Keep getting low vitamin D blood results of in the 30s,(should be 50to100), suffering with tiredness, even when I'm taking a vitamin d supplement prescribed of 800iu daily. The doctor is emailing the hospital to see what to do. Anyone else encountered this?
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Low vitamin D
- Thread starter loxy
- Start Date
Hi @loxy
Yes, vitamin d levels are often low in countries like the UK where there is not so much exposure to natural sunlight, especially during the winter.
My own levels are towards the top end of the range, but that’s likely because I supplement (a dose quite a bit higher than yours) and spend a lot of time outdoors. Using vitamin k2 to help with the absorption of D3 is also helpful.
Great that your doctor tested for it and is referring you - doctors are able to prescribe quite large, therapeutic doses of vitamin d, so hopefully yours will soon be sorted.
@Brunneria has some interesting videos on the topic, I believe.
Yes, vitamin d levels are often low in countries like the UK where there is not so much exposure to natural sunlight, especially during the winter.
My own levels are towards the top end of the range, but that’s likely because I supplement (a dose quite a bit higher than yours) and spend a lot of time outdoors. Using vitamin k2 to help with the absorption of D3 is also helpful.
Great that your doctor tested for it and is referring you - doctors are able to prescribe quite large, therapeutic doses of vitamin d, so hopefully yours will soon be sorted.
@Brunneria has some interesting videos on the topic, I believe.
oldgreymare
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I was tested for vit D a couple of years after being diagnosed and the result came back as 20...so prescribed 2000 iu daily which brought it up to 100 nmol/L. I now buy my own D3 (currently 4000 iu capsules) but don't take religiously every day - latest result a couple weeks ago was 77 (ref range 5 - 250). TBH I can't say I feel different specifically as a result of vit D levels.
Like @Goonergal I also take K2 - was originally prescribed this for osteopenia.
Has your doctor run other tests, especially for thyroid function?
Hi and welcome @loxy
I suspect that your current dose of 800 international units is simply not enough to raise your Vit D levels up to a satisfactory level.
I had been taking 8,000 units a day, and my last Vit D private test (my doc won't run them for me) still showed my results were too low to be satisfactory. So now I take more, with Vit K2 to help my body use the Vit D3 to the best of its ability. I have another test scheduled in 3 months, to ensure that I don't go too high - but that seems v unlikely.
My body seems to have difficulty absorbing certain nutrients (malabsorption issues), so the dose I mention above is probably quite a bit higher than normal people, with normal vit D levels need, but I am quite sure that I am not the only person out there who needs larger-than-usual amounts and who slips easily into deficiency. Age, bodyweight, sun exposure, ability to absorb, bioavailabilty of the brand of Vit D, etc. are all likely to vary a great deal between individuals.
I suspect that your current dose of 800 international units is simply not enough to raise your Vit D levels up to a satisfactory level.
I had been taking 8,000 units a day, and my last Vit D private test (my doc won't run them for me) still showed my results were too low to be satisfactory. So now I take more, with Vit K2 to help my body use the Vit D3 to the best of its ability. I have another test scheduled in 3 months, to ensure that I don't go too high - but that seems v unlikely.
My body seems to have difficulty absorbing certain nutrients (malabsorption issues), so the dose I mention above is probably quite a bit higher than normal people, with normal vit D levels need, but I am quite sure that I am not the only person out there who needs larger-than-usual amounts and who slips easily into deficiency. Age, bodyweight, sun exposure, ability to absorb, bioavailabilty of the brand of Vit D, etc. are all likely to vary a great deal between individuals.
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I get 25,000 units prescribed every two weeks because of deficiency.
