Low Toxin Lifestyle Sister's low copper & ceruloplasmin

[BRENBAIL]

I'm hoping someone can guide me. My sister, who had gastric bypass surgery, in 2005, just got tested and she has low RBC, low HGB, low HCT. She also is copper deficient at 65 (reference range 80-158), and ceruloplasmin is deficient too at 14.8 (ref. 19-39). She knows I am researching this so she gave me her lab results. She also has iron deficiency (she's post-menopausal), she's been having deficient WBC counts lately. Her selenium is too high, as well as her B6. Her LFT's are: ALT 23, AST 26 (that's too high in my book). Her zinc is in the range.
The problem is, she is riddled with arthritis everywhere. She's had several knee replacements, 2 hip replacements, neck surgery, ankle surgery, a long plate in her femur due to a fall last year and breaking it (her bones were so soft she needed that plate to stabilize the break). She now walks with a gait, has severe TMJ, carpal tunnel, and is in pain constantly. She has severe anxiety too. She's only 58.
According to standard medicine, they would put her on high doses of iron (she's been on iron supplements forever due to her gastric bypass), and now would put her on copper as well. My gut feeling is that she is iron toxic (and maybe copper too), and her joint pain is due to these toxic elements imbedding in her joints. But, her gastric bypass is making this complicated. Maybe she is deficient in these. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[youngsinatra]

Gastric bypass surgery increases the risk for malabsorption of minerals and vitamins. There are many case reports of people who got gastric bypass surgery and ended up with copper deficiency.

Copper deficiency + long term iron supplementation could have caused severe iron toxicity. (iron dysregulation - low in the serum, but high in tissues, because ceruloplasmin (ferroxidase) is needed to mobilize iron from stores)

My mother induced herself a copper deficiency a few years ago with 100mg+ of zinc a day and developed severe rheumatoid arthritis and anemia. Got herself off zinc and added a little copper and was able to get off her crazy immunosuppressant injectable meds etc. and no more rheumatoid arthritis on all screenings ever since.

 

[youngsinatra]

Hows her digestion? Stool quality, frequency, consistency, form, color? Mold exposure? Thyroid markers? Homocysteine, methylation?

A lot of things can cause low blood copper besides a blatant deficiency but it needs investigation.

 

[BRENBAIL]

Hows her digestion? Stool quality, frequency, consistency, form, color? Mold exposure? Thyroid markers? Homocysteine, methylation?

A lot of things can cause low blood copper besides a blatant deficiency but it needs investigation.

Just within the past week or so she's been feeling nauseous, but otherwise her digestion is fine. There could be mold exposure, but only when she goes in her basement (not a direct attachment to her house). Thyroid is fine, homocysteine is OK, not sure about methylation.
Another habit she has is that she drinks tons of Crystal Light Ice Tea. Not only is it toxic with aspartame and other chemicals, it's extremely high in fluoride. Maybe she is deficient in iron and copper, but her issue is instead due to high fluoride which is causing her joint and bone pain. She knows it's bad for her, but is addicted. I think she's getting quite worried with her symptoms to the point of finally giving it up, but if anyone has more info on fluoride, maybe 'knowledge is power' info can fuel the recovery mindset.

 

[Kyle970]

Listened to a mineral balancing podcast, said you can be overloaded with copper in stores yet deficient at the same time?

 

[BRENBAIL]

Listened to a mineral balancing podcast, said you can be overloaded with copper in stores yet deficient at the same time?

Yes, I do believe that can happen, but it's difficult to convince others without proof. Her MD's are just saying she has 'bad genetics'. I'm telling her that the reason for her severe joint pain is due to accumulated iron & copper. Even her teeth are starting to look discolored/grey. I can't help but think it's due to the 15 yrs of being on a high dose of iron supplements as that's what they put people on who's had gastric bypass.