To doubt a blood test result?

[ItalianinLondon]

Just got my Vit D blood test result and it is recorded as 20.7 nmol/L. Apparently normal levels are 70 - 150, so it seems terribly low!

I don't fall into any of the "risk" categories, so do you think it makes sense to query it? I just don't want to start stuffing myself with supplements if they are not actually needed!

Ask your GP surely?

No 20 is definitely low!!! BTW 99% of people living in britain have low vit D levels hence supplements are recommended since newborn stage 👍

Different labs will have different reference ranges for tests depending on how the test is performed. One labs normal 20 could be another labs deficient 20. Need to discuss with your gp to be sure. If you have the bloods report the reference ranges will be on it.

Probably correct. My eldest DD registered a below 15 for cut D (exactly what it said) so was given night strength supplement - she had to take this once a week for 6 weeks and then go onto a maintenance dose of ordinary strength supplement. If that's what your test says it'll be correct.

VIT D not cut D - typo!

Pretty much everyone in the UK should be taking a vit D supplement. Something like 90% of the population are deficient because the latitude in the UK means that we don't get enough sunlight of the correct wavelength for much of the year to facilitate conversion. Additionally many people wear sunscreen

You don't necessarily have to stuff yourself with supplements. You could stuff yourself with a mushroom omlette for example

You live in the UK, it's impossible to get enough Vit.D from the sun most of the year, more so the further north you go.

The supplements cost £1 and cover so many health issues, it's not worth NOT taking them.

Low vit d in this country at this time of the year is no huge surprise in itself if you're not otherwise unwell. Just use a supplement OP, the spray ones are considerably more effective- and ask to be retested in a few months. That is likely all the GP will advise anyway.

BTW 99% of people living in britain have low vit D levels

The NHS says it's 20%.

www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/the-new-guidelines-on-vitamin-d-what-you-need-to-know/

We all fall into the "at risk" category if we live in the UK over winter.

Check your calcium levels too as Vitamin D deficiency can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Didn't your doctor talk you through the test results? My vit D levels are weirdly too high, so I had to change my calcium supplement to one without vit D..

Still, talk to the doctor about it! That seems worryingly low to me.

Thanks for the heads up. I am just surprised since I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the sun (without protection, ahem) in the summer and I am fairly light-skinned, not obese, not housebound, etc.

The reason I am wondering, and a bit reluctant on the supplements, is that I have SLE and I take stupid amounts of medication anyway. I don't want to take any more if I can help it - the pills inside me will start to rattle!!

Once you've got your levels up you don't necessarily need to take a pill. There are fortified milks with Vit D in them, or cod liver oil (some of which doesn't taste nearly as foul as it used to!)

But do talk to your doctor first. Too much vitamin D can also be bad so you need to have a medical professional give you a good idea of how best to get your levels to where they should be and to maintain.

Mine came back low at ?17. Unfortunately I the GP advised a maintenance dose whereas I really needed a loading dose first. So it's worth some research on vitamin D deficiency.

If you've got SLE speak to your GP, or even better your consultant before you take anything else.

Fortunately I have an appointment with he consultant next Tuesday, so I guess the obvious thing is to discuss it then! Thanks for pointing out the obvious to me ;)

I feel like I should have some ill-effects if my levels are really so low, and I am sure that I don't!!

I'm sorry you thought I was pointing out the obvious, that wasn't my intention. But, asking for medical advice from internet randoms is a bad idea at any time, but when you have a condition like SLE it's not information you should be acting on. Your consultant - who is a properly qualified medical professional who is familiar with your case - is really the best person to discuss it with.

Oh, don't worry - I didn't take it that way!

And you're right, of course, I just know nothing about vit D deficiencies and hadn't even thought of it being in any way connected / relevant with SLE!

What is SLE?

SLE - systemic lupus erythematosus. It's an autoimmune disease.

It's very common for people with autoimmune diseases to be very low in vitamin d, and, annoyingly, some of the symptoms are identical to ones associated with the disease itself. Treat both and you're more likely to feel better. And you're less likely to end up with osteoporosis despite steroids if you treat it.

Mine was 11 with psoriatic arthritis. It wasn't arthritis in my hip after all. It was osteopenia. Still Ill and in pain, but at least my leg bones don't hurt anymore.

Osteomalacia, even. I avoided osteopenia with treatment - got an Adexa bone density scan coming up soon so I might be brought back to earth with that, seeing as my levels crashed equally the following year despite supplements.

A “consultant “ for low vitamin levels??? Really??

I would assume the consultant would be for the autoimmune disorder Yeahnah.