Vitamin D private test

danairl

Do anybody know where can i get a private vitamin D test in Dublin ? my gp said that the hospital wont do that , they only do full blood count, but i need vit D to be tested.Thanks.

Zombienosh

Why do you need it done? If your GP/Hospital won't do it they must not see it as a risk. A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by, unless you never go outside and have an awful diet. Even then It can be supplemented easily and the Vit D would be the least of your problems at that stage.

vigos

Zombienosh wrote: »

A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by

Without a test how can you be 100% sure?

How easy is it to get your daily recommended dose of Vitamin D3 from normal natural foods? How much more of these would you need to eat if it turns out you're deficient?

Also how much exposure is needed to sunlight to get your recommended levels also. The weather in this country doesn't exactly lend itself to this and if you do go out you tend to be covered up.

I find it strange/bizarre that a GP wouldn't at least do a test if someone asked for it, OP if you're still worried about I would try another GP.

El_Dangeroso

Zombienosh wrote: »

A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by, unless you never go outside and have an awful diet.

Over 70% of a sample of Irish athletes tested as deficient after winter. These would tend to be people who would spend an above average time outside and eat a better-than-average diet.

The ONLY way to know you're deficient is to test. I got one done from ZRT labs online, cost around 70 euro. I wasn't supplementing and it was february, but I was well into healthy range.(90nmol/l) (I eat a fairly nutrient dense diet that includes pickled herring - a very rich source). But if you don't get tested you don't know.

Ted_Hutchinson

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

The ONLY way to know you're deficient is to test. I got one done from ZRT labs online, cost around 70 euro. I wasn't supplementing and it was february, but I was well into healthy range.(90nmol/l) (I eat a fairly nutrient dense diet that includes pickled herring - a very rich source). But if you don't get tested you don't know.

City Assays Vitamin D Blood Spot Test £25 = 29.62 Euro
CITYASSAYS are a department of Birmingham UK NHS pathology lab.
If you've 10 friends/relatives/family/workmates you can buy 10 packs and share the tests and get a £5 discount on each tests
They will post them anywhere take about 2 days to get the test and they email the result a couple of days after you post the sample strip back to them. If you go for the bulk buy option write the code on each of the packs so they can trace where they've come from.

Ted_Hutchinson

Zombienosh wrote: »

A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by,

Human DNA evolved in East Africa where you get sun 12hrs from dawn to dusk where you make vitamin D3 and from dusk to dawn the night is pitch black so you make Melatonin. Vitamin D and melatonin are both anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antinociceptive agents.
Naturally humans living in East Africa where humsn DNA evolved maintain vitamin D equilbrium around 125nmol/l at which point Vitamin d is most effective as an anti inflammatory agent.
Most UK adults maintain a 25(OH)D level between 25nmol/l at the end of winter to about 75nmol/l at the end of summer.
Normally most people run with the vit d levels about half to a quarter the optimal level.
What would happen if you ran your car with tyres, coolant, oil just 25% of optimal?
Lots more work for the garage.
Hence there is lots more work for health professionals in you keeping your Vitamin D level just a quarter of the natural level.
Who thinks Human milk should be a COMPLETE food for human babies?
If you think that then you will agree that 125~150 nmol/l 50~60ng/ml is the right level for human mothers. This is what naturally happens in East Africa when mothers live as humans evolved.
You genes are based on that model.

danlen

Zombienosh wrote: »

Why do you need it done? If your GP/Hospital won't do it they must not see it as a risk. A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by, unless you never go outside and have an awful diet. Even then It can be supplemented easily and the Vit D would be the least of your problems at that stage.

^^ This is complete rubbish.

wayhey

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Over 70% of a sample of Irish athletes tested as deficient after winter. These would tend to be people who would spend an above average time outside and eat a better-than-average diet.

I don't know how you can reach that conclusion.

The athletes in question are boxers, paralympians and GAA players. There's no investigation of their diet or time outside, purely vitamin D serum levels. I would even suggest that the majority of these people move inside for winter training.

Only 84 people were involved in the study. That's an extremely small number of people. Only 27 were involved in intervention.

OP, be aware that relying on diagnostic materials or medicines bought online is not always reliable (or more importantly, safe). You should raise your concerns with your GP if still worried - and by all means bring back-up information on anything you're worried about so you can discuss it together.

El_Dangeroso

wayhey wrote: »

I don't know how you can reach that conclusion.

The athletes in question are boxers, paralympians and GAA players. There's no investigation of their diet or time outside, purely vitamin D serum levels. I would even suggest that the majority of these people move inside for winter training.

Only 84 people were involved in the study. That's an extremely small number of people. Only 27 were involved in intervention.

OP, be aware that relying on diagnostic materials or medicines bought online is not always reliable (or more importantly, safe). You should raise your concerns with your GP if still worried - and by all means bring back-up information on anything you're worried about so you can discuss it together.

I wasn't referring to the intervention, so I have no idea why you're referring to that.

Here's a paper for a more general population of women:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17584400

The vitamin D tests mentioned here are perfectly safe, if you have evidence to the contrary I'd love to see it, if not stop scaremongering.

Zombienosh

Let me clear this up there, I said THEY must not see it as a risk if they wont test for it. AND It is easy to supplement - I eat a diet rich in VIT D and supplement it. Most Irish people are probably deficient In VIT D, but not to the point where they are going to die FFS.

rubadub

Zombienosh wrote: »

A Vitamin D deficiency to the point of a health risk would be pretty hard to come by, unless you never go outside and have an awful diet.

Re-emergence of rickets and vitamin D deficiency

siochain

Why can't your GP do it?

I have a full blood panel done every 6 months with my GP and vit D is included.

John Mason

My GP has just called me with the results of vit. d test. i am screwed lol, it should be 80 and its 22.

I really dont see why your GP wont do them, perhaps you should look for a new gp

JJayoo

When you say Vitamin D do you mean vitamin D3 which is made when our skin is exposed to sunlight?

rubadub

Ted_Hutchinson wrote: »

City Assays Vitamin D Blood Spot Test £25 = 29.62 Euro
CITYASSAYS are a department of Birmingham UK NHS pathology lab.

I saw this crowd mentioned on a US site as being cheap,

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/testing-for-vitamin-d/

There are a number of companies that offer in-home tests, including:

ZRT Labs. The Vitamin D Council works with ZRT Labs and receives 15% of the proceeds from each test bought. This helps to support the Vitamin D Council (a nonprofit organization!) and gives you accurate test results.

New Century Diagnostics. The test is sold through a website called Home Health Testing. Some users report that the test is a little difficult to use.

City Assays. This company is based in the UK and offers the cheapest test internationally (about $48 USD) and in the UK/Ireland (£25). It takes about 10 days for the test to arrive to the United States.

danairl

Thanks everyone ...i will try an online one..don't know why my gp wont test vit d , 25(OH)D ...thanks Ted for the info, in my opinion i do recommend to everyone to get vit d tested ....

vigos

Danairl, I've just ordered the kit from the city assays in the UK seemed pretty quick to do apart from the trouble with understanding the Irish addresess and names!

Hanley

Gonna do this and see what happens!!

rubadub

vigos wrote: »

apart from the trouble with understanding the Irish addresess and names!

You often have to add in post codes as 00000 or similar on many automated online forms.

vigos

Just to give some feedback on this test, it was pretty easy to do and not painful at all incase anyone has a fear of drawing blood! Infact I wondered had it done anything at all until I saw the drop of blood appear on the fingertip. Results were sent back within the week so all is looking ok for me at least but will still probably continue to take my vit D3 supplementation to maintain it.

Like I said in an earlier post the hardest part was trying to get them to understand my address over the phone as they dont accept online orders.

FelixPop

You can get Vit D tested in Blackrock Clinic for €60. The reason a GP can't test is because the blood must be kept on ice and in the dark and tested within one hour I think to get an accurate reading. Hope that helps!

Mariol

Bumping this as I'm looking to get a comprehensive check up done in terms of vitamins and minerals, not just vitamin d. Would just like to grab the data now and then again in 6-9 months time.

Where's the best place to get something like this done and how much should I be expecting to pay?