Vitamin D Deficiency and Tiredness

[TheFurryMenace]

I went to my GP with a list of symptoms, thinking I was perimenopausal - crushing tiredness, dizzy spells, awful headaches and night sweats. The tiredness has been going on for a long long time, but the other symptoms have worsened over the past 6 months (except the night sweats which are sporadic). She did a load of blood tests and my hormone levels are well within range, so am not perimenopausal. However, she said that my vitamin D levels are very low (I cant remember the count) and has prescribed me 40 000iu 1 tablet a week for 7 weeks, and then just to take the regular vitamin D supplement after this. I have two questions please:

1. Did taking a vitamin D supplement help with the tiredness (please tell me it did, Im so desperate!

2. I cant find what 1000 units of vitamin D actually is when I looked at the measurements used on off the shelf vitamin supplements. What should I be looking for?

Thanks in advance.

Yes it can help with tiredness without a doubt. I take some every day that I got via Amazon. I'll post a link in a min. It's a high level I take daily abs have done for about 18months. It's very hard to overdose on vit D!

When I stared taking vitamin D, I had the most bone crushing fatigue and severe joint pains. I could barely walk because I hurt so much. I also have ulcerative colitis which is what I was putting the other symptoms down to.
I perked up within a month of taking a high strength supplement of vitamin D.

Vitamin D3 10,000 IU By Nu U, 365 Softgels (Full Year Supply) - 100% MONEY BACK - Vitamin D Strengthens Bones, Teeth and Immune System- No A [[www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VK3MEYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_5mtjRu6XYWt3?tag=mumsnetforum-21c]] this is the one I use.

Oh crap that didn't work. Hang on...

Holland & Barratt do D-Lux in 1000 & 3000 dosages bth are very much hogher than the RDA

I take 3000 & I have just got mine up to an acceptable level after about 20 months

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01EAPTLOG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_s_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1488824513&sr=1-1&tag=mumsnetforum-21
Similar to these 10,000 IU

This is a good thread

Oh thank God it helps with the tiredness! Thanks for your replies. Can someone please explain to me how the vitamin measurements work please, so I can know what is 800-1000 units. The doctor advised me not to take more than 1000 units.

Why have I got low vit D? I am very fair skinned and hair? I thought it only happened to darker skinned people who don't naturally absorb as much from sunlight?

Also, what can I do to increase it through my diet, if anything?

Diet? About a pound of oily fish a day....

The other thread explains at this latitude there just isn't enough sun

That limit maybe because of your larger loading doses

Thanks Katymac, I've read the other thread, thanks for the link. I still don't understand how to work out on an over the counter supplement what 800-1000 units is?

Blimey, that's a lotta fish! Haha.

How long was it before you felt less tired?

I don't understand the units either sorry!!

I have ME/CFS as well so I waiting for it to go....but it is loads better

My Vit D levels were very low and I was having to go and lie down after unstacking the dishwasher (this was after shingles and a virus last year). I took the doses as prescribed by my Doc, and I was dancing round the kitchen within about 12 hours.

I also had the bone crashing fatigue, terrible. My vit D was through the floor. GP prescribed high dose vit D and I felt better within weeks. Now take vit D every day and feel fine as long as I dont let it drop. It really is crazy fatigue - worse than early pregnancy.

400 iu is the same as 10mcg so 1000 iu is 25 mcg . If vitamin d levels are very low they can cause symptoms such as tiredness so hopefully it that's the cause you will start to feel better soon 🙂

Thank you for explaining Assam, that is helpful, I know what to look for now, although I'll be on the mega dose for 7 weeks.

Scary - wow, that's an amazing turnaround!

Gravel, you are so right, it feels just like or worse than early pregnancy!

Katy, sorry to hear you have other health issues alongside this, it must be so hard!

Thank all for your help, I'm hoping it will help with the tiredness, I'm feeling so desperate, just hope it works.

I also have an auto immune disease which means I live with low level fatigue anyway, but the Vit D deficiency had me on my knees. I couldn't believe the difference these high level supplements made. It has to be D3 though.

Thank you Scary, Im sorry you have to put up with low level fatigue all the time, my sister does too, she has Lupus quite severely.

I am taking 40,000 iu of Cholecalciferol, which I think is D3. I have to take 1 tab a week for seven weeks then doctor recommend 800-1000 units a day thereafter.

I really hope it works, I want to cry a lot of the time due to the tiredess (Im not depressed) and Im getting irritable towards the end of the day which isnt nice for my family, and Im in bed by 9 every night (I could happily go to bed when I get in from work, but have dinner, tidying, putting DD to bed). It cant be much fun living with me at the moment and its very boring to always be saying Im tired. I dont know how long I've been deficient, I've felt like this for several years, but it did worsen early last year and I felt silly going to the doctors (just thought it was my age or whatever), so I put it off until I just couldnt stand it anymore. Silly really, cos I feel dreadful now.

yep colecalciferol is vit d3.