1. Community
  2. Health promotion
  3. Dietary, Nutrition and Exercise Advice

Recently diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency

Posted , 81 users are following.

k11990
k11990

Hi I have recently been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency after years of pain and tiredness. I have quite a long history but have had surgery twice on my right foot. The first time was a straght forward bunion op and the second one I am now wondering if was caused by Vit D Deficiency as I was in so much pain after first op I needed the 2/3/4 metatarsals cuttings and replacing into different positions.

I also have Carpel Tunnel in right hand and been told I need surgery on it due to muscle waste, inflamed tendons and slight loss of sensation.

There isn't a part of my body that doesn't hurt and I am a 36 year old female. I am self employed and a mum (which can be very challenging with all the pain and tiredness at times!).

I have been prescribed pre d3 20,000 iu 3 times a week.

It turns out that I had a blood test in 2011 that showed I was low on vit d then so I have spent the past week battling between my GP and hospital to try get the levels and find out who did the original test and find out why nothing was done years ago for me. I am starting to feel fobbed off as no one is giving me a clear answer. The hospital won't give me the answers and told me they have to be faxed to GP which I asked for and after waiting days for this and chasing up twice the GP rang today to tell me they have recent blood test result which showed vit D below 30 if that makes sense to anyone?

They weren't sent the 2011 results so have had to chase up again!

I am concerned after having pain for years that this may have done damage. How long does it take to see a difference on that doseage?

My main pains are in lower right back, back right rib, hips, feet, hands, neck. 

It would be great to hear from anyone else with vitamin D defiancy.

4 likes, 255 replies

255 Replies

Prev Next
  • k11990
    k11990

    Posted

    Thank you all for your replies. 

    Has any of you suffered fractures easier since this has happenned to you? Or if you knock yourself does it hurt for much longer?

    I banged my hand last week, just a silly accident putting some washing in the washing machine, but since my hand has hurt. I feel silly going to the drs/hospital for it!! Just wondered if this is common?

    Also I'm wondering if this has affected work for anyone? Were you signed off by the dr? I'm self employed and really struggling with some days working but due to being self employed its not so simple for me to take time off (in fact I haven't taken time off for years despite being in so much pain some days and have surgery).

    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 k11990

      Posted

      Yes I have broken both thumb joints just by leaning on a stair gate at the bottom of the stairs. When I bang myself on anything it hurts very badly for a few days. As a result of being tired and sore I am short tempered. When my Dr said vitamin D defiency causes a multitude of problems she was right. So why don't the patience get support from Drs?
    • k11990
      k11990 loretta89480

      Posted

      Ouch that sounds painful. I still feel so far from getting any answers. I have suffered for so many years and still fighting an ongoing battle to find out how long the hospital have known I was deficient which I am hoping to find out this week but it appears I have had this years. If this is the case I may have gone through surgery on my foot that may have been caused by the vit D. 
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 k11990

      Posted

      Have you had your B12 tested too? I too have had this years and went through surgery for blood clots and ketonacidosis. Neither time was I tested for vitamin D defiency. I have lost my faith in the Drs of today. I was not tested for any vitamin defiency when I went through a terrible time with anemia. I was told my blood cells were not reaching maturity and dying. Why? The "Dr" did not know why. I was given an iron suppliment but nothing changed. Still pale still tired still wondering when I will feel well again
    • k11990
      k11990 loretta89480

      Posted

      I'm not sure on the B12 loretta but have now been told that I can pick up a print out of some results tomorrow from my surgery. Its been a battle to get the results so far!
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 k11990

      Posted

      The surgery I am with does not give a print put of any results
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480

      Posted

      I have to phone the surgery and I get a comment "satisfactory " I make an appointment that can take 2 or 3 weeks and go over the results. This in my opinion is all wrong. If something shows up it should be flagged and the patient asked to go and see the Dr.
    • k11990
      k11990 loretta89480

      Posted

      That is terrible to wait that long. I have been told by the receptionist that she will try get a print out from dr for tomorrow - it may be different when I go there tomorrow! Mainly the thing I want to know is what my levels for D were tested at in 2011 as apparently I was tested as low then but not notified about it. I also want to know who organised the test to try work out why nothing was done about it as since then I have had so much surgery, pain, joint problems, physio - the list goes on! 

      I am also wondering if I now have osteomalacia as I have so many of the symptons and it appears that I have been deficient from vit D for so long. I have also requested further tests for this.

    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 k11990

      Posted

      they should have notified you when levels were low. That is terrible. I hope you get answers tomorrow
  • Kencul
    Kencul k11990

    Posted

    Hi I had blood tests for Osteoporosis last week and the results came back that I lack Vitamin D.  The doctor put me on capsuls I have to take once a week.  I also have osteoarthritis and had a total knee replacement just over 12 weeks ago.  The doctor said that lack of vitamin D can lead to tiredness and I have been feeling tired for sometime now and feeling really low.  I am 64 years old and to be honest I feel at times like 164.  Does anybody else feel tired through lack of vitamin D or is it just me.
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 Kencul

      Posted

      No Kencul you are not alone. I am 68 and feel like 168. Yes the joints all hurt. My ribs hurt and to top it off I have neuropathy in my left foot. I am always tired and sometimes my self esteem goes down the shoot too. I have the added problem of being type 1 diabetic. I had to wait 2 weeks to see a GP after my blood tests came back. According to the receptionist there was no rush as it was not an urgent appointment!!! I used to love housework I now hate it. I loved playing the piano now I make excuses not to sit and play for any length of time. I get very tired and the muscle pain just isn't worth it. Be of good cheer, there are lots of us rowing the same boat so you are not alone.
    • Jaybelle
      Jaybelle Kencul

      Posted

      Not just tired, but hit by a brick wall of fatigue that put me in bed for a month!  The fatigue is partly due to the primary effects of vitamin D deficiency, but can also be due to the muscle wasting caused by low blood levels of calcium as a secondary effect. 

      You may wish to ask your doctor about your osteoporosis diagnosis: osteoporosis is not caused by vitamin D deficiency, but osteomalacia is. The conditions are indistinguishable on a bone scan, but osteomalacia is accompanied by bone/joint pain and muscle weakness. If you have these symptoms (especially if you have a tender ribcage) then your doctor may wish to reconsider a diagnosis of osteomalacia. The two conditions are often confused due to appearing identical on bone scan imaging. 

      Take it easy - correcting the effects of vitamin D deficiency doesn't happen overnight. 

      All best wishes.

      :-)

    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 Jaybelle

      Posted

      Thank you for that? I hit that brick wall most days. Yesterday, it was before 8a.m. After starting work at 7! Before diagnosis I regularly complained of pain, in back, joints etc. getting up after sitting is Awful, feel so old! Depressions been awful too. Fed up of feeling so godamn awful,on a daily basis!! 
    • Scotmaz1
      Scotmaz1 Jaybelle

      Posted

      P.s. Should I be pushing myself through the brick wall of fatigue, as I have been doing. ( but getting harder all the time) or should I be giving in to it & resting
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 Scotmaz1

      Posted

      When I get up in the morning if after breakfast I feel tired I go back to bed for an hour. Often during the evening I fall asleep watching TV I am so tired. I go to bed just after 10 after letting my poodles out for a last run in the garden and soon asleep again I wake up during the night from pain in my hips and restless feeling in my legs. Takes me half an hour to go back to sleep. I would say rest when you feel tired. I feel better after a rest for a while
    • Jaybelle
      Jaybelle Scotmaz1

      Posted

      Before my diagnosis I pushed through - and it ended up with my complete breakdown and a month off work in bed. I'm still working, but I have had to go down to part time and I spend every Friday and most of the weekend in bed recovering. 

      I think it is probably important to get as much rest as possible in the first three months of treatment, but I suspect that some weight bearing/walking exercise is important after that to encourage the bones to remineralise, gain strength and rebuild the lost muscle. 

      My journey to and from work involves a fair bit of walking in between transport connections, and that is all I can manage at present. 

    • EileenH
      EileenH Scotmaz1

      Posted

      This for Kencul definitely and Scotmaz1 possibly (you don't say how old you are) - but are your doctors sure this isn't polymyalgia rheumatica? What you describe is typical of PMR and one lady on the vit D forum has already had her diagnosis changed to that. It can develop in over 40s (many doctors will try to tell you over 60s but younger people get it too, I was 51) and is often accompanied by low vit D. One in 5 patients doesn't have raised ESR (sed rate) or CRP (which is one criterion) so it is missed if you belong to that group.
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 Jaybelle

      Posted

      I am so pleased I found this forum. Before my diagnosis I was beggining to believe the drs and that I was simply a waste of time. Now I know that is not the case and that there are others that have been fobbed off too I have a large garden with a bank going up to a high picket fence. I walk around this garden everyday cleaning up after my 5 dogs. This gives me pain but I also know that it is good to walk to stop my muscles wasting away. I thank you for being on here and helping me understand what is happening to me. Thank you so much
    • loretta89480
      loretta89480 EileenH

      Posted

      I am 68 and going to see the Dr today. I have enough information to put before him and I hope he listens
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.