Vitamin D deficiency....HELP

[BonnieA]

I had a Vit D problem. I was on high dosage pills but they just didn't work on me. Then my GP mentioned drops. They are called Vit-D-Mulsion Forte from Biotics. Each drop is 2000iu. I take 4-5 drops each day. It raised my Vit D levels. You just put the drops on the back of your hand and lick them off.

 

[Tiger926]

Same here, sis and I had the lowest levels of our doc - 20 and 22. OP's level is way low...

You need to have testing to determine why you are having an absorption issue. We were both tested for lots of stuff, Celiac disease being one of them.

I also have Osteoporosis - youngest diagnosed patient at my specialist at age 31, so I have to take those meds, as well as calcium. It's hard as calcium kills my tummy. Vit D is easy to take as I take Vit D. drops of 1,000 units. I was supposed to take the 100,000 protocol as above, but I have a hereditary liver condition, so no go for me. Sis did it 3x, and it still took forever for her levels to raise up. I take about 5,000 units per day all year round.

At this point, I have been instructed not to wear sunscreen outside, and I must get sunshine each day in the summer. Problem is that I live in Canada, and we are one of the most Vit. D deficient countries in the world, due to our long winters, but after I return from our yearly 2 week summer vacation to WDW, my levels are ok. I tried to get it put in as a medical request, but that was not possible - LOL!!!

I wish OP and all others luck in working this out - lots of Vit. D research being done these days. It's actually not a vitamin, but a hormone, so this is why it's very important to get those levels correct, as you will feel serious fatigue, immune issues, and it has been linked to multiple scleroris and certain cancers as well.

Happy health to all, Tiger

 

[KiKi Mouse]

Just started taking Vit D- 5000/ day and I feel 1000% better. I never had my levels checked but after reading about Vit D deficiency, I was amazed by how some of the women sounded so much like me. Now I have more energy, the vague muscle and joint pains are going away as is my lethargy and stomach problems. Supplementing my thyroid meds with the Vit D has made me 15 years younger than I felt just a couple of weeks ago.

I'm supposed to take 200O units of Vit D a day plus 1000mg of calcium.
I don't. I have MS and got sick of taking all the pills.
Your post is incentive to me to go back to taking all the supplements.

 

[luvthatdisney]

Please before you do the high dosage of Vitamin D(2), do a little research online. You can also ask your pharmacist! The body does not absorb vitamin D2 like you would think - even these outrageous high doses (ie 50,000, etc...). The body will absorb D3 much much better, which you can get over the counter. They come in gel caps usually and have helped me greatly. I take 5000iu a day.

I told my doctor what I did and she said that was fine - especially since my levels increased into the normal range.

 

[7165red]

I have the same thing, Dr. said I have to take D-3 - 1,000 units a day.

 

[PrincesCJM]

I was taking 5000 units per day plus a multi-vitamin last year until I had a kidney stone. I never caught the stone so they weren't able to analyze it but I think it was the vitamin D that caused my stone. I have not had my levels retested since I stopped taking 5000 units.

 

[Tiger926]

I was taking 5000 units per day plus a multi-vitamin last year until I had a kidney stone. I never caught the stone so they weren't able to analyze it but I think it was the vitamin D that caused my stone. I have not had my levels retested since I stopped taking 5000 units.

Yup, unfortunately, Vit D does conflict with kidney stones. Hubby had a stone last year, but his Vit D is low (like pretty much all Canadians!), but he is on much less units per day than I, because of his kidney stone history.

Tiger

 

[D L and K's Mom]

I went to the Dr because I was exausted and very weepy. Thankfully he is a great guy and took me seriously and checked my blood. I got a call saying I needed to go back to the office 2 days later. I asked if there was a prob and was told yes but nothing to worry about. A couple of low levels. My iron and Vit D were low. Vitamin D was very, very low. I can't remember the number. I had a perscription of I think 6 weeks and then a shot. (OUCH). I felt 100% better. Dr. said some people are actully told they have depression and it is a very low Vit D level. I not take a daily vitimin, Vit D and slow FE. I feel so much better!!!! I asked him if he could perscribe a vacation in a tropical location instead of pills but he said nope...lol.

 

[BobbinWeez]

I just found out last week that I have extremely low Vit D levels too. I went to a neurologist for migraines and she tested my levels. She wants me in the 30-40 range and I'm at 9.6! Yikes! So I'm taking 10,000 iu per day at her suggestion. I haven't been on it long enough to determine if it's making me feel better. Apparently there's not enough sun in New England nor is all my time spent outside as a preschool teacher enough to help my levels naturally.

 

[cepmom]

I've been taking 50,000iu of Vit D every other week for the past 6 weeks. My level was at 18. I get retested in 2 weeks to see if it has gone up at all. I went to the Dr complaining of fatigue and after testing for various other things (all came back normal) I asked about Vit D deficiency. She resisted at first but I asked her to just please humor me and order the test. Turns out it was low after all. I don't feel dramtically better(yet) but I did read that it can take a while.

 

[Bilberry]

I think low vitamin D3 levels is common now days, from what I've read. We've been told to stay out of the sun, and we also work in doors most of the day, and so have become deficient. I take 6000ius of D3 each morning and keep a testing levels between 60 to 70ng/ml year round. I feel great for it. Rarely do I gets cold now, and have seen my HDL cholesterol rise considerable.

Here's an article I recall about another persons experience with low vitamin D3 levels, and what it took for her to raise it higher.

10,000 units of vitamin D
http://www.heartscanblog.org/2010/08/10000-units-of-vitamin-d.html

from the article:

Joanne started with a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level of 23 ng/ml--severe deficiency.

What made this starting value even worse was that it was drawn in August after a moderately sunny summer spent outdoors. (Last summer, not this summer.) It therefore represented her high for the year, since vitamin D levels trend lower as fall and winter set in. This suggests that her winter level was likely in the teens or even single digits. In addition, note that, at age 43, Joanne has lost much of her ability to activate vitamin D in the skin.

So I advised that she take 6000 units of an oil-based gelcap per day, a dose likely to generate the desired blood level, which I believe is 60-70 ng/ml.

Four months later, her 25-hydroxy vitamin D level: 39.9 ng/ml--still too low. So I advised her to increase her dose to 10,000 units per day. Several months later, her 25-hydroxy vitamin D level: 63.8 ng/ml--perfect.

 

[Snoozan]

I started taking Vit D a few years back after being diagnosed with osteoporosis in my mid 40's - that was the result of being super-supressed on Levothroid to keep my thyroid cancer from growing. I take 5000 units 5 x a week and my last bloodwork showed my VitD level at over 100, so obviously my body absorbs this well. I was also told that the VitD is actually more important than calcium for bone health, but you do need the calcium to help with the aborbsion. Even my endo told me he takes 4000 units of Vit D a day! and it is Vit D3 that you want to be taking.

 

[lizanne]

Both my Husband and Daughter-in-Law have had Vitamin D deficency in the last two years. Both were put on prescription level doses. Husband took it for 6 months - daughter in law for 8 weeks. Both seem to be fine now.

 

[rie'smom]

I'm supposed to take 200O units of Vit D a day plus 1000mg of calcium.
I don't. I have MS and got sick of taking all the pills.
Your post is incentive to me to go back to taking all the supplements.

Glad I could help! My husband and I spent the afternoon walking all over the French Quarter in New Orleans. Not very long ago, that would have been almost impossible. Good luck and I hope you feel better quickly!!!!

 

[czycropper]

OP here - I took the first 60,000 last night and I'm scheduled for the second on Monday, so far I haven't noticed any difference but I know it can't work overnight

I'm so happy that there is a support here at DIS since no one I know where I live has any experience with low VitD. The funny thing is that my B12 counts are low normal but still ok.

My doc said that I had to work on getting the levels up and then figure out what's zapping the vitamin out of my body - my DH says that the Diet Coke I drink can't be helping we'll see.

 

[AllisonK]

I'm also vitamin D deficient. Last semester I was always tired, sore and my hair was starting to fall out. I went to my doctor at Thanksgiving and my levels were extremely low (I don't remember what... maybe a 10 or so?) and I was put on 50,000 IUs once a week for 8 weeks, which brought my levels up enough that I've been taking 1,000 IUs daily since the end of January. My hair is looking better and I'm feeling better but still sore and really tired (although I don't sleep much/well at school so that could explain that...) so I'm thinking I'll have to get in at the doctor on spring break in a few weeks.

 

[cruisnfamily]

How did all of you find out about your deficiency?
Through routine bloodwork?
or because you complained of some particular symptoms and your doc specifically tested for it?

My ob/gyn at my last physical suggested I begin taking a multivitamin specifically formulated for women because she said many recent studies have been showing vitamin D deficiencies in women and it would be good to be proactive. But she didn't test anything and I didn't complain of anything, it was kind of a generic statement like "all women should now take a multivitamin".

 

[disfan07]

How did all of you find out about your deficiency?
Through routine bloodwork?
or because you complained of some particular symptoms and your doc specifically tested for it?

My ob/gyn at my last physical suggested I begin taking a multivitamin specifically formulated for women because she said many recent studies have been showing vitamin D deficiencies in women and it would be good to be proactive. But she didn't test anything and I didn't complain of anything, it was kind of a generic statement like "all women should now take a multivitamin".

My internist did it as part of my physical last year. My neuro did my B12 level as part of routine lab before I had brain surgery. Now I get that, my B12 and my folic acid levels checked every 6 months. I get my vitamin D, calcium and B12 levels checked every 6 months because I am deficient in all 3 and I get my folic acid level checked because I am on methotrexate and that can deplete folic acid levels so we have to make sure my folic acid supplement is enough.

 

[disneyfreakk]

How did all of you find out about your deficiency?
Through routine bloodwork?
or because you complained of some particular symptoms and your doc specifically tested for it?

I want to find out about this also. My DH has been having memory problems where he can't "find" the word he is looking for. He also has general aches and pains.

 

[tar heel]

Routine blood work for me. I'm taking 50,000 units twice a week. I just took my second one today -- I'm really hopeful that it will turn out to be one of the reasons I'm so tired all the time.