sorrel horse ranch - 2014-01-01 11:28 PM Thank you for answering this question.  I wonder about myself if this could be something I am having a problem with considering everything.

I have been through with radiation since November 22 and I am still so sick and nauseated and hurt all over my body.  Could this be due to Vitamin D deficiency.  My doctor is not concerned at all. 

lucky2 - 2014-01-02 12:32 AM I am a big believer in Vit D! Ive been taking 10,000 units per day for over a year....and have been exposed to lots of sickness and i havent gotten sick! I believe it really helps your immune system to fight off things...i just take 2 5,000 unit pills every day. Its cheap insurance to not get sick.

HotbearLVR - 2014-01-01 11:34 PM I don't think the nausea is very likely due to vit D deficiency, but it could be contributing to aches and pains.  You should have it checked, Linda.

lucky2 - 2014-01-02 1:07 AM Ok? i will have to do that...the doctor at the health food store recommended 10 to 15 per day to me.... and i was sticking with 10 ....is that a blood test that stands alone by itself... thanks!

HotbearLVR - 2014-01-02 9:13 PM I'm posting a link here that I think is from a fairly reliable source and yet it is "user friendly" without a lot of esoterica.  I'll try to give a capsule summary. 

Vit D deficiency can produce a lot of symptoms, in addition to increasing the risk of fractures.  Various muscular aches and pains can be because of vitamin D deficiency.  I have suspected that a lot of people with achiness in bones, joints, and muscles seem to get better when their vitamin D levels are restored to normal.  Some studies suggest that.  Of course, the most widely known result of severe vitamin D deficiency is ricketts, which everyone has heard of.  Osteoporosis and osteopenia can be improved with vitamin D and calcium replacement.  There have been studies that suggest a role for vit D deficiency in type II diabetes, hypertension, depression (especially "SAD"), childhood asthma, and even a possible role in certain cancers and MS.  

We are beginning to see more and more people who are vitamin D deficient.  I don't routinely check everyone for Vit D deficiency, but I do check all adults who come in for annual physicals, and the vast majority up here are at least "insufficient".  I always check levels in people over 70.  We also know that the most active form of vitamin D is normally produced in the skin and that requires UV light (sunlight).  The problem is that we have all been taught to avoid excessive sunlight exposure, either by wearing long sleeves, etc, or sunscreen with a high SPF.  People have been doing this, but the downside is that they don't get that active vit D production, so we see a lot more people with vitamin D "insufficiency" or worse yet, "deficiency".  Because of this the FDA has been raising the RDA for Vit D.  I think it's gone from about 400IU to 800 IU in the elderly, and 600 IU for people under 70.  Many people believe that RDA is too low and feel it should be more like 1000 IU minimum.  Sometimes the FDA tends to be cautious and conservative with things like this. I personally measure "total Vit D" levels and treat based on that for the typical patient.  You can check other forms of Vitamin D if you want to be more exact, but as a practical matter this is probably just as good, when all is said ad done.  If a person is "insufficient" or "deficient" I usually recommend 50,000 IU twice a week for a month if they are insufficient, and for 2 months if deficient.  After that, I will recommend 2000 IU a day for maintenence.  I re-check levels after say 2 months to see where we're at.  After that, I continue on the same dose and re-check a year later.  2000 units may sound like a lot, but it's really not and it's been shown to be a safe maintenence dose in most people.  There are several kinds of "protocols" recommended for vitamin D replacement and maintenence, but this is what I do.  I am on my 2nd month of 5000 IU a day and after 3 months I plan to drop to 2000 IU a day.  I probably would be just fine with 5000 IU a day.  

One final note that I should mention is that there are several other variables that lead to vitamin D deficiency, including obesity (BMI >30), vegetarian diets, or just poor diets in general, poor absorbtion (ie from intestinal diseases like Crohn's disease), and dark skinned people.  Look up a table online if you need a list of foods high in Vitamin D. One or more of these factors may be why some of you can't seem to get your levels up to mormal.  

I also want to say that I still recommend sunscreen, etc...  Skin cancer can be a lot more harmful than vitamin D deficiency.  Replacement is the way around this dilemma.  Also, please don't go hog wild and start eating mega doses of Vitamin D.  Get your levels checked and do it right.  Excess Vitamin D can cause some severe problems.  

Here is a link, but there are many others.  Anything by the Mayo Clinic is a safe bet, and anything by the NIH is also very good.  



http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/vitamin-d-deficiency

 

nettieb3 - 2014-01-02 3:53 PM This was very interesting, as i just had my levels checked during a routine physical. They were at 12.5!! So i am on the 50,000 one a week pill, as i forget to take them :) 

daisycake123 - 2014-01-13 7:01 PM I was low the doc never told me the number did the 50,000 units until you get the level up. I was reading that if you have a autoimmune disease youmshe take 5,000 last test i was 32 the good thing the results are online so i know but my doc has never done s serun calicum. I take nexium 40,g twice a day what other blood test do,you recommend. I do need that dose and been on that dose for over 10 years. I am 55 postmenpausal, have ra and allergic asthma, also hypothryoid.