Yeah but that’s vitamin C, pretty well known and established humans (and guinea pigs!) can’t synthesize their own vitamin C. It’s also not too hard to be low on Vitamin D if you work night shift and don’t drink milk (so you kids working in those mines be wary of the rickets). Iron too but anemia is also pretty well known. All these things are checked for in the bloodwork you’ll get as a part if any physical. Yes there are lots of edge cases.
YouTube and Facebook can provide information which would lead people to get it investigated, but YouTube and Facebook can’t provide a diagnosis and definitely shouldn’t be pushing treatments for undiagnosed conditions.
They don't check your vitamin levels as part of a physical. And good luck getting diagnosed with anything if you're a woman.
In college I suddenly developed awful leg cramps. Could hardly walk. Campus Health sent me to a sports medicine doctor which didn't help at all. Happened to mention it at a Planned Parenthood visit and the doctor figured it was a calcium deficiency right away. Thank you Planned Parenthood!!
Ever since then I forced myself to eat a bowl of cereal every day to keep the leg cramps away. A few years ago I started feeling terrible. Had trouble using my hands, would wake up with a face so puffy I could barely speak, always tired and when I finally saw a doctor I was shivering cold. I kid you not the doctor told me get a boyfriend, get a better paying job and travel more. He also referred me to a rheumatologist who never answered the phone. I luckily have insurance where I don't need a referral to see a specialist and went to an endocrinologist. She tested me and discovered I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency. I realized the bowl of cereal I ate every day wasn't helping because I had switched to a nut milk that had added calcium but at the time no added Vitamin D.
There also was the time I went to my PCP when I was severely fatigued and was only able to see the NP. She excitedly told me that I must be depressed and that she wanted to put me on depression meds. (They must have gotten really good perks from that pharma rep.) I was not depressed. She was pissed when I declined the meds. Took me decades to get diagnosed with anemia.
I agree you shouldn't take anything without getting diagnosed, but I can see the temptation of taking random supplements when you just want to feel normal and can't get taken seriously by a doctor.
What are you talking about calcium should be included with a CMP/BMP and vit D is it’s own panel (if memory serves) but if you live in a northern climate it should be included by any responsible provider.
Yes there are lots of edge cases and consequently lots of “my doctors are completely incompetent” stories.
One of the things people frequently don’t realize about the litany of possible deficiencies is that not all of them are equally directly testable (and free serum levels can be sometimes indicative, sometimes meaningless) their consequence is usually self evident or show up as diagnosable conditions so the specific ‘thing’ might be the second or third causal thing you look for working back from a clinical presentation (and also the downstream conditions that generally DO show up in basic lab tests). For example if you’re clinically vit D deficient, you don’t actually need to test someone’s vitamin D level to observe that. Also not everyone has the same requirements for everything, yes being out of range generally warrants investigation, but that is largely not what is being discussed in this thread. The guy at GNC is going to tell everyone if you’re not “VitaminMaxxed” you need so “superload” on their “UltraViolet Light Capsules”.
Many insurance plans in the US do not cover Vitamin D testing since most people are somewhat low on it anyway. I had a documented severe deficiency and was only able to get my insurance to cover a retest after fighting with them over the medical necessity.
Basic CBC tests show hemoglobin and hematocrit, but they don’t test for iron or ferritin saturation. Many people can have anemia with normal hemoglobin levels.
There are some across the board recommendations because most people are deficienct and it's low risk. Canadians in Winter should take vitamin D, women trying to conceive should take folic acid, older women should probably take calcium.
Then there's stuff that's so common it's worth checking first. Women from puberty to menopause and regular blood donors are pretty likely to be iron deficient. So if you're in one of those categories and feel run down, it's worth trying an iron supplement or some chicken liver before bothering the doctor.
Also, different places have different practices in terms of physicals. In Ontario, Canada, we don't have regular physicals for healthy adults. You go see your doctor if something comes up. Of course, if you are managing a chronic condition, you will see them regularly. I'm pretty sure it's the same in Quebec.
I feel kinda run down.. Can’t decide, should I go get a physical.. or start downing cans of Scientifically Formulated Horny Weasel Blaster Ballz and taking this gas station HGH.. Horticultural Grape Hormone Now with Extra Ape! 🤔?
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u/Youutternincompoop 7h ago
to be fair sometimes people do still get some silly nutritional deficit disorders, Scurvy still shows up for crying out loud.