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 went to my doctor with symptoms, but she only had my iron levels checked. When I phoned reception, I was told that the test had been checked by two doctors and the appended comment was "Tell patient that levels are normal."

Of course they were...but at the bottom end, as the test showed. I hadn't thought to ask about Vitamin D levels and they weren't tested.

I think it was more like three months. Can't remember when I started the high dose exactly but I think it was end November. I'm really pleased it has jumped so much but after the high dose of 6,000 IU a day (I think IU is the unit) I continued taking about 4,000 a day and have only just recently dropped to 1,000-2,000. I can drop to 1,000 now, I think. I got Solgar's Vit D. The Dr didn't mention Vit K so I didn't get that but I'm going to look into a supplement that is Vit D and Vit K going forward. I think the ones I got were £15 for 100 capsules.

Bottom end is not good. The receptionist who gave me my results today said up to 250 is ok but after that it is dangerous. I think she said 50-70 was sufficient and under 50 inadequate (can't remember exactly). I'm happy to stay around 100 as it gives a bit of leeway if it drops.

Yes, I'm working on the iron levels too. I've been trying to eat foods full of iron, but it's obviously not good enough.

I've recently read that it's now recommended that you take iron tablets every other day, so I might try that. I've already been taking a Vitamin C tablet and drinking more orange juice.

Pleased this popped up today- I had a blood test for anaemia after rejection from blood donation, but have come back with a Vitamin D deficiency saying it’s under 30nmol and I need to have the 20k x2 doses once a week.
I had no discernible symptoms but I do have lots of shit going on in my life so broadly speaking feel absolutely knackered the vast majority of the time plus I have poor circulation and raynauds so assumed tingling was that…

I want to become a little more tuned in to my body! Will the supplements stop the tingly fingers and toes and random ones on my back..?! And does it do anything about the ringing in my ears which the dr assumed was related to the (non existent!) iron deficiency?!

Agree Karla
I think @WearyAuldWumman s advice on having a yearly blood test sounds like a good idea.
It’s worth keeping on top of these things

You see this is why I really need an all over blood test for everything.
I have ringing in my ears….

The tingling btw I was told could be b12 deficiency. ( nerve related )

I was told the ringing in ears and tingling was likely Iron deficiency! So I sort of mentally prepared for that (plus the blood donation thing had told me it was too low to donate for a year…) then it was Vitamin D which I assumed was a low key thing…
[side note- I’ve lived in the tropics for 18 years- is it really not anything to do with the fact I’ve barely seen the sun since moving back..?!]

D3 and K2 together is recommended
low K2 is associated with calcification of the arteries. They should be taken together to offset each other
( it’s worth noting that research is limited on this )

Be careful as iron tablets can make you constipated. When I had my son my iron was low and the midwives said to take Floradix. It's a liquid iron supplement with fruit in. It didn't taste too bad.

That's not good! I don't know about the tingly toes and fingers or back. I didn't have those symptoms. Or the ringing in my ears. I'm not sure, but do you get ringing in your ears from high blood pressure? I've bought a monitor. £30 but saves going into the pharmacy or Dr's. They recommended it when doing tests about the hair loss.

It smells gross but it tastes yummy!

I always have to be careful with iron supplements, unfortunately - they sometimes give me the opposite problem. I've been trying to eat more food with iron, but I'm still at the low end of normal so I think that it will have to be Floradix or one of the other "gentle" supplements.

I really quite liked it too. Some people can't get it down. It was expensive, if I remember rightly.

It is
3 for 2 in Boots 😁.

Just in case anyone has aches in their knees (off topic) I get inflammation sometimes. Not diagnosed as anything specific. It was a few years back and I started craving cherries and was spending about £5 a day on them for a few weeks. After some research it seems there is a connection and some evidence to show that concentrated doses of Montmorency cherries help with inflammation. Health food shops sell a concentrated Montmorency cherry juice. Two spoonfuls in water a day and it took away the pain completely after a few weeks. Along with Floradix it is the other thing I recommend to people (if they mention pain in their knees). A friend's mother said it worked for her too. That's it - no more medical recommendations to give you :)

That’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing that.

I had a level of 22 and the same boost of vit D you are on. Honestly I felt like the Duracell bunny for the first time in week 2, as my levels had been low for months. The energy tapered off in between doses, which were weekly, then by week 5 I felt better through most of the week. I continue to take a normal
level of vit D each day now I am boosted, after 7 weeks my levels were over 50 which I needed to reach to be able to start some medication. Hang in there and good luck!

It's funny how Drs recommend different things. I was put on daily tablets (thought it was 6,000 but looking back it was 6,400 a day). I didn't have a noticeable boost to my energy, but now 3 months on do feel better, which would be helped if I went to bed earlier. I do wonder what my level would have been straight after the 6 weeks of the high dose. I think it is only because I continued with a high dose after the prescription that the level has gone up to 102.

What supplements do you take and where do you get them please?

I don’t know how anyone is getting their GP to test them. I have asked more than once, different doctors and they all say ‘everyone is deficient ‘ and refuse to do it.

That's terrible. Initially when the result of my first test came back at 22 they weren't going to give me the prescription. I think they only gave it to me as I was getting so upset with the hair loss I was experiencing I think they gave it to me to shut me up and so I didn't put in a complaint. It wasn't about getting the Vit D free (I'm also on levothyroxine so get free prescriptions), I just wanted them to take it seriously and realise how much it was affecting me. The second test the Dr said yes, no problem without me having to convince her. I just said I wanted to know what it has gone up to. Maybe try a different GP's?

Also diagnosed following a suite of blood tests. Result was 25. Taking 2x Boots high strength vitamin d per day for a month to start with.

I’ve tried quite a few. I didn’t know hair loss is linked to lack of vitamin D either. I have a thyroid issue and assumed it was that, but may well be lack of vitamin D .

Mine was through the floor. I was given six weeks of 50k tablets once a week. It took about a month to really start feeling better from it.

I'm on a daily maintenance dose now and most of the symptoms are gone. My thyroid is still out of balance though so it's hard to tell exactly what was being caused by that and what was by the the vitamin D.