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High calcitriol levels in pregnancy?
I got my vitamin d levels checked when I was 11 weeks pregnant (a week ago) because I have been depressed, the intensive outpatient program I am working with asked my psychiatrist to order them to see if I have a vitamin d deficiency. he ordered Calcitriol 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin d which I don’t think is the correct test to correctly measure vitamin d deficiency. I got them back and they are high (vitamin d 1,25 (OH)2, total 119 pg/ml, cut off is 72 pg/ml), I called my pcp, they didn’t have an answer, and called my OB and they didn’t really seem to have a definitive answer and were confused by the whole thing. I’m confused by the whole thing, I’ve read that calcitriol can go up in pregnancy and that’s normal, but nobody can seem to give me an answer if it’s too high that I’d need some further testing to make sure my calcium levels are ok. I just want to look out for my baby and make sure I’m on top of it. Any insight or info appreciated!!
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Hi, @melly93, and welcome. It makes a lot of sense that you’d feel unsettled when you’re getting abnormal lab results and no one can clearly explain what they mean. Especially when you're pregnant!
I read the same thing you did -- that it's normal for calcitrol to be high during pregnancy. And according to Medline Plus, it's not usually the test used to test whether your vitamin D level is low. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/vitamin-d-test/
It can be so tricky to manage your care when dealing with different doctors for different health concerns. Would it be possible to ask your OB and your psychiatrist to take a team approach to your care during your pregnancy? You're doing such a great job of advocating for both yourself and your baby. Asking your two doctors to coordinate care during your pregnancy might lead to clearer communication and more peace of mind for you. Do you think your doctors would be open to that?
@klp thank you for commenting! Yes, I think that this is going to be important going forward. I am just going to go with the fact that my OB has my lab and the value of calcitriol, and did not want to order any extra tests at this time, because I do not think they are concerned. But I think I need to have a conversation with both my OB’s office and my psychiatrist about coordinating care, because it’s a little much for me to be doing this right now. Thanks!