Vitamin D deficiency

[Finallybreathe]

I have been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency which is 29nmol. I have symptoms such as tingling, twitching (all over body), some weakness in both arms and legs, achy joints & fatigue which is annoying.

Is anyone going through this and have similar symptoms to me? Worried it could be a neurological illness in disguise! I have taken 2 tablets so far (20,000 tablet 2x a week) and I think I feel a tiny bit better? Not sure if it’s in my head.

Thanks

I don't hold vitimin d in my body so on life long medication I can really tell if I don't take it I'm exhausted and feel really not with it off even a day off meds

I get achy joints and fatigue. Cured by Vit D spray. Did you ever try over the counter vitamins? Did they not work? I found I reacted really quickly to them.

I had this over a decade ago followed by some friends, acquaintances and other randoms. (My DP who I met after my deficiency was resolved was also deficient.)

It can take up to a year for your levels to get to optimum range which is over 75nmol/l in my area.

Myself and all the others I know are on life long supplements of different strengths.

I actually broke a toe in my foot for no reason as my level was lower than yours. I also had bone pain, hair loss, muscle pain, and exhaustion. I was so exhausted I didn't remember anything and couldn't do much.

My GP was shit at the time but luckily the staff he employed weren't. Anyway I was on 10,000IU per day for 8 weeks then supposed to go down to 1,000IU. I ended up researching and also being advised by someone I worked with who had MS to take more and get my levels up as quickly as possible. This was also agreed by the GPs I saw in the practice I changed to so I took 5,000IU until my levels got up. While I was getting my levels up my bone pain was worse for the first 3 months.

Realise I didn't add it took me about 5 months to feel better. A friend and my DP who were told to take lots of 800IU tablets per day for 6 weeks then 800IU tablets felt awful for at least a year until I told them to take more. They felt better after 3 months so lowered their daily supplement level.

Different NHS clinical commissioning groups/health boards have slightly different advice on restoring your levels so I gave them the copy of the literature for my area.

At the level of deficiency you are at you are unlikely to be offered a repeat test on the NHS unless you have another chronic health condition. So you are likely are going to have to do your own private test in 6 months.

@Reugny may I ask what was your nmol? Also did you have any more symptoms? Interesting how long it’s taking as I have only been on them less than a week! I’ve been prescribed to take them for 7 weeks.

I had this, my test result was 21. I had hair loss as a result. Went on the high dose vit D and a few months later all normal again, hair loss stopped (and it did grow back).

How does anyone manage to get tested ? My GP refused. Just says everyone is deficient. I’ve been suffering with crushing fatigue, joint pain, tingling and twitching all winter. I’ve started using a spray but can’t say it’s made a huge difference . It doesn’t help that much.

In the winter, everyone in the UK is deficient. I believe some areas have now stopped GPs being able to test because of this.

If you are worried about it you can buy Vit D in huge quantities for a reasonable price on Amazon.

I felt absolutely no better for it but my GP friend assures me that some people see dramatic improvements.

16 but I was told 3 months after they got the results in, when I went with yet another infection. For some reason the GP had decided to stop getting the receptionist to ring with blood test results.

Every single GP practice I had been to before and my current one rings you if blood test results are out of range.

I didn’t ask. I told the GP my symptoms and he ordered a blood test which revealed borderline severe vitamin D deficiency and was prescribed extra high vitamin D supplements for 7 weeks

Thanks. I have just returned from Australia and I was outside a lot in the sun so I’m surprised I’m so deficient! The GP has prescribed ultra high vitamin D supplements.

My Vit D was a 35 in January. I also had iron deficiency anaemia and I felt awful. Aches and pains, word finding problems, flat and disinterested in everything, incredibly tired.

I took 40,000 a week for 4 weeks, then 2000 a day. I felt a really quick improvement on the symptoms I associated with vit d deficiency: the cognitive struggles, stiffness at top of spine and morning stiffness. I was really surprised by how quick it went - especially the morning stiffness which I’d been having on and off for a couple of years.

No most people in the UK have insufficient vitamin D levels

Fewer people have deficient levels.

If you have two or more of bone pain, muscle pain, losing hair and exhausted the majority of the time then you are likely to be deficient.

I think that lots of local NHS guidelines say not to. It’s quite costly (I think) and it’s cheaper to just recommend that everyone takes a low dose supplement, regardless of what test would have shown.

You can do a home test. There are loads of companies out there. Two reputable ones that I would recommend are Monitor my Health (nhs lab) and Medichecks.

You can do a home test. There are loads of companies out there. Two reputable ones that I would recommend are Monitor my Health (nhs lab) and Medichecks.

I've used a NHS lab based in the Black Country who do a simple home vitamin D tests plus Medichecks and Blue Horizon. With Medichecks I've found using the Phlebotomy service at my local hospital better than home testing.

To be fair most providers private companies use actually do lab tests for the NHS. So I've had NHS blood tests and from my print outs found they have used the same labs Medichecks or Blue Horizon use due to where I live.

Which supplement did you use please? This is very interesting. I think a lot of symptoms I have been havi by might be due to lack of vitamin D.

Thanks that’s very helpful.

I think you need to push your GP or else find another. The symptoms you are describing are severe and your GP should be searching for cause and solutions with you, not telling you everyone is deficient so you need to live with it.

Not sure of your age or gender but was just reading that vitamin d is crucial in calcium uptake. That’s so important for women and even more so as we age.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency

Hey, just come across this thread while doing a bit of research, I've just found out im vit D deficient, nmol is 13. I went to gp thinking I had rheumatoid athritus or lupus due to my symptoms. I'm glad it's treatable but can't believe how long it takes to start feeling better! Just happy I finally know what it is. Still waiting on results for antibodies and bone profile also. I realise this was last year but wondering how everyone is doing now, are u all cured?

I did complete the full dosage and pretty much all of my symptoms disappeared! I still twitch sometimes but only when I’m very stressed or tired. All the best!

My Vit D level was 22. I started losing my hair last September so the GP did a number of tests. He put me on 6,400 units of Vit D for six weeks. I've just bought Solgar Vit D tablets of 1,000 units each. I might take more than the 1,000 mentioned by the Dr. I am having another blood test on Monday to see what my Vit D level is now and they're also checking calcium levels. My hair hasn't stopped falling out. Very upset with it. Really hoping it will stop once my Vit D level is higher.

I've lived in a sunny country and was deficient all year round. Weather doesn't really matter

1,000 is for healthy people to take during the winter months, if you are deficient then you need more. You can safely take up to 5,000 a day while you are building up your reserves, and it is best to take it with Vitamin K as this aids absorption. Better You spray has a 3,000 with Vit K, buyable from Boots, Superdrug etc.

I've lived in a sunny country and was deficient all year round. Weather doesn't really matter

Sunny weather is no guarantee you won't be deficient but people living in Northern Europe will definitely see their levels fall in winter and are likely to be deficient in those months.

I started taking vit d during covid as it was recommended.

After a short while For the first time in years and years I noticed I didn’t have back ache. Truly amazing as I was in agony every day before.
Unfortunately it seems I may have seriously overdosed in my desperation to not die of covid and be back ache free as my gap told me my levels ( after a few years ) were toxically high.
I’ve now still take it but at much lower levels and I have noticed the back ache return to a degree.

No. Vit D3 with K2 are necessary to help absorption.

OP I have tingling hands and feet but my go said that was a result of B12 deficiency. Maybe get checked out