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Avatar universal

Just diagnosed with a level of 4. How will I feel when I feel better?

My doctor said he had never encountered so low a level of Vitamin D; mine was at 4 according to panels I received yesterday.

I am vegan (25 years) and am rarely in sunlight, so this makes sense.

I am also manic depressive (bipolar I) and now I wonder how this deficiency and a very low level of 'normal' B-12 (207) might be responsible for my psychiatric disorder and the physical symptoms that have been attributed to it: extreme lethargy, extremely diminished libido, nearly constant aches and pains.

My doctor has put me on prescription Vit D supplement (50,0000 twice weekly).

If this works to relieve my deficiency, can I expect some relief do you think?  Has anyone here been in a simliar situation?

FWIW, I will be 43 at the end of the month and am presently 20 lb. overweight (5'11, 200 lb). I've not been prone to weight issues in the past but I broke my leg two years ago and haven't shed the weight I gained while laid up for 9 months.
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Avatar universal
Although my starting level was 20, I have a friend who had a starting level of 4. She raised her levels to normal range on 5000 IUs D3 daily -- she did indeed feel better, however, other co-existing medical problems, like high blood pressure, did not disappear when her D levels hit the normal range. You won't know the effect of vitamin D on your symptoms until you achieve and maintain a normal level. But, stick with it, and good luck!
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Avatar universal
I had more to say so I'm replying to my own thread.

I guess I've probably had these symptoms, severe ones, especially wrt mood and weakness.  But I've just sort of learned to live with them.  My doctors have all always told me, after batteries of various tests, that my problem must be psychiatric in nature as depression and mania and anxiety and panic do present with physiological symptoms.

I'd let myself become convinced I was merely lazy or that I was being a baby when I lacked the energy to perform basic tasks -- even, for example, bathing.

But I've been looking round the internet for anyone with as low a score as I (again, 4 units) and I've not been able to find one.  Apparently I have been the living dead for some, maybe many years.

I regard this all to be very good news.  After years and tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses for psychiatric treatment (my health insurance has crappy psych pros and they will drop me entirely if my actual diagnosis of bipolr goes into my record), I finally have some hope of relief.

I am probably still bipolar, or at least suffer from severe depression and/or mania.  Definitely bad panic attacks and anxiety.

But the idea that there's a vitamin that could help with this?  It almost makes me believe in God.
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