Vitamin D

[Ryoko]

I am lacking in it apparently and have been given a prescription for dekristol, can anyone tell me anything about it? do I have to cash in this prescription or can I buy it over the counter for cheaper or an alternative?.

and why am I lacking anyway when I take a daily multi vitamin supplement that has 100% RDA of Vitamin D in it and eat eggs and lots of fish?.

Can being lacking in Vit D, cause a feeling of pressure just below the right rib cage and on and off pain in the right side of chest/boob? which is what I went to the GPs complaining about in the first place and have been complaining about on and off for about 2 years now.

I can only talk about the prescription: you can only use it to get the drug written on it.

The other stuff should have been covered by your GP. Go back and ask them the questions.

AFAIK a vitiman d deficiency can be because of lack of exposure to natural sunlight. This is a problem in Scotland at the moment (saw it on the news). It also affects absorption of calcium.

I have it too. Got a Vit D and Calcium supplement on prescription unsure of the name. The best thing you can do is take it and try to get sunlight although the sun here is often not strong enough. Diet is not supposed to provide a lot of it regardless of what you eat. The main source is sunlight.

fWIW my GP said about half the population has a deficiency and they are being asked to test for it a lot more.

Also, I'm not sure about your other symptoms. Vit D is linked to all kinds of things but nothing specific except rickets I think. Mine was discovered in a routine blood test had no symptoms.

I'll have to say to one of the GPs about my current suppliments next time I go in to moan about my pain (that they keep ignoring).

I didn't see the GP when I got the prescription, I went in there saying (again)about the feeling of pressure and the pain and she said it's probably muscle damage give it awhile (which is what they have been saying for 2 years) then she said I look pale maybe I'm anaemic and booked me a blood test, Receptionist phoned me up a few days later and told me I'm lacking and to come collect this prescription.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause generalised aches and pains in some people, and can cause pains in the ribs, hips, thighs, pelvis and feet in particular, apparently.

Dekristol is a heavy duty Vitamin D supplement, which suggests that your levels are very low. You are very lucky to have a doc who is up to scratch enough to prescribe this - most of us are offered only Calcichew or Adcal, which are not a lot of help in serious deficiency.

Dekristol is imported from Germany and does not come cheap - fill your prescription and take it as stated. Once your levels are up you may be better off taking a softgel supplement to maintain your levels, but that's for the future.

As to why you are deficient, I could ask the same question. Good, varied diet, plenty of time outdoors, virtually no Vit D stores. I think in my case it may be something to do with malabsorption, but the NHS are not interested in finding out.

Follow the link for more info:

www.imperialendo.com/for-doctors/vitamin-d-guidelines

D

Ad-Cal is a combination Calcium and Vitamin D supplement available on prescription.

I have awful "aches and pains", normally one sided when Vitamin D low. Also try eating foods which are fortified with vitamin D (normally breakfast cereals).

Apologies should be Ad-Cal D3, the D3 being the Vitamin D bit!

Hi sorry to hijack and hope the vitd improves your pain OP. I've just been diagnosed with a severe vit d deficiency and given adcal as well as a solution to drink (instead of an injection i think) I've had loads of symptoms which could be connected inculding horrible fatigue, nerve pain and insomnia as well as just feeling pants! Just wondering how long it took for people to notice an improvement in symptoms?

Hi,

Sometimes I find it can be just a few weeks, other times about 3 months to really pick up. I have B12 injections plus iron tabs, so it is probably the combination of all 3.

Aldi sell a Vit D + Calcium supplement for a v reasonable price (couldn't tell you what, sorry)

I was prescribed it last year after a blood test showed I had a deficiency - I had thinning hair and was permanently knackered and a bit down. I took it without any problems.

Are you darker skinned? I think that contributed to me being deficient. In terms of your eating, I think its difficult for your body to get enough vit d from food compared to other vitamins and minerals.

I took 2 tablets per week during last winter then made sure I got as much sun as possible over the summer. I started taking 1 tablet a week once it got cold and grey again. I had my levels tested a few months ago and they had gone up to normal. Hair has got thicker, though I'm still always tired so that may be something else.

Lack of vitamin D can cause all sorts of issues from calcium malabsorption to MS.

Main source is sunshine

Heres a reminder

Right I've got this Dekristol stuff (they had to order it in, none of the chemists round here had it).

All the literature with it is in German!, can anyone tell me, what the ingredients are?, how to store it?, what are the side effects if any? and how do I take it in conjunction with my multi vitamins?.

Mine was from France with no instructions either-I was told just to drink it in one go-was disgusting

Do try cytoplan.co.uk excellent company, most of their supplements are food state & suitable for vegans.

This is a very good website. www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Get yourself out in to the sun this week with as much skin out as possible.

Sorry, just realised that your mess are in tablet form -so downing them not an option-I'm sure the pharmacist could tell you tho

Meds not mess. Sorry

you need a blood test for calcium levels in a few weeks time to make sure you are neither too low or too high in serum calcium
I would chase up the cause of the vit d deficiency tbh as, unless you are very dark skinned and cover up a lot, a serious deficiency could be caused by a wide range of treatable conditions - could be something to do with celiacs for example. in my case it was hypothyroidism, which also causes general knackeredness and muscle pains. so my body got enough vit d on the skin but couldn't convert it.

My Vitamin D levels were 'undetectable' in the blood test my GP did, and I was diagnosed with a severe deficiency. I was prescribed Adcal D3 twice a day. My levels started to go up within weeks. Did nothing for my neurological symptoms though....unfortunately!

Forgot to say...it's actually cheaper to buy Adcal D3 over the counter from Boots (they keep them in the dispensary but allow you to just buy them over the counter without prescription). I only found this out after paying for more costly prescriptions for a while....

I saw this and something just twigged - I used to get loads of random aches and pains.

I emigrated to Australia 6 months ago, and now hardly ever get random aches...