peeps what your thoughts on vitamin supplements good /bad doc said i needed vitamin d after blood test brown as berry from being in sun

[pauluk60]

hi peeps what your take on vitamin tablet needed or not good or bad i take calcium/vit d manganese for my mangy knees simps init and another fantastic name glutamine so open debate

[helixhelix]

Presumably you had a blood test that showed low vit D levels, otherwise doctor wouldn't have suggested it. A lot of people can't produce enough even when outdoors a lot so being tanned doesn't mean you vit d levels will be ok.

Apart from the vit D I'm prescribed I don't waste my money on supplements but eat good food instead as you can get everything you need that way.

[Hidden]

Mate, I live in Australia, I’m a golfer, and MY Vit D levels are very low. If the doc says you need more, then take it, too much won’t hurt you cheers Deb

[AgedCrone]

If your doctor says you have low Vit D......why not believe him & take what he prescribes .

You never know getting your levels up may make you feel better!

[pauluk60 in reply to AgedCrone]

did not i did not believe him crone just i had been in sun all day for about 2 months

[pauluk60 in reply to AgedCrone]

i agree they at say something about b12 injection but me a course of iron so i must been ok

[Mmrr]

I have been taking floradix for a few months , self prescribed as my haemoglobin was borderline ( a bit lower than normal for me ). My haemoglobin has improved. One less thing to worry about. If your Dr suggests a wee boost of vit D it might be worth trying for a wee while.

[AgedCrone in reply to Mmrr]

On my Rheumy's advice I use a VitD spray throughout the winter...just had full blood profile back & Vit D OK.

Anything that helps me stay on track is OK by me. If we eat a well balanced diet I don't subscribe to the American idea that you throw vitamin pills down your throat just because it's "what you do", but if a test shows you are low in something is seems sensible to take a supplement.

[pauluk60 in reply to Mmrr]

hi mmrr wow theres loads floradix right will have to have a further look at it c i say you dont to take vits daily maybe one every other day

[pauluk60 in reply to Mmrr]

yep taking some vit d/calcium mangyknese also

[Simba1992]

Vit D3 is something very many of us is deficient in. The sun is not enough and meds decrease this source of vitD. Vit K 2 important to take vit D. B3 is very beneficial as well as Vit C that is shown to be protective in many ways. Magnesium seems to be something we need supplementing on in RA. In inflammation extra zinc and copper is needed as well.

[Leics]

My Vit D levels are low too but you need vitamin D so your body can absorb calcium. However I’ve taken VitD supplements with calcium and the pain in my joints afterwards is absolutely unbearable, so scrap that. Been put on doxycycline recently too so I have to avoid the sun and wear sunscreen even on a cloudy day. Don’t rely on sunshine alone for your vitamin D because that can be pretty dangerous. There’s more chance of developing skin cancer and 10000’s more people dying of that every year. Unless your vitamins are shown to be really low I’d just stick to a good vitd diet much better and safer too.

[pauluk60 in reply to Leics]

yep i could not believe it i was in garden 6hrs a day for weeks on end i now take it vit d/calcium and manganese for my mangy knees

[Padram]

Hi pauluk60,

Most Auto Immune Disorders are due to low Vit D3 levels in the body. Vit B 12 is another important one for efficient functioning of the body. As also Vit C, calcium, manganese, Vit K2, especially as far as we RA ers and anyone with Arthritis and Osteo problems.

From my experience, I have found tremendous improvement in my blood markers after taking vitamin supplements. I take the following:

Vit D3, whenever it falls below 30, my joint pains begin. I maintain a level of 70. I have no joint pains, or fatigue, at this level.

Vit B 12, I take every day in tablet form, as it is a water soluble vitamin, body doesn't store this. My brain fog, peripheral neuropathy, don't trouble me anymore.

Calcium with magnesium along with K 2, along with D3, has helped in keeping my bones in good health.

I agree with what Simba says.

Like many others have said, being in Sun doesn't mean our D3 level will be good. As we grow older our body cannot synthesise sunlight into D3, as efficiently as it did when we were younger. Also, many of the drugs have serious side effects like cancer. So for many Sun exposure makes matters worse.