Vitamin D Deficiency
MelanieCN77
Posts: 4,047 Member
For about a month I was feeling various symptoms of fatigue, low mood, muscle and joint pain that I couldn't rectify by making sure I was sleeping and eating well and being careful of workout recovery. I went in to my doc earlier this week and they drew blood and found low Vit D levels. This also happened to me last year but I think we caught it incidentally as I don't remember having these signs then. I am fair complexioned and live in SoCal so am quite vigilant about my sun protection, and apparently too successful!
My question is for those of you who've had this diagnosed with blood work, were these your symptoms too and how quickly after supplementation did you notice an improvement? I am on "50,000 units" a week for 3 months which is a weekly tablet, and just took the first yesterday. I am trying to stay active in spite of the tiredness but a canker sore popped up on my tongue yesterday and a small target lesion on my torso which is usually a sign that I am depleted and run down. I am sad to be losing ground on my fitness, but also don't want to burn out. I've been shuffling through minimal cardio just so I don't have to cut my calories too much, but can't run or hike like normal. I also am less active around the house and home where I'd usually do a lot of maintenance and yard work on the weekends because I just can't summon up the energy.
Would like to hear your experiences!
My question is for those of you who've had this diagnosed with blood work, were these your symptoms too and how quickly after supplementation did you notice an improvement? I am on "50,000 units" a week for 3 months which is a weekly tablet, and just took the first yesterday. I am trying to stay active in spite of the tiredness but a canker sore popped up on my tongue yesterday and a small target lesion on my torso which is usually a sign that I am depleted and run down. I am sad to be losing ground on my fitness, but also don't want to burn out. I've been shuffling through minimal cardio just so I don't have to cut my calories too much, but can't run or hike like normal. I also am less active around the house and home where I'd usually do a lot of maintenance and yard work on the weekends because I just can't summon up the energy.
Would like to hear your experiences!
9
Replies
-
Mine was tested low but I don't think it was low enough for me to notice the actual deficiency. I replied mainly to tell you to make sure you take your pill with some fat as Vit D is fat soluble. Mine are OTC and come in coconut oil and since taking them my levels are fine now.0
-
I also just started 50,000 units per week about 5 or 6 weeks ago. I do feel like my energy levels are a little bit better, but I also started Lexapro around the same time. I am not sure which one is the one making me feel a little better to be honest.1
-
@MelanieCN77 I went through the same thing (I want to say my level was 20? Not sure). I kept up the weekly 50k dosing schedule for 6ish months and my level when I was tested in December was up to 68.
Of course, I traded the D deficiency for an iron deficiency, so I didn't really notice any improvement in fatigue Still working on that.2 -
I have a Vitamin D deficiency, my doc has me taking 5000 IUs daily. I have issues with fatigue, but I'm also hypothyroid, so that's also a factor. I've gotten my thyroid meds regulated currently, and I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel I don't take my D supplements for a few days. Not a huge improvement, but definitely noticeable.2
-
@MelanieCN77 I went through the same thing (I want to say my level was 20? Not sure). I kept up the weekly 50k dosing schedule for 6ish months and my level when I was tested in December was up to 68.
Of course, I traded the D deficiency for an iron deficiency, so I didn't really notice any improvement in fatigue Still working on that.
Are you an omnivore? Liverwurst is the best dietary source of iron I'm willing to eat. I also take blackstrap molasses and https://smile.amazon.com/Solgar-Gentle-Iron-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B00013Z0QA/0 -
I was diagnosed with blood work and had similar symptoms, but they didn't go away until I moved out of the apartment, which had mold in the cellar below my bedroom, and into a new place with no mold and garden beds that I could play in.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/worry-and-panic/201505/petal-power-why-is-gardening-so-good-our-mental-health2 -
A supplement is great, and sounds like it is definitely needed for you to get your levels back up, but once you are sufficient again, the best Vitamin D is what your body makes naturally. Even just 20 minutes a day of sun, which isn't enough to cause skin damage, can help. Also make sure that you are taking a K2 supplement as well. If you are taking mass amount of D3 and not supplementing with K2 as well that can have adverse effects. I tested low Vit D last year, but not super low like you. I take a Vit D3/D2 supplement now that is a liquid (oil) as Vit d & K are both fat soluable.7
-
Make sure you are having your other mineral levels monitored as well. I ended up with low Mag due to vit D supplementation. Dropped my Vit D a touch and added a half dose of a Magnesium supplement and my fatigue corrected itself quickly.
1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »@MelanieCN77 I went through the same thing (I want to say my level was 20? Not sure). I kept up the weekly 50k dosing schedule for 6ish months and my level when I was tested in December was up to 68.
Of course, I traded the D deficiency for an iron deficiency, so I didn't really notice any improvement in fatigue Still working on that.
Are you an omnivore? Liverwurst is the best dietary source of iron I'm willing to eat. I also take blackstrap molasses and https://smile.amazon.com/Solgar-Gentle-Iron-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B00013Z0QA/
I tried the Solgar one but it constipated me horribly still. I found out I can take Feosol complete, even in the double dose my doctor has me on, with minimal side effects
I am omnivorous but have never tried liverwurst. Not even sure I've ever seen it! I knew about molasses but haven't tried it.0 -
WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »A supplement is great, and sounds like it is definitely needed for you to get your levels back up, but once you are sufficient again, the best Vitamin D is what your body makes naturally. Even just 20 minutes a day of sun, which isn't enough to cause skin damage, can help. Also make sure that you are taking a K2 supplement as well. If you are taking mass amount of D3 and not supplementing with K2 as well that can have adverse effects. I tested low Vit D last year, but not super low like you. I take a Vit D3/D2 supplement now that is a liquid (oil) as Vit d & K are both fat soluable.
https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/vitamin-d-myths-debunked/
From the article:
"Is it best to get your vitamin D from the sun? Definitely not!
—David J. Leffell, MD, Yale Medicine dermatologist and chief of Dermatologic Surgery
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced in dermatology and in the world of skin cancer prevention has been a lot of misinformation about vitamin D metabolism.
There are claims that one needs to get a certain amount of sun exposure every day in order to produce enough vitamin D to be healthy. It’s just not true. The majority of people can get their vitamin D from nutritional supplements and from vitamin D-fortified foods.
There are some people (who are typically not dermatologists or experts in the biology of skin cancer) who have advocated for tanning to get vitamin D. But we know that UVB light causes skin cancer and that protecting yourself against it makes sense. As a doctor who treats patients who have melanomas, I want the general public to be advised that under no circumstances can use of a tanning bed or tanning in general be justified on the basis of vitamin D. Take a supplement instead."11 -
WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »A supplement is great, and sounds like it is definitely needed for you to get your levels back up, but once you are sufficient again, the best Vitamin D is what your body makes naturally. Even just 20 minutes a day of sun, which isn't enough to cause skin damage, can help. Also make sure that you are taking a K2 supplement as well. If you are taking mass amount of D3 and not supplementing with K2 as well that can have adverse effects. I tested low Vit D last year, but not super low like you. I take a Vit D3/D2 supplement now that is a liquid (oil) as Vit d & K are both fat soluable.
Sunshine acts as a catalyst for synthesis of vitamin D...it doesn't create it. One can also get plenty of sunshine and still be D deficient (me) if they're body simply isn't synthesizing it properly.
As to the OP...I was diagnosed deficient years ago and fatigue was my biggest symptom. It greatly improved with supplementation. I was on 50,000 IU weekly for a few months...my doctor's recommended maintenance supplementation is 14,000 IU weekly.7 -
I was diagnosed as vitamin D deficient, told to take 2000iu daily. When I asked about checking the levels, I was told the test for it is expensive and basically everyone in the north is deficient to some degree. Idk. I take the 2000iu, despite the fact it was clearly designed to try and escape by rolling away from me. I didn't know it affected other levels.0
-
Thanks everyone. The test had me at 18.7 with the normal range stated as 30-100. I'm feeling less emotional now I know what is going on but I'm ready to get some energy back. I'll have some rebuilding to do.0
-
WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »A supplement is great, and sounds like it is definitely needed for you to get your levels back up, but once you are sufficient again, the best Vitamin D is what your body makes naturally. Even just 20 minutes a day of sun, which isn't enough to cause skin damage, can help. Also make sure that you are taking a K2 supplement as well. If you are taking mass amount of D3 and not supplementing with K2 as well that can have adverse effects. I tested low Vit D last year, but not super low like you. I take a Vit D3/D2 supplement now that is a liquid (oil) as Vit d & K are both fat soluable.
My fair Irish skin does get damaged in 20 minutes of summer sun.8 -
kshama2001 wrote: »WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »A supplement is great, and sounds like it is definitely needed for you to get your levels back up, but once you are sufficient again, the best Vitamin D is what your body makes naturally. Even just 20 minutes a day of sun, which isn't enough to cause skin damage, can help. Also make sure that you are taking a K2 supplement as well. If you are taking mass amount of D3 and not supplementing with K2 as well that can have adverse effects. I tested low Vit D last year, but not super low like you. I take a Vit D3/D2 supplement now that is a liquid (oil) as Vit d & K are both fat soluable.
My fair Irish skin does get damaged in 20 minutes of summer sun.
Same. I've got some of the worst burns of my life in that length of time, it's what made me so vigilant in the first place.
Also I had a full blood panel and everything else was normal, I'm not gonna add anything else for the sake of it.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »@MelanieCN77 I went through the same thing (I want to say my level was 20? Not sure). I kept up the weekly 50k dosing schedule for 6ish months and my level when I was tested in December was up to 68.
Of course, I traded the D deficiency for an iron deficiency, so I didn't really notice any improvement in fatigue Still working on that.
Are you an omnivore? Liverwurst is the best dietary source of iron I'm willing to eat. I also take blackstrap molasses and https://smile.amazon.com/Solgar-Gentle-Iron-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B00013Z0QA/
I tried the Solgar one but it constipated me horribly still. I found out I can take Feosol complete, even in the double dose my doctor has me on, with minimal side effects
I am omnivorous but have never tried liverwurst. Not even sure I've ever seen it! I knew about molasses but haven't tried it.
@pinuplove I feel the need to emphasize that it is blackstrap molasses with all the iron, not regular. 1 T of https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ has 20% of the RDA.
https://smile.amazon.com/Golden-Barrel-Unsulfured-Black-molasses/dp/B00M1ZYF9E/ said it was 25% but when the bottle arrived I found it was actually only 11% >.<
I got a brand from Whole Foods that was also unsatisfyingly low in iron. Caveat emptor!1 -
It's been many years ago now, but as I recall I was on the 50K for 6 weeks and was feeling better by the end of that high dose period. I've continued taking 1000 mg Vit D daily ever since.1
-
According to my recent bloodwork, I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency (I can't remember how it was worded, it sounded dire!), but I had no symptoms. I got the same (huge!) 50,000 unit pills to take once a week. I didn't feel bad before, and didn't feel any different after taking the pills.
This article on Vitamin D was in the New York Times not long ago--about the recent large increase in testing for Vitamin D levels:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/health/vitamin-d-deficiency-supplements.html
OP, is there anything else that could be contributing to your feelings of fatigue? Have you been eating enough to sustain your activity level?0 -
I had bad symptoms and ended up having a severe D deficiency at a level of 7 ng/mL and they wanted me closer to 70. I was on high dose D for a while and now I take a daily 2,000. It took a while to notice a difference BUT I have historically tested low on iron and B12 as well (I mostly have them under control but not always) so it was an uphill battle. Now, most symptoms are lessened but when I don't take my stuff for a while, it is noticeably worse.
As for the sunlight. I see a dermotologist regularly as I'm higher risk of skin cancer and he specifically told me not to try to get it from the sun- that even 20-30 min of exposure without sunscreen isn't 'safe'. As a long distance runner, I knew I was getting quite a bit of sunlight on a regular basis and my D levels were still very low. My B12 problem is with how it's processed in my body so it's likely D is the same issue.0 -
You need to get into the sun, at least once or twice a week. Sun will give you instant vitamin d. I was diagnosed with low vitamin D about 2 years ago and have struggled with it. During the warmer months my vitamin d is okish, during the winter it can get as low as a 2. At one point it was so bad my doctors thought I had RA. You can wear sunblock when you go outside. Just take a walk around the block with a short sleeve shirt on and that'll do it.11
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions