There has to be some reason for the symptoms you are experiencing. Just because it is not commonly recognized doesn't mean it's not a thing.

That said, Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue and other symptoms. I would take the Vitamin D supplements and see if that helps. The hair loss could be unrelated?

whats your iron level ?

farmers_daughter wrote: »

My blood pressure is naturally picture perfect 120/80 (no bragging here just it's always been). Unless they do nervous testing via lab work, I have not had any. Ugh sweetea, I can't imagine!

You might want to look into dysautonomia. The few other people I've met with it were all given similar diagnoses of "whiny baby with no pain tolerance/stressed/tired and exaggerating". The only test for it is to rule everything else out, or a blood test that will tell you if it's familial.

farmers_daughter wrote: »

couchpotato39 - really? I kinda took the Vitamin D as a "not a big deal" granted it was her nurse that relayed the info, and from what I've read on Google, but still. Hmm.... I've been taking 10,000iu daily, and I haven't noticed a big difference yet, nothing like what you explained but then again that's a big dose! I however haven't had a headache big enough for me to grab for the ibproufen since Friday! (at least I don't recall) that's a success!!!

Okay, first of all, ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION. Doctors are not infallible. To give an example, my regular gyno told me I needed a radical hysterectomy and and bladder sling and all kinds of other stuff. I was about 35 at the time, and wasn't sure i was done having kids so I flipped out and started asking around. Got a referral to a specialist. They said it would never be necessary for me to be FORCED to have surgery with my currently symptoms to a much worse level, and there were many treatments we could try first.... Made all the difference in my life. And even then, something the second opinion didn't think to mention is now my primary treatment option.

All that being said, having low VItamin D levels is horrible. Usually low B12 and low magnesium go along with this (in my general research), but the latter two are not often tested unless requested. Also, if you are taking pills for the vitamin D, ditch it. Get the liquid drops and add them to your coffee, water, or other drink of choice. Literally when you are that deficient, those drops are better than an energy drink on steroids! B12 is another that is similar. And magnesium is the root of so many things. Vitamin D3 deficiency could actually be contributing to your hormone issues.

That all being said, I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and took progesterone cream for years. Every month it made me feel full on pregnant which did my head in because my now ex-husband and I were trying desperately at the time for another child. And I mean the tender tissues, the constant nausea, and the whole nine. EVERY MONTH. But, remarkably, my progesterone levels never improved.

I could not get my cortisol and adrenals tested properly at the time to confirm, but the whole endocrine and hormonal systems are linked. Whatever your body needs to survive, it will steal another form and convert it. My body had no adrenaline (I could get startled horror movie style and my heartbeat wouldn't even increase) or cortisol from what i can tell. Therefore, since progesterone is the least "necessary for life" hormone, everything else that needed more stole the progesterone and converted it for other uses. So I was on crazy high levels of the cream, making me miserable and insane, and it still didn't help anything.

Come to find out all these years later that I'm hypothyroid, despite the fact that it took years and years to show up on the proper tests, because the low end of normal was already super low for my NORMAL, and so by the time I was low on the "normal" chart, it was scary normal and causing lots of other issues, not the least of which was hair falling out! Even then, medication got this level to go back up, but my symptoms didn't ease off until I added another supplement.

I also have finally be confirmed as having PCOS, which is a female hormonal imbalance syndrome that has literally dozens upon dozens of possible symptoms. Some ladies have one, some have ten, some have all of them, but almost no one's is exactly the same (I've never EVER heard of any being identical, but I"m sure there are similar cases). PCOS also tends to camouflage and mask nearly all normal bloodwork test results.

Since you're being told adrenal fatigue and low progesterone and all that, I'd go for a second opinion, and not just to any old doctor, I would get an endocrinologist who specializes in female issues if you can. Good luck!

farmers_daughter wrote: »

couchpotato39 - really? I kinda took the Vitamin D as a "not a big deal" granted it was her nurse that relayed the info, and from what I've read on Google, but still. Hmm.... I've been taking 10,000iu daily, and I haven't noticed a big difference yet, nothing like what you explained but then again that's a big dose! I however haven't had a headache big enough for me to grab for the ibproufen since Friday! (at least I don't recall) that's a success!!!

I had low Vit D (in the 20's in July 2013 and 2014) that I have been working to raise. I am hoping to be at 60 when I go next month for blood work. Under 30 brings many health risks. Under 20 I will let you Google vs putting it in a post.

My goal is 60-80 levels based on the research I have read as it relates to cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc prevention. Getting to 40 seems to reduce the chances of be hospitalized and really lowers the chance of premature death from health related causes.

By the way for Vit D to help get calcium into the bones vs the arteries Vit K2 is required from research I have found. Do read up on the subject and there are some medical conventions on Youtube that cover the subject the best I remembered. I am taking twice what you are and will increase or decrease based on my lab work in a couple weeks.

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Vitamin D has to be taken in conjunction with something else to help it properly absorb. I know my drops are D3 and K2 combined, but I don't think it is K2. I think the D3 and calcium help each other absorb, as well as magnesium fits in there somewhere, too, but I don't recall. I do know that I was told that without having something else when you take the D3 to take something else with it to help absorption (I know it's fat soluble, if I remember right, so maybe that??)...

I always have my morning coffee right after I take my morning pills (which include 5,000iu D3), because there is fat in my coffee and D3 be fat soluble.

I'd get a second opinion as well, but take the Vitamin D3 first and see if you improve with your levels rising. And be forewarned, it can take months to get them up. Your level is very low.

I've had chronic Vit D deficiency for years. Even with the prescription strength, my level didn't go up after 6 months. I currently take 5,000IU per day with a fatty meal (well, all my meals are fatty).

Until my doctor told me to get some some without sunscreen for 10-15 minutes per day, my levels never rose up. Once I did that for a few weeks, we saw them get up to 32. I did/do feel better. My main symptom was depression.

Have you ever been tested for mono? That can cause debilitating fatigue. I'm not sure on the hair loss symptom though. Most places you read will tell you thyroid.

At one time fibromyalgia was not accepted either. It was thought to be a psychological problem akin to hypochondria. But now they know it is a real condition in the nervous system.
But there is plenty of literature on links between processed food and hormone imbalance problems. SO there is a good chance that there is a non drug related resolution.
Getting off the pill is a good start. [After our second child I volunteered to get snipped so my wife could get off the pill and not have another surgery since child 2 was a c-section. ]

Yes adrenal fatigue is real. Second opinions are always great, especially if you are uncomfortable with the first one, but its impressive that an MD is mentioning adrenal fatigue.

Stress itself can wreak havoc on your hormone's and bodies can rebel in a wide variety of ways.

I'm actually impressed this doctor looked at hormone's and detailed bloodwork and didn't just prescribe "a pill" to mask the symptoms, but instead seems to be trying to find and treat the cause... which is a win in my book. The bloodwork was not a waste of time, because you are not "normal" if you are suffering hair loss, exhaustion and other symptoms which prompted you to go to the doctor in first place.

Questioning is excellent. Dismissing is possibly dangerous.

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com might help with some of the thyroid questions, too. I can't remember how much actual data there was there though.

I got the liquid vitamin D3 + K2 at my local small pharmacy (not a big name place) since they do compounding, they carry a lot of less common items. The brand is NuMedica, and I like it because I don't always absorb things well if they aren't liquid... It's easy to dump in my tea, which has calcium from the heavy cream, too, so whammy all the way home! Thanks Gale for the updates. Awesome info.