Any experience of Vitamin D deficiency?

[LondonLady1980]

(I have posted this in general health but I don’t know how busy that forum is so I’m posting it in here too in the hope of getting more replies).

I had some blood tests earlier this year that showed I was very deficient in Vitamin D and so my GP prescribed me a 7 week course of high dose supplements (20’000iu capsules, one twice a week).

I have recently finished my course and so am now looking at taking supplements to maintain what is now hopefully a normal level in my system.

I joined a FB group about Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation regimes etc but to be honest the ones who shout the loudest seem like crazy conspiracy theorists and are dictating to people what volumes of supplements we should be taking and that all GPs and Pharmacists are “in it together” to not be honest with us about how much we should be taking as it serves a better purpose for them if we are all kept at deficient levels (crazy ramblings).

Some posters seem quite genuine and normal but the general tone is just a bit “off” and I’m a bit reluctant to take advice from those who seem to have their own biases.

So I am asking here if there are others who have had a history of vitamin deficiency and what supplements you take in order to keep your levels stable?

Thank you.

I have primary hyperparathyroidism, and one of the symptoms of this is low vitamin D. My daughters were also diagnosed with low vitD of levels 19 and 22 although theirs was due to thyroid disorders. My niece has severe psoriasis and very low vitamin D too. I find taking 3000ius of vit D with a separate magnesium supplement at the same time keeps my vitD level at about 75. If I stop taking vitD supplements I get psoriasis from head to toe, not just small patches on my scalp.

When people say their levels are being checked, by whom? Doctors won’t check unless they are convinced there is a medical issue. I’ve tried many times. So where else can levels be checked?

I've just been told I have a vit D deficiency. 3 days ago now I started a supplement, it also has vitamin k added, as recommended by my GP.

Yeah that doesn’t work for me unless I wear SPF
risk of skin cancer and I would be burned to a crisp!

My GP agreed to test but suppose can do privately.

I have osteophenia, and a few years ago the GP called to say my vitamin D levels were in my boots, I take a daily supplement and also do a few hours in the sun at the start of summer and throughout. My levels are now fine after a trip to Africa.

I have osteoporosis and have annual zolendronate infusions. Also thyroid. Vit D is required for calcium uptake. Vit D at optimal levels is required for thyrood health.

An endocrinologist told me that the low within range levels are not good enough, that being 50 to 60. He said levels should be 90 to 100.

I maintain between 90 and 100 by taking Adcal D3 (800iu) plus 2000 vit D daily September to April and 1000 May to August.

Fortunately due to being under rheumatology, my vitD levels are checked every year.

Hi op. I take 5000iu in an oil based capsule. You MUST take it with vitamin K2 to ensure it goes to the bones and not your arteries. Ideally also take a form of magnesium.

I'm inclined to agree with that FB post (not the crazy stuff about pharmacists!) but the NHS level is like everything else, set too low.

I take a multivitamin (Thorne) plus 10k IU and Vitanin K (also Thorne) as my vitamin and mineral profile is low generally. I believe I’m getting better but it has taken 5-months and I don’t have a test for another month. I’m hoping it won’t be below 30nmol again!

I have had really bad anaemia for 6 years now despite being on supplements for that whole time 😬

I wake up at night all the time and Ive often wondered if it’s related to my deficiencies.

Although the group is crazy I have followed their advice if also ordering some magnesium supplements to take alongside the Vitamin D ones as it seems a common theme on there that Magnesium is required to activate the Vitamin D.

I have got Nutrition Geeks brand D3+K2 (4000iu) and Nutrition Geeks Magnesium Glycinate (3-in-1).

Mine was part of a full panel as I was going on HRT and they wanted to make sure there were no underlying thyroid issues. My Vit D level is 103, according to the NHS app 50-99 is considered "normal" and over 200 is considered toxic. I do take a mulitvit plus a 2000ui dose vit D and have done for years.

I cannot see why they would refuse a blood test, it is relatively cheap and if you are worried about symptoms then my GP surgery would do it to rule stuff out. I had a whole panel of bloods done as routine when I hit 50, they just do it as a wellness check, blood pressure, height, weight, waist measurement. They are a very proactive surgery.

You can get it done privately for £20 I think. I got mine done as part of a full panel which cost me £300 but I’m pretty sure just the basics is £20.

If you holiday in Eastern Europe, it ca be as low as £3 and within 2-hours.

Seconding this!

My levels have been low for a long time, but now hardly registering since a kidney stone last year which caused a lot of sickness and for which I had to have surgery.

I had been trying to take vitamin D before it got to that state in the form of sprays or oil drops in a juice, but no more than 3 days and I would get a really nasty form of reflux and pains down under the rib, so didn't continue.

I am now adding chewable magnesium, as much water with lemon or lime juice - not squash - in the morning in it as I can take (still not enough, should be up to 3 litres a day for the kidney stone as much as anything else), and soluble D with K. This has finally, finally, started to work, again aches and complete beaten listlessness have turned around.

The kidney stone was possibly the 2nd or 3rd I had although the first were much less damaging. It was a calc. oxolate one and this reveals that there is a problem processing calcium, also that there was very little usable calcium in the bloodstream. Vitamin D is essential in that mineral metabolism process, so don't get to that stage, because managing it now has been quite a challenge. There may be other things as yet undiscovered, but ensuring vit. D can be metabolised has made all the difference, this is after about 3 months.

Incidentally, there are studies that say that women with PCOS are found to have unusually low levels because of the condition, in case that rings any bells.

Op, you also need to take it with a source of fat, hence I take it as an oil based capsule.

Vitamin D is fat soluble.

For those of you taking iron with no impact you should take one 200mg every 48hrs with vitamin c. On an empty stomach and two hours before/after any food or drink.

I got my ferritin from 16 to 118 this way in around 6 months. I took ferrous sulphate which I bought over the counter.

Taking it more often won't work, your body can only absorb so much iron every two days.

I sat in the morning sun, from around 8-9 am, for 10-15 minutes and that was enough to increase my levels, substantially, within a couple of weeks.

ATM, I am using 4,000 Vit D3 + K2 supplements. They are capsules made with olive oil.

This is one place, it is NHS so should be authentic. It seems the instant home tests give results that might be a bit dodgy.

https://www.vitamindtest.org.uk/

Obviously other places are available no idea what is cheap or dear, I just came upon that one and it looked pukka.

I was very low in vit D. I had the 7 week high dose treatment, then was told to take 800IU for 3 months, I’m about half way through that. When I’m done the GP recommends taking a standard daily recommended allowance of 400IU (which they actually say everyone should be doing)

There is a huge industry in Vitamin D supplements and injections. Ignore the noise and go with GP recommended.

What are symptoms of low vit d? I’m on HRT peri but last few weeks I am feeling achy every morning and flat and lethargic. I just realised I stopped my vit d tablet start of March as thought sunlight would be enough from now?

My symptoms were aching joints, especially in my fingers strangely.

I had aching muscles (typically in my thighs) and restless legs a lot.

I generally just felt tired and run down, my body just ached (for no reason) and I felt very low in mood too.

Thanks Yes that’s how I’m feeling and vit d tablet is only thing I changed so maybe I’ll start taking it again