Very low vitamin D: Hello there, I wonder if... - Thyroid UK

Thank you so much for your reply. My son doesn't have a problem with his thyroid but he has been getting constant colds that he can't shake off and any bug doing the rounds he gets it. I suggested having vitamins checked and he chose his own test with Medichecks. The Viamin D and B complex results he forwarded to me, I have just queried Folate and Ferritin. He has been vegan for 2 years. He has been taking VEG1 - a chewable multivitamin. I have advised him that it's not a multivitamin he needs. He decided to test his own vitamins and hopefully improve them as like a lot of people we have difficulty getting to speak to our GP - I think he's in hiding with Lord Lucan 🙄.

Folate not tested. Ferritin was 116 ( range:-30 to 400 )

SlowDragonAdministrator• in reply toDoeStewart2 years ago

well as a vegan he probably does need a multivitamin aimed at vegans

DoeStewart• in reply toSlowDragon2 years ago

The other issue he has is being stuck indoors for most of the day. Works from home, has done for about 6 years. He hardly sees the light of day for 6 days a week. Not good at all.

Hedgeree• in reply toDoeStewart2 years ago

Hi DoeStewart,

I ended up with a severe vitamin D deficiency myself many years ago due to staying mostly indoors and being a vegan and when I did rarely venture outside wearing full sunblock so it wasn't a good combination for my vitamin D levels.

My GP just gave me loading doses but there was no guidance regarding taking vitamin K2 etc. I also was getting regular colds that seemed to last forever. Also daily headaches, sore muscles and arm weakness. Thankfully this all improved once my levels were increased.

I usually take a liquid vitamin D but the taste is terrible (to me as I'm very taste sensitive) so I'm looking for an alternative. But some of the tablets do contain lots of horrible fillers so I'm trying to source a suitable vegan soft gel that doesn't have all the rubbish in it. If I find anything that appears suitable I'll post a reply.

Best wishes.

DoeStewart• in reply toHedgeree2 years ago

Thanks for taking the time to reply with your findings. I hope you find something less nasty to take. So many products on the market and so confusing as to what is in them ( fillers etc...) I'm just trying to help my son find a good product without all the nasties. Thanks again.

Hedgeree• in reply toDoeStewart2 years ago

It is very confusing as when you start looking there are so many brands to choose from you do tend to feel swamped.

The one I take at the moment is a liquid by Nature's Aid.

naturesaid.co.uk/vegan-c16/...

The price varies so check Amazon, eBay, Landy's chemists etc.

It has no fillers. I use the dropper straight into my mouth but as I'm not keen on the taste it would make sense to put it on a meal instead which I think I'll start doing. Why I didn't do that in the first place? 🤔 I don't know?

Viridian do a vegan D3 2000iu (150 capsules) in a base of alfalfa. (I've not used these before)

viridian-nutrition.com/Shop...

Again the price varies massively so check eBay, Amazon etc.

As others have mentioned you also need the co factors to take alongside vitamin K2 MK-7.

(Post edited to include product info 🙂)

DoeStewart• in reply toHedgeree2 years ago

Thank you very much indeed

Hedgeree• in reply toSlowDragon2 years ago

I'm really disappointed by the Vegan society as the multivitamin Doestewart's son is taking has a lot of fillers and junk in it.

I realise the subject of iodine comes up regularly on the forum; also I find the whole subject very confusing.

My understanding is supplementing iodine is not recommended when having thyroid issues so is that irrelevant if the person doesn't have thyroid problems?

As the Veg 1 supplement contains the recommended daily amount of iodine so I'm assuming that for someone like DoeStewart's son that doesn't have thyroid issues this is fine to take?

Hope someone can comment or correct me if this isn't right?

SlowDragonAdministrator• in reply toHedgeree2 years ago

if someone is vegan yes they should be aware vegan diet is likely deficient in iodine.

Ideally would test levels, before starting any supplement and definitely test if vegan and suspect thyroid disease

(if hypothyroid and on levothyroxine would be getting iodine in levothyroxine and wouldn’t want extra iodine in a supplement)

Genova Diagnostics for iodine test

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

Click on "Read the list of available tests" and on page 3 of the pdf you'll see

Urine Iodine Test:

Also on vegetarian or vegan diet it’s difficult to maintain good iron/ferritin levels

This research suggests iron deficiency can contribute to developing autoimmune thyroid disease

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron deficiency (ID) can reduce the activities of thyroid peroxidase and 5′-deiodinase, inhibit binding of triiodothyronine to its nuclear receptor, and cause slower utilization of T3 from the serum pool. Moreover, ID can disturb the functioning of the immune system, increasing the risk of autoimmune disorders.

DoeStewart• in reply toSlowDragon2 years ago

Very detailed and informative reply. Thank you for all this advice, I will pass it all on to my son.

helvellaAdministrator2 years ago

I have no idea about the different makes, but search for "lichen vitamin D3".

Products based on that have been available for a number of years now. They avoid lanolin and the more common vitamin D2.

DoeStewart• in reply tohelvella2 years ago

Thank you very much - I will pass this information on to him.

Starfish1232 years ago

Hi,

I was treated with Fultium by the nhs when I was found to have a deficiency, at that time it was peanut oil, I’m not sure if it still is but I believe you can buy over the counter as well as prescription.

DoeStewart• in reply toStarfish1232 years ago

Thank you so much for your reply. Info passed to son.

HodorO-H2 years ago

I have trouble absorbing Vit D and use two vegan Vit D3 products that have helped me get to ‘sufficient’ levels.

Better You Vit D Vegan spray (I do two sprays every morning)

Vitl Vit D3 (which is vegan) (I take one tablet a day in the evening).

Total Vit D - 3000 per day

Your son may need double this for 6 weeks to get his Vit D level up and then test again and if in the sufficient or normal range, take a sustaining amount. I had to do this to get to 60 (where I am now).

I also take a B complex Vit tablet every day (Vitabionics - I tried the Better You spray, but the taste was so disgusting I couldn’t do it) .

Good luck to your son!

DoeStewart• in reply toHodorO-H2 years ago

Thank you so much for your help, much appreciated. I will pass this info to my son.

HodorO-H2 years ago

PS VitL D3 and Better You Vit D has very few fillers (I am very sensitive to these, and allergic to lanolin - where non-Vegan D3 comes from). The vegan version of Vit D can often come from lichen and is D2, I found this didn’t work for me. Finding a Vit D3 vegan source took a long time.

DoeStewart• in reply toHodorO-H2 years ago

Thanks for that, I have passed all these replies to my son.

Litatamon2 years ago

I have used this one, Garden of Life - My Kind vitamin D spray.

Check out this product I found on iHerb. ca.iherb.com/pr/garden-of-l...

When my levels were at 7.6 ng/l (19) I was instructed to do 10 000/ day for one month. And then 5000/day for two months. And then retest. Retesting is important because I was told calcification?? can occur, which can be hard on the kidneys and heart.

And then maintenance at 2000/day - which I have not been following.

Since my thyroidectomy my vitamin d levels have risen and on two tests have been in the normal range, and above in the range where they last were on testing. Obviously thyroid hormones have changed the game as there is no other explanation. My surgery was in the early spring ie. zero reasons for my vitamin d to have increased. And even if it was in the summer, I regularly use sunscreen.

DoeStewart• in reply toLitatamon2 years ago

Hi there, thank you for your recommendation. I believe in summer you are supposed to have 15 to 20 minutes without sunscreen to enable you to absorb the vitamin D. My son is a red head so when he does actually come out of the house and the sun is out, he is covered in sunscreen too. I think even if he could manage 5 to 10 minutes before putting sunscreen on it would help him.

Litatamon• in reply toDoeStewart2 years ago

Absolutely,. Great advice .

But most times I am out for the day & if I put in on outdoors I will sweat it off in two seconds.

And I too am about five minutes to burn. A fake redhead, laughing, but am born to one.

(I take this for joints, but apparently it offers protection from the sun as well and I have noticed I do not burn as quickly. Bioastin Hawaiian Astaxanthin 4mg/day)

DoeStewart• in reply toLitatamon2 years ago

I am normally out in the fresh air for a large part of the day walking my dog so try to do the 15 - 20 minutes without sunscreen when I can. Ooh is that product good for osteoarthritis?