Hi, I have recd my latest blood results today from my doctor. She tells me everything is well within 'normal' ranges apart from my Iron which is a little low. No prescription though!
She also said my kidneys are not functioning as well as they should and I need to have another test for them in January.
There are a lot of test results and as I have no printer at the moment cannot scan them so I hope you do not fall asleep before you get to the end. I have no idea what some of them are.
BTW the lab refused to repeat the FT3 as it was done recently.
15/12/14
TSH 0.05 (0.4 - 4.0) 3/11/14 0.03
FT4 18.2 (9.8 - 18.8) 21.6
FT3 4.2 (3.3 - 6.1)
B12 235 (200 - 940)
Vit D to follow
Iron 6 (5 - 28)
Ferritin 10 (13-150)
Trans Ferritin 3.46 (2 - 4)
%transFerritin 7 (22 - 55)
Folate 3.9 (3.1 - 17.5)
Total Cholesterol 5.36 (0 - 5)
HDL 1.55 (0.6 - 2.5)
Total Chol/HDL 3.4
Sodium 142 (133 - 146)
Potassium 4.8 (3.5 - 5.3)
Urea 8.2 (2.5 - 7.8)
Creatinine 90 (44 - 80)
? CKD Stage 3A ? No idea what this is....
Bilirubin 4 (0 - 21)
Alkaline Phosphate 61 (30 - 130)
Albumin 37 (35 - 50)
Glucose 5.4 (3.3 - 5.8)
There are another lot of tests which I do not recognise. I will give the results if anyone thinks these may be useful:
HGB, RBC,HCT,MCV,MCH,MCC,WBC,NE#,LY#,MO#,EO#,BA# and PLT.
I think I did quite well to get all this lot done as my GP is still telling me to stop looking on this forum as no-one is medically qualified and cannot possibly understand what the results are or what they mean! She was not at all happy that I told her I had not reduced my dose of Levo as the first readings might have been wrong as I took my meds before the test. (The nurse who took my bloods is also on Levo and was also unaware that the bloods should be taken before you take meds and she didn't know about leaving 4 hours before eating or taking any other meds).... I asked my GP for a referral to a named Endo, luckily at my nearest hospital. She says she will do this but cannot promise I will see the one I want as you are just given the next appointment in the clinic. I insisted she asked for the specific doctor so she asked why. I told her it is because he was recommended by three or four people as being the best Endo in Scotland for Thyroid problems. (Funny look as if I was an idiot!) I didn't tell her I am a 'substitute patient' in the University Med School at the hospital and have been given this information by tutors there as well.
I might have to begin to act like an idiot for her as she obviously thinks this is what I am.
Oh, and she says she cannot do tests for autoimmune as I already have an autoimmune disease, is this correct?
I am absolutely exhausted and in lots of pain all over (paracetamol) but she tells me I need to get more exercise and lose weight! (I already lost 9 and a half stones). I left the surgery muttering about docs who only see your size and not you.
(Quote from tutor at med school: "Behind every patient is a person. Do not ever forget this". Hmmm)
Barb
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I don't want to frighten you, but I think you need to join the Pernicious Anaemia community and show the members there all the results you've given above plus the ones you've not typed in. Your results make me think you might be suffering from Vitamin B12 deficiency. This is very serious if it isn't dealt with properly because it can lead to irreversible neurological damage.
The results you've left out are from a Full Blood Count test. Those results are relevant to iron deficiency anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and/or pernicious anaemia (PA). (I'm not clear what the difference is between PA and Vitamin B12 deficiency. I don't really understand the subject at all.)
One thing I can say for certain is that you are very iron deficient. The fact that your GP doesn't feel the urge to treat you for this tells me you need a new GP - very urgently. The alternative is to ask your current (useless) GP for a referral to a haematologist (also urgently) who ought to help with the iron deficiency, hopefully with a transfusion or IV iron supplementation - I'm not sure what options there are. They also should help you with the B12 deficiency - but I really think you should join the PA community I linked above.
Humanbean, I thought the iron looked rather low but wasn't sure where it became serious. GP just said it was a bit low. I asked if that was making me so tired and exhausted and she said iron wouldn't do that. I know it does, after first child had to have transfusions and had no energy at all. Count was 3 then! Only just thought about that. My brain fog is swirling thickly again, memory almost non existant, thank goodness for Filofax...........
I think my B12 is low too and I still think I am not converting T4 to T3 properly. She can't prescribe T3, and although she tried to hide a letter from the regional pharmacist I can get NDT only with the agreement of an Endo. She was telling me I couldn't get it at all so I told her I had just read the letter on her screen.
I have decided to get a copy of all my records since I moved to this practise (2006) and try to get those from my previous practise (1971 - 2006) if they go back that far. Should be interesting.
Thanks for your information. It is very useful. I will go and join the PA community and look at the other links you have given.
When I was severely low in iron I could only get upstairs on all fours, very, very slowly. If I went upstairs once I couldn't do it again for several hours. I would have thought the most common symptom of iron deficiency anaemia is extreme fatigue! Your doctor really is appalling! Please ditch her as soon as possible.
All I can think is, damn good job I don't have stairs!! I sometimes wonder if it is worth all the effort to even get up in the morning but, hey, the cat needs feeding.
I think most of us who feel the need to use health-related forums like this one struggle to get a diagnosis, and 23 years is probably not that uncommon, so don't blame yourself.
Has your GP not mentioned the CKD stage 3? This relates to kidney function along with the Creatinine and Urea and means you have slightly reduced kidney function, is your blood pressure ok? If your GP is ignoring this I would definitely change to a new one. It's not very bad at the moment but should be monitored by blood tests periodically in case it deteriorates.
Your B12 is very low, it needs to be at least 400 but preferably a bit higher so I would supplement with fairly high dose sublingual B12, the liposomal B12 spray is best if you can afford it. Folate should be higher as well but be careful not to take too high a dose until B12 is better as high Folate can mask B12 deficiency. Your Iron and Ferritin is very low as well so I would supplement that with fairly high dose iron initially for around three months and then get iron and B12 tested again.
Your T4 is near the top of the range and TSH is a bit supressed but T3 is low in range, most likely due to the low iron and B12. I would correct these and then have thyroid tested again as you might find you need less levo once the other results are better. Vit D will affect that as well so I would supplement if the result comes back low.
Is the MCH and MCV in range? They are related to anaemia and B12 deficiency.
Can't believe how ignorant doctors are about B12 and Iron - they may be in range but are far from good and will be contributing to your health problems.
MCV 82.9 ~(85 - 105), MCH 25.5 ~(27 - 32), so yes these are also low.
She did say my kidneys were not functioning as well as they should, but no explanation. I have to have another blood test for this in January. Any idea what could be causing this?
Notice my last TSH was above range and the FT3 is from November. I assume this is unlikely to have changed since the lab won't do another.
I have been taking 200 mcg Levo for many years. Tried to cut down but symptoms were unbelievable. I can barely function, even on this dose, lots of days.
The main reasons apart from age are diabetes or high blood pressure. Other things could be a problem with the kidneys themselves, sometimes inherited, or Lupus. Also taking things like ibuprofen long term. Just a thought, do you eat a lot of high protein foods? They can cause problems if kidney function is reduced. Muscle cramps can be a symptom of CKD and the iron deficiency would cause exhaustion.
The low iron could be a complication of the CKD but it still needs correcting.
Not sure why she claims she can't test for other autoimmune diseases, they don't all have the same antibodies. Maybe she means the CRP and ESR would be raised anyway but she could do more specific testing.
Well, from the top, I haven't got diabetes and my BP was 125/68 two days ago. Also told I don't have Lupus, although I have a feeling I read this was related to arthritis, which I do have. I cannot take Ibuprofen and I don't eat a high protein diet.
I do get muscle cramps especially in my feet and toes but can be anywhere in my body.
I don't know what CKD is, nor CRP or ESR.
GP probably doesn't want to do any more tests because I think I am becoming a thorn in her side. She already looks at me as though I have two heads!
Somehow you need to increase the quality protein in your diet because kidneys absolutely require good protein to function and maintain their anatomy. Protein deficiency results in kidney failure too. We need at least 45 to 60 grams of quality protein per day. Check your diet and analyze it through the tools available on the internet. Modify as required.
Really think the GP should be more forthcoming in explaining everything to you. I would see what she says when you have your bloods done in January, re the CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease). At least they are monitoring it but they seem to think people should just trust them and not question anything. For me personally I like to know what's going in with my own health but I get looked at as if I'm an alien when I ask anything, or worse when I try to tell them something I've read about.
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is a measure of inflammation that shows in the blood and can be due to a number of things. CRP (C reactive protein) is also a measure of inflammation and they would both be raised in rheumatoid arthritis and other similar autoimmune disorders - i.e they aren't specific to any one disease.
I would agree with the others regarding finding a new GP, it's worrying she thinks low iron wouldn't cause tiredness and exhaustion - they are the very symptoms of iron deficiency. Maybe try showing her this when you next go.
My diet consists of 200 ml Greek yogurt at breakfast, sometimes scrambled egg or cheese sandwich for lunch and fish or chicken (4 oz) and veg for dinner. I was totally unable to deal with lactose for almost all my life = have been eating Greek yogurt for only 5 years, and am still unable to tolerate milk (no idea why). I think this is enough protein as my dietician recommended it. Is this the quality protein you talk about. I drink mainly lemon tea.
Grey, I do put butter on my sandwich and in my scrambles. I have recently dropped my calorie intake on the advice of my dietitian as I have reached another plateau in my attempts to lose weight. (I have lost 9 and a half stones but it has taken me just over 6 years). I still have a long way to go though.
I just re-read my post and see I completely left out the fruit, oops. I generally have a banana and an apple or orange during the day. I do eat dark green veg which contains iron, lots of these, I love veg.
Of course, I am hoping that when I get my thyroid sorted the weight will come off because it doesn't want to stay with me any longer, lol. It took about 24 yrs to put on over 16 stone so it isn't going to magically disappear...............
Barb, your dietician doesn't know much about thyroid, does she. Low calorie diets are not recommended for hypos because we need more calories than the average because we have such a hard time converting. And when the calories are shared out amongst the different bodily functions, convertion is the last in line. No convertion means no T3, and it's the T3 that gets the weight off. And the weight will come off when your T3 is high enough. But you are going to delay that moment if you go on a low calorie diet.
I hope your dietician didn't tell you to cut your calories by cutting out the fat. Because if she did, she knows nothing about nutrition, either. Fats have the highest calorie content but they are essential. Further more, we shouldn't be counting calories at all, but working on getting the right nutrients, including fat. If you get enough fat, you feel satisfied and don't have the urge to sugary snack. That way, you lose weight without having to count calories. Counting calories was a notion brought in in the fifties - probably a means of keeping women in their place, fretting about their diet, as women are more likely to be the ones on diets!
Besides, the weight you've put on is probably mainly water. We hypos get a nasty thing called mucin, that clings to the Inside of the skin and holds water. And no amount of dieting is going to get rid of that. Have you tried the pinch test? Bet your dietician didn't tell you about that. Personally, after a few run-ins with them, and a few hospital stays, I avoid dieticians like the plague!
What you need to concentrate on is getting your T3 level up - you're not converting as it is, so lowering your calories isn't going to help. As to leafy veggies, you may not be absorbing as much iron as you think you are - well, obviously not, you're iron is worse than rock bottom. Very often, dark green leafy veggies, such as spinach, contain a substance that prevents the iron from being absorbed. Plus the fact that you're hypo and hypos often have low stomach acid, which means they can't absorb nutrients as they should. Has your dietician explained all that to you and suggested suppléments?
You know, you're really beginning to worry me! lol I know 16 stone isn't going to disappear like magic, but it would go a lot faster if you had more T3. I've lost over 7 stone since about... April? May? don't really remember. And don't really know how much because I haven't weighed myself for ages. But I didn't do it by going low calorie. I did it by getting my T3 to the right level, without any restrictions in what I eat.
I can't tell you what to do, I can only make suggestions, but I honestly think you ought to sit down and have a hard think about all this, and then start doing some serious research.
I think you have been researching this for a lot longer than I have, Grey. Thanks for all that diet advice. My dietitian is a man. Maybe they were trained using 50's methods? Anyway I will now try out all your suggestions, and enjoy my Christmas dinner :-). I have already realised that there is a lot of weight down to water. I have myxoedema and have gone up two shoe sizes and three widths. Is the pinch test the same one we di in the seventies - pinch an inch?
One thing, I actually have very high stomach acid, have had it for many years longer than the diagnosis of hypo. I take Omeprazole for this as I get very bad reflux.
No he didn't tell me to cut out fats, well not all fats. He told me butter is good and margarine is not, also veg oil is good especially Olive or Rape oil. Personally, if I eat red meat, which isn't often I usually leave on some fat or buy marbled meat as the flavour is better.
I am waiting for a referral to an endo of my choice and will ask about NDT or T3 plus any other things he can think of, including more tests around the iron, ferritin things. I have read that some of my levels could point to a pituitary problem but haven't had time to go into the research further as yet.
There is so much to read and learn and so much fog in my head
Ok, well, if you're taking omeprazole, that explains a lot! That explains why your b12 and iron are so low. And your magnesium is going to be low, too!
But who said you have high stomach acid? Your doctor? Why? Did he do any tests? Or was it just because you told him you had acid reflux? Acid reflux is more likely to be caused by low stomach acid - which would be more logical as you are hypo. But doctors don't know this. You should have a serious word with your doctor about coming off the omeprazole, because it can cause serious damage. It isn't meant to be taken long term. Also, reflux can be caused by not enough food in the stomach - are you listening all you dieters!
And your dietician is wrong again. All vegetable oil is not good! Only olive oil and coconut oil are good. Rapeseed oil is terrible! Ok so, there's nothing wrong with sunflower seeds or grape seeds per se, but it's the process of extracting the oil that is bad. Oh, walnut oil is ok, too, because that is extracted just by pressing the nuts, like olive oil. But forget the rest. But he's right about the butter. Best to avoid all margerines, especially those that claim to reduce cholesterol!
I'm not familiar with the seventies pinch test, but l suspect it was just designed to prove to you how fat you are! lol Whereas the pinch test I'm refering to is to prove that what you have that is bulking you out isn't fat! Fat is covered by skin, but isn't attached to it. So if you pincha little bit of skin, it comes away from the fat. But if you have mucin, you can't pinch it up, because the mucin is stuck to it. Somewhere on here, there is a link to a youtube video. You might be able to search for it in the search window. Or type pinch test thyroid into youtube.
So, yes, you can enjoy your Christmas dinner, with no guilt! Lol Your body deserves it!
I totally agree with greygoose. Omeprazole is dreadful stuff for your long term health and they should be avoided if at all possible. Sadly it isn't always possible.
Do you take NSAIDs daily? Drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen or prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatories? Do you have stomach ulcers that haven't healed? Has anyone bothered to actually prove that you have too much acid? (I'd be very surprised if they have.)
If any of these apply then you probably can't come off the omeprazole, sorry.
But assuming you are not taking NSAIDs, and nobody has actually proved you have too much acid, and you don't have stomach ulcers, then it is possible.
Coming off omeprazole and other proton pump inhibitors can be difficult and painful. Do some googling for
"ppi rebound acid hypersecretion"
PPIs are addictive - having started on them it is very difficult to stop them. Pharmaceutical companies must love them.
To understand why you are in the situation you are in there is an excellent series of six articles by Chris Kresser on the subject of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) that are well worth reading in their entirety. Start with article 1, and there is a link to the next one at the bottom of each article :
Then start searching this site and googling "betaine hydrochloride", "betaine HCL" and "digestive enzymes". The betaine is more important than the digestive enzymes. You might not need the enzymes at all.
Actually PPIs can give you stomach ulcers because they lower the stomach acid and make it possible for the bacterea Helicobacter pylori - which causes ulcers - to survive!
I have read about people who got ulcers, were treated with antibiotics and just used PPIs for a few weeks (and no more) and they got better. Perhaps in those cases the people concerned were being treated correctly, instead of the PPI being used as just an easy way of getting a patient out of the surgery without the doctor having to engage brain matter at all.
In any case, they are not intended for long-term use. But you hear of people being on them for years!
Barb, never just trust you doctor! Because half the time, he doesn't know what he's doing, I'm afraid, and a lot of the time, all he wants to do is prescribe as many dangerous drugs as possible.
Take responsibility for your own health, and never take anything without first carefully researching it and discussing it with your doctor. Make sure you are fully aware of what it's supposed to do and what are the risks - also, what are the alternatives. Because you care more about you than he does, and you are the one to suffer if things go wrong!
Ok, well I was diagnosed in hospital, as an in patient, after many months of painful reflux. They did lots of tests including the old camera down the throat. There were tests before and after eating, and they even took samples of some of the stuff I was bringing up. Anyway, they told me I was producing far too much stomach acid, and I also have a large Hiatus Hernia which they are unable to operate on because I am too big. I was put on Gaviscon and another tablet. This was eventually changed to Omeprazole. I still get the occasional attack but not often and usually after eating after 9:00pm. I have been taking it now for over twenty years, although I have cut the dose from 20 to 10mg.
Yes, humanbean, I do indeed take NSAIDS on a daily basis. They keep my arthritis under control.
Up to now I have not had a stomach ulcer, but I cannot tolerate asprin.
Oh, dear. But, you know what, that could still all be due to your low thyroid. You really have got to get that T3 level up! From what you say about your doctor, l doubt if she'll give youT3. Let's hope the endo knows more about thyroid than she does!
So, two priorities to get you back to wellness - getting some added T3, and sorting out your nutritional deficiencies.
Also, the PPI must be making you feel very bad. I took it for about 6 months and l thought l was going to die! Can you not ask to see a specialist about this to see if there's not an alternative? The pain and exhaustion you are experiencing at the moment are probably in part due to magnesium deficiency because of the PPI.
Personnally, i thinkmyour doctors ought to be shot for leaving you in this state, when there's so much that could be done to help you! It's gross negligence!
Just because; I am going to try not taking omeprazole for a while and see what happens. It has been so many years and no further testing or follow ups it is always possible that the acid is not as bad now (she says hopefully). It seems to me there is no harm in trying, and if the symptoms do get worse again I can always go back on them.
I used to take 16 tablets in the morning, 5 or 6 at lunchtime and 11 at night. Presently I am only taking, Levo, Meloxicam,Omeprazole and Bisoprolol. This is mainly due to my old doctor, who retired last year, and myself sitting down and working out what to cut out, and when, to see what would happen. I have to admit I began to feel better very quickly. Up to that point I was barely functioning on a waking level. He did insist I stop taking morphine tabs and insisted I took paracetamol instead. This was the most difficult and the paracetamol still doesn't control my pain so I rarely bother with it (except when I have a headache).
Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. I agree with greygoose. If you've been taking the omeprazole for 20 years you must be long overdue for a review by now!
I've never come across a person who had proven high stomach acid before. I thought the condition was almost mythical.
You might not be able to come off acid-suppressing medicine because of the high acid and the NSAIDs. But with your nutritional deficiencies surely there must be some help for you somewhere, somehow. Maybe even a newer version of a PPI, perhaps?
One thing I wanted to point out though - stomach acid, even in fit and healthy people diminishes with age, and I've read that by the age of 80 few people will produce any at all. I'm not suggesting you are 80, by the way. However, I would expect your acid production to have dropped a bit over the last 20 years. Whether this changes anything or not I really don't know.
Another thing to consider...
Ask your doctor to be referred for a dexa scan to find out how good your bone density is. Since omeprazole cuts down your absorption of vitamins and minerals, it is theoretically possible your bone density may suffer.
Humanbean, I had a dexa scan last year because I was sure I had osteoporosis. I do but it's only in the early stages. I am hoping that eating Greek yogurt every day will go some way to helping.
Barb, I'm pretty certain that coming off the omeprazole would make you feel better in the long run, but after being on it for 20 years you really have to do it slowly. Don't just go cold turkey, whatever you do! It would be too much of a shock to your system. And don't do it alone. Your doctor needs to know what's going on.
I'm sure some of the more knowledgable people will answer about your blood tests soon.
CKD stands for chronic kidney disease, it was formerly called chronic renal failure. Your creatinine and urea are only marginally over the top of range and CKD cannot be diagnosed on blood tests alone. You will probably be referred for a kidney scan which uses a very small amount of radioactive isotope which the kidneys excrete and a gamma scan of your kidneys gives much more information about their function. There are many other things that can effect the kidneys giving high blood results including systemic infection and other medications. I note from your post that you are in a lot of pain NSAIDS such as diclofenac and ibuprofen are nephrotoxic, poisonous to the kidneys, so if you are taking these it may be wise to cut down.
I hope you get referred to the person you want and start to recover soon.
jrsquared, I cannot take Ibuprofen but I do take paracetamol and meloxicam (15mg) for my arthritic knees. I am not sure if Meloxicam is a NSAID but without this I can hardly walk and cannot drive. As I live in a rather isolated rural location I have to drive.
I have remembered about 35 or so years ago I had an illness and was prescribed Ponstan Forte. This affected my kidneys and I was quite ill but soon recovered when they were withdrawn. I o not think I have had any other kidney problems since, but this is when I gaveup using salt.
Meloxicam is a NSAID and in view of your response to ponstan (also known as mefemenic acid) you should probably not have been prescribed it without monitoring of your renal function. Did the person who prescribed this ask about your drug history? If they didn't that is very poor medical practice. It is probably important that someone with medical knowledge discusses risks and benefits with you as adequate pain relief is necessary but long term damage to your kidneys needs to be reduced as much as possible. Good luck
Thanks for this, my previous GP was aware of my problems with Ponstan when he prescribed Meloxicam. I was taking another drug for my arthritis before this but it was withdrawn because too many people were dying! Ho hum............ He did do regular blood testing though and I hardly everasked what they were for or the results. If he thought anything was wrong he soon had me back to the surgery. Of course, I have learned better now and ask lots of questions. Now my GP doesn't like me much because I also find out the answers for myself. She has told me to stay off this forum as no-one knows what they are talking about as they are not medically trained. (How does she know that).
All the above have given you very good advice. I am hypo and the GP has been muttering about my kidney function. Since the test was taken at a time when I was quite ill with very raised TPO antibodies, which they tell me cannot be treated (TPO that is) I don't take any notice.
I put myself on a GF and lacto free diet and reduced the TPO's and felt better. With respect to your lacto/dairy issues- if you look up the lactose content of dairy -cows milk it comes top of the list along with cream. Greek yoghurt is quite a bit lower in lactose compared to normal yoghurt. I now use Arla lactofree milk, cream, spreadable butter and cheese. They also do cream cheese and fruit yoghurts (too sweet for my taste) I am still sticking with GF diet. I still have problems but feel a lot better than I did 12 months ago. I would definitely look to changing GP if at all possible. I am thinking of changing but will be asking at the other 2 practices whether any of the GP's has a particular interest in thyroid issues before I sign up!!
Crimple, thanks for the info about lactose and the yogurt. Seems I laned on the best one by accident. I am going to try a gluten free diet after the new year (get the festivities out of the way)
Although I said last night that taking B12 (and I should have mentioned folate too) before being tested for PA would not be a good idea, there is no reason that I know of why you should delay in taking iron. As you probably know, there are lots of different kinds of iron that will work to raise your levels, but some people have problems tolerating iron so you may have to experiment to find one you can cope with.
I'm really annoyed on your behalf, to be honest. You shouldn't have to pay for your own iron but your dimwit of a doctor leaves you no choice.
The iron I take is ferrous fumarate 210mg. I buy it in boxes of 84 which is enough for one pill, three times a day, for 28 days. With each pill take 500mg - 1000mg vitamin C to help your body to absorb the iron. The vitamin C also helps to reduce the problem of constipation caused by the iron. You can't buy ferrous fumarate from some pharmacies without a prescription, so if you can't get it shop around. I buy from Lloyds.
Take the iron 4 hours away from your thyroid meds.
Ask your doctor for another iron/ferritin test no later than three months time. Too much iron is poisonous and you need to get some idea of how fast you are absorbing it. I've read that someone who absorbs iron at normal speed will repair a deficit in 3 - 6 months. But it can take a lot longer - I've been supplementing iron for 18 months and have managed to raise my ferritin from 21 to just under 70 in that time. I get myself tested regularly.
Stop taking iron 5 - 7 days before getting your levels tested.
I don't know what kind of iron, but I have never ben able to tolerate the tablets they give you when you are pregnant. Having sai that it is 35 years since I was last pregnant. I would love to change doctors but there is only the one surgery and it is almost impossible to see someone else without being sent back to the one you have been dealing with. If she doesn't improve very soon I will have to make a comlaint about her to the practice manager.
Thanks for the ret of the advice, I will get things moving on the Iron/VitC front.
I think you will find when the Vitamin D test result arrives that you are low. I find a lot of my aches and pains just disappear when my Vitamin D is reasonable (especially in my feet). My doctor says most people in the UK are low on Vitamin D. The over-the-counter Vitamin D tablets are no good for getting your Vitamin D levels up, although once you get the levels up they will probably be OK to maintain your levels. You could take 3 or 4 of them at a time though! D3 not D2.
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