[Erin524]

For the past year or so, I've been feeling really bad, and it was getting worse, and worse as the year went on. It finally started getting so bad, that I made an appointment to see the nurse practitioner at my doctor's office last week.

The NP got called away on an emergency, so I ended up seeing a doctor there that I'd never met before. Most of the weird issues that I've been having can be considered non-specific. So, that doctor sort of treated me as if she had to blow me off and not really do any thing. She suggested adding a couple of vitamin supplements. I take b12, so she said I could take more of that, and she also said I could take vitamin D3.

She came pretty close to a diagnosis, probably without meaning to.

I hurt my left knee this week, so I had to go back to the doctor's office, and got to see that nurse practitioner yesterday. I told her that I felt like the doctor had blown me off on the whole "not feeling good" feeling I'd had for the past year. Literally, I've been complaining about this for the better part of a year.

So, after she did an exam on me, and checked my knee, and ordered PT for it. She decided to draw some blood. They took 3 vials of blood, and tested just about everything in there. (that'll be expensive). They did a CBC, hematocrit, checked my b12, and thyroid, and a few other things.

Got a call this morning from her office. The nurse told me what my blood test results were. Everything was fine, EXCEPT for my vitamin D level. It was pretty low.

It was -14!!!! (yes, that's a NEGATIVE!)

I looked at the symptoms for vitamin D deficiency. I pretty much have all of them, but by themselves, they're all non-specific. No wonder every time I said something to a doctor, I got the eye roll from them, and placated to be sent on my way. When you look at all those non-specific symptoms, it just sounds like I'm whining about things that aren't really there.

It took a nurse practitioner to figure it out. (nurses are awesome, I say that because I come from a family of nurses. My dad, my dad's little brother. My dad's brother's widow is a nurse practitioner. I've got cousins that are nurses). The doctors just roll their eyes, the nurse practitioners actually get things done.

I now have a Rx for 8 weeks of vitamin D. I don't know what unit of measurement it's called, but it's 50K of whatever the dosage is. I have to take that once a week for 8 weeks. Then after that, I have another Rx for a lower dose of vitamin D.

I have no idea how long it takes to build up the vitD, and if I'll feel better, or have any of the weird MSish symptoms that have been getting worse lately start to get better.

Just kind of feel better now that I know there was an actual reason for why I feel so bad, and someone is doing something about it for me.

wonder how long it takes to rebuild my vitamin D levels.

[Starznight]

Just remember not to forget the dosage on the VitD, some people think they have to take it everyday when it's the 50K. But your levels should start rising by the end of the week from the first dose and by the end of the 8 week course they should be back up to almost if not normal. From then the second Rx is simply to maintain a healthy level.

Or so said my own NP . Unfortunately I hit toxicity levels from the first dose, and was even having some issues on the smallest dosage. But eh... my body is weird like that, I don't take it too much to heart. But it does mean I can't say exactly how long until you level out. They should however double check your levels at the end of 8 weeks just to be sure you're ready to drop down to a maintence level.

Mine was 18 at the time and the NP was ready to do another test at the end of 8 weeks but had to do it after 2 weeks, it was almost double what it should have been. But I also wasn't suffering from any non-descript symptoms or really any symptoms of a VitD deficiency aside from its being common in MS patients which is the only reason it got tested in the first place.

[Kitty]

I hope it's D3 and not just D. D is pretty useless.

I've been taking 10,000 IUs of D3 daily and just had my level checked. It's 85!!!!

I'm glad the nurse listened to you. They generally do all the work and seem to know more than the doctors. Plus they know how to listen.

[mrsD]

Kitty is correct.

The doctors typically give D2 on RX...called ergocalciferol.
This is known now to be useless for raising levels in humans.
It comes in only one dose= 50,000 IU

D3...called cholecalciferol, is over the counter and the active form of Vit D.

You can read more about this here:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/694.full

It is a shame that doctors still don't know this distinction.

The general rule is that for dosing based on blood work =
1000IU of D3 daily for every 10 points you need to raise.

[Kitty]

I'm not sure how much rx vitamin D is but I get my D3 from Puritan's Pride and it's very affordable.

http://www.puritan.com/vitamin-d-326...5000-iu-019377

[SallyC]

Yes D3 is the bomb. D is just not good enough, IMO!

[mrsD]

We have a Vitamin D thread with videos and the latest information here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by mrsD

We have a Vitamin D thread with videos and the latest information here:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html

This thread is terrific! All the information you could ever want on vitamin D plus people who are using it and their experiences.

Thanks for posting that, mrsD!

[Sparky10]

How sad that it took a year to find someone to take you seriously, Erin. I think it takes a few months(?) to bring the D level up high, but I hope you start to feel the effects sooner!

Vitamin D is measured in i.u.'s, ius, = international units.

I wonder what it takes to get a medical professional to listen, really listen when we have numerous complaints. Exaggerate, maybe? Write out a list and go over each symptom one at a time but all together?

[mrsD]

Sadly it is not enough to get a medical professional to TEST you.

You then have to contend with the wrong, useless treatment with D2 50,000IU (ergocalciferol).