Thread: Anyone have a Vitamin D defiency?

Well, a lot of people have one...but I was wondering if anyone had been diagnosed and treated for having a vitamin D defiency?

I was recently diagnosed with one and my level is 25.2 ng/mL. The range is 32.0 - 100.0, however recent studies consider the lower limit of 32 to be threshold for optimal health. We're trying to get my levels to 65 ng/mL.

I am so frustrated that I've been taking a multivitamin diligently for over three years and I still have a deficiency! I am very tempted to petition to the FDA for them to increase the RDA of vitamin D. Apparently 400 IU is far too low.

Right now I am on a 2,000 IU supplement and I will be retested in March. I haven't noticed a difference yet, so we'll see.

Anyone else have any thoughts or experiences with this?

Ooh, that's no fun. I'm glad you're getting it treated.

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a really severe deficiency that was making her feel miserable -- the number that sticks in my mind is something extreme like 8 ng/mL. She's been put on megadoses to replenish her body's stores and has seen a fast turnaround in everything from her energy and immunity to her mood and pain sensitivity to the look of her skin, hair and nails. If you don't see a difference soon, you might want to talk to your physician about upping your dosage.

From what I've read, most of us are Vitamin D deficient! I'm an avid Dr. Northrup reader/fan and she's been stressing the importance of Vitamin D since 2005 or so in all her publications, so there's no excuse for me. I haven't been tested, but I'm sure I could use more, too. I'm a big fan of 10 minute sunbaths (early or late in the day when the weather allows). Vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium all work together to regulate many processes in your body, including metabolism. Important stuff!

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
Vit D deficiency is being seen more and more related to the decrease in sun exposures combined with the sun blocks that are providnig exceptional protection against the UV rays (Needed in natural Vit D synthesis.) Also Vit D is a fat soluble vitamen meaning that a low fat diet, the new fat blocking drugs, and gastric bypass surgery all are capable of seriously decreasing your body's ability to uptake vit D from food or supplement sources. Good luck!

My doctor recently told me I was low on D. I just added an additional D supplement I take with my multi-vitamin. It does help. I just wish I lived someplace sunnier...someday perhaps!

I haven't been diagnosed with it, but my doc has me on separate supplements for vitamin D, calcium, and B complex. I seem to have a bit more energy when I make sure to take them in the mornings. Make sure you eat when you take them. I've had problems with feeling dizzy or having an upset stomach if I take D without any food in my system.

my dad tried to blame my OCD on low vit. D, which was doubly funny because 1, it's genetic 2, it started manifesting when i was in Japan and walking to and from school getting vit D everyday and not when i was in Syr -which could have been an alternate setting for twilight- and driving everywhere. i tend to think there is a lot of hype around it right now, so follow ur drs advice, but don't stress about it too much.

Which vitamin D supplements, strength are you folks taking? Which brands are better than others?

I suspect I don't. I spend very little time in the sun but I still have to go outside to do the shopping, walk to work etc and that's plenty. Plus I'm lazy as hell about sunblock.

I'm sure many people have Vit D def. because I think they fortify milk with Vit. D. Follow your doc's advice and try to find foods that have vit. D naturally. I think I've heard that eating foods with the Vitamin is better than supplements. Of course, you need a lot of it fast, so supplements all the way right now :) Also, if I recall correctly, 10 minutes a day in the sun with just the face and hands exposed should be good too.

My husband has MS which has been linked to low levels of D -- he got tested about two years ago and his level was about 5! Since then I've done research and decided that, since I live in Portland and am a devout user of SPF 45 every day even when I'm indoors, I'm just gonna supplement with 10,000 iu/day. I've got hubster on it, too. I've noticed several changes since being on this dose: joint pain has minimized, sleep is better, depression has lifted. It isn't a panacea by any means, but getting enough can make a difference. If you do research you will find that there's only ever been ONE overdose of D and that was on HUGE megadoses over a long period of time. Our bodies USE this vitamin, so it doesn't build up. MDs tend to be very cautious about vitamin supplementation (understandably -- why this doesn't extend to medications puzzles me), but a short term boost to get your levels up couldn't hurt, could it?

They add it to milk because your body can't process calcium without it (magnesium is needed, too). It's actually hard to find it in food - mostly fish (salmon, cod liver oil, sardines), a little bit in egg yolks and beef liver. And apparently if you eat a lot of soy, you need even more Vitamin D.

Originally Posted by alyssaraks

I'm sure many people have Vit D def. because I think they fortify milk with Vit. D. Follow your doc's advice and try to find foods that have vit. D naturally. I think I've heard that eating foods with the Vitamin is better than supplements. Of course, you need a lot of it fast, so supplements all the way right now :) Also, if I recall correctly, 10 minutes a day in the sun with just the face and hands exposed should be good too.

I took a chronic disease class a few years ago, and one of the nutritional tidbits I learned was that supplements should be 1000 mg Vit D a day, but that your body is only able to effectively metabolize 500 mg at once, so you have to take it twice a day.

Originally Posted by kiyaana

They add it to milk because your body can't process calcium without it (magnesium is needed, too). It's actually hard to find it in food - mostly fish (salmon, cod liver oil, sardines), a little bit in egg yolks and beef liver. And apparently if you eat a lot of soy, you need even more Vitamin D.

Interesting because I have tendency to eat a lot of soy...Although I recently switched from soy milk to almond milk. I'm a vegetarian and I don't like milk so that puts me at a distinct disadvantage.

Originally Posted by BELLA_BELLA

I took a chronic disease class a few years ago, and one of the nutritional tidbits I learned was that supplements should be 1000 mg Vit D a day, but that your body is only able to effectively metabolize 500 mg at once, so you have to take it twice a day.

Interesting to know! I take a 1000 mgs. a day, first thing in the morning. Guess I will starting splitting that pill in half.

I am sure to get alot of flack, but I am not big on the multivitamins. I take a B complex, D and Floradix iron supplement (sometimes), but only because I am borderline anemic. Even when I feel great, my doctor can see it, which makes me feel like crap after my visit. I realize that we need 'all' the vitamins, but let me just say that I feel worse when my diet is out of whack than missing a week of vitamins. Oh yeah, I supplement with wine. Grapes are fruit and reversatrol is good for weight loss right??

Slap #2 for me- I am a red head - peed the bed, fair skinned freckle face and occasionally use the tanning bed at my gym. I do NOT go all the time, but a couple of times a month or so does wonders for me emotionally.

Pro's and con's and an interesting article here...

USATODAY.com - Vitamin D reserach may have doctors prescribing sunshine

Please be very careful with the advice you are getting. Vitamin D is always dosed in IU (international units) 40 IU is the equivelant to one microgram so a dose of 1000mg of vitamin D is 40,000,000 IU. A one time dose of 70,000 IU is considered toxic and daily doses of 10,000 IU will cause a toxic level along with some serious and frightening side effects. Havard Health Edu recommends 500 -1000 IU for an adult.

Originally Posted by Suhira

Please be very careful with the advice you are getting. Vitamin D is always dosed in IU (international units) 40 IU is the equivelant to one microgram so a dose of 1000mg of vitamin D is 40,000,000 IU. A one time dose of 70,000 IU is considered toxic and daily doses of 10,000 IU will cause a toxic level along with some serious and frightening side effects. Havard Health Edu recommends 500 -1000 IU for an adult.

My sincerest apologies and you are right! I have my bottle right here and it is 1000 IU per tablet, not mg. Gosh, I don't know if I ran that fast in years...lol

Interesting topic. I have been contemplating getting my levels checked. I tend to want to hibernate all winter and have very low energy when there's no sun for weeks on end. I would love to move to a sunnier place...

I had my levels checked recently. Apparently vitamin D is a group of related chemicals, not just one, and I was normal on all but one, which was low, so the doc recommended a vitamin D supplement. I already take fish oil that has a little bit of vitamin D in it.

I asked my doctor about toxicity also since fat soluble vitamins can build up in the body. She said that, unlike vitamin A, it is extremely rare for someone to get a toxic buildup of D.

Have you been taking some kind of Essential Fatty Acids as well? Vitamin D is fat soluble so you need to also have adequate amounts of EFAs. Try Udo's Oil if you can find it. Fish Oil is very similar as well and Flaxseed Oil.

I recently got tested and mine is extremely low. My doctor wants me to take 2000 iu D3 twice a day for 30 days then once a day after that. Being the procrastinating person that I am . . . I haven't managed to get myself over to the health store where she told me I could get it. I looked in Whole Foods and they don't carry it . . . lots of calcium supplements though. Bleh, I already feel like I rattle when I walk! ;)

I was taking fish oil for Omega-3s . . . now where did I put that???? I was also taking Alli for the month before I had that test . . . wonder if it made a difference? hmmmmm, lots of things to ponder now.

I bought mine at Whole Foods. They are 2,000 IU chewables. Very teeny and they taste good (cinnamon). I will look up the brand when I get home.

Originally Posted by azaleah

Gosh, I don't know if I ran that fast in years...lol

.w.:
Didn't mean to scare anyone!!

Drugstores all carry supplements. Walgreens has a couple of brands of Vitamin D on buy-one-get-one-free sale right now. Their store brand is the biggest bargain at the moment and has a good reputation for quality.