Vitamin D deficiency?

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  • 19bulldog60
    19bulldog60 Posts: 96 Member
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    I was found to have a vitamin deficiency and the doctors put me on a Vitamin D3 / Calcium combo pill to be taken twice daily. I was told that it will help will my pre-diabetes condition also. Been taking it for about 3 months and I must say that the combo pill along with 250 mg of Magnesium does allow me to sleep much better.
  • par57
    par57 Posts: 74
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    Find out what your Vit D level actually is. If it is VERY low, you need a prescription for Vit D for a few weeks, which amounts to taking 50,000 units a week. That amount needs to be monitored by a physician and your level needs to be rechecked. Then your maintenance amount needs to be calculated. My level was only 6 (dangerously low). After the prescription was completed I am now on a maintenance dose of 4,000 units a day and my level is still only in the 30's. I take 2,000 units twice daily with a calcium supplement (I am 55). The other thing to check is your B12 level. If you no longer eat alot of red meat, if you are a bit older, or if you are taking proton pump inhibitors like prevacid (or actually most of the antacids) your Vit B12 level may be low which could also explain your symptoms. If you need to take B12 supplements and your physician does not think B12 injections are necessary, purchase the sublingual B12 supplements as they are better absorbed by your body (under the tongue to dissolve). Low levels of either vitamin is nothing to mess around with, and are associated with many ailments. Best of luck to you!
  • krisha36
    krisha36 Posts: 63
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    Mine was scary low. it was 12. last yr i was on 500000 units once a week
  • jacquelyn124
    jacquelyn124 Posts: 4
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    My allergist uncovered a Vitamin D deficiency during an allergy screening last week. I was having random allergic reactions. Anyway, my level was 24. I also had high phosphorous (which I think is related) I probably don't get enough sun exposure in San Francisco even though I'm outside for at least an hour a day since I walk to work - it's cold though so I tend to bundle up. I do drink a lot of milk and eat seafood (pescetarian) so I was surprised - but it is what it is. I started to take a supplement a week ago and so far haven't noticed much of difference. I do feel thirstier than usual though --??

    I have noticed joint pain and exhaustion over the last few months, but I have also had very terrible insomnia that certainly contributes to the exhaustion. I've been very depressed/anxious as well so I'm hoping the supplement will help with that :/
  • GCLyds
    GCLyds Posts: 206 Member
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    I take 2000 IU per day. Its safe and its the upper limit. If you want to recover faster I would do that. Its really hard to OD on vit D. You would have to take a lot of it for a really long time.
  • thebluefit
    thebluefit Posts: 4 Member
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    Vitamin D deficiency is very common and it can cause variety of health issues. the government guideline for Vitamin D intake is way too low since it is based on really old studies. http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ and http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/ has lot of great information. You do have to be careful with Vitamin D since you can over dose, but the toxic level is extremely high.
  • YukonLandcruiser
    YukonLandcruiser Posts: 10
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    Vitamin D deficiency? Kids, school, Life...? My recommendation is you need a vacation with sun, beach and an umbrella drink.
  • Pammy820
    Pammy820 Posts: 117 Member
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    I too have a vitamin D deficiency. My doctor has me taking 2000 iu per day; I have been doing this for a couple months and i can tell that I am not as tired. I also have a vitamin b12 deficiency and take a shot once a month...Was just wondering has anyone noticed that they are losing weight easier after taking the supplements for a while and getting levels back up to normal?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I was also told to get more sunlight exposure at dawn and dusk.
    Bit of a fail there, the sun needs to be high in the sky with fairly intense UV to generate Vitamin D via the skin.

    The correct advice would be to maximise your exposure around noon then to cover up.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
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    I have quite a bit of experience with this (unfortunately). Several years ago, I was suffering a lot of joint and bone pain. I thought that my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis had come out of remission and visited my rheumatologist. She seemed skeptical that a textbook case of juvenile RA would crop up again and become full-blown RA in an adult and took a blood test. The next day, I got an urgent phone call. My vitamin D level was at a 3. Further tests showed that I'd developed osteomalacia (the adult version of rickets). It also exacerbated the effects of my anxiety disorders and depression.I was put on 150K IU/week for several months, and now still take 5000 IU/day and my levels are still low.

    While some level of deficiency is pretty typical (most people are on the low end), I just wanted to say that it's not something to mess with. Even if it's not fixing your problems as expected, it's still important for a number of body processes and functions that you might not even be aware of. Trust me, you don't want to end up with the kind of problems I did.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    I have noticed joint pain and exhaustion over the last few months, but I have also had very terrible insomnia that certainly contributes to the exhaustion. I've been very depressed/anxious as well so I'm hoping the supplement will help with that :/

    Hm...interesting! I definitely have joint pain and do deal with exhaustion.. guess I blamed it on all my working out. I'm sure some of it is working out hard but sure glad you shared the above as well as seeing this in others posts as well. It helps to be able to perhaps put a reason on exhaustion and extra joint pain!

    Really appreciate everyone's input, it's really got me thinking... hmm

    EDIT: I too deal with Depression and Anxiety but am on meds for that also had a rough time getting any sleep in until I began 3mg of Sundown brand Melatonin before bed time. It's helped me get that winding down feeling and then I'm able to end my day ready to crash. Highly recommend it if you're having sleep issues that aren't getting resolved. It's over the counter no prescription needed.
  • abigailmariecs
    abigailmariecs Posts: 192 Member
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    I have had vitamin D issues for years. The only thing that finally worked for me was a tanning bed (I know crazy, but it worked). I suffer from seasonal depression because my body can't absorb vit. D. I was living in MN at the time and it is difficult to get enough sun exposure on a large enough patch of skin without getting frost bite in the dead of winter. Now I am not saying you should go tanning every day for 30 minutes or anything along those lines nor am I implying that tanning beds are or aren't safe. I am just saying that it was an option that worked for me (BTW I used the tanning bed for 2 minutes every other day for about a week and a half for each episode).

    Since moving to Arizona I have only once had seasonal depression issue and it was shortly after my son was born (he was a cranky, non-sleeper who had issues eating and required being fed every hour-hour and a half). I think for about 3 months there I was house bound taking care of the little guy. When I realized I was headed down that slope I started feeding him outside in the sunshine a couple of times a day.
  • jacquelyn124
    jacquelyn124 Posts: 4
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    EDIT: I too deal with Depression and Anxiety but am on meds for that also had a rough time getting any sleep in until I began 3mg of Sundown brand Melatonin before bed time. It's helped me get that winding down feeling and then I'm able to end my day ready to crash. Highly recommend it if you're having sleep issues that aren't getting resolved. It's over the counter no prescription needed.

    Thanks for the tip! I've tried melatonin the last 2 nights and it didn't work :/ I haven't tried that brand though - do you think that specific brand will help more or are all melatonins the same?
  • twoboysnmygirl
    twoboysnmygirl Posts: 161 Member
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    First off, I'm shocked there are so many people with this issue, I could have used this thread a few years ago!! I take 2000-5000 a day and also take Magnesium. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia years ago and refused to believe that I just had some random disease that my Dr. told me "we just call it Fibro b/c we don't know what it is". I noticed that it was much worse in the winter for me, and I LOVE the sun, actually crave it, so I did some research and decided to take Vitamin D. It took about 3-4 weeks of 5000 a day and then the pain was GONE. This was in the dead of winter. I know it's the Vitamin D b/c I don't have to take it AT ALL in the summer b/c of the amount of sun I get. A tanning bed helps, but I also don't want to overdo it, so in the winter I just up my D.

    I thought after losing some weight and feeling so good this summer, I would be good, but in September my arms started hurting again. Started taking my D and a few weeks later I'm better. So, it's just something I will do my whole life, but SO much better than being in pain and chronically exhausted! Give it some time to let the D get in your system! Hang in there, it will get better!
  • twoboysnmygirl
    twoboysnmygirl Posts: 161 Member
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    Takes time. I was deficient too, and it took about a month. I was really shocked that I was deficient since I CRAVE sunshine for my mood and spend as much time as possible in the sun and use full spectrum lights in the house.

    Me too! I wonder if it's b/c our body is trying to tell us we need the D. People have always teased me about being part plant and a sun-worshiper. When spring/summer arrives and I can lay in the sun, I actually feel like I'm refueling or something, I will lay in the sun and just breath a sigh of relief. My husband says my mood is immediately happier and more vibrant as well. We talked about moving South because of it, but honestly I'm worried about my skin if I am exposed all year round to the amount of sunshine I feel I need. So...in the fall and winter, I'll religiously take my Vitamin D and wait for the sun to come back! :)

    Oh and I don't think it's the same D (I believe Vitamin D isn't actually a VITAMIN, right?) that you get from food or lamps. I can tell the difference when I'm in actual sunlight. Our body cannot be tricked so easily, I don't think!
  • stormy213
    stormy213 Posts: 632 Member
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    Great topic! A couple of years ago out of the blue I developed eczema. Went to multiple dermatologist visits, got rid of all my scented detegents/fabric softeners/lotions/etc, used a myriad of creams including steroid ones and was still miserable. I had scabs all over my body from itching so much.

    Did some research and found some articles about Vitamin D deficiency and eczema. Started taking D3 5000 IU's daily and within a month or so the eczema is GONE!!!!!! I can't believe I suffered so long with it. Wish I had done my reasearch sooner.
  • lizk710
    lizk710 Posts: 36 Member
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    Yes, the dreaded and scary vitamin d deficiency. 1 1/2 years ago I started having fast heart rate, spikes in heart rate for no reason (up to 120bpm sitting), high blood pressure, dizziness, faintness, headaches, severe muscle weakness (where I couldn't lift or hold onto anything), bone pain, numbness, allergies, skin problems, woman problems, very hungry all the time and weight gain.

    They thought:

    Heart attack - no
    Stroke - no
    Multiple Sclerosis - negative
    Diabetes - possibly because my blood sugar was too high once on an empty stomach
    Cancer - nada

    After a few ER trips, and 3 months of EKGs, holter monitors, an echo, several blood tests, a brain MRI, abdominal ultrasounds and a uterine biopsy, $5000 in out of pocket expenses, several cardiac, and hormone and anxiety meds, and 5 specialists, I then started to notice my nail beds were receding. So the doctor decided to check vitamins - a simple $100 blood test! Vit D was at 15, everything else was fine. So they treated me with 50,000 for 8 weeks, and my level went up to a 38 and all symptoms disappeared gradually over the course of treatment including the high blood sugar.

    This past Feb, the symptoms started coming back. So I went to have vit d checked again and it was a 9. took 18 weeks on 50,000 to get me up to a 27. Doctor said that was fine, and started me on 2000 D3 per day to maintain. I'm still taking the calcium channel blocker they gave me due to raynaud's disease, but I feel better than I have in a LONG time - probably ever.

    Needless to say, they regularly monitor my vitamin d levels now.

    Much research is still needing to be done, but Vitamin D is responsible for so many functions in the body, including the heart, digestion, hormone regulation, and hunger satiation, kidneys, brain function, muscles and bones. So it's important that everyone get checked, even if you live in a sunny place, and even if you feel fine - especially in the winter months.

    For me, I'm really fair skinned so I naturally stayed out of the sun on purpose. On top of that, I live where it rains as much as Seattle! Now I don't avoid the sun (when we get some), and I do not wear any lotions with SPF anymore. I'll take the wrinkles later in life over feeling like again that any day.
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
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    Thanks for the tip! I've tried melatonin the last 2 nights and it didn't work :/ I haven't tried that brand though - do you think that specific brand will help more or are all melatonins the same?
    It never worked for me either, but try valerian root. Be forewarned that it smells like evil incarnate, but has definitely helped put me to sleep when melatonin never has.
  • smartblonde529
    smartblonde529 Posts: 61 Member
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    From all the research it seems this is pretty common and can cause a lot of health problems!!! I just wonder why my body does not absorb vitamin D since I am always in the sun and get a lot of it through my food and vitamins. Hopefully the problem will be fixed very soon!!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    Getting it from actual food is going to be much more helpful than supplements will be!

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