Vitamin D deficiency????

[Sharpclaw]

Hi I am a 13 year old female and I have recently had a blood test testing my Vitamin D levels. My doctor said that the test came back low. I don't get how it could be low because I drink more than enough milk (according to the Canadian food guide) and I also take a multivitamin which has 400 IU  of vitamin D in it. I have had muscle pain for 3 years now and my doctor thinks it is just vitamin D deficiency. Please! I need help! I have run out of leads!

[caregiver222]

You ask some very interesting questions to which I have no answer. There are various possible scenarios including a genetic inability to process the vitamin. If you are taking vitamin D, make sure you are taking D3. Get plenty of sunlight. As to the muscle pain, that may or may not be related to the D3. My guess it involves a calcium-channel issue. That is most likely. There are all sorts of other possible causes. A glass of milk often helps, but apparently you are drinking plenty of milk. The information on the "pain" is insufficient. Because of your age I am reluctant to even suggest any treatment protocol. Many multi-vitamins are ineffective for a variety of reasons. I would recommend a separate dose of D3, but avoid taking too much. Incidentally, some multi-vitamins do not contain the D3 varient.

[Sharpclaw]

Thank you for your suggestion. The pain I talked about has increased in frequency and intensity over the past year. It can show up in any part of my body. It varies from a mild ache to a stabbing, throbbing...almost unbearable pain. It can last from minutes to hours. Basically every day I have some degree of pain somewhere in my body. It feels like it starts in a muscle and if it's going to intensify it will spread out from there.  It is not an "internal" pain it seems to be confined to muscles and skeleton. My mother thinks it "might" be fibromyalgia but that still doesn't explain the low vitamin D levels. Can these two things possibly be related somehow? The Dr. doesn't want to call the pain fibromyalgia for a couple of different reasons, for one my age, another being that I have pain in places other than the 18 tender spots characteristic of fibromyalgia.

[frootbar]

muscle pain can be related to D deficiency.
in canada, where i am also, milk is a lousy source.
sunlight is best, but we don't get enough generally.
you need more than 400 iu.'s especially if you are
inside alot.
calcium, phosphorous metabolism are intricately tied
to vitamin D, and parathyroid.
no worries, sounds so far all good testing and with an
answer perhaps.

frootbar C.N.

[kclay0840]

In recently looking at D supplements, I came across this statement on a manfacturer's website

"Most Vitamin D supplements use ergocalciferol or Vitamin D-2 but Vitabase Vitamin D uses cholecalciferol, D-3, a more bioactive form. This is the same form of Vitamin D made by the skin’s exposure to sunlight."

I'm afraid that your multi-vitamin may not have the right Vitamin D

[caregiver222]

Yup kclay. On the jackson beam. And that is why I recommended D3.