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Original poster

Should I be worried? Low vitamin d or something more sinister

27 replies

vitamindbee · 24/01/2024 21:30

About 8 weeks ago, I hurt my back. No idea how. One day I woke up and it was done in! Spent a couple of weeks doing physio exercises, visited and osteo. Felt awful! Took a lot of ibuprofen.

It's better now but I feel off still. My joints hurt. My knees are awful. My shoulder (left) is painful.

I keep having random twitches. Tonight my lip felt tingly and was twitching. My left thumb has been twitchy today and my muscles feel off (slightly trembly and fatigued) Random leg twitches too. I'm typing this and my fingers are not quite as accurate as I normally am. Combine this with the joint pain and I feel awful.

I have done exercise today (weights with a personal trainer, being very careful not to upset any of my sore joints and gradually getting back into it after my back issue).

I visited the gp who ran some tests. The only thing to remark is vitamin D was around 10. I'm on high strength vitamin tablets now.

Has anyone had vitamin D and felt similar?

Honestly I was freaking out early and wondering if this is something more serious like a neurological disease.

I'm 41, overweight by a couple of stone (working on it) and a mum with a full time job if relevant. I'm tired normally but this muscle fatigue/twitching and joint pain is getting annoying now.

Vitamin D is 10
B12 is 368
Serum calcium is 2.24
Adjusted calcium is 2.28
Folate is 3.5
Ferritin is 39
Tsh is 1.39
T4 is 11.7

OP posts:
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Moier · 13/05/2025 13:58

Your b12 is very low.
Yes according to NICE guidelines it's in the range.
But b12 is responsible for many many ailments and aches and pains.
( join a good b12 forum). I SI every week.. buy from Germany at a £1 per ampule. It's changed my life.
Generally GPs don't know enough about b12 and just follow Guidelines.

Hollyhobbi · 13/05/2025 13:30

You will probably be better off taking 4000ius of vitD per day with a magnesium at the same time. Magnesium is needed to activate vitD.

DrCoconut · 13/05/2025 13:26

My facial tingling, twitching etc was caused by very high B6. So if you take multi vits, B complex etc it may be worth checking what's in them. I have some kind of problem utilising B6 and it builds up, I have to avoid supplements containing it.

ghani735 · 13/05/2025 13:17

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Annoyingsquirrels · 13/05/2025 13:07

Based on your bloods ChatGPT suggests
Your symptoms are very likely linked to the severe vitamin D deficiency, possibly compounded by low-normal iron and folate.
📌 What to Consider Doing:

  • Continue high-dose vitamin D exactly as prescribed.
  • Discuss with your GP about:
  • Folate supplementation (5 mg folic acid or a B-complex)
  • Checking MMA if B12 symptoms persist
  • Iron-rich diet or low-dose iron if ferritin doesn't improve
  • Consider rechecking these values in 8–12 weeks to assess progress.
If the neurological symptoms persist or worsen (like the twitching, tingling, or coordination issues), a neurology referral and possibly nerve conduction studies could help rule out other causes—but there’s a good chance that repletion of these nutrients will significantly help. Let me know if you want help building a supplement plan or food list to support these deficiencies.
Gwenhwyfar · 13/05/2025 12:54

fruitbrewhaha · 24/01/2024 22:13

Heavy periods are a symptom of low ferritin.
Get on some ferrous fumerate .

A symptom of low ferritin? Don't you mean can lead to low ferritin?

Lilxa89 · 13/05/2025 12:37

@Curlewwoohoo may I ask what your weird symptoms were please

illbebetteronsaturn · 30/01/2025 10:21

Hi, @vitamindbee, how are you getting on? I’m dealing with a lot of the same issues and trying to figure out what might help.

Original poster
vitamindbee · 25/01/2024 09:22

Thanks, will grab some iron supplements too. And when this course of strong vitamin d is over, I'll carry on taking vitamin d

OP posts:
Original poster
vitamindbee · 24/01/2024 22:15

Coil was at end of November. Not had a heavy period since although have had a number of days of spotting

OP posts:
fruitbrewhaha · 24/01/2024 22:13

Heavy periods are a symptom of low ferritin.
Get on some ferrous fumerate .

CormorantStrikesBack · 24/01/2024 22:12

Last year as in a few weeks ago? Ok so your low iron could be residual from that I guess.

Original poster
vitamindbee · 24/01/2024 22:10

I used to get horrendous periods. But was fitted a coil at end of last year. Another change and wondered if that might explain some of the symptoms.

I've had a fraction of bleeding since coil. It was fitted to solve heavy periods

OP posts:
CormorantStrikesBack · 24/01/2024 22:09

X post, your hb is only just within normal limits, same as ferritin and folate. I’d take vit d, iron supplements and ask for a coeliac test.

CormorantStrikesBack · 24/01/2024 22:08

I do agree that your symptoms are probably caused by low vit d and low iron stores with a possible low hb as well. Do you get heavy periods? I’d be possibly wondering about a malabsorption issue such as coeliac disease. 1 in 100 people have it and it’s possible to be a silent coeliac, so no symptoms.

Original poster
vitamindbee · 24/01/2024 22:06

Haemoglobin 119 (reference range is 115 to 165)

Red blood cell count 3.48 (reference range is 3.5-5.5)

I see nothing on magnesium.

Thanks for your help.

OP posts:
SecondUsername4me · 24/01/2024 22:05

Curlewwoohoo · 24/01/2024 22:03

GP once told me ferritin needs to be about 50 to feel well. Low ferritan gave me all sorts of weird symptoms.

Same - I have low ferritin but apparently anything over about 10 is classed as "normal" which is mental as I have hairless which can happen if you drop under 70. Why isn't 70 the lower limit then?

Mad what seems to he acceptable, when clearly the body is shouting out that its not OK.

Curlewwoohoo · 24/01/2024 22:03

GP once told me ferritin needs to be about 50 to feel well. Low ferritan gave me all sorts of weird symptoms.

Paw2024 · 24/01/2024 22:02

Yeah that vitamin D is right at the bottom
Mine was 9 and I didn't realise how crap I felt and that it was causing my shin pain

CormorantStrikesBack · 24/01/2024 22:01

What’s your hb?

Whenistoomuchtoomuch · 24/01/2024 22:01

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Whenistoomuchtoomuch · 24/01/2024 22:01

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Mykittensmittens · 24/01/2024 22:00

@Whenistoomuchtoomuch did you post on the wrong thread?

Mykittensmittens · 24/01/2024 21:59

@vitamindbee What about haemlglobin and iron? Not just ferritin? And magnesium?

ferritin of 39 isn’t low by NHS standards and wouldn’t warrant you being prescribed a supplement, but in some contexts (against an additionally low haemoglobin level for one) you might be a bit on the low side overall for iron. Ferritin normal range is 30-150 so 39 is lower end, and there is a lot of evidence out there to show at the lower end you may have symptoms from that, aches and pains being one. Equally some people can be well below 30 and not have any symptoms at all. The NHS as I say, wouldn’t do anything for 39 but the evidence to supplement yourself if you wanted is out there (search for other mumsnet threads on this subject, there are lots!)

my ferritin is 30 and I have symptoms.

lack of magnesium can also cause muscle twitches, but if they didn’t test you for it you wouldn’t know. Might be worth asking?

Whenistoomuchtoomuch · 24/01/2024 21:53

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