Test Results and Future Plan for Zinc/Copper

Liver Enzymes- 4 were tested in addition to protein.  All were normal.  The only one that was close to the edge was ALT.  The range was 10-44 and my score was 40.  I thought ALP would be elevated but it was solidly normal.  Certainly no smoking gun there.  There was an explanation as well.  Word is that exercise can raise this ALT enzyme and I did run 12 hours earlier.  GB-3 will not hurt me but it's not a game changer.  I'll finish the bottle but will not re-order.

Vitamin C- Was NOT tested.  It would have cost me $229 and I already know that I cannot tolerate it.  Not worth the cost because even if I was low, I've got to go another direction, which is to reduce the Iron.

Vitamin D (OH.25)- This is the storage test.  The range was 20-100 and my score was 34.7.  That seems to be a little on the low side and most MDs prefer it to be at 40.  However, according to Morley's MAG group, there is no additional benefit once it goes over 21.  I'd say my score is fine.

Vitamin D (OH 1,25)- This is the Active D test.  I tested at 55.5, which was right in the middle of the range.  Supposedly, active D should be 1.5-2 times higher than storage and that's right where I am.  No problem with either D test and no smoking gun there either.  The plan to raise these numbers would be Cod Liver Oil but I'm going to pass on that. Unnecessary.

Ferritin- Ticked up from 171 to 194.  The optimal target is 50 but I'll settle for under 100.  This is NOT good news.  What caused that to happen?  I believe Vitamin C may have been the culprit.  No radical solution yet.  Staying off the C may help.  Zinc may help as well.  Those are the 2 conservative options.  The radical choices are the liver flush and blood donation.  Let's hope it does not come to that.  Again, it's still well within the lab's normal range so I doubt that it is the smoking gun either.

Plan:
  I credit my recent improvement to a product called Zinc balance by Jarrow.  It contains 15 mg Zinc as methionine and 1 mg of Copper.  Zinc and copper are direct antagonists of each other.  Zinc alone will deplete copper and copper alone as well as anything that raises copper will deplete zinc.  A 15:1 ratio COULD keep both in balance.

My past Treatments:
   As my ceruloplasmin (bioavailable copper) level improved, I have felt WORSE.  I am beginning to believe that although the treatments were necessary, they may have severely depleted my zinc levels.
Both Liver Beef and Whole Food C are INSTANT FAILURES at the moment.  Guess what?  Both raise copper and thus lower zinc.   Although my plasma zinc has consistently tested well, it's not always a reliable test.  Just like Magnesium, it needs to be tested at the cellular level with an RBC test.  I'll also test copper.

At one point, I needed to take an exact 20:1 ratio of zinc and copper or ELSE but that is no longer an issue thanks to improved methylation.  If I took all zinc, it would likely be a quick fix but would not last long.  My copper is probably still a bit on the low side.  It is better for BOTH to be a bit low than have 1 normal and 1 deficient.  Think height/weight.

I had brief success with FOS and IP-6 but both turned disastrous after a few weeks.  I know now that both deplete zinc.  Signs certainly point in the direction of a zinc deficiency especially with the recent improvements since starting the zinc balance.

Next tests:
-Repeat Ferritin
-Zinc RBC
-Copper RBC

I've said this many times but now I believe that I will get some type of resolution one way or the other within the next few months.