Low Vitamin D Levels and Fatigue

Those of you exhibiting fatigue and weakness may want to consider getting your vitamin D level checked.

I just found out from my regular MD that I have extremely low levels of vitamin D in my blood. (16. The normal range is 30-100). I don't recall having ever being tested for this.

Low vitamin D symptoms include fatigue, weakness, muscle pain and depression, which I have always attributed to 37+ years of dealing with ITP. That may very well be, but this is giving me a little hope -

I am starting on prescription doses on vitamin D today, and hoping that my low D level has been causing the symptoms that I have been blaming on ITP! I'm stoked! (Well, as 'stoked' as I can be, being fatigued and all)

I will report back!

Tad - been there. My story, and this blows my mind: It is common for people with Lupus to have low Vitamin D (I have Lupus). A few years ago, my Rheumaotlogist asked me if I wanted to participate in a study regarding Lupus and Vitamin D. I would have loved to, but it required missing a half a day of work every month to drive in there, get tested, and drive back. Couldn't do it. I wrongly assumed that my D was fine because I had been taking 800 IU's of D for over a year. My Rheumatologist didn't suggest testing, so I let that go.

About a year after that, I asked her to test me for the heck of it. I came in around 16 also. I couldn't believe it (was still taking the OTC's). AT that time, I noticed that I had lost a tremendous amount of muscle mass and was weak. Carrying small bags would make my arms and hands shake for hours. I got a script for 50,000 IU's for 8 weeks. I did those three times in that next year and still couldn't get above 25. The goal was to get to and maintain at least 50 because I've been on Prednisone for 7 years.

That next year, the weakness got even worse. I saw a Physiatrist who told me that the weakness was due to Prednisone use and low Vitamin D. He gave me another script....50,000 IU's once a week. I had a ton of refills and ended up taking it for 14 months straight. I JUST got my level up to 60 and stopped taking it. It took forever to hit the target.

The weakness and fatigue did not get better, but I just found out that I have severe cervical stenosis and that is the real reason for most of the muscle weakness. The Physiatrist missed the boat on that one, but that is another story.

So anyway, there have been discussions about low Vitamin D here before, and I have suggested that people get tested. Low D can cause fatigue and weakness and I've seen a good bit of people here have a low level.

The one thing that it did for me that I know you won't care about is - my nails have never in my life been so long and strong. I could never grow nails, now I can. But - if it did that for my nails, I'm sure it also helped my teeth and bones.

Good luck - I hope you have better luck than I did!

On the list of most generally attainable resources of vitamin D is actually direct sunlight. The moment sun rays hit the skin, creation of vitamin D will begin in the human body. Besides contact with the sun, other methods to have vitamin D is actually crystal clear - food. Many people believe that consuming food sources of vitamin D is not required since sun rays is well attainable and merely 15 -20 minutes of contact with the direct sun light is enough stop vitamin D deficit. Nevertheless, low levels can lead to immune deficiency , the present chaotic life style which need irregular job timings impart us with not much time for sunshine direct exposure. No surprise, vitamin D insufficiency is typical in the town human population. Insufficient vitamin D amounts could make the bone fragments fragile and also expand the probability of weak bones. Almost all these health conditions could be averted simply by incorporating food resources for vitamin D inside the diet program. A few of the certain foods having vitamin D are actually talked about directly below:



Very good Food Sources of Vitamin D



Seafoods

Just a couple of kinds of fish are seen to possess significant amount of vitamin D. Fish such as tuna, mackerel, salmons together with sardines are generally rich in vitamin D. These kinds of oily fish as well as identified as certain foods containing more vitamin D. With regards to greatest vitamin D quantities inside fish, salmon is without a doubt a guaranteed safe bet.

The sun is all well and good if you don't have Lupus or are predisposed to it.

And fish is great unless you're vegetarian and fish is not on the menu.

Well, I'll eat the fish, Ann. You take the sun and we should both be just fine.

My GP doesn't treat a low vitamin D, even though the hospital asked her to. She said that everyone in London has low D because we don't get much sun. So I don't eat the fish or get the sun. I'm taking a supplement but have no idea if it's enough. My D level was at 20 when tested some time ago.

Supplements didn't work for me. Don't you worry about muscle and bone loss?

I don't worry yet. I guess I've been low in D for years if not for ever so no need to panic just yet. I'll get the hospital to do another test in a few months and see if it's going up at all and if not I'll ask them what to do. In the meantime I'm researching GP practices as I don't like the one I'm with has let me down on a few counts.

I have had so much muscle loss from low D it's unreal. Once I started taking it, my fingernails got so much stronger that I wondered how all of it has affected my bones over the years. There was such a huge difference that it scared me to think what might have happened if I'd let it go. Stay on top of it.