My Vitamin D level

Woo Hoo Helen, thats great news!! How long did you have to supplement and what doses to get to that level, just out of interest?? I read that in jan 09 the level was 81nmol, so is that when you started 10,000 IU?

Cheers Kristy

Excellent news Helen.

After over 30 years of intermittent steroids, I have osteoporosis and a history of multiple fractures. Unfortunately I can now add 2 more broken bones to my long list because I've had yet another fall, and fractured both my ulna and radius just above the wrist.

Vit D has been proven to help strengthen our bones, so if you don't want old crumbly bones like I have, please take heed of what Helen's saying.

Having said that, typing is difficult and I'm in a lot of pain, so I won't be around as often for a little while. If needed, send me a PM and I'll be notified that it's here.

I got all my blood test results today & my vit d is up to 103 so Dr was very happy with that. I am taking 1000 iu a day & she said to stay with that. I get them cheapest from chemist warehouse, healthfood shops dont seem to have the 1000 where chemist warehouse has a few different brands, can even have that dose with calcium if you want it.

my liver has improved, that is because I have decreased the neurofen/brufen I was takeing 3x400mg a day now 1 a day & on a bad day 2, dr was happy with that.
My iron levels were fine to start with but what circulates through the body is still very low - which has bearing on bowel issues apparently.

Sorry to read of your broken bones Anne, hope they heal quickly.

Thanks for that Helen! Cant wait to get mine tested again in the near future to see how they are!!

Anne, thats not good to hear about your latest fractures osteoporosis runs in my family, with both my grandmothers having it, and my mother having it too... mums is worse due to steroid use for COPD.... so I am doing all I can to make sure I dont get it..

Hey Karen

A question regarding taking your Vit D at night.... I was taking mine at night, along with my fish oil, and I found it was affecting my sleep... stopped the fish oil, but still had terrible sleep, so now I take them both in the morning with my B complex and multi.... have you had any issues with sleep and vit D?

My thoughts were that maybe the vit D was a stimulant.... not too sure, just know I sleep like a baby now but have been curious to see whether others are affected, or if I'm just special

Cheers Kristy

LOL, why thank you Helen, hehe

Hi Kristy,

Vitamin D can be taken at any time of the day, but it's when it's taken combined with Calcium that it should be taken at night-time and with meals for maximum absorption.

I do not notice any problem with sleep taking my Vit D at night compared to taking it during the day. I also haven't seen any references in anything I have read suggesting there is a problem. But I have read plenty about taking the combined supplement at night-time.

I have attached a link here to do with Osteoporosis and calcium, and Vit D. It's quite interesting to read, and also to read that full cream milk contains NO fortified Vit D (the only Vit D is naturally occuring), which once upon a time it did. So I found that quite interesting and wonder whether somehow there's a link to why people are having issues with Vit D these days.

http://www.osteoporosis.org.au/files/internal/oa_calcvitd_pharma.pdf

http://womenshealth.med.monash.edu.au/documents/bone-health.pdf

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mhcs/publication_pdfs/7665/OTH-7665-ENG.pdf

I've also attached a link from the May clinic to do with Vit D toxicity.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008

Hi Helen, thanks for that. I found an error in the first link where the have mixed up Vit D2 & 3. Probably a typo error but one would think with such an article they'd proofread it well.

I had a read of these but they haven't really given me an answer as to why mine is declining. Basically they are saying we need to get in the sun or take supplements in order to maintain the levels because it can cause a problem with absorbtion, but I do both!

So why is mine declining when with extra supplements should be increasing is a mystery to me. But there definitely seems to be a link between the Vit D and this, as in mine is declining. I'm now wondering whether if I wasn't taking the supplements and getting into the sun that I would have shown with even lower levels. It's really got me thinking now.

My problem with the thyroid is my TSH was completely normal but the hospital ran T4 & T3 tests on me because I have a nodule and some lymph nodes adjacent to the thyroid and experiencing a whole range of crazy symptoms and have been since I was in hospital and they're getting worse.

Anyway, the TSH and T3 were normal but the T4 was just higher than the high range which my dr said was odd. She said it should have come back with a problem with the TSH was well. My calcium and Vit D are classed as normal. So why I have this other problem is a mystery!

But it certainly may explain the excessive fatigue (more than usual), hair loss, headaches, eye pain, neck pain, croaky voice and weird burning up feelings without my actual body temp going up yet I feel like I'm on fire.

I'm having everything tested again after the easter period and they are adding on some thyroid antibody tests so I'm going to ask about the connection between Vit D and thyroid, as in is it similar to what we experience with MS, as if it is I may well have to take a lot more Vit D.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has had the same as me; normal TSH & T3 and high T4 and what the result was of that.

Good one Helen, well done.

Hey Carmy

My Vit D level was also 56 n/mol, that was before xmas. I have since been taking 10,000 IU daily, and I am going to go back and get my levels checked as soon as life settles down a bit, so hopefully they have risen a bit.

As for fish oil, the immunologist told me that to have a good anti-inflammatory effect, you need to take at least 10,000 - 12,000 mg daily (I had told him that I was taking 6000).

I seriously need to look into taking the liquid forms, as I currently take 23 vit tablets every morning!!!! But I find the only way to remember to take them is to put them into those pill boxes, I have one that has compartments for 4 daily doses, and has 7 days... so once a week, I dish them all out, then stick it in my bathroom and take them as soon as I wake up.

Cheers Kristy

Just a note about pill boxes. They are sold at chemists for about $8 but if you go to the $2 shops that what you pay for the same thing! I know what I prefer to pay.
I have actually got 3 now (was for when we went on holidays I had them all organised).
I always fill 2 at a time, serves a couple of purposes -
1-I dont have to try to remember which tablets I am due to take or how many.
2- I dont run out of the prescription (esp) pills as I fill them 2 weeks at a time so know when I need to fill some more scripts, as I fill them if I am down to 1-2 weeks left I get the script out so I can fill it.

What I do is I have a 5 litre tub on wheels that I keep in a cupboard with all my medications & scripts. I have a plastic bag that has the opened boxes/jars of pills which is what I am using to fill pill/dosette boxes. Helps me to keep control of what I need. Also if I have to go to hospital in a hurry can grab that bag so I have some of all my medications with me. This is good esp if it is a weekend as the pharmacy in most hospitals is shut so if they dont them in their medicine store I at least have enough to get me through. There is often 2 or 3 that they dont have & they are one's that control my migraines & they are one's that I need daily.

Hope this helps others. If I am not clear send me question or on here & I will answer it. (having trouble getting thoughts & words right.

I have just got my levels back and they are 60. Doc recommended Ostelin, but are there cheaper alternatives??

I get my Vit D tablets from Golden Glow - price is $18.95 for 180 x 1000iu tablets. Not as cheap as the US brand clearly but is very quick to arrive. I get several types of vitamins at the same time as they are cheaper the more you buy and if you buy over $100 in an order there is no delivery charge.

Cheers,
Jodi.