Here is a link to a video from Australia, and it explains how they are treating low D levels there:

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2514231.htm

I've been told that sunsceen blocks vit d absorption. This is why so many Floridians are vit d deficient!

My blood test came back as 23 so I took the regimen of 50,000 for a while. Got up to 42 but now take 10,000 a day. Feel better and live in WA so am not worried about too much sun (is it still as shiny as they say?) up here. My nails and mood sure have improved. It's a natural antidepressant.

I agree totally with the mood improvements! I noticed that myself!

I been on 50,000 once a week for a year now from neurologist. I was just tested by primary care doc & she said we are going to 100,000 a week for 6 weeks & we'll test again. My number was 24.

mrs d have you seen this one?
 

That's a good site, pabb. I'll put it up on the Vitamin forum too.

Thanks!

I was told my K and Ca were low. When I got the results, I noticed my bicarb was also just below normal and my Cl was high. I found this is the pattern with distal renal tubular acidosis. dRTA sucks Ca from your bones and also alters your Vit. D level, causing osteomalacia and a lot of bone pain, not to mention another dozen symptoms.

Hmmmm.

I wonder if this acidosis has any similarities to what happens in the acidosis of diabetes?

MRSD can you answer this? I can't find any info on if these types of acidosis would be identical? If so, would not dRTA have a potential to cause neuropathy.

Also they gave me K supplements and I have to go back for another blood test in a week....however, without correcting the problem, I will continue to leak lytes, due to the tubule issue, no?? I did request a vit. D test too.

I am wondering if when they draw my blood, if it will appear normal only to drop again in a week with K stops?

There are 4 types of renal tubular acidosis.

Not all upset potassium.

Some blood work for potassium can be iffy. There is a good chance of factitious readings due to poor draw technique. So most potassium readings should be done over if readings are normal or high. This is due to rupturing red blood cells which then dump potassium into the blood.

The acidosis from diabetes ( lactic acidosis) is due to the build up of lactate from improper glucose metabolism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactic_acidosis

Kidney issues are very complex. Even the doctors call kidney specialists often because the acid/base chemistry is so difficult to understand.

There are also many inherited aberrations with potassium handling. Some are minor, some more serious.

Low Vit D causes elevated Calcium in some people by stimulating parathyroid hormone secretion. This is called secondary hyperparathyroidism.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/000318.htm

And yes, if you have some kidney thing going on, you will continue to lose electrolytes.
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseas...bularacidosis/

I think it would take a good specialist to sort this one out.

I fit all the criteria for type 1, distal, which does occur with Sjogren's. However, I saw it also occurs in hypergammagloubulinemia, which I imagine IVIG would artificially induce??? Maybe? Maybe not??

It my K is low, my Ca is low, and my Cl is high, bicarb is low, and anion gap is normal, this is classic type 1 dRTA.

They need to correct the reason that bicarb is low....I imagine some kind of bicarb....I saw they also use florinef and calcitrol.

What a pain in the butt. Always something. It didn't tip over until this month's BMP test. I had low K two years ago tho and I wonder how long this has been going on, since I only had monthly BMPs drawn the last few months.
Interestingly my low BP went higher in the last few months, hypertension actually.

I am just wondering if dRTA subclinically, like diabetes would result in SFN...it is an acidosis....hmm. I can't figure this one out....you're right...call in the experts.