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Vitamin D deficiency: anyone had this?
I have had bad health issues for years. I would every once in a while tell my GP who then said it was all in my head, it was stress, it was the traumas. I told them I didn't go outside and didn't live and eat healthily, but nothing was done, they have a 'next' mentality so I recently switched GP. He immediately sent me to the lab for bloodwork. Not only that: the results came in not even two hours later!
I was diagnosed with major vitamin D deficiency. There are weird and very off values concerning muscle and mass as well, which only proves what I wrote about a while ago: I have lost so much muscle due to depression and only sitting on the sofa with the laptop for work. I haven't been outside in years, living an online life that was a bit easier to manage, avoiding extra stimuli that would create flare-ups of the traumas I worked on during therapy (which is still ongoing).
My major concern is: can the damage of this deficiency be reversed? I have had so many complaints about my health for YEARS that now seem to come together. I was so depressed for so long, have tingles and strange sensations all over my body especially in my legs, I can't concentrate and focus, am very forgetful, have headaches, high blood pressure and my heart doesn't even react well to the medication anymore. I am, all things considered, quite the mess.
Does anyone here have any experience with this?
I hardly go outside, I know I should get some sun, but this is not yet possible for me (too stressed, too much happened). I am a mess! I used to be outgoing and moderately active a few years ago but something bad happened and I'm working through it with help, until that time I won't go outside, but I think I may be getting there.
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@ellamster
Hi,
Autoimmune Diseases and Fatigue is a discussion here on Mayo. If you just type in Vitamin D you will see numerous discussions. Based on my providers information, Vitamin D3 is the vitamin to take. Yes you can reverse the damages done to a great extent. What you are experiencing…fatigue, lack of concentration, headaches etc is a result of too little or virtually no vitamin D.
It does not take too long to get your levels up. Of course, there is vitamin d in food as you know. You know your lifestyle is not healthy and your post is an indication that you want help.
Read all the helpful discussions here that reference articles and blogs you can read. Get going😊 outside even for a few minutes in the sun. It will help with any mood swings or depression
FL Mary…
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3 Reactions@ellamster Some people do not seem to process Vitamin D easily. My little sister is one of those people, and I am, too. At one point they thought she had rickets her blood levels were so low, but it was a severe Vitamin D. deficiency.
I take Vitamin D3, 2000 International units, twice a day, in capsule form. Here is information from WebMd, a trusted source of information: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-10175/vitamin-d3-oral/details Also, I take magnesium 600mg to help with absorption.
Sunshine and fresh air will do you good. Put on some sunscreen, good walking shoes, and enjoy your neighborhood walk. You will also get some Vitamin D absorption, and life your mood, always a good thing! [As a skin cancer patient, I need to limit my time outside, but I sure do enjoy it!]
Reaching out and asking shows me you want to get to the bottom of all you are dealing with. Yeah! We are here for you and will answer your questions!
Ginger
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4 ReactionsThank you both so much!
This really helps. I am so sad. i experienced so much and now this new doctor tells me it's all due to the vitamin D problems.
Your words really help, this also shows me how much I will need to go outside, maybe I will try going into the garden a bit every day. Walking would do me a world of good as well but that's not yet possible. I will go into the garden a bit and fiddle with some plants as if I'm terribly busy with them, maybe try sitting on a chair in a while.
Good to know the effects can be reversed. I am sad this also affects my immune system.
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3 ReactionsVitamin D3 is one of my supplements also. You might want to add Vitamin K2 with it.
-- “The Perfect Pair”: Vitamins K2 and D3 synergy shown to amplify effects of both: https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/the-perfect-pair-vitamins-k2-and-d3-synergy-shown-to-amplify-effects-of-both.html
-- The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613455/
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2 ReactionsBut, you are getting on top of it now, and may indeed find that addressing it will have you feeling better little by little. Your doctor may recommend a shot to get you jump-started, and if he/she does, make sure you ask questions about how soon that could affect you, what to expect, etc.
I'm so happy you are looking into this.
Ginger
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2 Reactions@ellamster I was low on Vit D and take 50,000 IU once a week for a couple of years now and monitor with blood tests. So far it does not help with depression.
Yes! Vitamin D is really important. I’m wondering if it would help you to get one of those electric lights that simulates sunshine. Have you heard anything about this? People who live way up north, get depressed because of the darkness and use these lights.
Seasonal affective disorder SAD
Light therapy uses light boxes that produce a bright white light.
The light boxes can be purchased online, and in places like Walmart, and Home Depot.
Oh, I do hope you get some relief now that you have a very large piece of your puzzle back! 😸
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2 ReactionsGood evening, I was just jaunting by and came upon your discussion. So I thought I would sort of barge in and add a recent supplement adjustment I received from my endocrinologist at Mayo. He recommended that I reduce my vitamin D3 from 5000 IU daily to 1000 IU daily. Accordingly, he apprised me of recent research showing that women who are older and fighting issues like osteoporosis need to be careful and not take too much D3 because it has been proven to add to dementia in older patients.......like me.
Thanks for having such an open and helpful discussion. Save some dessert for me.....I might be back you know! Just teasing you all. Good night.
May you all have happiness and the causes of happiness.
Chris
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4 ReactionsMy PCP and endocrinologist also think that people are overdoing vitamin D. (Similar to when people overdid vitamins E and A in the past, which was a problem with oil-based vitamins. We can 'pee away' vitamin C and a lot of the water-solubles but some of the oil-solubles build up in the system.) I take vitamin D3 and keep it under 1500 IU per day and it's balanced with algae-derived calcium, K2, magnesium, etc. And annual blood work includes testing D level.
Yes, thank you! I had heard about too much vitamin D; that it is often overdone and that tablets are using crazy doses. I didn't know about the dementia though, good to know, a great reminder because I was considering serious intake.
I will wait for the call or call myself to find out more and to know what to do. i am not too keen on taking all sorts of supplements. A few things are very off in the results so these should be evaluated, they could have to do with it.
This is tricky because if you lack vitamin D you can get osteoporosis. I suppose the GP will have a clever plan for me.
Thank you so much!