Vit D3 levels?!

[chocoholic17]

After weeks of chasing, I finally got the extra blood test results suggested by kind folks on here.

Ferritin,, folate and B12 are within range but my Vit D3 level is out of range. I was told on the phone earlier everything was normal with the tests but I requested a print off as I intend seeing a nutritionist privately to see if she might help treat my body as a whole, as I have several health issues. I'm glad I did get the print off because otherwise I wouldn't have known VitD is too low.

For over a month they've known this result and it may not be of concern to them but surely I SHOULD be supplementing to get Vit D levels up into range?

My level is 41 nmol/L and the range is 50 - 150 nmol/L

Can some kind soul advise if this would have any relevance to my feeling so rough,please?

My coeliac test came back normal, so that is good and now I can book myself in to see the nutritionist and try and help myself by cutting out gluten and other inflammatory foods that might not be helping my autoimmune issues.

Thanks for reading.

[Fruitandnutcase]

That's awful isn't it. At least you can supplement now you know. I use a D3 spray - you can get them in different strengths but I'm sure others will have more suggestions. Good that everything else was ok and that you are going to try going GF 😊

[Clutter]

Chocoholic, low vitD can cause musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and low mood. Supplement 5,000iu vitD3 softgel capsules daily for 6-8 weeks and then cut back to alternate days and take it with the fattiest meal of the day as vitD needs fat to be absorbed. Retest in 6 months. Just over 100 is acceptable for most people.

[chocoholic17 in reply to Clutter]

Thank you, Clutter. I've certainly been really fatigued with pain in my upper arms for months but assumed that was either down to the glandular fever, autoimmune hypothyroidism or maybe the P.O.T.S. they think I have now too. It's hard to work out which symptoms are a result of what but I'm interested to know low Vitamin D can cause these things too.

[chocoholic17]

Thank you, Londinium. I shall check out that link in the morning.

[chocoholic17]

Have been researching about Vit D and its link to autoimmune diseases and found an article that is a bit worrying. I'll be honest and admit some of it I don't even understand but I've got the gist of the article and its made me a little wary about over-supplementing.

The last thing I want to do is do something that, long-term, might make my autoimmune conditions worse.

Has anyone else read the following:-

eurekalert.org/pub_releases...

[Treepie in reply to chocoholic17]

This is contrary to all other information I have read or seen on this site. That does not mean it is wrong. I have noticed some on this site deny all that does not fit their preconceived views ,we need to keep an open mind.

However ,the main source of Vit D is the sun ,we need it . It seems too much is not good . How much is too much?

If auto immune disease is the cause not the result of low Vit D why would we not need to supplement? Either way we would be low.

More research needed?

[chocoholic17 in reply to Treepie]

I agree. More research needed. Since I posted that last link, I too thought it worth further investigation and indeed found several other lengthy medical papers reporting the same thing.

I agree, that keeping an open mind is essential, which is precisely why, since I found I have Vit D deficiency, I am reading as much as I can, both on this very helpful site and elsewhere on the net,before deciding on a plan of action, hopefully soon with the help of a nutritionist.

I am not saying the info in the link I gave is RIGHT but in view of the fact many members here take very large supplements of Vit D, I felt it worthwhile alerting them to information that might be of interest or help. I have no desire to be alarmist or controversial.

Years back, when I was on a Diabetes forum, some folks were advising the total opposite of dietary advise by the NHS. At that time the NHS advised eating lots of starchy carbs with every meal. However, one or two folks had researched and read that actually cutting carbs right down, was what hugely decreased their blood sugars. It took me a long time and a lot of research before I decided to take the plunge and realise the NHS were wrong and when I reduced carbs my blood sugars hugely improved. Now, even the NHS are starting to acknowledge that reducing carbs IS better for diabetics.

So, looking into all trains of thought on Vit D, is all I'm trying to do.

One member has contacted me and feels it's important enough for me to start a new thread wth that link,to alert those supplementing to be made aware of these medical findings.

Nobody has to accept as gospel what is in that link. I just thought it might be of interest to some.

Hope I didn't do wrong in posting the link. Administrators, please feel free to delete the link or move it to a different thread if you wish to.

[humanbean in reply to chocoholic17]

I just wanted to point out that the link you have given is 6 years old.

If you go to Google Scholar and do a search for scientific papers since, say, 2014, and use search terms "vitamin D" and "autoimmune", you'll find many thousands of references, and the few I looked at were very pro-vitamin D.

scholar.google.co.uk/

[chocoholic17 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you, human bean. I will certainly take a look through that link later. Making a Mother's Day Cake at the mo' but taking a break, so thought I'd check in to the site again.

Someone has sent me a private email to thank me for the link. With her own autoimmune disease, which affects her calcium levels, Vit D supplementing would be a bad idea, so it's a bit of a minefield when you have multiple autoimmune issues. This is why I want to be sure I get it right for me too. I'm happy to check out any info for or against supplementing because it all helps make an informed decision.

[Treepie]

You are right to post. A lot of stuff referred to on here is even older.

[BeansMummy]

I don't understand why doctors bother to even have ranges if they ignore them when we are out-of-range (perhaps because they are used to them ignoring them if we are in-range too).

I had so many horrible symptoms, but had to beg to be tested (vitamin D, B12 etc).I was severely deficient in vitamin D, and am now permanently prescribed supplements as I become deficient without them. With the other supplements I have to take, I am slowly improving the way I feel.