Vitamin D deficiency

[ali56]

Any advice on best vitamin D supplement my result was

27. Insufficient range 25-50.

[Clutter]

Ali56,

VtD is replete >75 and is optimal 100-150nmol/L. Your GP should refer to local guidelines or the cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d... Do NOT accept a prescription for 800iu which is a maintenance dose prescribed after vitD is replete >75.

Alternatively, you can buy vitD without prescription. Softgel capsules are best as the olive oil aids absorption. I would supplement 10,000iu D3 daily x 6 weeks then reduce dose to 5,000iu daily and retest in late April. Take vitD 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.

If you buy on Amazon please use the affiliate link healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[ali56 in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter thank you for your reply, it was only by chance got vitamin D levels tested. Went through blue horizon for thyroid levels and I chose thyroid 11 blood test which included vitamin D and B12. So glad I chose that one. Last time I asked for vitamin D test from my gp the reply everybody has low vitamin D levels in the UK so she wouldn’t do them. Do you think I should show result to my gp or just supplement myself.

I have graves but not on any meds at present.

Thank you

[Clutter in reply to ali56]

Ali56,

Your GP's attitude sucks. VitD deficiency requires treatment and blood test is needed to monitor your response to supplements because toxicity is possible if you don't check. VitD D3 isn't expensive so you could save yourself the bother of a trip to the GP if you buy your own.

[Ginny_Ickle in reply to ali56]

After a few months at 10,000 IU of D3 daily, you'll want to be retested. The amount we need can vary a lot.

I am on a maintenance dose that high, but I was severely deficient, even when eating well and getting too much sun, so something is broken! Most people seem to be able to maintain at more like 4,000.

[ali56 in reply to Ginny_Ickle]

Thank you

[ali56]

Thank you Clutter will buy them.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If you have any gut symptoms or gluten intolerance then vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function

There are several strengths available, you probably need at least 3000iu daily for 2-3 months and then retest. Likely to need a maintenance dose once you get up to a good level (around 100nmol)

betteryou.com/vitamin-d-tes...

vitamindtest.org.uk

[ali56 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Yes, no medic bothered to inform me or treat severe vitamin D deficiency for years

Only getting full private testing after advice on here, enabled first step of many to finally get back to good health, from being very unwell for more than twenty years

[ali56 in reply to SlowDragon]

So bad that we have to take matters into our own hands ie private blood tests, they won’t look at the whole picture, so we suffer unnecessarily...just not good enough. I feel lucky to have found this site, has helped me tremendously.

[Diddums in reply to SlowDragon]

Had bad Vit D deficiency and read Dr can only prescribe 800 IU which (I took on prescription) Until ((I read on this site how long it would take for a maintenance dose to raise my levels to anything like normal). So i bought 5000 IU from Amazon (£15 approx for years supply) )and I take daily......... I have a blood test booked on 14th Feb and have asked for Vit D to be tested too. BTW have mentioned to my GP "as possible restrictions in prescribing Vit D I bought it instead" He sarcastically replied "I can prescribe 50000 if I like" which begs the question why only 800 IU Should I insure prescription is cancelled?

[ali56]

So sorry to hear that Londinium the NHS medical professionals need to get of their high horses and listen to patients.

[bluebug in reply to ali56]

At my old practice I only got decent treatment due to a female medical student and nurse practitioner.

I p*ssed the GPs off particularly one GP partner because I was costing them money and their attitude seemed to be no-one under 40 should have health problems they needed to treat they don't get extra funding for.

[ali56 in reply to bluebug]

That is awful when it comes down to funding rather than your health.

[jayanna]

Hi I know how you feel my vitamin D want down to 5. You need to ask your doctor for Invite D3 its a liquid intence vitamin. You take it once a month. It comes with enough for 3 months. Trust me it realy works. I have much more energy now and I take it every month. You will find your meds work much better when all your vitamin levels are correct. I have been on thryoxine for 15 years now as I had cancer in my thyroid. All good now though. But I have to realy watch I do as I now have fibromyal also. Hope this helps.

[ali56 in reply to jayanna]

Thank you

[Diddums in reply to jayanna]

Thank you..............it really helps!

[garretttowers]

You should also take vitamin k - it helps the body to absorb vitamin d. I had the same levels and since taking nutravita d and k my levels are in the normal range.

[ali56 in reply to garretttowers]

Thank you

[Maxxxx]

Yes just want to reiterate what garretttowers said - you need K2 with the Vitamin D to aid absorption and you can buy Vitamin D drops with the K2 added on Amazon which is what I did.

[ali56 in reply to Maxxxx]

Thank you

[Stephsteph]

I’m currently taking Hercules Health Vitamin D, 5000iu. It’s tablet form rather than capsule because I’m a vegetarian but I take it with my breakfast. It’s working, all the niggly low D symptoms are disappearing.

[ali56 in reply to Stephsteph]

Thank you

[JennaShi in reply to Stephsteph]

Hi StephSteph what symptoms were you having with low vitamin D?

[Stephsteph in reply to JennaShi]

I get more achy than normal, mainly my legs but my wrists and elbows as well. And when I get a migraine, My arms and legs get these weird achy pains in my joints is worse when I’m low in Vit D. I also sweat more even when I’m not hot. My hair loss gets worse and my nails are awful. Then I get a tingly stingy feeling on the tops of my feet and I was getting tingles in one place on my back. Obviously I can’t say for sure all these things are related to Vit D, but I was found to have low vit D a while ago and had very similar symptoms. I was treated for it and they all went away. Then gradually it’s fallen again and my last blood test showed it was low again but not quite low enough for treatment, the symptoms have all been gradually coming back and since I’ve been treating myself, they’re all going again.

[JennaShi in reply to Stephsteph]

Wow thank you for sharing. It definitely seems to be related doesn't it?

[Caroline888]

I take 2000 I.U. Vitabiotics vitamin D as a maintenance dose. This is always in the 3 for 2 offer at Boots. I had a level of 11 nmol! The doctor said to take 800 I.U. Which was ridiculous so I bought my own. This was four of five years ago. My vitamin D level is now 108 nmol. I’ve never needed more than 2000 I.U./day but I am very slim. Regular testing will determine the correct dose for you. Hope you soon feel better.

[ali56 in reply to Caroline888]

Thank you

[NoLevo]

Mine was tested at16 10 weeks ago. I was given 50,000iu of VitD2 once a week for 8 weeks. I also took 1000 Vit d3 on the day I did not take the VitD2. I tested 2 weeks ago and was a 38. Now I take VitD3 5,000iu X 6 one day a week and VitD3 5,000 every day other than the VitD3 5,000iu X 6 day. It takes a lot of D3 to get us up to where we belong. I also took Vit k2 for the VitD protocol. I take other vitamins as well, but the K2 for all of that VitD3 is needed.

[ali56 in reply to NoLevo]

Thank you

[Caroline888]

Just a last point. I was initially advised by a city hospital doctor specialising in vitamin d deficiency, among other things, to take 2000 I.u. Vitamin d daily for a fortnight then 1000 for three months before testing. He never saw me, the advice came through a friend who was a lab technician at the hospital. After three months my level had gone up to 85 nmol! The specialist said the rapid increase was due to my being slim. After a year or so, my level fell a little so I restarted at 2000 I.u. And my level has stayed at approx 100 ever since. Just wanted to point out that if you are thin like me your dose might be less than someone who is a bigger build.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Caroline

[ali56 in reply to Caroline888]

Thank you

[Noelnoel]

Hello ali56

My Vit D level was low so I did a bit of research and decided that Solgar Vit D3 was the right one for me. It's more expensive than others but at my 6 week check up it had risen to 256nmol/L. Now obviously that's too high but apparently levels aren't toxic until they reach 500nmol/L. Or so British doctors say

Recently the reference range has changed in accordance with NOS guidelines and current thinking is that levels should be 50nmol/L for most of us but up to 75nmol/L if frail and elderly

If you're black or of mixed race, which I am, then my levels need to be slightly higher, though not quite as high as mine reached. However, my Dr reassured me and at my follow up blood test after stopping the drops, my levels were only slightly higher than the reference range, which is where I want them to be

You should know that here in Britain we're conservative with our reference ranges but if you look at the vitamin d council website you'll be amazed at how different the American thinking is. There they recommend much higher levels of it and you'll understand why as you scroll through their website. It's fascinating. Their website is: vitamindcoumcil.org

[ali56 in reply to Noelnoel]

Thank you

[Noelnoel]

Oops! vitamincouncil.org

Also, don't get confused with how measurements are reported. You may see it as ng/ml or nmol/L. This translates as nanograms per millilitre or nanograms per litre, respectively

[Nutty9toes]

I have used Vitamin D capsules for years and I find them great. I purchase mine from Natures Best - in fact I get all my supplements from them as they are UK based and do not import their products.

[Kbear66]

How was your calcium. This should also be checked.