Very low D2 and Osteoporosis

[TWEETYCAT]

D2 Question..... I have osteoporosis and my last scan remained unchanged. Taking calcium, k-2, magnesium, D3 etc. The lady that performed my last scan asked me if my doctor had checked my D levels. I did not think so and therefore I asked my doctor if she had ordered that and she had not. I was diagnosed 3 years ago with osteoporosis and I feel that should have been ordered back then, due to my extreme exhaustion and given I had told my doctor for the last 4 years about how tired I am. I am very fit otherwise. Got my test results back and D3 is (63) and my D2 is almost not existent @ ( <4 ). My sister just broke her foot and they tested her D levels and her D2 was low but not nearly as low an mine and they started her on 50,000 mg once a week for 12 weeks. Has anyone else experienced low D2? IF so, any help you can provide would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[Met00]

I believe it's total blood D that's relevant, not D2 or D3 alone. From what I've seen, D2 blood levels are usually low, it's the D3 that makes up the vast majority of your blood D level.

[Reese4]

I have to wonder considering your tiredness if your doctor has tested your thyroid levels (TSH). Low thyroid can cause extreme tiredness. I'm not sure about D2 since we're advised to make sure we have adequate D3, but I agree about learning more if for no other reason than peace of mind.

[Mark_ABH]

Hi TWEETYCAT, I'm not clear on your situation. When you get a vitamin D test, the substance they are measuring is 25(OH)D, aka 25 hydroxyvitamin D or "25 hydroxy." Both D2 and D3 are converted to 25 hydroxy in your bloodstream.

Your blood concentration of 25 hydroxy is measured in either nanomols per liter (nmol/L) or nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml). Between 50-125 nmol/L or 20-50 ng/ml is considered adequate. Do you remember which units your test was reported in?

Here are some resources on vitamin D:

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/V...

americanbonehealth.org/nutr...

americanbonehealth.org/nutr...

[Met00 in reply to Mark_ABH]

In the UK they do sometimes measure both 25 hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, which I thought, apparently mistakenly, related to D3 and D2. It's the 25 hydroxyvitamin D that's the relevant level, though sometimes a combined total is given. The 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D is usually very low, though I've just read that it can rise in some circumstances. See labtestsonline.org.uk/tests... and aafp.org/afp/recommendation...

[Mark_ABH in reply to Met00]

The endocrinologist societies in the U.S. recommend testing 1,25 only for monitoring certain conditions. endocrine.org/clinical-prac...

[Met00 in reply to Mark_ABH]

Which conditions is measuring 1,25 recommended for? It's usually 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] that's the recommended test, which is highlighted in the link you'v given.

[Mark_ABH in reply to Met00]

"We recommend against using the serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] assay for this purpose and are in favor of using it only in monitoring certain conditions, such as acquired and inherited disorders of vitamin D and phosphate metabolism (1|⊕⊕⊕⊕)." - Endocrine Society

I know that 25hydroxy is recommended for basic vitamin D assay; that's what I said above in reply to the original poster.

[TWEETYCAT in reply to Mark_ABH]

VITAMIN D, 25-OH TOTAL ng/ml 64

VITAMIN D, 25-OH-D3 ng/ml 64

VITAMIN 25-OH, D2 ng/ml <4.0

I had been taking 5,000 iu of d3 daily, not all at once, because of my osteoporosis diagnosis 3 years ago. I'm going to reduce that to 3,000as it looks like my D3 levels are a little high. It appears to me that my D2 is low. I had read that D2 levels should be between 20 to 30. Not sure if that is correct.

[Mark_ABH in reply to TWEETYCAT]

5,000/daily is much higher than typically recommended. You could probably take that much two or three times a week and do well since vitamin D is fat soluble and accumulates over time. When my D level was 18 (insufficient) a couple years ago, my doctor recommended 2,000/daily; I was up to 37 a year later. Your mileage may vary, of course.