Anyone have their VITAMIN D levels checked?

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amydfreund
amydfreund Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
This blood test is expensive, but I've been wanting it since it came out a while ago, but it was a 24 hour urine test then and I wasn't interested. I just had my blood drawn and my level is 13!! Should be 50 - 70. There are so many "issues" with low vitamin D levels in the body that related to what I experience, that I am now putting into my daily schedule, a ten minute lay in the sun.

Anyone else tested their vitamin D levels and notice any of the symptoms of low D? I am going to keep this daily regime up and going to see if my mood swings and many others things change.. especially the one that says it adds to weight gain!
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  • bmele0
    bmele0 Posts: 282 Member
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    Yes, I had a blood test about 6 months ago and I was in the red for vitamin D and I now take a D3 supplement. I was re-tested about 3 months later and I'm still in the red, but I'm close to being in normal range. The supplement can cause constipation, so I normally take it with a low dose of magnesium. On days that I'm outside for 15 min+, I skip the supplement.

    I'm not sure if I was experiencing symptoms from it being low- probably, but I haven't noticed if things have improved. Maybe I will once I reach optimal levels. I have another blood test in a month or so.
  • bigblues11
    bigblues11 Posts: 203 Member
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    My doctor put me on a prescription Vitamin D years ago. Mine always runs low and I get adequate sun exposure. I work in a lab that runs the Vitamin D 25 OH (D2 and D3), and I do notice that many women are deficient. Talk to your doctor about putting you on a supplement.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    My doctor tested my blood a year ago and mine was low (I don't remember the number but I don't think it was as low as yours) he gave me recommendations on the proper dosage of vitamin D and recommended I take omega oils also. I've been taking both for about 9 months. I get them from the health food store.

    Indiana is a terrible place to try to get sunlight of any consequence except maybe 2 months a year...and I work 10-16 hrs a day in an office so getting more sunlight is not really an option.

    I didn't notice any symptoms prior to the blood work really and I don't really feel any different now. I guess when I get my blood work done again in January we'll see the number improved.
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,820 Member
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    I'm pretty sure my vitamin D levels are low.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Yup, and I need daily supplements. It went way down when I stopped eating dairy. (Intolerance issue...I miss yogurt...)
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
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    I have low D due to other medications I have to take. So I take 4000 units of D a day and it keeps it level but on the lower side. Honestly, I do not notice any side effects and would not have known if my doctor recommended it.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
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    Mine has been checked multiple times over the past few years and it still runs low. The only time I can get it to the right level is if my doctor gives me the mega dose prescription to take once a week. It's 50,000 IU. Right now I am trying to take over the counter vitamins of 1600 IUs with breakfast and again at dinner. It doesn't seem to be working, not sure if my doctor will put me back on the prescription or not. My body doesn't seem to absorb it. I had the same problem with vitamin B. I worked that one out with liquid Vitamin B - Sublingual drops.
  • jeichelb83
    jeichelb83 Posts: 172 Member
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    Mine has been low for a couple of years now despite taking supplements. My doctor gives me prescripton for stronger ones when I see him once a year, but I'm not sure if it's improving or not. Buffalo's a bad place for sunlight even though I tend to avoid it anyway. I've had several skin cancers and was advised by my dermatologists to stay out of the sun...so it's kind of a contradiction there.
  • Tammy_1971
    Tammy_1971 Posts: 93 Member
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    This blood test is expensive, but I've been wanting it since it came out a while ago, but it was a 24 hour urine test then and I wasn't interested. I just had my blood drawn and my level is 13!! Should be 50 - 70. There are so many "issues" with low vitamin D levels in the body that related to what I experience, that I am now putting into my daily schedule, a ten minute lay in the sun.

    Anyone else tested their vitamin D levels and notice any of the symptoms of low D? I am going to keep this daily regime up and going to see if my mood swings and many others things change.. especially the one that says it adds to weight gain!

    yes, I have been tested and had low D levels, even though I had nice coloring from spending time in the sun... even my husband had really low levels, and he was in the sun a lot more than me. I was put on a short time prescription of 50,000 iu of vitamin D that I had to take twice a week. Once I was done with that, I got an over the counter vitamin supplement that I take daily to keep my levels from dropping again.
  • OneGoodBean
    OneGoodBean Posts: 48 Member
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    My sister just had this done. Her doctor said that at the end of summer, it should be around 90 and at the end of winter could be down to 60. When she got her results, she was at 26. So now she takes a supplement. She's surprised she isn't more depressed with that low of a number. Makes me wonder what mine is.

    Just as a side note, if you're laying out in the sun, make sure you're wearing sunscreen. Skin cancer is nothing to mess with so don't let "it's only ten minutes" mess things up for you.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    yes mine has always been low..i take a script for it
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    This blood test is expensive, but I've been wanting it since it came out a while ago, but it was a 24 hour urine test then and I wasn't interested. I just had my blood drawn and my level is 13!! Should be 50 - 70. There are so many "issues" with low vitamin D levels in the body that related to what I experience, that I am now putting into my daily schedule, a ten minute lay in the sun.

    Anyone else tested their vitamin D levels and notice any of the symptoms of low D? I am going to keep this daily regime up and going to see if my mood swings and many others things change.. especially the one that says it adds to weight gain!

    Almost everyone is deficient in Vitamin D.

    The only source outside of the sun is eggs for Vitamin D

    Up it to 20 minues in the sun instead of 10, I'd also supplement 4000 IU per day
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    I get it tested every year as a part of my complete panel... I was actually surprised to see it too low this last year. It was normal the year before.
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,118 Member
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    Mine was just tested in June and they found it to be 28. I am supposed to take a supplement but can't due to a health issue that won't allow me to take any supplements right now. Not sure what the side effects are due to it being low but I did ask if I upped my calcium intake and tried to get more sun would it help I was told it would not. I live in upstate New York so sunlight is sometime hard to come by.
  • thedans1
    thedans1 Posts: 1
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    I have had my level checked. I use to work at night and had some symptoms which turned out to be related to Vitamin D level. It has been hard to get the level up. I hate to admit it but it was as low as 8 but is now 24 ...6 more units to go to be low normal. I usually walk outside for at least 20 minutes 4 days a week. I would like to do it everyday but I work 12 hours a day three days a week. Most of my increase is related to sun not the D3 supplement.
  • marlyu
    marlyu Posts: 24 Member
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    Yep, I have low Vitamin D and iron. So, to cure all, I just do two children's chewables daily (think Flintstone vitamins). Also replaces having to take prenatals.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    My husband has low vitamin D levels and takes D3. My levels are fine, but I love salmon and have it at least once a week, but will have it more often if possible. That's really the only explanation I have for why mine isn't low.
  • ged630
    ged630 Posts: 145 Member
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    I had mine checked back in June. It was really low and Dr gave me a prescription. I haven't noticed any improvements from taking the supplement.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    Mine was tested as part of a routine blood draw a couple years ago and I found I was severely deficient. I took a prescription for a few weeks then switched to OTC vitamin D. My levels are now normal. :)
  • RunnersLament
    RunnersLament Posts: 140 Member
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    As a runner, I take a Vitamin D, and an Iron supplement daily. Runners are often deficient in both as we suffer from Exercise Induced Hemolysis.

    Quite often when a person is low in Iron, they are also low in Vitamin D (and vice-versa).

    Here is a brief Q&A on it...

    http://www.nutritionatc.hawaii.edu/HO/2012/494.htm

    Cheers

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