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Okay, this feels like a dumb question, but what do you ask your doctor for when you want your vitamin levels checked out?

I went to an Endrocronologist once that said, 'everything's fine,' but he refused to show many documentation. Is this normal? He was a jerk about it.

It seems this would be a common test with easy to understand results.

Can you share your experiences?

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5 Answers

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To follow up on Blossom1's post, if you are in the USA, the relevant law is called HIPPA.

A covered health provider is required by law to provide you access to your medical records.

Here is some info: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

The doc is allowed to charge reasonable fees for the reproduction of the documents. http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/faq/right_to_access_medical_records/353.html

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Best to see a "Naturopath" who actually went to a bona fide school for Naturopathy,not online nor self declared as there are many. Search: "AANMC.org" to find practitioners in your area.

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If you are in the United States, you are legally entitled to obtain a copy of any part of your medical record. The only reason you can be denied access is if the provider believes you are at risk of self-harm if you obtain access - and that has to be documented in writing. You should be able to call up that endo and get a full copy of everything in your record, including his notes. There might be a fee - not sure of this - but he can't deny you! Get your records, and get a more respectful doc! Disclaimer: not a lawyer, or a doctor.

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My regular doctor happens to specialize in internal medicine. I've had him sign requests for testing everything from Mercury to Cholesterol. And he always delivers a copy of the actual lab report personally to me before reviewing the results. Find yourself another doctor.

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He was probably a jerk about the question, because questions like that sometimes trigger a "OMG it's a hypochondriac!" reaction in doctors.

A doctor's job, sadly, is to treat symptoms. Without symptoms of some illness with something obviously related to vitamins or minerals -- thinking vitamin A deficiency or too much iron -- of course that type of doctor is going to say "everything's fine", as there are no symptoms.

If the doctor dismissed symptoms you went to the doctor to address, then there's a real problem.

You do have the option of finding a doctor or other healthcare practitioner that is into preventative medicine -- they may be more amenable to your requests to satiate your curiosity about your own body.

There are labs you can submit your own blood work to to have a variety of tests done yourself. Don't believe the doctor is a gatekeeper to healthcare and health tests.

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It would be great to know more about the labs where I can do my own testing. I'm not a hypocondriac, I just like to be in the know. It feels like I get more feedback on my car than my own body. – ruby_goes_paleo Mar 16 2012 at 15:10
I was not implying that you were, just that I suspect that's what the doctor may have been thinking. EnteroLab - enterolab.com - is well regarded for allergen testing, especially GF testing. I would just google it, and find a lab that seems reputable. For e.g., healthtestingcenters.com/vitamintest.aspx has a "Vitamin Profile" test. I am not suggesting them, just saying they are 1 example. I only have used enterolab -- and only for GF testing. – greymouser Mar 16 2012 at 15:27

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