Vitamin D deficient..

[roobiedoobie]

Hiya..

Have had some bloods done which show I am vitamin D deficient..

Doc says its less than 5, I am coeliac but have been sticking to my gf diet for quite some time now so not sure what's caused the deficit.

Anyway have been given osto-d2..anyone else had this..got to take one a week for 8 weeks..just wondering if there is anything else I should do..take calcium?

[Regalbirdy]

Hi roobiedoobie

I would suggest that you may have inherited your vitamin D deficiency from way back in your gluten eating days. How long have you been GF now? Is it weeks, months or years? And have you ever had a DEXA bone scan? If you're coeliac you're certainly entitled to one (usually every 2 to 3 years I think). It would highlight any issues you could have with calcium and if you needed to take calcium supplements. It's a simple case of getting a GP referral to your local x-ray department.

Eight months after diagnosis, I discovered I was severely vitamin D deficient. Like you, I was given supplements - in my case by the hospital consultant. I think I was given D3. I remember I had to take it twice a week for three months.

Hope this helps.

[justjake]

Have you had a Dexa scan?

Mine showed that I have oesteopenia and I take two calcium/vit D tabs per day.

It may be worth asking your doctor about one?

Good Luck.

[Eggardon]

Like justjake I too have to take two tablets per day - even after 6 years. 2nd Dexa scan showed slight improvement in bone density but not enough to stop taking tablets. Next scan 2016.

[BellaC79]

I was tested for vit d deficiency as I was suffering from severe bone pains in my shoulders. I had been diagnosed coeliac for about 18months I took pro d3 20,000 in for 6months and with summer some sunshine too it worked. I am still on calcichew d3 as I cannot tolerate dairy and this has a small amount of vit d to keep me topped up. Hopefully it helps you.

[roobiedoobie]

I have been diagnosed for a few years but have only been strictly sticking to my diet for around 7/8 months.

I have had a dexa scan around a year ago but never heard anything about it but figured that was normal as the lady who did the scan said the first one was a baseline scan.

I also suffer with pain in my shoulders and I broke my wrist a few weeks ago..doc said that could be down to deficiency

[Regalbirdy]

Ahh...the curse of the missing/forgotten results! After my DEXA scan last year they kinda forgot to tell me that I had osteoporosis in my spine! They just gave me the calcium supplements and sent me on my way. It took me a while for the penny to drop and it only did so through a throwaway comment from another medical practitioner.

Moral of the story? It's probably not a good idea to assume anything where results are concerned when you're a diagnosed coeliac.

In my opinion your broken wrist is probably vitamin D related. The fact that you didn't stick religiously to your diet until 7/8 months ago may have contributed towards the deficiency due to absorption issues.

However the fact that you have now made the necessary changes in your diet is likely to help you to stay a lot healthier in the future.

Best wishes with your wrist. I hope it heals well.

[tygfuz]

I am on calcium with vitamin D. This was after my rib cracked Nov 2013 (I had already had a bone scan but was told it was normal for a man my age - 60). My ribs have been cracking ever since and can be very painful. I can have difficulty getting out of bed, and chairs because of the position of some cracks.

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get the density up?

[Regalbirdy in reply to tygfuz]

Hi,

I think you can improve your bone density by taking calcium supplements if you have osteopenia; but it's much harder to achieve if you have osteoporosis. It's still worth taking the calcium supplements though, because I believe it slows the rate of age-related deterioration down.

[jumbo1008]

I have never actually been told that I have a deficiency, but take 2 Adcal-d3 tablets daily.

[Unam]

I was told that if you are below level 25 u should get vit D injections..due to us not being able to absorb properly. Mine was 40 so was declined. However i did start a sanatogen 50+ vit tablet (gluten free) and my next test result was 50. I also take the Osteocare vit D and calcium which are also gluten free. You must feel really low spirited with only being a 5 though.

[roobiedoobie]

I do feel quite low..however I spent last Thursday in the garden sunning and have been out in the sun as much as poss.

I also saw my dietician today who told me that I'm doing really well and that once my vit d is up I'll be on top form.

She said my weight is perfect and my bone scan was normal and hearing that and spending a few days out in the sun have helped my mood tremendously

[Penel in reply to roobiedoobie]

I would also suggest that you make sure to eat natural fats in some form as vit D is fat soluble. I know we are always told to eat low fat but I really think it's bad advice, particularly for coeliacs.