Low Vitamin D advice appreciated

[johnnyxs]

Hi all

new on here and have already messed up responding to someone else posts ...oops !

I have been taking T4 since 2005 since which date my Levo dose has been increased from 25mg to 125mg.

My general health has slowly deteriorated over the years until I now have so many different symptoms that I feel utterly overwhelmed.

I filled in one of those Hypothyroidism questionaires the other day and found that I had practically all the symptoms listed and a few more besides!.

I very rarely go to my Doctor (although he is very amenable and helpful ) because some of my complaints seem so trivial and I am concerned that he will dismiss me as a hypocondriac so i have suffered in silence until last week when I said nuffs enough!.

As a result of reading recommendations on this forum, one of the tests I asked my Dr to test for was D3 and not surprisingly the result came back 'low ...needing treament'

Serum vitamin D -32nmol/L [range 0-50nmol/L ]

What is the significance of this result and what amount and type of Vitamin D supplement would you suggest appropriate. ?

regards Johnny

[Hidden]

Hi. Others will advise about vit D3, but can I clarify your results. I think that rather than your result being 32 within a lab range of 0-50, the lab has identified different bands of inadequacy/adequacy within its overall range, and using its measure, anything between 0-50 is in the inadequate range. So > 50 in their range will be considered adequate, up to a level, around 220, which would be considered high and moving towards toxicity. Did your GP not offer anything on prescription and was calcium tested? (Others more knowledgeable will tell you about that ).

[johnnyxs in reply to Hidden]

thank you for your reply. Sorry for delay in responding but been busy reading all about Vit D group.

Yes you are quite right I read the arrow the wrong way round .!

The printed results that I received below with comments from my Dr

TSH -1.05 mu/l (normal)?

free T4 7.7 pmol/L (slightly low)

free T3 4.0 pmol/L (normal)

Vit B12 376ng/L (normal)

GFR calculated 76ml/min

Serum foliate 6.3 ug/L (normal

serum Ferritin 114 ug/L (normal)

serum magnesium 0.9 mmol/L (normal)

serum calcium 2.31 mmol/L (normal)

Alumin 41 g/L (normal)

LIVER function (satisfactory) ?

bilirubin 8umol/L

alkaline phosphatase 58u/L

ALT/SGPT serum level 63 u/L

regards Johnny

[waveylines]

Hi Johnny -your GP should prescribe it to you -should be D3. have a nosy on the website called 'The Vitamin D Council as they have lots of useful info including levels to aim for and how much is safe.

Low vitamin D can mimic many symptoms to Hypothyroidism -fatigue, unrefreshed sleep, aches and pain, poor resistance to viruses, blurred vision,,,,,,,, Low vitamin D lvel will also be affecting your ability to abosrb calcium so if not treated can affected the density of yours bones.

You mention that you have gone up to 125mcg of levo over the years but you haven't mentioned your blood test results and ranges. One of the most common mistakes GP's make is under prescribing of medication for hypothyroidism -often because they mistakenly believe that once your TSH is in 'range' that you are sorted. This is not true. Your GP needs to look more at your Ft4 -and ensure that is towards the top of range. Your GP should als take note of your symptoms and signs as part of assessing your treatment needs according to NICE guidelines....

[johnnyxs in reply to waveylines]

Hi thank you for your detailed reply.

I asked my Doctor to test for free D3 but the report just says Vit D ? so I'm not sure what was tested and quite how helpful that result is to be honest.

Thank you for the link I'll read it through tonight.

I am suffering all the symptoms you mentioned in particular severe fatigue all the time, occasional blurred vision, inability to concentrate or remember anything,general lack of drive enthusiasm motivation whatever and bizarrely significant levels of stress. I cannot bear any type of noise especially babies crying ,drills, saws, water running ,door bells, alarm bells etc

I am thinking of asking my Doctor to test my Adrenal function too the next time I have bloods taken.

Regarding the calcium reabsorption it may seem strange but I have been feeling a lot of pain in the tips of both my forefingers for a few months now whenever I press them hard on something. It was this together with severe wrinkling of my skin on the fingers and palms and carpal tunnel syndrome on waking that finally motivated me to get some blood tests done

[waveylines]

D3 is the vitamin D supplement that you take to bring your vitamin D levels up.

The symptoms you describe would fit in with your low levels of vit D and B12.

Low B12 does cause neurological symptoms and eventually damage if not treated and has been linked to carpel tunnel syndrome symptoms.

Low vit b12 also affects your ability to absorb your thyroid meds.....

[johnnyxs]

thank you wavylines for your quick and thorough response. Its good to know I'm not alone and that that there are others out there with similar health issues that care and are so willing to help with advice and encouragement. I am a full time carer for my 90 year old Father who suffers with advanced dementia and is severly disabled so its a real struggle some days when I feel so tired I could just collapse into a corner somewhere and sleep for a straight 18 hours .

Looking forward to a big improvement when I increase my vitamin levels

regards Johnny

[Clutter]

Johnny,

Your TSH is in a good place but your FT4 is too low and this will impair your ability to convert FT4 to FT3 which could explain your Hypo symptoms. Your GP should look into this and refer you to an endocrinologist if he doesn;t know what he should do about it.

My vitD was <10 and I was prescribed 40,000iu vitD daily x 7 days followed by 8 weeks of 2,000iu daily until I retested replete. You ought to be prescribed vitD3 but some GPs are so niggardly with the dose you'll die of old age before your vitD is raised. Aim for at least 20,000iu a week. I'm currently supplementing Now Foods vitD3 5,000iu daily as joint pain resumed when I stopped supplementing.

Your B12 needs supplementing, too but as it is in range you probably won't get a scrip and will have to self supplement. Jarrows Formula methylcobalamin B12 sublingual lozenges are good and are available in 1000mcg and 5000mcg. I'd suggest between 3-5000mcg daily for a month than 1000mcg daily.

Sorting the vits and minerals made an enormous improvement in my wellbeing but it will take 6-8 weeks to feel the lurve.

[johnnyxs]

thanks clutter for the detailed advice . Its exactly what I need to be armed with when I tackle my Doctor about appropriate medication tomorrow.

I am preparing and printing a series of simple pictorial aide memoire for quick referral so hopefully I won't get flustered or lost in medical jargon and doses etc. Its such a complex issue to discuss with a GP and I've never managed to discuss more than 1-2 issues out of dozens when I consult him.

regards

Johnny