Vitamin D supplementation

[Duffy26]

Hello all. I wonder if somebody may be able to advise a suitable supplement to help raise my daughters Vitamin D level. She had lots of tests done as she has acne and doctor is checking a lot of things before starting treatments. She has just turned 16.

Her Vitamin D came back slightly under at: 47nmol (50.00-120.00).

Found that strange as she is always outside particularly in the summer. Anyway if anyone has a suggestion to the level of supplement she should take to get it back up again, id be most grateful.

The other test that was abnormal was plasma glucose at 3.0mmol (4.0-11.00) so doctor is rechecking that.

thank you

Duffy

[luthien]

I love the chewable vitamin D gummies by wicked gummy co! They're a great orangy taste! I'm sure there are other similar ones out there.

You can also get a vitamin D spray for under the tongue which tastes pepperminty - I found that to be something that felt like a chore so I forgot a lot of the time.

[Duffy26 in reply to luthien]

Hi

Thanks for reply.

She isn't a great capsule or gummy lover so will take a look around.

What I meant is the level i.e 1000,3000 or 5000 a day for how long etc.

Ive twice had to take 5000 for a few months to raise my levels but just checking if that suitable in her case first

KR

Duffy

[luthien in reply to Duffy26]

Ah okay, I see. I'm not sure about levels / dosage

I've found the gummies now are much like sweets if she likes softer haribo. The multivitamin ones in blister packs were awful!

The spray may be a good idea, I think it's called betteryou, in boots and places, It has instructions on it x

[Duffy26 in reply to luthien]

thank you x

[bookish]

Please consider your daughter having a Coeliac test just in case and then trying a truly gluten free diet before medication. I had acne for 40 years and tried everything...except ditching gluten. I stopped for entirely different reasons and my acne vanished. I could have wept. Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity often shows in skin, apparently. (Can also be a reaction to dairy and, I expect, to other substances that are causing inflammation). I use Nature's Answer 4000 iu D3 (olive oil, grain free) and it is good - works well for me. 2000 iu per drop.

Best wishes

[Duffy26 in reply to bookish]

Thank you for the reply. She had a TtG test which was negative also doesnt appear to have digestive issues. However as im cutting out gluten due to my issues she will be naturally cutting down too. I can discuss going gluten free with her as we are not happy about having to possibly be on antibiotics for a long time (doctor suggested years!). If they dont work then he suggested Roaccutane as last resort. Anyway i shall look into the Vitamin D brand. Ty x

[bookish in reply to Duffy26]

Many with gluten intolerance have no digestive signs at all....neurological, skin, thyroid..all can be due to or exacerbated by gluten. I was on the antibiotics for years and it has wrecked my gut, never mind all the toxic creams and lotions. The stress that long term low level inflammation from a food intolerance puts on your body may well lead to other, worse issues and will be much harder to deal with then. I am sorry to be emotive but as you have had the good sense to look further and not (literally) to just swallow what the doctors are telling you please keep researching. I beg you (especially given the autoimmune conditions in the family that you mention) get a copy of The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O'Bryan. It is such a good way of getting an overview of the likely processes at play and how you can do something now. Bear in mind that corn can be as much of a problem as wheat and that cross - reactivity means you may (both) need to be grain free not just gluten free. And cutting down sadly will not fix it. It needs to be gone. Tom's book has a first phase elimination of only 3 weeks - it has to be worth trying.

Gluten testing is complicated and not without flaws. Micki Rose says 'studies show only about 30% of coeliacs with partial villous atrophy will show a transglutaminase antibody, whearas 100% with total atrophy will. That makes it a fab test for end-stage coeliac disease but pretty unreliable for the earlier stages where you could find and stop the process.' Her book 'The Gluten Plan- how to test and treat gluten illness' is huge and invaluable. Have a look at her website purehealthclinic.co.uk/heal... and purehealthclinic.co.uk/heal... Most doctors won't even discuss non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Maybe yours is different, but don't rely on them having all the answers or looking for causes, they don't have time. Good luck

[Duffy26 in reply to bookish]

Hello bookish. Thank you for your reply and also the book recommendations. I will take a look at them. You are right in that I don't just take what the doctor says as gospel and that is what brought me to this site 3 years ago. One of my previous doctors who is on maternity leave at the moment, to be fair to her she did mention non coeliac gluten sensitivity to me due to my continuing IBS/sjrogrens symptoms but she could not give me levo for the others, as she would end up in trouble etc. The latest doctor is very pleasant but says only the long term ABs will do for my daughter but we are not sure its the right thing to do as you say it could wreck her insides up in the long run.

I think it would be prudent for her and I to trial complete gluten removal certainly. TY

[bookish in reply to Duffy26]

My pleasure, I really hope it works for you. I know GF isn't easy but how I wish I had known years ago. You are doing the right thing. Best wishes to you both

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Has she had B12 and folate tested?

Low B12 can be linked to acne

[Duffy26 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi. Yes she did. They were normal - mid way through ranges.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Duffy26]

B12 over 500?

[Duffy26 in reply to SlowDragon]

640 of the top of my head

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

According to BetterYou's website age 13 and above is the highest age bracket.

I would suggest she takes 5000iu daily for 3 months then retest.

Important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-mk7 are needed when taking D3.

Magnesium helps the body use D3.

Vit K2-mk7 directs the extra uptake of calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissue where it can be deposited and cause problems.

Come back with new level after retesting to see what maintenance dose she will then require.

Don't start all supplements at once, stagger them, introduce first one, wait 2 weeks, if no adverse reaction add the second one, wait 2 weeks, if no adverse reaction add the next one. This way if there are any problems you will know what caused it.

[Duffy26 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks SeasideSusie i shall get some tomorrow.

[penny]

I had horrendous acne for 30 years and put this down to being hypothyroid (at the time I had no idea). When I was treated the acne disappeared.

[Duffy26 in reply to penny]

Hi Penny. its awful isn't it, particularly at that age when they are so self conscious of it. I really hope she isn't going to become hypo or get any autoimmune (her dad has psoriosis) but he also tested her Thyroid (only TSH and T4 of course) and the results were:

TSH 2.24mu (0.35-3.5)

T4 11pmol (8.0-21.0)

I'm worried as she does complain of being cold a lot (but our house is old and rather cold too) and tired (I put it down to GCSE year) and also has what looks like Raynaud's at times. She doesn't have the crashing fatigue that I get and can still actively take part in sport thankfully but her results are strangely very like mine!

I hope she does not end up like me who has all the symptoms but a TSH that hovers in and out of the mid range but T4/T3 very low end. Not one medical doc/endo will recognise it. A private functional doctor did (due to low in range T3) but to be honest I am struggling to afford the private medication and consultation so am looking at other alternatives now.

I hope one day that things change for the better for thyroid dysfunction sufferers......

[penny in reply to Duffy26]

I was hypothyroid for decades but my tsh never got out of ‘range’. It wasn’t until I saw a private doctor that I was diagnosed and my life changed for the better. I cannot reclaim those lost years but I hope that others will not have to go through the same struggle. (A vain hope.).

The Vitamin D protocol claims to successfully treat psoriasis.

I wish you the very best for you and your daughter. In my teenage years there was no internet and my parents believed everything a doctor said to them. I was hampered somewhat by being very slim and through sheer determination worked hard every day on our farm. Looking back I realise what a battle each day was. My acne took the form of boils on my face, which completely distorted my features. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Good luck.

[Duffy26 in reply to penny]

thank you Penny and so glad the outcome in the end was good for you ...damn TSH test!!

[MichelleHarris]

I am not surprised by her vit D levels! When I worked in NZ we tested vitamin D levels of several young people and 3 out of 4 were deficient x

[Duffy26 in reply to MichelleHarris]

scary isn't it..i suppose we must have been the same years ago? but vitamin D testing was unheard off when I was 16! x