Severe Vit D Deficiency

[Karate1]

Hello - I have just recently been dx with a severe Vitamin D deficiency.  My level was 9 (norm is 50-100).  My doctor prescribed 50,000 units of vitamin D three times a week for twelve weeks.  Is this normal?  Also what causes the levels to drop that low?  

[cami18]

Hi I am searching for the reason why my vitamin D level is a 5.  I am not getting answers from my doctor other than diet, lack of sun, too much sunscreen.  I haven't felt well for a long time aches, tiredness, low energy.  I saw your post and wonder if you have been able to get answers.  My primary care has me on Vitamin D 50,000  one pill once a week for 12 weeks.  This is my third week today so I will take the 3rd pill. l So far, I notice no difference.  I am not feeling like they are finding out what is causing the vitamin D level to be a 5......they are just handing me a pill to take without not much explanation  There has to be some answers out there and some more tests that could be done to find out Does anyone know of any other tests that I might ask for?  I appreciate any suggestiions anyone can offer. I am very down.

Thanks everyone
.  

[ChickenFarmer]

Have you had your parathyroid (PTH and calcium) checked?  There's a theory that hyperparathyroidism  causes the body to suppress vit D production, in order to decrease the calcium levels.

[sally987]

hi, Cami and Karate and Chicken,

I sent my husband in to one of those Life Screening events, where they test your heart, your carotids, etc and for an additional $10 they will do a heal bone density test.  Well, he passed all but the bone density.  I bugged him to make sure that his primary care doc ordered a dexa bone density test, and sure enough he has full blown osteoporosis.  Blood work showed his d level was 13.  He has now been taking 50,000 IU of  D, twice a week, for 2 years.  After one year, his d level was up to 66, and his latest d level is 80.  He will have a follow-up bone density test this fall.  He gets plenty of sunshine and has always played lots of tennis.  Thyroid is fine.  Is not on any osteoporosis meds at this point.  I think it is hereditary.  You may want to have your doc order a bone density test just to make sure everything is okay.

Just for the heck of it, I asked my doctor if she would order a vit d test for me, and I was shocked when mine came back at 18.  (the range on our sheet is 32-100)   So I started on the 50,000 IU, once a week.

I guess there are many people w/ low vit d.  They should start adding that one to the routine blood tests~

[stormy06]

I am curious if the 50,000 IU of vitamin D you are taking is Vitamin D2 (rx) or Vitamin d3 (over the counter)  I am reading that there is a huge difference and that most people respond to the otc version Vitamin D3.  
I was found to have a level of 20.   I was already taking 2000 IU of D3 a day and he upped me to 4000 IU.   There was a very very slight improvement in my sypmtoms, but then I upped it to 6000 IU and then 8000 IU.   At 8000 IU, my Seasonal Affective Disorder went away on cloudy days, the pain in my hips and thighs went away, and I had much more energy.   .. I will go back in a couple of weeks and have my D and Calcium levels checked again.

[FurballsMom]

Yes, definitely use the D3.  When mine was severely deficient, it was so low it was almost non-existent.  My doctors had me take the megadose of vitamin D2 once a week, but I was to continue taking 2,000 iu of D3 everyday.  Now, I am still taking 6,000 iu of vitamin D3.  There is some excellent information about vitamin D on Dr. Mercola's website.  Just use his search engine and type in the key words "vitamin D" and you'll be taken to a page of archived articles about vitamin D.  He says that if you must supplement vitamin D (getting it from the sun is best), then one should take the vitamin D3 supplements.  He also recommends signing up for the newsletters from the Vitamin D Council.  This is important, because I learned of the importance of taking magnesium along with the vitamin D3 in order to be able to activate the vitamin D.

[opus88]

hi,,I will follow up on that website thx
Is it safe to take 6000 iu of vit D? this must be water soluable vitamin?
and how much magnesium should this be supplemented with?
thx

[FurballsMom]

I read that the vitamin D levels should be retested if one needs to supplement vitamin D at all.  I am using vitamin D3, as this is the natural form of vitamin D.  The megadose that I had been prescribed in the past was vitamin D2 and was used to help boost the vitamin D up to where it is now, barely normal.

You only have to use the RDA of magnesium.  My neurologist says 400-800 mg and at a separate time of the day than taking the calcium.

[twitchingteacher]

I too was diagnosed with low vitamin D (23), and I was told it should be near 50. I wonder if that is the cause of my muscle pain, cramping and twitching? I have been taking 4000 ICU a day for 3 weeks now, and not seeing much change. (It's the D3 kind). Does anyone know how long it can take to see a change? I also had a low B-12 level (151), and I too would like to know why Dr's just give you pills, but don't try and find the cause of the problem. Hope you are feeling better.

[FurballsMom]

I would recommend signing up for both Dr. Mercola's newsletters and the newsletters from the Vitamin D Council.  I am taking 6,000 mg of vitamin D3 just to maintain my vitamin D levels within the normal range.  4,000mg is not enough when you're trying to boost your levels.  I was on the megadose for 6 months or longer, just so you know.  It takes much longer than three weeks.  When you supplement B12, unless you're getting the shots, make sure the form of B12 you are taking is in the methylcobalmin form.  It is taken up by the body more readily.  Otherwise, you will be throwing your money away.  Other forms just go through you is all.  I recommended Dr. Mercola and the Vitamin D Council, because that is exactly where I've gotten my information.  Well, that and my naturopath, who says the same things.

And, if you have darker skin, you need to really watch your vitamin D levels.  Research has shown that people with darker skin NEED more sun exposure to normalize their vitamin D levels.  This is critical information that may save someone's life.  Then, people with Lupus can't be in the sun all that much and MUST supplement with high potency vitamin D3.  I burn easily and am fair skinned, so I MUST supplement wth high potency vitamin D3.  Plus, I have autoimmune issues myself, so keeping those vitamin D levels up is critical to my survival, especially since we're heading into cold and flu season.

You're absolutely right about conventional doctors not getting to the source of the problem.  This is why it's recommended that you find a naturopath you can afford to see, because they're more likely to search for the source of the problem.  It may still take a while, but a good one is less likely to be a pill pusher and more likely to find the source of the problem.