Exhausted, grumpy, unhappy teenager UPDATE

[MumofLandD]

Hi all, I just wanted to let you know about my DS 13 who was very tired, grumpy, refusing school and suffering with presumed anxiety.
He would have headaches and stomach pains some mornings before school and it was a real struggle to get him to school. I worried he was being bullied, the separation between me and his dad was affecting him and he would fail at school. His attendance was 90% and he was miserable. He had a panic attack going to school one day as he felt so ill. I knew he felt ill but we didn't know why and thought he was anxious.
Took him to the GP a number of times but they couldn't find anything wrong and also said anxiety. He was referred to the school Councillor.
Took him to the GP again and she ran a load of blood tests, his vitamin D was super low! Since taking very high dose drops (prescribed) he is a different kid and is so much happier and energetic!
Hoping this could help someone- apparently there is a big correlation between low vitamin D and teenage depression. X

This is good to read, thanks for sharing. In a similar situation :(

That's so good to read. What a relief!

What a great update. So glad your DS is feeling better and thank you for your reminder to get me off the sofa and go and take my Vit D supplement

I have posted so many times on MN about vitamin d and how serious vit d deficiency can be in terms of mental health as well as physical. I am so glad your ds is doing better. It is such a simple thing to fix.

I mean, I'm sure he'll be grumpy again at some point! Ha ha 😂, not thinking I've got away with teenage sulks but he is back to himself! He came back from an overnight school trip last night and told me he wouldn't have been able to cope with the late night and long hike before he started taking the drops. I'm just so relieved he is feeling better! ❤️ I hope someone else reads this and gets their child checked and they feel better too x

Hope your child feels better soon, honestly it's such a easy fix, well worth checking. X

Brilliant update and a positive change! Thank you for coming back because it might help someone else with their child too.

I’m really relieved they picked this up rather than just pushing him down the CAMHS route. Very interesting to know and glad he’s better, thanks OP.

Great to read.

And for anyone that is and is worried about how they would get a blood test, just start them on vit d.

Vit d is a recommended supplement for everyone in the UK. They are really cheap and available in all supermarkets.

Agreed, although he was on a multi vitamin which had 100% RDA Vitamin D. This won't be enough to bring the level up if it is very low. I don't want to say what his dose was on prescription as I don't want people to self prescribe but it was considerably higher than the amount recommended.

You need much bigger doses than RDA to correct deficiency. It is easy to get blood tests done privately these days. GPs really don't have the time.

That's really good news! I was getting crushing headaches and it was a Vit D deficiency so out in a very high dose to correct it. My GP said that they're still finding out the impact of low vitamin D as it presents so differently in people but really glad it was a 'quick fix' for your boy.

Hadn't thought about private, just know how impossible it is to get a blood test when the doctor knows you need one (I'm on medication that requires regular blood tests)

So worrying that so many kids could be suffering for no reason.

Can I ask what Health Board you are under please? As my GP said they cannot do the test for Vitamin D. I dont know if its not allowed due to the cost or if the lab does not have the ability. So I was just told to take Vitamin D at at least 2000iu per day, recommended dose is about 600iu.
It seems unfair that some people have tests and are cured with medicine when others don't have the same service. This makes me so angry as a teenager, I was told for years depression was causing my health issues and prescribed many different antidepressants, when in fact I had juvenile pernicious anaemia m, which by then had caused nerve damage. I wonder how many teenagers are told they have anxiety when it's actually a vitamin deficiency. I also can't help wondering if being male helped your teenager get diagnosed and treated more quickly, instead of it being blamed on female hormones.

I'm glad he's feeling better and they took his issues seriously.

So many things get blamed on mental health issues. My late son had SAD and I look back and wish I had known about vitamin D deficiency back then. He was always so much happier when the sun arrived. Almost a complete personality change.

I'm so sorry that you've lost your DS

The GP did a whole host of blood tests, 4 tubes I think bone profile, vitamin d, renal, full blood count and iron.
We're in SE London. Good luck!