Vitamin D Deficiency

always-aching · 09-19-2006, 06:28 AM

Just received my blood work results and my rheumy indicates my blood work shows I am severely deficient in Vitamin D. He says the protocol is 50,000 units of Vitamin D once a week for 4 weeks. After that, 50,000 units every other week until January, 2007. My rheumy wants to retest my blood work in January to see if my levels have risen. I'm trying to find out as much as I can about Vitamin D deficiency and what else I can do to combat it.

From what I have gathered, Vitamin D deficiency can cause a lot of different ailments. I'm also reading that the most beneficial way to get Vitamin D is through exposure to sun.

It seems I get myself through one hurdle and something else crops up. I'm posting this to find out if anyone else has experience with Vitamin D deficiency. I would like to find out what causes Vitamin D deficiency. From what I'm reading, the causes are a little vague. Please post your thoughts and/or suggestions

mrsD · 09-19-2006, 06:51 AM

To page one of a Vit D thread from OBT:
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache...s&ct=clnk&cd=3

this link has within it links to the ScienceNews article that was published
recently:
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache...s&ct=clnk&cd=1

unfortunately Google only caches page one of multipage posts.

jcc's The Gluten File has some Vit D information:
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/vitamind

A good explanation of Vitamin D, how it works, and supplementing safety issues is here: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...inD/index.html

The last link above has data to suggest that as one ages, ability to make
Vit D in the skin lessens. This is a very good link and has been updated
recently to reflect new thoughts and data on Vit D.

annelb · 09-19-2006, 10:10 PM

Recent articles have added another cancer risk that is lessened by healthy vitamin D levels - Pancreatic cancer. http://www.hc2d.co.uk/content.php?contentId=797

Newest recommendation for vitamin D supplementation is 1000 IU daily. I think that a vitamin D level should be a part of everyone's yearly exam - sadly this is rarely done.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...play&DB=pubmed

Quote:

Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes.

* Bischoff-Ferrari HA,
* Giovannucci E,
* Willett WC,
* Dietrich T,
* Dawson-Hughes B.

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. heike.bischoff@usz.ch

Recent evidence suggests that vitamin D intakes above current recommendations may be associated with better health outcomes. However, optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] have not been defined. This review summarizes evidence from studies that evaluated thresholds for serum 25(OH)D concentrations in relation to bone mineral density (BMD), lower-extremity function, dental health, and risk of falls, fractures, and colorectal cancer. For all endpoints, the most advantageous serum concentrations of 25(OH)D begin at 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL), and the best are between 90 and 100 nmol/L (36-40 ng/mL). In most persons, these concentrations could not be reached with the currently recommended intakes of 200 and 600 IU vitamin D/d for younger and older adults, respectively. A comparison of vitamin D intakes with achieved serum concentrations of 25(OH)D for the purpose of estimating optimal intakes led us to suggest that, for bone health in younger adults and all studied outcomes in older adults, an increase in the currently recommended intake of vitamin D is warranted. An intake for all adults of > or =1000 IU (40 microg) vitamin D (cholecalciferol)/d is needed to bring vitamin D concentrations in no less than 50% of the population up to 75 nmol/L. The implications of higher doses for the entire adult population should be addressed in future studies.

PMID: 16825677 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I have fought hard to get my vitamin D from 24 to 42ng/ml. When I was at 24 I was told it was "good". The more I read, the more I realized that the "normals" were set too low(like B12). I am happy that these "normals" are being raised.

I am glad that you know about your deficient vit D - hope this helps with your aching.
Anne

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...play&DB=pubmed

Quote:

BMC Fam Pract. 2006 Jan 23;7:4. Related Articles, Links
Click here to read Click here to read
Female asylum seekers with musculoskeletal pain: the importance of diagnosis and treatment of hypovitaminosis D.

de Torrente de la Jara G, Pecoud A, Favrat B.

Medical Outpatient Clinic, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Gabrielle.De-Torrente@hospvd.ch

BACKGROUND: Hypovitaminosis D is well known in different populations, but may be under diagnosed in certain populations. We aim to determine the first diagnosis considered, the duration and resolution of symptoms, and the predictors of response to treatment in female asylum seekers suffering from hypovitaminosis D. METHODS: Design: A pre- and post-intervention observational study. Setting: A network comprising an academic primary care centre and nurse practitioners. Participants: Consecutive records of 33 female asylum seekers with complaints compatible with osteomalacia and with hypovitaminosis D (serum 25-(OH) vitamin D < 21 nmol/l). Treatment intervention: The patients received either two doses of 300,000 IU intramuscular cholecalciferol as well as 800 IU of cholecalciferol with 1000 mg of calcium orally, or the oral treatment only. Main outcome measures: We recorded the first diagnosis made by the physicians before the correct diagnosis of hypovitaminosis D, the duration of symptoms before diagnosis, the responders and non-responders to treatment, the duration of symptoms after treatment, and the number of medical visits and analgesic drugs prescribed 6 months before and 6 months after diagnosis. Tests: Two-sample t-tests, chi-squared tests, and logistic regression analyses were performed. Analyses were performed using SPSS 10.0. RESULTS: Prior to the discovery of hypovitaminosis D, diagnoses related to somatisation were evoked in 30 patients (90.9%). The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 2.53 years (SD 3.20). Twenty-two patients (66.7%) responded completely to treatment; the remaining patients were considered to be non-responders. After treatment was initiated, the responders' symptoms disappeared completely after 2.84 months. The mean number of emergency medical visits fell from 0.88 (SD 1.08) six months before diagnosis to 0.39 (SD 0.83) after (P = 0.027). The mean number of analgesic drugs that were prescribed also decreased from 1.67 (SD 1.5) to 0.85 (SD 1) (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Hypovitaminosis D in female asylum seekers may remain undiagnosed, with a prolonged duration of chronic symptoms. The potential pitfall is a diagnosis of somatisation. Treatment leads to a rapid resolution of symptoms, a reduction in the use of medical services, and the prescription of analgesic drugs in this vulnerable population.

PMID: 16430783 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

always-aching · 09-22-2006, 06:20 AM

Thank you for your replies. I'm going to spend tomorrow reading all the links provided. I don't know if the Vitamin D deficiency is the culprit, but I am so run down. I can barely keep my eyes open these days. This is so unlike me -- I am generally active, always on the move, but not lately. All I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep. Of course I can't do that, I have so many projects to finish up before the weather gets cold and stays cold.

Thanks again!

annelb · 09-22-2006, 07:50 PM

We are supposed to get our vitamin D from the sun but too many of us "live" indoors. When we do go out in the sun we put on the sunscreen. The further north you live, the more difficult it is to get enough vitamin D from the sun. Many of us have absorption problems so we don't get enough vitamin D from enriched food either.

Has your doctor tested you for other vitamin deficiencies? I do hope you get to feeling better soon.
Anne

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