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General health

Anyone Vitamin D deficient?

13 replies

StillMedusa · 01/04/2019 17:19

I've been feeling run down, aching, low level poorly for months. Finally went to the docs and had a blood test and the doctor rang back today to say I'm quite Vit D deficient and has started me on meds.

Do they make a difference quickly? Ironically after having a skin cancer removed years ago I was told to stay out of the sun, and now they are saying the opposite..get in it and no sunscreen for at least 20 mins!
I just want to feel less exhausted!

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TeddyIsaHe · 01/04/2019 17:22

What strength are the tablets? I found I had no difference until I had a massive dose for 2 months and then maintained with a lower, but still high dose. I do have psoriasis though which that is recommended for.

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Bettertobehealthy · 01/04/2019 17:59

Hi stillmedusa
Have a look here , many people with Vit D deficiency , what they did to help themselves, how quickly it worked plus much information about doses etc etc. A long read, but lots of information. That might be helpful.
To make sure you continue to keep a good healthy level, you will probably need to supplement after your loading doses from the doctor have finished... Probably between 3000 IU and 5000 IU per day , ongoing.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2421492-Vitimin-D-can-it-have-this-effect

best of luck

BTBH .
.

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FunkyBarnYardBroom · 01/04/2019 18:00

Me! Vit D tablets are actually magic!!

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Wolfcub · 01/04/2019 18:02

They make a massive difference but it’ll take you a few weeks to get back to your normal

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Sgtmajormummy · 01/04/2019 18:45

Yep, just over a year ago I reached what I call my physical breakdown.

I’d been putting up and learning to live with an accumulation of so many physical ailments which I put down to the menopause (50 at the time) or that were not worth going to the doctor about. Backache, difficulty in standing up, numbness if sitting down for long periods, tiredness, plantar fasciitis, skin problems and what I already knew but didn’t want to admit was incipient diabetes.

It took a UTI which had me shaking, hyperventilating and heart racing to get me to speak to the doctor. I remember saying through chattering teeth to DH “I can’t live the next 30 years like this!”. He thought he’d have to call an ambulance! Luckily I calmed down and went to the doctor the next day.
A whole barrage of tests showed I was severely deficient in Vitamin D and iron, and yes diabetic. Fortunately my doctor was aware of Low Carbing and allowed me to try it out before prescribing medication.

Two meals a day to a maximum of 50g carbs, daily Vit.D, magnesium and potassium plus iron supplements. Plenty of veg, animal and vegetable fats in moderation, no alcohol, apple cider vinegar in water for variety.

Six months and 15 kg later I was down to officially Pre-diabetic, so no meds but regular monitoring, and a different person! Aches and pains gone, hair in great condition, skin renewing itself like 20 years ago, brain acuity and energy enough to get me out of bed an hour before I needed to.

Sorry to sound so evangelical but this eating pattern has literally given me a new lease on life! How much of it is due to taking Vit.D I can’t say but it certainly didn’t hurt the process! I’m still losing weight on a less spartan diet (nuts and porridge have crept in) and hoping to stay meds free for as long as possible.

Obviously I wouldn’t wish my story on anybody but OP please don’t underestimate a lack of Vit.D. It can be a symptom of more serious problems.

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StillMedusa · 01/04/2019 19:55

Thank you for the replies. I've been prescribed Adcal D3.
Diet wise...interesting. I think in general my diet is probably ok (barring my nightly glass of Merlot, and frankly with 5 adult kids living with me I'm not giving that up!) I eat a pretty simple diet.. toast and boiled egg for breakfast, salad or soup and a packet of chipsticks for lunch, and usually a jacket spud with cheese and salad/veggies for tea. I eat very little meat as am not interested in cooking it! I'm reasonably slim for my age..51 and 9 stone 6 at 5 ft 7, and in an active job, but I have felt so rotten..like I'm vaguely fluey...aching and shivery for months, with bone and muscle pains. I have episodic Ataxia and after a couple of years of very few episodes I have been having daily attacks..which is really what prompted me to go and see my gp.

I'm also so SO tired. But don't sleep well (and unfortunately have to stay up til nearly midnight as my youngest has a time specific medication and he has autism and can't do it myself... I get about 6 1/2 hours sleep..always have but now feel dreadfil when I wake.

It's really encouraging that the Vit D will help....!!!!!

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Blueowls · 01/04/2019 20:21

Clicked on this thread as I have Vit D deficiency too and had been worrying that something really awful was wrong with me! Feeling a little better after a fortnight of D3 but not 100% yet.

Anyway just read that you have episodic ataxia @StillMedusa so had to say hello! My son has EA2, very rare to randomly come across someone else with EA! Sorry to hear you have been having daily episodes, not nice at all. Hopefully things will calm down soon and you'll be feeling better x

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avocadochocolate · 01/04/2019 21:22

Most people in the UK are vit D deficient, especially now, after a long winter. Trouble is, the sun is too weak from October till about March to enable us to produce any, the summer is unreliable and most of us have virtually no vit D in our diets.

I have been vit D deficient. I broke my leg and it wouldn't heal. Eventually, I discovered this was in part due to low vit D. Once I got the vit D inside me, healing started.
(And has now completed)

A doctor told me a few days ago that spray vit D is best and that "some people seem to need more than others".

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Fatted · 01/04/2019 21:25

Have you just been given the tablets or a loading dose as well. I was given liquid capsules to take along with the tablets for a few weeks to begin with and this did make a difference.

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Wauden · 01/04/2019 21:29

Yes, my doctor said that I need to take calcium and vitamin D tablets. I think my body was telling me that as I craved calcium and missed the sun a lot. Also the areas around my nails felt odd.
I hope that it will help my foot injury to heal.

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WLAH · 01/04/2019 21:42

Only recently been diagnose vit D deficient so reading with interest

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BestIsWest · 01/04/2019 21:42

Me too. Years ago it was 8 and I was diagnosed with a parathyroid issue. Had one of the parathyroids removed and high dosage of vit D for a while and my calcium and vit D levels returned to normal.

However, a routine blood test recently revealed it’s back down to 20 so I’ve been on 4500 iu daily.

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BestIsWest · 01/04/2019 21:45

And take magnesium as I think that helps activate the vit D.

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