I recently found out I was deficient in Vitamin D and suspect I must have been chronically deficient to a dangerous level for some years. There are several books on the subject on Amazon and I've looked through them but it's impossible to be sure what's good and what isn't. I'm going to have to buy one (boo!) because my library has nothing on the subject. So I'd like to invest wisely.
I'm looking for one that gives extensive details on symptoms and conditions caused by low Vitamin D and if it covers how it works in the body as well, so much the better. I'm not so fussed on dosing and so forth, as that's freely available on the internet. Also, I'd prefer if it was from a well-qualified source like a medical researcher or physician rather than an alternative health practitioner or nutritionist.
Any recommendations most gratefully accepted...
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Chancery
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You have lots of previous posts regarding gluten and possible celiac disease.
These cause huge disruption in the gut resulting in malabsorbtion of vits & meds.
I don't know if you have Hashimotos but I found Izabella Wentz's book called The Root Cause fascinating. Although she doesn't address Vit D directly, she does explain the how's and whys of thyroid and all vitamin absorption, etc.
Thanks, Flower, Marz recommended Wentz's book to me and I did look at her website and found a lot of it interesting. Unfortunately, I found out I had 0 antibodies, so Hashimoto's doesn't seem like a fit for me, which I find a bit baffling, considering 80% (or 90% depending on who you read) people who are hypothyroid have Hashimoto's - so what's wrong with me? But that did put me off following a Hashimoto's diagnosis since it didn't seem to fit.
I'm still waiting for coeliac testing. This has been ongoing for months now, but eventually I will get something definitive, even if I have to pay for it myself. When I've got that I might be able to make a better judgement call on the whole autoimmune/gluten axis.
Yes, Sparerib, I noticed that. Generally my library has at least one book, albeit old and out of date, on any given health subject - and usually two or three. Nope, nary a one this time - only some strange medical research paper on rickets from the 80s.
Likewise, on Amazon, there seem to be a lot of teeny Kindle books by enthusiastic amateurs, or worse. Sometimes these can be good, but often they are just either rehashers or plain ill-informed.
Even the ones that look legit don't seem to be very big. It did get me wondering if having a Vit D deficiency was so important, especially as my doc was completely disinterested in mine and would have let me leave with it untreated. I'm still not sure if this is a fuss over nothing. Perhaps if you don't have rickets or osteoporosis you have nothing to worry about!
Well, in my case I avoided bi-lateral carpal and cubital tunnel surgery by finding out (myself) I was low vit D. I also avoided dangerous neck surgery. Perhaps I had nothing to worry about
Oh, I'm sure the docs would reassure you you would "never have got that" or "you were in no danger". They're good at those kind of pronouncements - with hindsight and other people's health.
And how could you imagine you saved the NHS money by avoiding surgery? Don't you realise you "would never have got that" and "you were in no danger"? Silly sausage...
I was measured up and ready to go right after the second round of physio - even I thought my wrists/elbows must be worn out! (this was after 2 untreated frozen shoulders & 1 bad hip - years of pain really gets you down there & vulnerable...)
it may explain why I get the 'self-harm' etc. questions now - obviously it was all imagined, then I woke up!
Self-harm questions? Dear God. I hope you tell them the only person in danger of being harmed is the next charlatan claiming to be a doctor who lays a hand on you.
But you had/have frozen shoulders? That's interesting. My partner has those, terrible trouble with them. He's had it for years; it never really goes away. We were worried that he might be doomed for Parkinson's, because, apparently, they're an early symptom, and his sister has the disease quite severely now.
Many thanks for those, Sparerib. All grist to the mill. You are absolutely right that the net is best for up-to-date. It's separating the good reliable stuff from the snake oil salesmen that's the problem. I waste as much time as I spend researching, reading articles and then finding out two thirds of the way through they also believe X can be cured by chanting and tickling with feathers...
I was found to be severely D deficient 2 years ago.
I bought this book, I think it is excellent.
The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problems.
By Michael F Holick - a world expert who has been studying D deficiency for decades. Interesting, informative, amusing and helped me a great deal. Also includes charts for optimal safe sun exposure according to where you are in the world, time of day, time of year how dark you skin is.
Holick is one of the references on the patient website.
There are some free downloadable Vitamin D books on the web. Sorry I've no links for you.
There are some really good and informative info vids on youtube - by Holick -
Michael F. Holick - The D-Lightful Vitamin D for Good Health
I agree it is a good book. Unfortunately it is (from memory) around five years since it was published as a hardback. An awful lot has happened in the world of vitamin D in those five years. Would be great if he did an updated edition.
Ah, thank you, Spicy. I saw Holick's book, so that's useful to know you found it informative. And thank you very much for the vids. It's especially useful to have one by Holick - let's you see if you agree with the man and if he sounds sane! I'm going to watch them as soon as I've done my mail. Thanks again.
Hi again Spicy. I unfortunately don't know which D they measured. It was the "250H Vit D immunoassay" that they did. In the notes it says it "underestimates Vit D2". So whether that means it's some kind of total Vit D I really do not know. As my doc paid no attention to it and I had to ask him for tablets, I suspect he didn't have a clue either. I definitely didn't get Bone or PTH done - I have no idea what those even are!
As for the prescription, it was some kind of chewable combo. I think he said it was a 500mg (or ug?) tablet combined with calcium. In short, I have NO idea what I am taking. I asked him for what the NHS prescribes since my supplementation patently wasn't working and that's what he gave me. It's in a plain brown bottle with no identification so I am really in the dark here!
D3 is the one (D2 is measured as well but not really significant) this goes for supplements too (if its cheap it's D2).
careful of nmol/l vs ng/ml (Uk vs USA measures ng/ml x 2.5=nmol/l)
my GP said when I presented my results "well that's interesting - go to boots!"
if its a combo it's probably Adcal, ditch it, chances are you won't need extra calcium as Vit D helps absorb it in gut anyway (a calium test should be done too - just in case it's parathyroid-related) - get Biocare drops or Solgar gels instead - I'm lazy & have a Boost spray 3000iu (now only take wintertime as there is some sun here in the Shire ).
Vit A, Omega 3, Magnesium, K2 are in the same family & all work together. Of course Sardines thrice daily may help if you have no stomach issues or even 10+ cod liver oil tabs (yuk!) J
Thanks, SR. So it looks like it was probably D3 then. I think! God, you'd think they could make these comprehensible, especially as the docs don't even seem to understand them.
The tablets definitely weren't Adcal. He said the name and it wasn't that. Actually, I wrote that prescription down. I must have a rummage and see if I still have it, although I suspect not. And I doubt if I'll bother to get any more from him. I intend to have it retested. They can pay. If I get the retest, I'll get further prescriptions just so that the results can be consistent from THEIR treatment. This makes it easier to negotiate with them, on the 'You done it, it's your responsibility' ideology. But otherwise I'll do my own. Just the way he responded to the deficiency made me feel it wasn't really being considered a serious problem.
There does seem to be a weird sort of thinking in the NHS that believes you're either well or dying; anything in between should be ignored till you are dying. Then you become relevant again.
But I am very interested in what you say about parathyroid. What is the relationship there, between calcium, thyroid and Vit D?
GPs aren't trained in nutrition, I suppose the vitamin reps don't call by much either....
My first frozen shoulder lasted about 2 years, couldn't get me coat on.. total panic trying clothes on - the second immediately went after my PT op (perhaps the nodule was producing hormone in fits & starts I did have hyper symptoms & a horrid runny feeling down my neck). J
Many thanks for the links. I shall read up and become an expert - for all of five minutes, till I forget it all again! And you're too right about docs and nutrition. I think mine slept through the one lecture they allegedly get.
You refer to your PT op. Did you have a parathyroid problem then? I'm looking back at your comments and can't see a mention of it. Forgive me if you have already mentioned it; I have the memory of a very small ant who has snorted cocaine for ten years!
I just have Dory memory - guess your ant at least sampled being wicked..
actually the first site seems a bit scarmongery... at least it links calcium & vit D.. there's studies emerging that vit D underpins a lot of things... but that could just be me noticing & making my own sense of things...
no sun = hibernation = getting fat despite not eating = vicious circle etc. etc.
Memories of My Life as a Dory - I reckon that would sell, although My Life as a Drug-fuelled Ant of Love might be more sensationalistic. I'd be bound to get in the Mail.
Yeah, but reading the stuff on parathyroid disease it IS scary, in the sense that it has much higher mortality than cholesterol related problems. Of course, that COULD be because cholesterol isn't the problem they've told us it was....
Hi Marz. I remember that letter; you gave me it before, I think. It does make me wonder how the hell I've managed to get deficient though. This is what makes me wonder if it's been a longstanding problem, or if something more is causing it. I seem to be very deficient for someone my age who gets out every day and gets an hour or so's sun/daylight. Maybe not enough getting through from food. Either that or there is something more to this that these guys have not caught up with yet...
And thanks for the vid. I haven't seen this one before. Ta!
OK so you get outside - but when you read the book - The VitD Solution - by Michael Holick and others like him - you will learn that it has to be the midday sun - and at least 40% of your body exposed for at least half an hour. Yes being Hypo can cause all sorts of deficiencies as everything is slowed down - including the efficiency of absorption. I have said many times on this forum - hubby and I both tested insufficient after several years living in Crete - so yes it was probably being Hypo that has caused the problem.
In his book there are graphs/maps indicating the level of neurological conditions the further you move away from the sun. It is how we evolved - so it is crucially important.
As a steroidal pre-hormone - needed in almost everyone of the trillions and trillions of cells in the body - it is pretty important. When low- things begin to go wrong. It is anti-inflammatory so would have a huge influence on your TN too. Low D is implicated in MS and other neurological conditions....
Yeah, I did wonder about that. I did a run in life that went like this: 7 years on Orkney with virtually no sun, back on the mainland I fell sick with gallstones. Stopped going out for walks as much because it hurt to walk and I was too weak - for a year and a half. Barely 'cured' by having my gallbladder out when I'm struck down with TN. Can't go out now because it triggers TN pain - you can see how it might have come about. It's not exactly 40% of me naked in the noon-day sun! I still don't go out the way I used to because now I hate the cold so much it's almost painful.
I did read that Vit D was implicated in MS and that's what made me want to pursue this line of enquiry. That and the fact that I feel it can't be right to have a chronically low vitamin, despite my doc's indifference, but oh how I wish I had had my Homocysteine measured way back when I was first petitioning for B12 injections - might have got a better all over picture of this problem. Ah well, too late now...
Many thanks for the links. Slowly making my way through all the material on here!
Hi, yes as Treepie says. The Fat Emperor is great. Its a long watch - an hour or more from memory. I've also signed up to the author Ivor Cummings on Facebook. He has loads of good stuff on there.
I'm sorry I'm not sure if you can boost vitamin D with the right food. Both myself, my husband and my mother were all deficient and had to go on a period of medication to bring it back to normal.
No Essie, I wouldn't expect it to be fixed with diet. I seem to have a malabsorption problem and I've had it for years. Not a lot seems to be getting through of anything. Doesn't stop me gaining weight though!
The problem has got much worse since sun tan lotion has been pushed so much. Apparently (fat emperor here) that stopped the vit D which came with UVB without protecting us from UVA. You have to get out in the middle of the day for 20 mins without suntan lotion. You can take in 10,000 units of vit D at a time against 400 units in a tablet. No wonder we're all deficient. (I need to watch that vid again)
Sadly, Angela, I can't blame suntan lotion as I never really used it. I got to the stage where I was thinking, 'If we weren't meant to be exposed to sun, why is it in the ruddy sky?' and stopped wasting money on it. Seems like I was right!
No, I think mine is due to where I lived, a touch of SAD, which I've always suffered with (I feel that maybe kind of indicates you're not living in the right climate for your health), and a few years of ill-health that have made me cut down how much I go outside. That, and the fact I don't have a garden. I feel that if you have a house with a garden you can always go sit in it. In a flat, you tend to be stuck indoors more automatically.
Yes, that's certainly true Chancery. I lived in a flat when I was first married and I did feel very claustrophobic at times. Still you have to try and get out in daylight for some time every day.
Hi Anstey. Unfortunately Scotland seems to have done away with inter-library loans, as they no longer offer this. It was a great service; I wish they still did it!
As Marz says it can be the absorption that can affect your levels. I moved back to Scotland in 2002 and developed Autoimmune Thyroidosis and my health went down big time after living in London for 22 years. Previously my health was the best it had been in my entire life living in the South of England.
Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin but an essential hormone which we need to exist especially in the Northern climates.
My health began to come back with the use of pure T3 (T4 was a complete waste of time due to the inability of my body to produce T3 to convert the synthetic T4 -my body by definition had shut down my thyroid gland with anti bodies !!) removal of all vitamins and supplements which are tablet and capsule form with such fillers as calcium carbonate (chalk) !) titanium dioxide (used to colour paints !) silica (sand ), polypropylene glygol (anti freeze !) magnesium sterate, etc etc, I learned this from Dr Micheal Johnson from America. See youtube.com/watch?v=dwnhT38...
Also the removal of all my 11 amalgam fillings (courtesy of the West of Scotland dentists in my youth) in 2010 from the Munro Health Clinic under the IAOMT protocol helped me incredibly which utilities very high dose intravenous Vitamin C during and after removal of amalgam filling (Mercury in the dental fillings is approximately 50% and Mercury is the 2nd most toxic substance in the planet (Plutonium is 1st !!) and it leaches out 24/7 -365 days a year.If you lived to 300 years old Mercury would still be coning out of your fillings !!
This delivers 5,000iu directly into your bloodstream !!! Boy it is the best Vitamin D3 supplement I have ever taken. However checking today they seem to be having a restructure so you need to check on if this amazing product is still available.
In terms of books on Vitamin D3 you need to check Jeff Bowles fantastic book:
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Low Calcium and Vitamin D.
Wondering if anyone can shed some light On this.
