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January 3, 2012 at 6:09 pm #601753
cclarueMemberI was just diagnosed with very low vitamin d levels and the doctor prescribed 100,000 iu per week. My level is 11. Normal is 50-100. I have been on the rx for 2 weeks now and still not noticing feeling any better. I am sure it will take some time. I was just wondering if anyone else has any experience with this. Thanks in advance.
January 3, 2012 at 6:23 pm #744362
JanSParticipantoh, my, yes. Before I was dx with kidney disease, I was on 50K IU once a week. Now I get injections of Vit. D during dialysis. A Vit. D shortage is fairly common in this area, I understand. Give it time. It’s not an instantaneous thing.
January 3, 2012 at 6:46 pm #744363
LSParticipantI started feeling very tired, needing a nap in the middle of the day everyday. My doctor suspected vitamin D deficiency, after learning I had moved to Seattle from a sunny climate a couple years earlier.
My levels were at 17 and I started on daily doses of 1,000-2,000 iu (over the counter). I started feeling better within days and wasn’t so tired. My levels were later in the 30’s. Still below normal, so I became more disciplined in taking at least 2,000 iu per day (sometimes I take 3,000 iu). I haven’t checked my levels in a while. This post is a good reminder that I should.
My doctor didn’t mention such large doses (50k or 100k).
January 3, 2012 at 8:37 pm #744364
JanSParticipantLS, the large doses are prescription only…
January 3, 2012 at 9:43 pm #744365
grrParticipanttakes about a month to really get into the system.. I was on 15,000 iu a day for 2 months. Now I’m on 5000 a day. You may also want to get some extensive thyroid testing done.
January 3, 2012 at 11:31 pm #744366
jissyParticipantWhen I first tested I was a 9! On top of low thyroid I felt like I was sleepwalking through my day. N.D. put me on 5,000 IU daily and then one week a month I double dose. Been using a really good liquid formula for awhile but it did take some time as grr said.
January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm #744367
herongrrrlParticipantYes, it takes a while to raise your levels back up to normal and boost your energy.
And yes, if you didn’t get your thyroid checked while getting your vitamin D levels checked, that would be a good thing to do too, because it can very much affect your energy level.
And if I may offer a third suggestion, look into a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) therapy light. After two years of sleeping (or just wanting to sleep) my way through October-March, I bought one last fall, and I am a different person this winter. Spending a little while basking in my “happy light” every day this fall/winter has made the biggest difference in my energy levels of anything I have tried. (For the record, I was never diagnosed with SAD, just observed that my winters weren’t going well for me even after adjusting for vitamin D and thyroid stuff and decided to invest $65 on a small light to see if it made a difference. It has!)
January 4, 2012 at 12:18 am #744368
cclarueMemberHerrongirl that sounds like a great idea. I was thinking about a few tans at a tan place even though i know too much is bad i thought a few might help until the pills start to work. I suspect this is something thats been going on for a while. I havent felt normal or good for over a year. Of course now that i know what is wrong i want to fix it asap:) patience is harder when you feel like crap.
January 4, 2012 at 2:09 am #744369
metrognomeParticipantlow vitamin B-12 levels can also result in symptoms similar to low D-3 (the best form of VitD to take) and thyroid problems; here’s a recent NYT article reprinted in the Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2016882831_personalhealthage29.html
I recently started taking Natural Factors ‘Dr. Murray’s Thyroid Health Formula’ to try to balance my low thyroid as I prefer a natural approach over pharmaceticals. It seems to be helping; it’s available at the SuperSupplements in the Junction.
January 4, 2012 at 2:15 am #744370
oddrealityParticipantmetrognome, do you use that instead of any thyroid meds? How bad was your thyroid? I am on a low dose of thyroid and would love to find a different solution. I also hate pharmaceuticals.
January 4, 2012 at 2:29 am #744371
jissyParticipantI have been on a natural thyroid supplement supplied by my N.D., Dr. Whittington at West Seattle Natural Medicine (938-1393) who also keeps my Vit. D in line… I too appreciate a more natural approach than paying Big Pharma for life. I take a very small, 1 grain tablet every morning — it’s also very inexpensive comparatively (my mom has been on Synthroid etc… for years).
I appreciate that Dr. Whittington and her cohorts can also do extensive adrenal testing as I think that has played into things with me more recently.
(And just a side-note, I HATE blood draws and needles and no one can ever find a vein on me, have had IV’s in my feet before b/c of it. Dr. Whittington is the BEST I’ve ever had draw blood, easy-peasy!!!!!)
January 4, 2012 at 4:50 am #744372
metrognomeParticipantoddreality — it’s been a while since I had my thyroid checked; it was in the low range but not low enough that traditional medicine felt the need to prescribe something. Low thyroid runs in my family and the Natural Factors product seemed like a way to ‘tune up’ my thyroid, as it is mostly trace minerals with a couple of herbal ingredients. Not sure I need to stay on it for the long term, so one of my new year’s resos is to see a naturopath to evaluate what I really need to be doing.
January 4, 2012 at 5:17 am #744373
NewLeafMemberHi cclarue,
I’m a local Naturopath and Acupuncturist. I saw your post about low vitamin D, and thought I’d chime in. Low D can certainly be the cause of fatigue, but many other factors play in as well. Low cholesterol (needed to build your hormones), low iron, anemia, thyroid issues, adrenal health, etc. It’s best to get all of these issues checked out by your doc.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, so when you take it, definitely take it with food with fat. The fat will increase the absorption and make it more usable for your body. Supplements that I prefer have the D already emulsified in fat.
Sometimes megadoses of D just don’t get absorbed. Your body just can take all of it in at once. Docs usually retest levels after 3-6 months, as it does take awhile to integrate into your system.
Also, if you get a light therapy box, make sure to buy one that is 10,000 lux. This is the therapeutic dose needed to be effective.
Hope this helps!
January 4, 2012 at 3:19 pm #744374
cclarueMemberNewleaf, thank you and yes she checked my thyroid and its good and iron and cholesterol are good as well. I do not know about the adrenal gland though. Is that something that a md would check or is that more of a ND topic? Ive been wanting to try a Nd for some time now because I am not a supporter of big pharma.
January 4, 2012 at 4:54 pm #744375
365StairsParticipantAs mundane as supplements for the most part…all health discussions like this should be reserved for ones primary care doc or natural path…
There are some that may read this…feeling tired…and go out and start a 100,000 IU per week dose vitamin D trial because that is what the internet blog said was ok. Then they have an adverse reaction and start ranting about the WSB was giving out the wrong care advice…
Not trying to play blog police…advice is asked for, advice was given…just saying have some common caution and seek out direct care face to face…
January 4, 2012 at 5:03 pm #744376
NewLeafMemberHey cclarue,
Adrenals aren’t quite as easy to test as everything else. If you just look at blood levels of adrenal hormones, it often only shows huge problems/serious disease states and overlooks the gray zone most people are in. Stress and overwork, which we all seem participate in these days, are the main causes of declining adrenal health. There are a few other methods of lab testing that are more accurate for this gray zone, but lots of times changing lifestyle, managing stress, and starting a good quality supplement can help significantly and save the $$ of a lab test.
So, I guess what I’m saying is that MDs aren’t usually concerned with the adrenals unless you exhibit signs and symptoms of a serious disease. That can take a long time to develop, and in many people, it never does. There are definitely MDs in who are starting to look at functional (gray zone) adrenal disorders, as Seattle is a pretty progressive place for medicine, but I think it is still far from standard.
January 4, 2012 at 5:25 pm #744377
NewLeafMemberHey 365stairs,
I completely agree. This discussion is best held face to face with a doc; the internet is not a substitute for real interaction in any way. And 100,000 IU of Vitamin D is in no way safe unless under the care of a doc. I hoped to provide information that was neutral and serve to educate and inform, rather than to sway/convince/endorse any particular thing.
The bottom line is if you’d like more options/opinions on your medical care, ask for a referral from this wonderful community. Visit your new practitioner and allow him/her to address your concerns. A second opinion, or just a different one, can be very helpful in finding your path to health.
January 4, 2012 at 6:35 pm #744378
cclarueMember365 those doses of d are only given after testing with a rx. But given our sunshine here in the nw if one is feeling bad get tested. What makes me happy is getting a rx that is a vitamin rather than a medication. Which is only temporary at that level. And a test will determine where to go from there. Not just how i feel. But what i am realizing is how important what we eat is. And sunshine isnt all bad;) in fact we need it in moderation. I have always loved the sun but avoided it because i didnt want wrinkles or skin cancer…. And go figure now studies are looking at low vit d and correlation to breast and other cancers….
January 6, 2012 at 2:06 am #744379
singularnameParticipantSomething I didn’t see mentioned … At a post-surgery checkup following cancer removal, my surgeon had only one piece of “lifestyle” advice: Make sure you keep your vitamin D level in the recommended range. He’s very much your “traditional” MD but apparently the studies coming out associating low vitamin D with certain cancers are compelling enough to have made him a believer.
January 27, 2012 at 8:38 am #744380
JRod225MemberI was also diagnosed with low vitamin D. My number was 3. I am now taking 10,000 IU maximum D3 daily during the weekdays. My rx says to only take mon-fri. I was also diagnosed with a low thyroid number so I am also now taking synthroid. The fatigue has been miserable. I am 5 months pregnant but I was never this tired when pregnant before. I can’t wait to feel better.
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