will hep, though it does you little good if you can't keep it off. Develop healthy habits while you're young enough to do so.

 

[Gary F]

Smoking is real bad, especially if you have less than ideal cholesterol or diabetes or pre-diabetes.

 

[steingar]

The single best thing you can do for your health is quit smoking.

OK, the smoking diatribe I give my students. Its all true, and I even helped discover some of it.

When you smoke, your lungs treat the smoke like any other offending material. It is very abnormal to breathe in burning plant fibers. Your lungs react the way any tissue reacts to burning plant fibers, it sets up an inflammatory process. Part of the process is an infusion of cells with the very fancy name of macrophage, which basically means they're big and they eat things. The ones that infiltrate the lungs secrete a special enzyme called elastase. Elastase breaks down elastin fibers.

Now if you're read this far, you're probably wondering what this has to do with anything. Please bear with me, science isn't easy. You lungs are divided into lots of little spaces, called alveoli. The idea is to boost surface area, makes gas exchange more efficient. Those spaces are built with elastin fibers. Those are the fibers that are destroyed when your cigarette smoke attracts elastase producing macrophages.

My part in this was demonstrating that elastin, the building block of elastic fibers, is only made for a brief period during embryogenesis. Once elastase breaks down the elastic fibers, you loose alveoli and your lungs loose efficiency. Every time you smoke. Every time. And you will never produce pulmonary elastin again in your life, ever. You can never again make alveoli. Ever.

That's not even beginning to talk about cancer. Don't smoke. Don't let your loved ones smoke. Don't let your friends start, and if they do get them to stop, it is the biggest favor you can do them. In my household anyone found smoking is assumed to be on fire and treated appropriately.

 

[Gary F]

The bad chemicals in tobacco wreak havoc on blood vessels and make blood platelets sticky resulting in blocked arteries, heart attack and stroke. ED commonly results from peripheral vascular disease from smoking. If they included that on the warning labels of cigarettes some guys might think twice about smoking.

 

[steingar]

That, and its expensive and makes you smell yuckky.

 

[SkyHog]

For public knowledge - I quit smoking about 8 months ago, and started again about 1.5 months ago.

It'll stick one of these times (next time, maybe?). I know it will.

 

[SkyHog]

The bad chemicals in tobacco wreak havoc on blood vessels and make blood platelets sticky resulting in blocked arteries, heart attack and stroke. ED commonly results from peripheral vascular disease from smoking. If they included that on the warning labels of cigarettes some guys might think twice about smoking.

I never said I had ED of any sort.

But, that said, I have a very long list of unhealthy habits, many of which could lead to ED, so its something I have to be careful of:

1. I eat very poorly (Often, I never eat, often I eat too much, and when I eat, I generally eat bad stuff).
2. I rarely get more than 5 hours of sleep
3. I have a very sedentary job, and I live a very sedentary lifestyle
4. I smoke
5. I use smokeless tobacco
6. I drink only soda, and rarely drink water
7. I rarely exercise
8. I spend a lot of time on commercial airlines
9. I am stressed more often than I'm not from work
10. I've done a lot of bad things in my early life that probably reduced my lifespan significantly, and have sustained a lot of injuries for a person my age
11. I work in an environment where even if I quit smoking, I'll always be exposed to cigarette smoke

Of those 11 things, I have control over quite a few of them. What I need to do, and this part I know, is to change the things I can control. That should lessen the affects of the things I can't.

But what I can't do, at this point, is change them all simultaneously, or I'll wind up losing everything I have. So, my plan is to fix the sedentary lifestyle and eat better first, along with drinking more water. Once that starts happening, I can look at quitting tobacco use and increasing my sleep hours.

I think those things alone will help with the "possible apnea" issue. FWIW, my wife has only seen me have one apnea incident in the year we've been married, so I don't think I have a problem with apnea. The doctor was triggered by some of my questions on a sleep questionnaire, which could easily be driven by my over-consumption of sodas and my lack of sleep (and my weight).

 

[Gary F]

I never said I had ED of any sort.

I never implied that you do, just providing some factual health information for public consumption.

But, that said, I have a very long list of unhealthy habits, many of which could lead to ED, so its something I have to be careful of:

1. I eat very poorly (Often, I never eat, often I eat too much, and when I eat, I generally eat bad stuff).
2. I rarely get more than 5 hours of sleep
3. I have a very sedentary job, and I live a very sedentary lifestyle
4. I smoke
5. I use smokeless tobacco
6. I drink only soda, and rarely drink water
7. I rarely exercise
8. I spend a lot of time on commercial airlines
9. I am stressed more often than I'm not from work
10. I've done a lot of bad things in my early life that probably reduced my lifespan significantly, and have sustained a lot of injuries for a person my age
11. I work in an environment where even if I quit smoking, I'll always be exposed to cigarette smoke

Of those 11 things, I have control over quite a few of them. What I need to do, and this part I know, is to change the things I can control. That should lessen the affects of the things I can't.

But what I can't do, at this point, is change them all simultaneously, or I'll wind up losing everything I have. So, my plan is to fix the sedentary lifestyle and eat better first, along with drinking more water. Once that starts happening, I can look at quitting tobacco use and increasing my sleep hours.

I think those things alone will help with the "possible apnea" issue. FWIW, my wife has only seen me have one apnea incident in the year we've been married, so I don't think I have a problem with apnea. The doctor was triggered by some of my questions on a sleep questionnaire, which could easily be driven by my over-consumption of sodas and my lack of sleep (and my weight).

Second hand smoke is not as dangerous as smoking but I try to avoid it, not hard since I work in a hospital.

Sleeping on your side and not stomach or back may reduce the risk of sleep disordered breathing in some individuals.

 

[woodstock]

Nick, I think you will find that as you work on numbers 1,2,4,5,6,7 (to the best of your ability, and my unscientific priority would be work on 1,6,7 first and number 2 will follow...) you will find that number 9 below will take care of itself. (9. I am stressed more often than I'm not from work)

I would probably start immediately with 1 and 6 the best you can... work up to 7 by walks each night after work, every night and then ramp up from there.

I would even say to start that eating a little better, drinking water ONLY and going for walks after work every single night, no matter what... would be a better start for you than quitting smoking (again?).

I do mean - water only. Nothing else for a while.

ps. I put smoking lower down because I think trying to stop before you do the other things will stress you even more and set you up for failure. Get the other things going so that you start to feel better first... more will power for stopping smoking later.

 

[woodstock]

ps. even just try it for one week. WATER ONLY. Decent meals - regular ones, not half assed "nothing then everything". Walks every night. See how even one week feels.

 

[Gary F]

The three most important things you (or any smoker) can do.

Stop smoking.
Stop smoking.
Stop smoking.

The big heart attacks (ST elevation MI) are more common in smokers, at least in younger individuals. This can really screw up someone's ability to fly if they live through it.

 

[steingar]

Besides, if you're not spending for all those atrociously priced cigarettes, you'll have more money for atrociously priced avgas.

 

[pilot_dude]

Besides, if you're not spending for all those atrociously priced cigarettes, you'll have more money for atrociously priced avgas.

I've read that Mr. Hog works for a tobacco company. I wonder if one of the "benefits" is a reduced price on smokes?

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I've read that Mr. Hog works for a tobacco company. I wonder if one of the "benefits" is a reduced price on smokes?

Even if not, that makes quitting that much harder, since you're in a smoker-friendly environment with many others smoking around you.

Nick, you're in IT right? Not anything that's particularly related to the tobacco industry? See if you can do some networking outside of the company and maybe even find yourself a better job elsewhere. I think it'd be really hard to quit and stick to it while working at a tobacco company. And if you follow Liz's suggestions, you can get the other stuff taken care of while you're in that process.

As for snoring and apnea - I know I snore. I'm concerned about apnea and its effects, but because of the danger to my medical I'm gonna do a "self sleep study" one of these days where I put a video camera in the bedroom aimed at me so I can watch myself and see if I'm having "events" that might warrant a real sleep study.

As soon as this semester is over, I'm weaning myself off the caffeine first, then soda entirely, then sugar, and I'll probably do the "couch to 5k" routine and/or some biking as well as do the Atkins thing for a few weeks to give myself a boost in energy and keep the rest going. Now that I'll have a summer where I won't be sitting in a truck, it's time to get rid of the trucker bod!

Nick... Good luck, buddy. I wish you the best of luck in improving your health.

 

[Doggtyred]

Vit. D symptoms were massive lethargy, some weak spells, and some other unmentionable issues. I'm prescribed 50,000 units twice weekly.

Oh yeah, the other thing was a suggestion for a prescribed Sleep Study. I think I'll pass on that until I get the weight under control. I am pretty sure that'll be grounding.

I'm going to give you some medical advice here. Rather than just giving medical information, I'm going to go out on a limb and say "DONT DO IT THAT WAY".

Avoiding a workup because a positive finding is groundable is sticking your head in the sand. And its dangerous.

IF you have sleep apnea, and IF its untreated, you need to get that under control first. Untreated sleep apnea can cause UNCONTROLLABLE narcolepsy. Essentially you nod off when you shouldnt, and you aren't able to stop it. Thats able to be suddenly incapacitating.

The other thing to keep in mind is IF you have sleep apnea or other sleep disruptions your body is in a constant state of stress. This causes the secretion of steroids/hormones by your body (cortisol, for one). One of the predominant side effects of this is weight gain and/or inability to lose weight. A sleep tech once told me that you could have sleep apnea, starve yourself and still put on weight.

Untreated sleep apnea is associated with chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, and if untreated long enough, HEART FAILURE. I've cared for people with this level of dysfunction who are in their 30s and 40s... and thats just too young.

Doc Bruce used a phrase a while back when answering questions about diabetes (unrelated to this post) and how the poster wanted to "Steer" the doc in the workup.

His advice was.. "dont steer this". Do what the doc wants you to do. Get healthy and avoid the consequences.

Get the sleep study, and if you have a sleep problem, get it treated. Dont wait for something fixable to turn into something thats not.

 

[silver-eagle]

If you think you have a condition that could mean you're grounded, isn't it prudent to ground yourself, fix the problem, then be safe to go? Why play roulette with your health. Do what you need to do to get better.

 

[steingar]

Being alive does beat the alternative.

 

[jesse]

1. I eat very poorly (Often, I never eat, often I eat too much, and when I eat, I generally eat bad stuff).

You can control this.

2. I rarely get more than 5 hours of sleep

You can control this.

3. I have a very sedentary job, and I live a very sedentary lifestyle

You can control this.

4. I smoke

You can control this.

5. I use smokeless tobacco

You can control this.

6. I drink only soda, and rarely drink water

You can control this.

7. I rarely exercise

You can control this.

8. I spend a lot of time on commercial airlines

You can control this.

9. I am stressed more often than I'm not from work

You can control this.

10. I've done a lot of bad things in my early life that probably reduced my lifespan significantly, and have sustained a lot of injuries for a person my age

Past can't be controlled so don't worry about it. Focus on what you can control.

11. I work in an environment where even if I quit smoking, I'll always be exposed to cigarette smoke

You can control that. You couldn't pay me enough to work in a place where I'd be regularly exposed to cigarette smoke.

Focus on the things you can control and control them. Not tomorrow, not later, now.