# Vitamin D advice



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

Like a lot of people who have low vitamin D with thyroid problems, my vitamin D level was 25 when checked. Normal starts at 30 I think so mine was off the charts. I started taking at least 2000 iu a day. Most of the time more. Iron was low too. It was 11. again off the charts. I think it starts at 15. it has been a month and a half I think and my iron has only gone up 1 to 12 and my vitamin D has dropped to 22!. Has anyone's vitamin D dropped while taking supplements? I have upped my D to 5000 a day by my Dr's advice. Have not had my thyroid scanned yet but I am about to have that done. Sometime in the next month. Don't have a date yet. Any idea. I was able to finally get into a great specialist in Bham who run the latest tests and he is great. I got the test results over the phone and he would not elaborate on the lower numbers. I have a follow up with him but it will be a week before I go back and that is when the scan will be set up I am sure. He does not do the scan himself. He specializes in the medication and treatment but he is not a surgeon. So he sends out for the scan and lets the surgeon look and decide from there. But he is an expert and has been recommend by a lot of thyroid boards and goes by broda barnes. his name is Dr. Doekel. Anyway. the D dropping while I was taking every day really worry's me.
Thanks guys.
Melissa


----------



## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

The only way I was able to increase my Vitamin D (I was at 30 when tested) was with a prescription of 50,000 units taken twice weekly. After 3 months, my D is now at 90. You might want to ask for a prescription. It is inexpensive.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

mccreel said:


> Like a lot of people who have low vitamin D with thyroid problems, my vitamin D level was 25 when checked. Normal starts at 30 I think so mine was off the charts. I started taking at least 2000 iu a day. Most of the time more. Iron was low too. It was 11. again off the charts. I think it starts at 15. it has been a month and a half I think and my iron has only gone up 1 to 12 and my vitamin D has dropped to 22!. Has anyone's vitamin D dropped while taking supplements? I have upped my D to 5000 a day by my Dr's advice. Have not had my thyroid scanned yet but I am about to have that done. Sometime in the next month. Don't have a date yet. Any idea. I was able to finally get into a great specialist in Bham who run the latest tests and he is great. I got the test results over the phone and he would not elaborate on the lower numbers. I have a follow up with him but it will be a week before I go back and that is when the scan will be set up I am sure. He does not do the scan himself. He specializes in the medication and treatment but he is not a surgeon. So he sends out for the scan and lets the surgeon look and decide from there. But he is an expert and has been recommend by a lot of thyroid boards and goes by broda barnes. his name is Dr. Doekel. Anyway. the D dropping while I was taking every day really worry's me.
> Thanks guys.
> Melissa


Melissa; this is conjecture but good conjecture. The body automatically down regulates Vitamin D (and possibly iron which I can't prove the iron but I suspect) in persons with autoimmune disease because it triggers the antibodies and autoantibodies (the bad guys.)

The more you take, the more it down regulates. I think. That is my thought process.

Here is some info........
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/arf-vdm040809.php

I am sure this is not true for every single person but it is interesting that most of us have low Vitamin D and low Ferritin. More research needs to be done; of course.

Keep an open mind. Think outside the box.


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Hi Melissa,

I was low in Ferritin and D as well.

I began my Vit D 26.5 (32-100) and after 12 weeks of 50K IU it only went to 51 and after 2K IU daily it fell to 41.1 last January and I upped my Vit D pills to 4K IU and just had a test but no results yet. My DO has already prescribed my 50K IU weekly for the next 6 months. He isn't planning on seeing me again until January and has ordered enough to take me until then. I am a bit nervous about such a high dose for such a long period of time.

I ended up having endometrial ablation as I never could get my iron levels to stay up with supplements - now even taking just 12 elemental mg daily I keep it in the 80's range.


----------



## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Lovlkn,

Why not call the DO's office and ask for a lab order to be done at the midpoint between visits [i.e., 3 months, in your case]. Just make sure the "cc to Pt" is written on the order.

My endo said she had some patients taking 50,000 IU two and three times weekly since their bodies simply need the extraordinary dose. She seems to believe that these people will be on this high dose for some time to come. These people are also closely monitored with lab work.

Andros presents a compelling argument about Vitamin D downregulating. Ever since I presented with a Vitamin D problem it seems my proinflammatory cytokines have been churned up and are hyperactive.

Just two years ago medical science was claiming that Vitamin D was a godsend to those with autoimmune diseases and to those who had contracted the flu or H1N1.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111947

_"There are two mechanisms whereby *vitamin D can *reduce the risk of death once the pandemic influenza virus infection took hold:* reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines and reduced risk of bacterial pneumonia*. The hormonal metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, reduces the production of cytokines from T-helper 1 type (proinflammatory). 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D also induces the production of human cathelicidin, LL-37, which has both antimicrobial and antiendotoxin properties. LL-37 has been found effective in reducing the risk of several types of bacteria, and is also thought to reduce the risk of respiratory viral infections including seasonal influenza." _

*In the end the only thing I'm convinced of is that we know very, very little about Vitamin D.*


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I really do not "mentally digest" these types of studies.

My lab results should hopefully be back in a day or 2 and I will make my decision whether to take the 50K IU supplement then.

One thing I do know is when I finished my 12 week initial 50K IU dose I felt absolutely fantastic! My body could actually feel the drop in energy levels after the 12 weeks was done.


----------



## mccreel (Apr 13, 2010)

would the low vitamin d make you more susceptible to episodes of throat swelling? I have been having bouts of what I think is thyroiditis. My blood pressure shoots up, sometimes as high as 160/101, my pulse rate races around 128 bpm, my face feels hot and looks flushed and my neck swells and I feel like there is a lump in my throat. I take Advil and some benadryl and it helps some with the lump feeling but the swelling lasts sometimes hours sometimes a few days. It's not an infection because I have been on all kinds of antibiotics and it did not work. The front of my voice box is tender to the touch when this happens, I don't feel like eating, my neck throbs at times, I get hoarse and my voice drops a couple of octaves. The dr. has not been able to feel any lump but I know sometimes things are there that can not be felt in a physical exam. I am working on getting a scan set up of my throat. I am newly diagnosed so my numbers are not there yet, but I also have started having some allergic reactions, probably since my vitamin D has dropped. I have read that low, extremal low vitamin d can lead to allergic reactions and make people with asthma have more severe reactions. (I do not have asthma by the way). Anyway, just wondering if the low D could cause more flare ups.
Thanks,
Melissa


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I got my labs back and they were 62.3 (32-100) so I am not going to take the 50K IU weekly as I am in mid range.

What I will do is double up on my 2K IU to get me to 4K IU daily and re-test in January. I wonder if my being in the sun all Summer has made my #'s go up as I was just 42 in November? For awhile I was taking 3K IU daily so it must have worked.


----------



## HoneyBee (Jul 28, 2010)

The only thing that has ever helped me keep my vitamin D levels within normal range was the beautiful sunshine and a vitamin D supp. Sola Ray has some great ones that absorb rather well in the body.

I am sure you know that vitamin d is naturally made within our bodies from the UV we receive from the sun. Without UV exposure the body cannot convert it.

It always helps me to sit outside in the sun, exposing as much of my skin as possible with no sunglasses for about 45 minutes during the warm months. I am half Native American, so my exposure time is a little longer. You should adjust your sun exposure time based on your skin type. Or, in the colder months I may hit the tanning bed when I feel sluggish. It helps me A LOT.

I have done the super high prescription dosage of the vitamin D pill once a week, but nothing made me feel as good or boost my levels like the sun did/does.

I wish I could do it now, but I am pregnant and do not want to run the risk of excessive skin damage due to the increased skin sensitivity from the crazy pregnancy hormones.

(Oh I should note for you that its the UVB and not the UVA rays that stimulate the cholesteral molecule in the skin cells membrane.)


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I think my body is powered by Vit D and have found myself going outside every chance I get so I am looking forward to the break in the heat.

My tan this Summer is fantastic - my dermatologist is less than pleased. I just feel so much better when I am in the sun and outdoors.


----------



## HoneyBee (Jul 28, 2010)

Lovlkn: I moisturize my skin with pure Emu Oil because it is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. It is expensive, but worth the money.

It has been well noted in medical journals that a common finding among those with skin cancers all have one thing in common, and it is low levels of essential fatty acids in the body, such as omega 3 and omega 9. So, one conclusion that has been drawn is that skin cancer is not only linked to the overall diet, but is a main contributing factor.

So, ask your derm if he/she has any further information they can give you on this factor.

I went to a derm once out of curiosity to make sure my skin was ok and the first thing he asked was how my diet was....


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HoneyBee said:


> The only thing that has ever helped me keep my vitamin D levels within normal range was the beautiful sunshine and a vitamin D supp. Sola Ray has some great ones that absorb rather well in the body.
> 
> I am sure you know that vitamin d is naturally made within our bodies from the UV we receive from the sun. Without UV exposure the body cannot convert it.
> 
> ...


Ditto that. I am a great believer in taking advantage of natural resources and the sun is one of them. I am also a great believer in protecting our natural resources.

Sun, rain, wind, snow......................we need them all for healthy mind and healthy body. I find the elements to be very spiritual.

Welcome to the board and congratulations on your pregnancy!


----------



## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

I asked my doctor to do a vit. D test on me when I started really feeling bad and my results came back 15 (range 20-100). She had it written in big red letters to start taking the vit. D she prescribed. 50,000iu weekly for a month then monthly for 4 months. I think that as soon as I started the monthly regimen that my levels started to drop again. I started having the attacks worse and my throat was swelling, sore and I started losing my voice. I have found that a very cold compress on my throat when it happens does help some what. I am not sure why though. My throat feels sore all day but it gets much worse at night. I have also found that I seem to crave the sunshine like a pregnant women craves a certain food. I have to be very careful though because my dermatologist has already removed one skin cancer from my face and I don't want to have another one. I think that being so low on Vit. D has made me more susceptible to things like cancer. I am hoping that being so low in Vit. D won't interfere with a surgery that I am having in a few days. I will certainly mention the low level to my doctor when she does my pre-op exam. Does anyone know if Vit. D levels can affect whether your blood clots or not. The dermatologist was concerned when the incision she made wouldn't stop bleeding. I have never had that problem before and I am not taking anything I don't think that would cause me to bleed more freely unless synthroid or cytomel do.


----------



## arizonamom (Mar 10, 2010)

mccreel said:


> Like a lot of people who have low vitamin D with thyroid problems, my vitamin D level was 25 when checked. Normal starts at 30 I think so mine was off the charts. I started taking at least 2000 iu a day. Most of the time more. Iron was low too. It was 11. again off the charts. I think it starts at 15. it has been a month and a half I think and my iron has only gone up 1 to 12 and my vitamin D has dropped to 22!. Has anyone's vitamin D dropped while taking supplements? I have upped my D to 5000 a day by my Dr's advice. Have not had my thyroid scanned yet but I am about to have that done. Sometime in the next month. Don't have a date yet. Any idea. I was able to finally get into a great specialist in Bham who run the latest tests and he is great. I got the test results over the phone and he would not elaborate on the lower numbers. I have a follow up with him but it will be a week before I go back and that is when the scan will be set up I am sure. He does not do the scan himself. He specializes in the medication and treatment but he is not a surgeon. So he sends out for the scan and lets the surgeon look and decide from there. But he is an expert and has been recommend by a lot of thyroid boards and goes by broda barnes. his name is Dr. Doekel. Anyway. the D dropping while I was taking every day really worry's me.
> Thanks guys.
> Melissa


I have low D also and besides a supplement, I was advised by my endo to sit outside in the sun for 10 minutes a day in my bathing suit - the more skin exposed the more D absorbed (no sunbock except a little on my face). I notice the difference in how I feel if I do this. Give it a try.


----------

