Vitamin D Deficiency

[minmtn]

For anyone wishing to learn about the multitude of conditions that happen as a result of Vit D deficiency, you can read the New England  Journal of Medicine article by Dr. Michael F. Holick, noted as the world's renown expert on Vitamin D by the Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.com) by going to www.vitamindhealth.org and clicking on "original journal articles".  There is also an external link to a presentation made by Dr. Holick to the European Calcified Tissue Council that is very entertaining to watch and includes the most incredible information.  It is a live stream and if your computer screen goes black, just click any key to watch the rest of the slides.  Your doc can't help it if s/he doesn't know about the current Vit D levels.  30 used to be the bottom acceptable number, but now it is 50 -- and that is just to maintain minimum Vit D.  If your level is 32, don't let someone tell you it is "normal."  You'll see from the NEJM article that every cell in your body has vit D receptors.  Low Vit D can cause everything from osteomalacia (adult form rickets) that produces bone pain and muscle pain to cancers, MS, etc.  If your Vit D is low, your body cannot absorb calcium no matter how much you take or get in your food.  Then your calcium is low which leads to heart conditions and everything else listed in the article or on the ECTS video.  When your doc checks your blood, however, your calcium will look normal.  That is because your body is busy robbing calcium from your bones and teeth to meet the needs of your vital organs.  Your doc has to measure ionized calcium, not serum calcium, to obtain an accurate calcium level for a person with a vit D deficiency.  Most docs did not learn about this in medical school.  Dr. Holick has been doing this research for at least 30 years.  I know a hospital administrator who explained to me that it takes new medical information a minimum of 20 years to make it into mainstream medical practice.  Some of you are frustrated that you cannot find out what "causes" the deficiency.  There is not enough Vit D in food or today's multivitamins.  (see video/read NEJM article).  Most of us MUST take a supplement.  And most of us are not in the sun 10 minutes each day with 25% of our skin uncovered.  Most docs are skeptical of new information until it is proven, proven, proven again.  They want to make sure they don't make their patients sick.  Educate yourself.  You can also read a newsletter and articles about current Vit D info on the vitamindcouncil website.  Amazing stuff.  One of my docs suggested I try an antidepressant for my symptoms of numbness, tingling, cramping in my feet, chronic infection, deteriorating teeth, terrible joint, muscle, bone pain.  Maybe I should go back and ask that doc which antidepressant he would recomment for the Vit D deficiency he missed?  I believe the current treatment is 50,000 iu/week for 8 weeks, then perhaps every other week if the level is still low.  I now take 4,000 iu a day (from wholesale food store or drugstore).  The American Academy of Pediatrics just raised their recommended limits and even newborns should be getting supplements.  10 minutes of sunlight every day can help unless you live above Atlanta, Ga and then you can only make D a few short months of the year.  Otherwise, take a supplement!  This condition is considered epidemic by many doctors.  And more and more of them are learning about this problem every day.  You can search on any medical condition i.e. "Parkinson's and Vit D deficiency", "asthma and Vit D deficiency" and you will be amazed at what you find.  I would also recommend sending a question to a MedHelp Expert.  It is a very reasonable fee and you will get a specific answer emailed back to you that can also benefit your online friends.  It worked for me.  I have about 5 friends who recently found out they are deficient.  Good luck, everyone! Don't be D-ficient!!! minmtn


This discussion is related to Vitamin D Deficiency ?.

[minmtn]

Greetings, ak! Just received a reply to a question I posted to the Vitamin D Council website regarding injectable Vit D.  Here it is:

"Injectable vitamin D does exist and is frequently used in clinical studies at doses (that I have seen) up to 600,000 IU at one time. The trick is finding a physician who can supply you with it."

Hope this helps!  The current and past issues of this newsletter are a treasure trove of information about Vit D.  They are free to view at .com  

[minmtn]

A reply to my question posted to vitamindcouncil.com just came back and refers to the April 2008 issue of the Council Newsletter and specifically to an article by Dr. John Connell about the Marshall Protocol:  

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2008-april.shtml

The article opens with, "I have been inundated with letters asking about Professor Marshall's recent "discovery."

Perhaps this info will be helpful to all of us as we attempt to piece together the puzzle of our personal vitamin D situations.  Best to all--  

[minmtn]

I am confused.  You're asking for help, but you seem to be rigidly defending your own scientific research and discounting the medical doctors including people associated by review with Mayo Clinic.  Why not consider at least looking at what the top Vitamin D scientists/medical doctors in the world have determined through more than 50 years of research?  Such as Dr. Holick's "ECTS Presentation" at vitamindhealth.ORG.  Ten top Vitamin D scientists are listed at vitamindcouncil.com.

If you live near a medical school (research center with a clinic) perhaps you might obtain another opinion there.  I hope you find the answers you seek.  Take care.

[ak128]

Hi, I had my vit. D tested and it was 8 and I was advised to take 10,000iu per day, does any one know if doctors give a vit. D shot.
                                                   Thanks,
                                                       AK

[extremepains]

@minmtn  

k. well thanks for your reply and now i do have some doubts about the marshall protocol, however, the science i have investigated into it seems to be very valid. It makes sense if your body cannot target specific bacterial cells due to their cell wall disappearing and that the supplementation of more vitamin d (to your already high active levels) would not be what you want to do... in fact the worst thing you could do.

I had a blood test done recently and it revealed some abnormalities.  Specifically my Vit.D 25-OH level is 13 !!!!  scary. (on this test paper it says normal range is between 20-100 even though i have read on here people are saying 30-50 is the absolute low?) D3 is also 13 and D2 says it is <4.  My doctor wanted to prescribe me vitamin d supplements but I explained my findings about the fact that Vit.D deficiency is typically a marker of an underlying condition which is causing the symptoms, and not the cause itself.  He finally came around to agree with this and ordered a full panel test of vitamin d.  I am hopeful this will test and show the ratio difference between the active and inactive vit.d in my blood and that if my 1,25 is found high, that I can get more testing done to find out the cause of this, as obviously Vit.D supplementation would NOT be a recommended treatment.

In addition to my extremely low Vit.D levels, my Eosinophils are high at 5.4 (says 0.0-4.0 is normal) and my Anion Gap is low @ 6 (7-15 normal).  I did a bit of research into eosinophils and found that it can be related to some pretty serious (and rare) disorders and even specific (rare) blood cancers.  I am not a hypochondriac, its just that the reason i think the worst is because i have had so many symptoms for so many years (about 6-7 years) and I just wish they would take me seriously so that my disorder could be found and I could then hope for a treatment.  

Any suggestions on what else I should ask to get checked?  I have a return appointment to discuss the results of the full Vit.D panel in a few weeks. thanks so much.  

[CHRISTYDRAKE]

Thanks so much for your response.  I will watch the video.  I will inquire with his doctors also about the calcium.   We live in St Louis, but he is being treated for his dysautonomia at University Hospital in Cleveland.  They have been great.

Thanks for the info,
Christy