Vitamin D Deficiency
 

Hi...I'm looking for advice from anyone who can help. I have had tons of issues this past year and half and have been to several doctors with no answers. I had asked for my doc to check my vitamin D about 6 months ago but she declined. I took it upon myself to have some blood tests done because I can't live like this anymore. My vitamin D came back at 8.3. I know this is pretty low and can be causing some of my problems. My question is how do I go about correcting this? Is it okay to start taking an oral supplement? If so how much? What do you all think?

The only caveat in not using Vit D3 supplements is for people with sarcoidosis... but that is not 100% yet, just a suggestion.

The general rule of thumb is to use 1000IU for every 10 pts you need to raise. In your case, that would be about 4000 to 5000IU a day. Use OTC D3 any brand, you want. This tends to be inexpensive so if you see high prices on something move on.

I use Puritan's Pride D3, gel caps, myself.

Single digit lows in Vit D level are pretty common on these boards where people have chronic pain and serious illness.

While using the D3, you won't need high dose calcium supplements either, as D3 greatly enhances absorption of calcium (and magnesium too). Some doctors recommend not using more than 600mg a day calcium.

Thanks
 

Okay well I don't think I have that condition. I will take your advice. I did leave a message with my doctor about this because it is highly irritating to me that I asked her to check this 6 months ago and she didn't. I just wanted her to know what she missed and I was told they will possibly want to do injections?! Is that necessary? Also is it likely this deficiency has been the source of some of my PN and other pains and problems? Given that I have been tested for a number of things I am hopeful this is the real issue.

vit-D
 

my neuro had mine checked and my came back at 9 since then i have been taking 2000 i.u per day after i finishes the ones the Dr perscribed and i spend a little more time sitting outside reading.Living in the south makes the possible most of the year in the summer i stayed in the pool almost everyday. I had a recheck and my Vit -D was up to 32 not bad but still take everyday.Hope this is helpful
Gail

Injections are not necessary!

Sun exposure is best for some people, but the D3 supplements are quite effective.

The D2 doctors continue to give does not work, as new studies show it is not active in mammals except a little bit.

D3 is over the counter and very inexpensive.

What were your symptoms? I have PN and some other weird things going on. For example it is so difficult for me to walk in the morning my ankles feel like they are so weak. I'm just curious being in the same range as me what you were feeling when you had the deficiency?

mrsD - thanks for all your advice. I will decline the injections. I have D3 which is 400IU so I would have to take like 10 of these a day!

Yep... 400IU not mixed with anything else?

That is such a tiny amount! Even the 5,000 IU is tiny.
1000IU is 25MICROgrams, or .025milligrams.
So 5,000 IU is 5 x 25mcg or 125micrograms.

D3 is so inexpensive you can get a new bottle for $5.00 or less.
Here is one example:
A YEAR's supply, for $14.95, less than 5 cents a day.

Thanks again mrsD you are the best!!! No it is not mixed with anything else. It says take with food preferably. Should I just take 10 a day until I run out of these will that be okay? Then I can buy the right one. Also I have read on your vitamin posts that D3 is best in gel capsule. Mine are the tablet form.

Look at the other ingredients. Some tablets have additives that may be laxative or irritating in large amounts.

I can't say you can take 10 of yours safely therefore because of the other ingredients.

Okay now I get it. Here they are: Dicalcium Phosphate, Vegetable Cellelose, Vegetable Stearic Acid, Silica, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate and the D3 is (as D3 Cholecalciferol 400IU)

I really wouldn't take 10 of those. Those ingredients were
approved GRAS ("generally regarded as safe" by the FDA for the sizes and doses they accompany. Taking a huge number of them? Not wise.

These Vit D supplements are so inexpensive they don't create
enough financial burden vs the risk of taking 10 of the remaining ones.

Thanks mrsd. Sure enough which goes along with what I have read here my doc sent me a prescription for D2. I don't know the dosage as I don't plan on taking that. Everything I have read here and elsewhere recommends D3. I ordered that online and hope I get it today because I am ready to start feeling better. Also I hope you are doing better!

get the chewables as they do not have fillers and wont constipate you

Thanks but I already got them :( They are the gel kind. Haven't felt better yet but I know it takes time...

A chewable version of D is almost all some sort of filler.

The actual amount of D is a tiny microgram, like tiny grain of salt, (not like a chunk of sea salt .)

All the rest in a chewable is a "filler" of some kind.

These are the fillers in NOW chewables:
This is TwinLab Mega D dots:
Looks like lots of fillers to me.

This is what my Puritan's pride D3 5,000 has for fillers:
they are very small gel caps--about 2 drops of oil in my estimation:
Vitamelts NatureMade D3: one would think not much in there but look at the ingredients:
I'll stick with my simple Puritan's product which is amazingly inexpensive.

another article on vit d and constipation



http://www.sophisticatededge.com/can...l#.UQ7hCjVivgg

At the end of that first page is this QUOTE:
Source: Frank Murray Sunshine and Vitamin D eBook(April 21, 2007)

When learning about supplements it is best to stay on sites, with information that is backed up by research. Keep away from watered down sites that have been reworded by a science or less, author.
Often misinformation is passed on thru these sites. Most commonly
are the vegan ones that commonly state a vegan does not need B12 supplementation. That erroneous information continues unfortunately on the web.
Linus Pauling Institute (gives research bibliography that is recent)
And NIH:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vit...hProfessional/ This link is somewhat outdated, but still has some useful
information.

But keep in mind when doing searches on a common topic like "constipation" you will find it linked to just about everything!

You cannot live with low levels of D...in the single digits for long.
It will be a slow decline in organ and immune functions which
can be averted. Vit D will help prevent bone loss, and collapsed vertebrae, and most importantly will help avert pneumonia or other fatal infections, which kill many people every year.

Keep in mind that whatever you find on the net about Vit D, may be outdated, and opinionated. Vit D research is now moving out of the old phase and into new areas in medicine.
And even its NAME is not accurate, as it is NOT a vitamin at all.

ok thanks will do

Thanks mrsD...
 

although you scared me a little with your comment about you can't live very long with single digit D. I am really worried about my number and I have been supplementing and not feeling better. Plus it seems to upset my stomach. Anyway I feel so awful all the time I didn't realize it was this serious...should I expect to start feeling better soon?

I think the low D will rear up when you are exposed to infectious agents. One is more likely to get colds/flu which then may lead to
pneumonia. Since both hubby and I have been taking D3 more than 4 yrs now...we haven't had one cold/flu since then.
We never get flu shots either.
Pneumonia statistics:
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/inf...act-sheet.html

But what is really interesting now are the new studies on breast cancer.

Check this out:
http://news.yahoo.com/vitamin-d-leve...162400428.html

in fact check out the last 2 pages of the D thread here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html

The initial research suggested cancer prevention, and now further studies are clarifying that proper D levels, result in lower
breast cancer incidence.

Levels lower than 30 are also well know to cause osteopenia and osteoporosis, which are silent, until your bones give way.

If oral Vit D products upset you, then there are creams you can purchase. And try to get some sun exposure daily as well.

Thanks for that
 

Thanks mrsD...I actually had already seen that video thanks to your post! This is pretty scary for me. I ordered some more D last night online. Right now I am taking the 2000, but I just bought the 5000. If I eat with it I get less nausea. Also just to clarify something...it would be highly unlikely for me to be deficient in thiamin right? After continuous research and searching and searching for answers to my problems I came across something about it. I have never been tested for B1. I did a quick rummage through my pantry just to see if it's actually in a lot of foods like they say and really was surprised to see that it's not that common. I really only noticed that our cereals have it. Just a thought.

I do take benfotiamine now and haven't seen too much improvement yet.

Hope I don't sound to crazy!!!

Benfotiamine replaces thiamine in the body.

People may be low with genetic errors, or who have poor food
intake (alcohol, or anorectic). Most breads and pastas, are
fortified in US now.

People who take Lasix, a diuretic may lose more thiamine than they
eat.