Found out my Vitamin D levels are low

[mainepain]

How is everyone? Fine and dealing with life as well as can be I hope.

Recently, I had some routine blood work done (Is Vitamin D testing routine? :))
and found out my Vitamin D levels are quite low. 15 to be exact.

I also found out my Magnesium levels are almost non-existent. (I can not recall the levels) . My physician was quite concerned and put me on a slow release magnesium supplement to see if it would help. 2 pills 3 X day.

I am also now on RX Ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2 50,000 IU 2 X week.

According to my physician this regime was supposed to make me feel better but since starting this I am feeling much worse. My whole body hurts more, my joints ache, and I am quite fatigued, etc.

I'm curious if anyone else out there is on Vitamin D2 and or Magnesium and has similar issues?

I'm hoping this is due to something else and not the supplements but seeing as how things became worse about a day after starting I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to it.

It is suspected that I have Lyme Disease and the last time I felt this way was when I was on high doses of Antibiotics, which by the way I will be starting again very soon. :(

[Gimpy]

I can't help you, but.....

I just saw a news story about how so many of us are low in the vitamin D. It said that those low in VD are also at greater risk for certain cancers.

I think a basic blood test to check all our essential vitamin levels should go along with our yearly checkups. Many more of us would find we too, are lacking.

Linda

[houghchrst]

My 15 yr old has been complaining of chronic pain for over two years and it has finally reached a point where his doc has started extensive testing. He found that his Vit. D levels were very low and started him on D also. He is also running some other tests.

[Nana4&cntn]

I was taking ergocalciferol and changed to VitD3 which is Cholecalciferol and it has made a difference. My Internist also added Calcitriol .25mcg daily also another type of VitD. The VitD3 is not prescription and will need to be purchased online or at a healthfood store or GNC type of store. The Calcitriol is a prescription.

My levels were 8 when I started and are up to 35 in just over 2 months, I only take 50,000 per week.

Take care,
Kathy

[Ted Hutchinson]

15 to be exact. In this paper (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17218096) the first figure shows how people who get a lot of sunshine have a vitamin d status around 50-60 so you had around a quarter of the amount your body would naturally attain and maintain given ample full body exposure to sunshine.
I also found out my Magnesium levels are almost non-existent. (I can not recall the levels) . My physician was quite concerned and put me on a slow release magnesium supplement to see if it would help. 2 pills 3 X day. Very low vitamin d status affects your bodies ability to absorb both calcium and magnesium so when you get your Vit d status up you will find the magnesium also improves.

I am also now on RX Ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2 50,000 IU 2 X week. The Case Against Ergocaciferol as a vitamin supplement. (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/4/694)Explains why it is better to use the natural form of Vitamin d as it is better absorbed and more effective generally.

According to my physician this regime was supposed to make me feel better but since starting this I am feeling much worse. My whole body hurts more, my joints ache, and I am quite fatigued, etc. You will probably find that you will feel better sooner on the D3 version. It is generally possible to restore D3 status with ONE x 50,000iu a WEEK. for EIGHT weeks and then 5000iu/daily together with as regular sun exposure.


It is suspected that I have Lyme Disease and the last time I felt this way was when I was on high doses of Antibiotics, which by the way I will be starting again very soon. :( Vitamin D3 is a natural antibiotic. In fact it stimulates your bodies own production of antimicrobial peptides. The sooner you get your vitamin d status corrected the fewer prescribed antibiotics you will require. I used to take a daily low dose antibiotic because I had chronic Urinary tract infections. Not had an antibiotic now for over 2yrs since my Vit d status was corrected.

You don't say what form of mangesium you've been prescribed. Magnsium oxide is frequently used although this is the least well absorbed form. Mrs Doubtfire (one of our most respected regulars) says Magnesium lactate is the most well absorbed form
of the others

Magnesium taurate provides taurine, Taurine is also good for the heart. (and the brain according to Dr McCleary)

Magnesium malate provides malic acid which Fibromyalgia patients often find helpful. Anyone with muscle issues would find this useful. (This another of Dr McCleary's recommendations for people with brain problems)

Magnesium citrate acts as a laxative, some people find this useful if they have chronic constipation.

I used to use Magnesium Citrate I moved over to Magnesium Malate which I find better (I don't have a problem with constipation and found loose stools a nuisance.) I don't get this problem with magnesium malate.

Dr McCleary suggests you work up to 600mg of magnesium daily over a period of several weeks.

[Sunshine2]

I keep having problems with my vitiman D levels, also.

I am considering moving somewhere it sunshines alot more.

It rains alot where I live.

[Mark N]

MP, I hope the supplements help you soon and you start feeling better soon.

[Ted Hutchinson]

I keep having problems with my vitiman D levels, also.If you take Vitamin D3 on a daily basis at a safe level (ie 5000iu/daily half the suggested safe upper limit (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/1/6)) this should ensure your body at least gets it's basic daily needs met. The cost of doing this is really trivial and you can use the limited exposure that is possible where you live simply as a back up to ensure your body has sufficient to store.

If you look at the plots on the second figure in this paper you will see how only those people with circulating Vitamin D3 levels above 50ng 125nmol/l (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17218096) have significant stored D3. Each 100iu of D3 raises satus 1ng so to attain/maintain levels at or above 50ng means you have to take 5000iu/daily/D3. It's just basic maths.

As your body does not consider it safe to store D3 until it has satisfied it's daily needs it is my opinion anyone who suggests less than 50ng 125nmol/l is a safe level needs to be able to provide evidence to justify that opinion.

I am considering moving somewhere it sunshines alot more.

It rains alot where I live.Sunlight is the best source of vitamin d. Getting D3 naturally from regular full body sun exposure means it is naturally distributed over the entire surface of the body and can start it's anti cancer, anti biotic anti fungal actions everywhere needed almost instantaineously, we do have have to bear in mind that people who live in sunny places do not necessarily have high vitamin d3 status. Even in sunny places it takes a certain amount of sun exposure (http://www.thevitamindcure.com/calculator) and many people are reluctant to expose their entire body to the sun/elements.

So using sufficient D3 daily to cover your daily needs (3000-5000iu (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204)) leaves you free to use sunshine for the back up storage. This is what I do and so far this summer I've not had a lot of sun but because I take 5000iu/daily I've not had the level of pain I experienced in previous nor did I get any seasonal depression over the winter.

[mainepain]

Hi Ted

Thanks for the information. Sorry it'd taken me so long to get back to you.

To answer your question, I've been taking Magnesium Chloride
I take 2 64mg pills 3 X day. My physician recommended it. It's also known as Slow-Mag. It is Sold at Wal-Mart so it is fairly easy to get.

It has been helping. I was taking Magnesium Oxide 400mg a day but that was going right through me.