Lab Results: Low Vit D -- Doctor is ordering a prescription......

[MariannNOVA]

THIS will make me feel better, right?:confused:

 

 

I thought my thyroid was out of whack (I have hashimoto's), but those tests came back fine.

 

The doctor tested my D levels and they are very low, so i am on my way to pick up a prescription that I will take once a week (ds took prescription strength when he had lyme's).

 

I have been extremely fatigued, lots of things hurt, fighting depression even though pretty much everything is good (I am handling dd and her dh's recent bad news -- my heart aches for them) -- so i am glad the doctor thought to check vit d levels.

 

I will feel better, right? It is difficult to keep pushing and pushing every day -- I feel like Sisyphus.

[Little Nyssa]

yes, it will help. :grouphug:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, but depending on how low it is, it may take a few weeks to really see a difference.

[MariannNOVA]

yes, it will help. :grouphug:

 

thank you.

 

Yes, but depending on how low it is, it may take a few weeks to really see a difference.

 

so i can expect to sit around and continue to do 'not much.' oh my.:001_huh: This is almost like lyme disease but when I sleep I don't feel drugged and my legs don't hurt. Other than that, it feels similar.

[kalanamak]

I've put dozens and dozens of people on Vit D over the years, and the only people who say it makes them feel much better are on this board. :)

 

However, the placebo effect is powerful ... so go for it!

 

(Vit B12 is a different story, and people often get, and I quote a textbook on this, "a profound increase in the sense of well-being" within days of starting it.)

[KatieJ]

Yes it will help! Depending on how low your levels are and what strength Vit D you get it may take a while to get them back up.

My Dr. started me out very low dosage and it took years and me doing my own research with the Hive to get my levels up. However, I did feel better within a short period of time. My head is clearer, I am not as tired.

Joints only ache when I eat gluten or sugar. :glare:

 

I never had an RX. THe Vit D3 at Costco is what finally worked for me.

 

:grouphug:

[Jen in PA]

Yes, but depending on how low it is, it may take a few weeks to really see a difference.

 

:iagree:

 

Plus, your body can't really use thyroid hormone properly without sufficient vitamin D -- I feel just as awful when I go off D supplements as when my TSH numbers are off.

[Jan in SC]

I took 50,000 units twice a week and it did not help. If I go sit in the sun, near noon, even for 30 minutes, I feel a ton better. I don't use sunscreen, and I do get a little red, but I feel a thousand times better. (It's probably placebo, too!) Also, if I try to walk around and get out of the house, no matter how tired I am, I feel a little better, too.

:grouphug:

[umsami]

I had very low vitamin D and my endocrinologist was going to put me on prescription D, but then another physician (I'm in a family of doctors--can't escape it) said the Rx version was of a less absorbable kind (D-2, I think), so I went on D-3. It's been about 3 years though, so what they prescribe might be different.

 

I was on mega doses 50,000 IU 2x/week. It took about 6-8 weeks to see a difference. Was low even though I lived in sunny Florida. These days, I maintain on 5,000 IU/day.

 

On a side note, D is fat-soluble, so take it with food (preferably something with some fat)....at least that's what I was told. :)

 

Honestly, I never ever would have known I was low. I had no symptoms. I can't tell when I'm low again either--but as I tend towards that (and other vitamin deficiencies), I go for yearly bloodwork. I also had elevated PTH (parathyroid hormone), which can lead to osteoporosis. Fixing the D fixed that.

 

 

Now, my thyroid...that I do notice when things are low. :) (I have Hashimoto's syndrome.)

[freesia]

THIS will make me feel better, right?:confused:

 

 

I thought my thyroid was out of whack (I have hashimoto's), but those tests came back fine.

 

The doctor tested my D levels and they are very low, so i am on my way to pick up a prescription that I will take once a week (ds took prescription strength when he had lyme's).

 

I have been extremely fatigued, lots of things hurt, fighting depression even though pretty much everything is good (I am handling dd and her dh's recent bad news -- my heart aches for them) -- so i am glad the doctor thought to check vit d levels.

 

I will feel better, right? It is difficult to keep pushing and pushing every day -- I feel like Sisyphus.

It makes such a difference with me that my dh and best friend can tell when I haven't been regular taking it--and urge me to start again.:001_smile:

[Alte Veste Academy]

I was told I had low D after being told I had low thyroid. Shortly after I started thyroid meds, I felt much better. Then I found out my D was low and started supplementing with D3 drops and felt better still. It wasn't profound but it was an improvement. I did notice a lot less body aches after starting the D3. My doctor prescribed Vit D but what they gave me was giant D2 pills. I paid the extra for Carlson D3 drops because I heard it was so much better.

 

I also agree with kalanamak about B vitamins. Definitely look into that for energy improvement and sharper brain function. Who couldn't use sharper brain function! :lol:

[Tammyla]

You'll feel better, and soon I hope.

 

I'm shocked how many people test low. My mom gets the vitB shots occasionally to boost her energy if she's fighting something. I just take the caps and I felt a difference pretty quickly. It wasn't instant, but it didn't take weeks.

[HiddenJewel]

It will depend on what kind of D you get and how much you take.

[Mom-ninja.]

Honestly, I don't feel a difference. It's been about 5 months.

 

My Dr. has me taking 5,000 D3 daily. I'm getting my blood drawn tomorrow to see if my levels are higher.

[sbgrace]

:grouphug: Praying for your DD and her husband.

 

Getting my low levels up helped me immensely. I took 10,000 IU of D3 per day to get my levels up. You need an adequate dose.

 

You want a D3 form, though, rather than the prescription. In my understanding prescription vitamin D supplements are D2 and not D3.

 

At the risk of being overwhelming (I hope not) I'll post a few links for information:

 

A meta-analysis showing better outcomes for those taking d3 vs. d2 (prescription forms such as Drisdol):

http://blog.vitamindcouncil.org/2011/11/16/meta-analysis-looks-at-efficacy-of-d2-vs-d3/

 

He analyzed 50 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 94,000 participants that used some form of vitamin D and reported mortality rates as either primary or secondary outcomes. Within these RCTs, 32 of the studies used D3 (74,000 subjects) and 12 of them used D2 (18,000 subjects). He found there was a 6% relative risk reduction when supplementing with vitamin D3, as opposed to a 2% relative risk increase when supplementing with vitamin D2

Another study showing results favoring D3 forms...especially when you're doing larger (like weekly) doses:

http://blog.vitamindcouncil.org/2012/05/15/meta-analysis-of-rcts-compares-efficacy-of-d2-vs-d3-supplementation/

 

The researchers found:

 

• In eight of the studies, regardless of the dose, frequency, or administration, concluded that cholecalciferol (D3) produced a significantly greater increase from baseline serum 25(OH)D levels compared with ergocalciferol (D2).
  
• Two studies showed D2 and D3 were equally effective.
  

Information about the difference between D2 forms and D3 forms:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/?o=1441

Basically, when you are in the sun your body produces D3. D2 forms are never produced naturally in the body. There is evidence of increased toxicity of D2 and that the body preferentially uses D3 before D2.

 

You can get 5,000 IU D3 pills and take two a day. On the seventh day you could take just one and you'll for sure stay under any toxicity risks...the upper safe limit regardless of levels for a healthy adult is up to 10,000 IU per day but this only applies to D3 forms. This is the one I took and I did raise my levels and feel better.

 

I would avoid pre-formed vitamin A (cod liver oil forms including D supplements in that form) while you work to raise your levels.

Edited May 17, 2012 by sbgrace

[HiddenJewel]

Here is a blog entry that might be of interest.

 

http://blog.nutri.com/2012/05/vitamin-news-vitamin-d-does-not-take-the-place-of-uvb-exposure/?utm_source=Copy+of+Email+Created+2012%2F05%2F10%2C+11%3A33+PM&utm_campaign=Constant+Contact&utm_medium=email

[Verity]

I was recently tested for low thyroid (been gaining weight and just knew that was it!) but the Dr said that all he found was Vit D and prescribed those 50,000 ui once weekly pills.

In addition to weight gain, I've also been extremely fatigued (along with additional achiness) for a few months. I also have fibromyalgia and struggle with anemia so I'm trying to hit all my bases. I've had blood work done through both my "specialists". At the same time as I started the Vit D I also started generic welbutrin and I've noticed an improvement in my fatigue though my achiness is about the same if not worse.

Just because you mentioned Lyme and Hashimoto's I wonder if you have been evaluated for Fibromyalgia?

[6packofun]

I'm praying this is true! I'm on 50,000 IU once a week for 8 weeks and then once a month for several months (WHY? Why not a daily maintenance dose?). I don't feel any difference yet! :(

[Alphabetika]

yes, it will help. :grouphug:

 

:iagree:My dd's Vit. D level was critically low, so she was on a therapeutic dose for a couple of months. It helped her a lot and she had most of the symptoms you mention. She still takes high doses to maintain her levels, as well as getting out in the sun for a bit each day.

[6packofun]

Yeah! I wondered why my prescription version was the less effective D2! Hmmm. It's amazing what doctors don't seem to know. :glare:

[*Jen*]

I had low Vit D with my last pregnancy and my OB put me on the prescription VitD. It did nothing. Two 8 week rounds barely increased my levels. Once I had my little one I started taking 3000-5000IU of D3 daily (depending on if I get some midday sun or not) and my levels finally started to increase.

[MariannNOVA]

WOW!!!! Who knew?:confused:

 

And to those of you who were funny, thank you. I always appreciate good humor!!!!!

 

Well, off to read those links you all sent and bounce this all off of my med student daughter.

 

And, sbgrace, thank you :grouphug: for the prayers for her and her dh.

 

I will try to do a more personal thank you later.

[Mommyfaithe]

I've put dozens and dozens of people on Vit D over the years, and the only people who say it makes them feel much better are on this board. :)

 

However, the placebo effect is powerful ... so go for it!

 

(Vit B12 is a different story, and people often get, and I quote a textbook on this, "a profound increase in the sense of well-being" within days of starting it.)

 

What kind of B 12?? My OB used to give me b12 shots every 6 mos or so. They made me feel SO MUCH BETTER!!!!! My MD will not give me one....and OB moved out of the area. Is there a kind of B12 I can take that will absorb?

 

Sorry to hijack....

 

Prayer to you Mariann!! I hope the Vit D makes you feel better. If not, maybe you can get a B12 shot? :grouphug:

[dancer67]

I've put dozens and dozens of people on Vit D over the years, and the only people who say it makes them feel much better are on this board. :)

 

However, the placebo effect is powerful ... so go for it!

 

(Vit B12 is a different story, and people often get, and I quote a textbook on this, "a profound increase in the sense of well-being" within days of starting it.)

 

:iagree:

 

I had very low levels of Vitamin D(as practically every person in America does.)

 

I was put on a presciption as well, and then took 4,000 IU a day. My levels are now normal. I never felt any different then I felt before when my levels were low.

 

I do however, agree with B12. I do not have an issue with B12. Acutally my levels are always normal or high.(I take 1,000mcg of B12 a day). But I know of many people(including my mother) who cannot absorb B12 and get the shots and feels a HUGE difference. A friend of mine also gets B12 shots. She thought she was tired from her heart meds. I told her to get her Iron and B12 tested. I was right. She tested very low, and she cannot absorb B12 either. She loves her shots.

 

They just recently started testing people for low Vit D. One study I read was that 89% of Americans were lacking D. Even in Florida, the sunshine state.

 

Again, for me it never made any difference at all. But I felt fine before I knew my D was low. And felt exactly the same when my levels were normal.

 

Hopefully it will make you feel better. But have your B12 checked if you haven't done so. And get a full iron panel done(not just HGB and HCT).

[abbeyej]

I would skip the prescription (D2) and buy D3. I didn't notice some sort of instant and profound change when I started taking D. But over the next few months (it took about 6 to go from seriously deficient to borderline deficient), my Raynaud's syndrome got *radically* better, and I was able to look back and realize that the joint pain that had been constant before had gradually gotten better and better until I was doing things without thinking that would have been very difficult before. I was also less utterly fatigued at the end of each day.

 

I take 1,000iu per 25lbs of body weight daily (um, when I remember), and my D hovers at the low end of "acceptable".

[Jean in Newcastle]

:

 

I was put on a presciption as well, and then tood 4,000 IU a day. My levels are now normal. I never felt any different then I felt before when my levels were low.

 

 

 

What are you thinking is a normal level? Normal according to lab reports goes from 30 all the way up to 100. I don't feel really good unless my level is around 80 - totally within the normal range but obviously very different from 30.

[dancer67]

What are you thinking is a normal level? Normal according to lab reports goes from 30 all the way up to 100. I don't feel really good unless my level is around 80 - totally within the normal range but obviously very different from 30.

 

 

And there is the kicker. Everyone's "normal" is going to be different. Especially if you are not feeling well.

 

My D levels are now 64.

 

And, I also had Iron deficiency anemia. (that was diagnosed after). I felt fine. Even after IV Iron, and I still take iron pills, I don't feel any different. My HGB was 11.1.(norm is over 12) and HCT was 34.1(norm is over 37) and ferritin(iron storage) was an 8. (norm is over 12 but most heme Dr's want to see that number over 65 especially if you are still getting your periods like me)

 

I am no longer anemic. Ferritin is up to a 47. Although, if I get a blood draw DURING my period, my HGB will be low. Around 11.1 to 11.7.

 

If I get a blood draw a week after, my HGB will be around 13.

 

Problem is. Dr's get to caught up with numbers. Rather then how the patient feels.

 

"My" normal HGB could very well be in the 11's more then the 13's. Who knows. With someone else, they could have those low numbers and feel awful.

 

You need to have a D level of 80 to feel fine. I had a D level of 13 and felt fine. I still feel fine at 64. Dr's need to get off the lab numbers more and talk with their patients. Lucky for me, my hematologist goes by how I feel, more then a number now.

Edited May 18, 2012 by dancer67

[Jean in Newcastle]

Problem is. Dr's get to caught up with numbers. Rather then how the patient feels.

 

 

I agree. I think this is what people run into with their thyroid too.

[dancer67]

I agree. I think this is what people run into with their thyroid too.

:iagree::iagree:

[MariannNOVA]

I agree. I think this is what people run into with their thyroid too.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

 

yes, i agree -- with my thyroid, i am low normal but i have hashimoto's. My fam prac is aware of that thankfully.

 

i do feel ghastly - i did think it would be thyroid.

 

All the posts here are quite interesting.

[LibraryLover]

Honestly, I don't feel a difference. It's been about 5 months.

 

My Dr. has me taking 5,000 D3 daily. I'm getting my blood drawn tomorrow to see if my levels are higher.

 

 

That's my experience. My levels were ridiculously 'low' and I never saw/felt an issue about it. I would say excersize and B's matter, however. If I start to feel all slackerish and sad in winter, I start jumping up and down, and then I eat liver from the CSA. That *does* help. And sun in the sunny south. ;)

Edited May 18, 2012 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

yes, i agree -- with my thyroid, i am low normal but i have hashimoto's. My fam prac is aware of that thankfully.

 

i do feel ghastly - i did think it would be thyroid.

 

All the posts here are quite interesting.

 

 

You've been through the wringer lately with your dd. Maybe you need some fun and sun?? ANd B12. :D

Edited May 18, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Hope in God]

I haven't read all the posts so if my post is a repeat, sorry.

 

Take vitamin D3. Doctors are infamous about not having much understanding about absorbability. D3 absorbs better. You can take high doses 5,000 daily is common and I seem to remember Mercola recommending 12,000 to 24,000 but you should do a double check on that one. I do know some that take 12,000 IU for acute conditions. I have also heard that vit D deficiency is epidemic. The other epidemic of our time is EFA (essential fatty acids) deficiency.

 

I would add some Nordic Naturals cod liver oil capsules to the regimen because fish oil is (in my opinion) the best source of EFA and Nordic Naturals is a clean product.

 

You WILL feel better soon. Vitamin D is crucial.:grouphug:

[MariannNOVA]

You've been through the ringer lately with your dd. Maybe you need some fun and sun?? ANd B12. :D

 

I haven't read all the posts so if my post is a repeat, sorry.

 

Take vitamin D3. Doctors are infamous about not having much understanding about absorbability. D3 absorbs better. You can take high doses 5,000 daily is common and I seem to remember Mercola recommending 12,000 to 24,000 but you should do a double check on that one. I do know some that take 12,000 IU for acute conditions. I have also heard that vit D deficiency is epidemic. The other epidemic of our time is EFA (essential fatty acids) deficiency.

 

I would add some Nordic Naturals cod liver oil capsules to the regimen because fish oil is (in my opinion) the best source of EFA and Nordic Naturals is a clean product.

 

You WILL feel better soon. Vitamin D is crucial.:grouphug:

 

Thank you and thank you. the info i have read tonight has been extremely helpful.

 

I could definitely use some fun in the sun, that is for sure.:D

 

The kids take nordic berries -- i will get the grown up stuff for me. Thank you all again. :grouphug:

[AuntieM]

I've put dozens and dozens of people on Vit D over the years, and the only people who say it makes them feel much better are on this board. :)

 

However, the placebo effect is powerful ... so go for it!

 

That is so funny! I've had D3 supplement regimen (50KIU weekly for 12 weeks). I can't say I've noticed a dramatic difference, but I've never said it - that's like calling the emperor nekkid!

 

Truly, I believe it increases my immunity, so while I don't get a Vit D high, I do feel better overall and don't get sick easily. I feel better when I see the numbers go up on my lab work. :D

 

FWIW, my allergist prefers to see a level of around 50, which is higher than many doctors accept.

[LibraryLover]

Thank you and thank you. the info i have read tonight has been extremely helpful.

 

I could definitely use some fun in the sun, that is for sure.:D

 

The kids take nordic berries -- i will get the grown up stuff for me. Thank you all again. :grouphug:

 

:) And I meant wringer. Not that i want that to be true for you. :grouphug:

[mamakim]

That is so funny! I've had D3 supplement regimen (50KIU weekly for 12 weeks). I can't say I've noticed a dramatic difference, but I've never said it - that's like calling the emperor nekkid!

 

Truly, I believe it increases my immunity, so while I don't get a Vit D high, I do feel better overall and don't get sick easily. I feel better when I see the numbers go up on my lab work. :D

 

FWIW, my allergist prefers to see a level of around 50, which is higher than many doctors accept.

 

:iagree: My total D level was 14! Yikes! About 4 months of Carlson's D3 drops at 12,000 IU a day later I'm up to 41, and will continue until I hit 70 hopefully. But I wanted to say, like Auntie M, that my immunity is really crazy better. I always catch every last bug the children do, and this winter I haven't caught any of their viruses.

 

I think, though, it does tend to be complicated. There does seem to be interplay with hypothyroidism, particularly Hashimoto's, but this makes absolute sense as more is learned about Vitamin D's role in immunity. Hopefully you can find all of the factors that are playing a role in your feeling awful and address/balance/tweak them all. Seems like it takes awhile for so many people to achieve that :grouphug:.

[MariannNOVA]

That is so funny! I've had D3 supplement regimen (50KIU weekly for 12 weeks). I can't say I've noticed a dramatic difference, but I've never said it - that's like calling the emperor nekkid!

 

Truly, I believe it increases my immunity, so while I don't get a Vit D high, I do feel better overall and don't get sick easily. I feel better when I see the numbers go up on my lab work. :D

 

FWIW, my allergist prefers to see a level of around 50, which is higher than many doctors accept.

 

:iagree: My total D level was 14! Yikes! About 4 months of Carlson's D3 drops at 12,000 IU a day later I'm up to 41, and will continue until I hit 70 hopefully. But I wanted to say, like Auntie M, that my immunity is really crazy better. I always catch every last bug the children do, and this winter I haven't caught any of their viruses.

 

I think, though, it does tend to be complicated. There does seem to be interplay with hypothyroidism, particularly Hashimoto's, but this makes absolute sense as more is learned about Vitamin D's role in immunity. Hopefully you can find all of the factors that are playing a role in your feeling awful and address/balance/tweak them all. Seems like it takes awhile for so many people to achieve that :grouphug:.

 

fascinating. I saw the Carlson's drops at wegman's tonight.

[MariannNOVA]

:) And I meant wringer. Not that i want that to be true for you. :grouphug:[/quote

 

i understood. thank you. :):grouphug:

[cjzimmer1]

What are you thinking is a normal level? Normal according to lab reports goes from 30 all the way up to 100. I don't feel really good unless my level is around 80 - totally within the normal range but obviously very different from 30.

:iagree:

 

80 is the bare minimum for me I like to keep mine at 100 or above (Yes I know this is "high"). When mine is below 60 or so, it really affects my sleep. I wake up during the night and can't fall asleep, and then I'm tired during the day. I'm short and irritable with everyone (which could be a result of lack or sleep or it could be another symptom), and I have a harder time focusing. Due to other medical issues I have, I don't absorb the fat vitamins well and so I take 100,000 D3 a day and when I start having sleep issues I up this to 150,000 a day. My doctor is fine with this as well as my keeping my D level over 100. More and more research is showing that even 100 is probably low for some people and since I feel so much better at the higher numbers my doctor fully supports my keeping it up there.

 

When I increase my dose, I usually start feeling better in 2-3 days but since I take such high amounts, I'm sure my levels increase much faster than someone only taking 50000 once a week.

[MariannNOVA]

:iagree:

 

80 is the bare minimum for me I like to keep mine at 100 or above (Yes I know this is "high"). When mine is below 60 or so, it really affects my sleep. I wake up during the night and can't fall asleep, and then I'm tired during the day. I'm short and irritable with everyone (which could be a result of lack or sleep or it could be another symptom), and I have a harder time focusing. Due to other medical issues I have, I don't absorb the fat vitamins well and so I take 100,000 D3 a day and when I start having sleep issues I up this to 150,000 a day. My doctor is fine with this as well as my keeping my D level over 100. More and more research is showing that even 100 is probably low for some people and since I feel so much better at the higher numbers my doctor fully supports my keeping it up there.

 

When I increase my dose, I usually start feeling better in 2-3 days but since I take such high amounts, I'm sure my levels increase much faster than someone only taking 50000 once a week.

 

wow -- i see what an individual thing this is. thank you.:)

[Seeking Squirrels]

It's made a definite difference for me. I was so extremely fatigued before that I was barely functioning. I was put on 50,000iu a week and have to stay on it. If I lapse, there's a noticeable difference. And I know it's not a placebo effect. The one major lapse I've had, we didn't realize I had missed doses. We were wondering what was wrong and getting concerned when we pulled out my empty bottle and did the math from the fill date and realized I'd missed 4 doses. I'm horrible about remembering pills and a once a week is harder for me to remember than daily.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm a bit offended at the insinuation that all people who have improvement with vitamin D are suffering a placebo effect. My extremely low vitamin D level contributed to me having osteopenia. I was not imagining the searing pain through my bones. And I was not imagining the improvement as I went on high doses of vitamin D. I understand that not everyone has the extreme symptoms I had from my low vitamin D and calcium level (they can go hand in hand) but it is a huge stretch to say that correcting a measurable deficit, even if it hasn't gone that far, is just something that simply placates people. Yes, I'm a bit hot under the collar about this and yes, I'm not quoting people verbatim.

[kalanamak]

What kind of B 12?? My OB used to give me b12 shots every 6 mos or so. They made me feel SO MUCH BETTER!!!!! My MD will not give me one....and OB moved out of the area. Is there a kind of B12 I can take that will absorb?

 

 

I use the 5000 mcg "dots" from Super Supplements. I don't like to trot off to the doc regularly. The original thinking was that it was absorbed in the mouth, but the complex absorption, which involves a "factor" made by the stomach which attaches to the B12 and this "factor" is recognized and actively absorbed in the last few inches of the small intestine (a complex system that has more than one failure point: no factor made, no receptors left due to surgery or Crohn's disease, etc; and which tends to fail with age as stomach lining atropies) while the major way is not the only way. There is a little passive absorption, and the idea that a dissolving tab would be absorbed in the 15 sq inches of oral mucosa and not in the yards of intestine in a *little* laughable. So, I like the taste of the dots, and they are quick, so that is what I use. However, don't become obsessed with the brands that dwell on absorption "only" through the oral mucosa.

 

My levels did go up with it, my numb fingertips resolved (I'd gone years without using a hotpad and thought my self an experienced cook with "asbestos hands" ... a phrase I learned from a cooking board and what old-timers there BRAGGED of), and my vision improved (I was having trouble focusing quickly ... try driving when it takes 3 full seconds to move from looking far down the road to the bumper in front of you! It was terrifying, and was what forced me to go get checked. I was fearful of MS, of course.)

 

However, keeping a low B12 can be permanently damaging, so I would recheck. The caveat here is that it can take years after stopping the shot to have your level drop down again (because we need so very little of it), so if you do switch to the oral, don't trot out a month later and think you'll get a valid, helpful lab value. I *knew* how much better I was, and didn't get a recheck until a year later.

 

N.B. Our lab's norms are greater than 400 (I've forgotten the units, darn), but 10-15% of people will have some symptoms in the 200-400 range. The lab's printed result, at least where I am, now states that. It didn't used to.

[Lizzie in Ma]

THIS will make me feel better, right?:confused:

 

 

I thought my thyroid was out of whack (I have hashimoto's), but those tests came back fine.

 

The doctor tested my D levels and they are very low, so i am on my way to pick up a prescription that I will take once a week (ds took prescription strength when he had lyme's).

 

I have been extremely fatigued, lots of things hurt, fighting depression even though pretty much everything is good (I am handling dd and her dh's recent bad news -- my heart aches for them) -- so i am glad the doctor thought to check vit d levels.

 

I will feel better, right? It is difficult to keep pushing and pushing every day -- I feel like Sisyphus.

 

Low D levels can mess with a lot of things. I hope you get relief soon.

Like your dh, dd struggles to keep her levels up due to her Lyme. She is finally gaining some ground in the fatigue department now that her d levels are getting closer to normal.

:grouphug::grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

I also wanted to say that even if you don't feel a difference while taking Vit D (like I don't) I still believe it's very important to get D levels at acceptable levels.

 

Vit D is important, and our bodies function better with enough of it. So I may not feel a difference, but I know it's good for me.

[MariannNOVA]

I use the 5000 mcg "dots" from Super Supplements. I don't like to trot off to the doc regularly. The original thinking was that it was absorbed in the mouth, but the complex absorption, which involves a "factor" made by the stomach which attaches to the B12 and this "factor" is recognized and actively absorbed in the last few inches of the small intestine (a complex system that has more than one failure point: no factor made, no receptors left due to surgery or Crohn's disease, etc; and which tends to fail with age as stomach lining atropies) while the major way is not the only way. There is a little passive absorption, and the idea that a dissolving tab would be absorbed in the 15 sq inches of oral mucosa and not in the yards of intestine in a *little* laughable. So, I like the taste of the dots, and they are quick, so that is what I use. However, don't become obsessed with the brands that dwell on absorption "only" through the oral mucosa.

 

My levels did go up with it, my numb fingertips resolved (I'd gone years without using a hotpad and thought my self an experienced cook with "asbestos hands" ... a phrase I learned from a cooking board and what old-timers there BRAGGED of), and my vision improved (I was having trouble focusing quickly ... try driving when it takes 3 full seconds to move from looking far down the road to the bumper in front of you! It was terrifying, and was what forced me to go get checked. I was fearful of MS, of course.)

 

However, keeping a low B12 can be permanently damaging, so I would recheck. The caveat here is that it can take years after stopping the shot to have your level drop down again (because we need so very little of it), so if you do switch to the oral, don't trot out a month later and think you'll get a valid, helpful lab value. I *knew* how much better I was, and didn't get a recheck until a year later.

 

N.B. Our lab's norms are greater than 400 (I've forgotten the units, darn), but 10-15% of people will have some symptoms in the 200-400 range. The lab's printed result, at least where I am, now states that. It didn't used to.

 

My med student dd takes b12 that way...every.single.day.

 

Low D levels can mess with a lot of things. I hope you get relief soon.

Like your dh, dd struggles to keep her levels up due to her Lyme. She is finally gaining some ground in the fatigue department now that her d levels are getting closer to normal.

:grouphug::grouphug:

 

i can see what a difference levels do indeed make. gosh, the fatigue is awful, isn't it...:glare::grouphug:

 

I also wanted to say that even if you don't feel a difference while taking Vit D (like I don't) I still believe it's very important to get D levels at acceptable levels.

 

Vit D is important, and our bodies function better with enough of it. So I may not feel a difference, but I know it's good for me.

 

:iagree: I am nothing if not compliant.:D