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Sharing the experience

Posted , 11 users are following.

clare02625
clare02625

My sister put me onto this forum and felt like I wanted to talk about my experience of vitamin deficiency. After over a month of feeling tired, aching all over having no energy at all, not to mention the many trips to the nhs walk in centre and my doctors, after being told it's just that time of year by my doctor I decided to register with a new doctor and she had my blood tested straight away and the result was vitamin d deficiency.  I have been on prescribed vitamins for around 6 weeks and have been told it will take around 3 months until I start to feel better. I started to get the flu like symptoms about a week ago, my body sometimes feels bruised as my bones ache and I can't stop crying, not just because of the pain but the fact that for nearly three months I have been waking up feeling utterly rubbish, I dream of the day I feel normal. My family are very understanding but trying to explain to your boss why some mornings you can't get out of bed is quite difficult, who would think that something like a vitamin deficiency would make you feel like this. I am off to Egypt next week and am hoping some much needed sunshine will make me feel a bit better.

1 like, 25 replies

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  • patricia86334
    patricia86334 clare02625

    Posted

    I hope you start to feel better soon!

    I don't know if Egypt is hot and sunny all the time, but don't overdo being out in the sun.   You don't want to add sunburn to your other symptoms!    :o)

    I for one am grateful for this thread of Viit D deficiency.  I have all the symptoms I have been reading about, and the next time I go to the dr. in May I am going to ask a blood test to see if I am low on D.  I am also going to ask to be tested for pernicious anemia,  which is a totally different blood test than regular anemia. 

    I have made myself sit outside in the sun for about 20 mins a time since reading about the Vit D thing.  Let us know if your treatment helps and also how you enjoyed your trip.  

    • clare02625
      clare02625 patricia86334

      Posted

      Thank u, hope u feel better soon too. Yes Egypt is quite warm but wil be careful. I am also very greatful for this forum where you can read other peoples symptoms, unfortunately my doctor doesn't know much about it so reading that the symptoms I am experiencing are normal to other people suffering the same deficiency is reassuring. Will let u know if the holiday in the sun helps.
  • ptolemy
    ptolemy clare02625

    Posted

    I had vit D deficiency last year and the GP gave me supplements. I sat out in the sun every day for around fifteen minutes with a cup of tea and a book, it was very pleasant and relaxing and my vit D went from 26 to 52. I read somewhere that the bulk of our vit D is from the sun rather than food. Although I do try and include vit D rich foods in my diet.
    • clare02625
      clare02625 ptolemy

      Posted

      Yes, my doctor said the best way to get vitamin d is the sunshine, but over winter it is difficult so looking forward to going away and being in the sun. I have also been trying foods like oily fish etc...
  • penny17
    penny17 clare02625

    Posted

    Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to feel better. Physio told me length of recovery depends on how long you been VitD deficient. 

    I have been taking VitD3 Over the Counter supplement 25ug X 2 a day since March 2014 & Magnesium as well as 15 mins of sun during the summer months. It is only now that I am beginning to feel well. I have started TaiChi lessons to strengthen wasted leg muscles. I take VitD pills in morning as I find it helps me sleep better than if I take them later in the day. 

    We do not get enough of the beneficial UV rays in the UK until May through to Sept. There is an excellent book by Dr M Holick "The Vitamin D Solution"  

    and I suggest you Google  "Vitamin D Council" the website is full of useful information well worth reading. 

  • penny17
    penny17 clare02625

    Posted

    Also Google "Vitamin D Society Canada" 

    Hope this helps - and Vit D deficiency can also make you feel sad/depressed due to sleep problems and muscular/skeletal aches, pains, cramps etc. 

    So be kind to yourself but keep moving when you can . . .

    • clare02625
      clare02625 penny17

      Posted

      Thank u for your advice, will have a look at that book and the vitamin d council. 

      That makes sense about feeling sad/depressed, I'm not normally like this, I seem to be in tears most days.

  • Gem1384
    Gem1384 clare02625

    Posted

    Hi Clare,

    I am vitamin D deficient and I have to say it's one of the most horrible things. My bone pain and muscle aches have been so painful I have been in tears at the doctors.

    I am breastfeeding my baby and have had 3 pregnancies quite close together so I am at a high risk of developing the deficiency. It took a while to diagnose but I have just finished my high dose therapy 2x 20,000 a week and I am now on my maintenance dose of 800 a day.

    There are mixed reports about how long it takes to feel better after starting vitamin d therapy. I felt less tired with a couple of weeks. However my bone pain isn't easing.

    I've been told that it will take up to 6 months up to anywhere to 12-18 months for the bones to repair. This obviously depends on how long you have been deficieny for. As I'm still Breast feeding my calcuim is suffering and my bones aren't able to heal properly at the moment. I have seen a pain management who diagnosed me with CWPS but he thinks my vitamin d therapy should cure my bone pains.

    Egypt sounds lovely and the sun is just what you need. I am booking to go to Spain to get my sun this year!

    It's amazing how a vitamin can cause so many problems!

    Hope you start to wek better soon!

    Gem

    • clare02625
      clare02625 Gem1384

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply and I hope you feel better soon too, get that holiday booked!!
  • Sorcerer2066
    Sorcerer2066 clare02625

    Posted

    Hi Clare

    You have my sympathy! I've also had similar issues where I've ached from head to toe.  As if every muscle in my body has a headache. Everytime this happens I know I need to upgrade my vitamin D. BUT  I have found if I give up tea and coffee (caffeine of all description - even decaf) within three to four days the awful ache has eased it's grip and within a week it's gone. I still keep on with the vitamins but giving up the caffeine is a miracle cure for me. I go caffeine free for a couple of weeks (drink red bush tea with milk as it's naturally caffeine free). After a few weeks I allow myself to enjoy coffee/tea again but limit the cups. Invariably my usage creeps up and up (LOVE my coffee smile ) and then the aches come back. I give it up, aches go away. I hope this helps you. Enjoy your holiday smile

    • clare02625
      clare02625 Sorcerer2066

      Posted

      I have to admit, I drink an auful lot of tea at work, I will try and cut this out for a few days and see if it makes a difference.

      Thank you

  • lady40s
    lady40s clare02625

    Posted

    HI clare02625

    hope your feeling bit better , just diagnosed myself today with all the symptoms you describe , feel truly awful , got tablets so hoping will be on the mend soon .

    hope your holiday went well :-) 

    • clare02625
      clare02625 lady40s

      Posted

      Hi,

      felt a lot better afte some sunshine, pain has started to ease however did have a couple of panic attacks while I was away, something that I have experienced while having this deficiency, but luckily these seem to have stopped now. The main pain now is in my ribs, chest and collarbone, but understand this is quite normal as the bones do get soft due to the lack of vitamin d, as it stops calcium from being absorbed properly. 

      I am sorry you feel awful, I know it's easy to say now but it will get better but it does take time, I have been on supplements prescribed by my doctor for 3 months now and only just starting to feel a bit more normal, still have good days and bad days but pleased to say more good days.

      keep taking the tablets, there is vitamin d in oily fish and when the sun eventually comes out, this is the main source of vitamin d, get yourself in the sun.

      Hope you feel better soon.

  • lady40s
    lady40s clare02625

    Posted

    Thanks clare , only day 2 so to much to hope feel betterjust yet   , what were your levels ? mine 27 , jast cant beleive can make me feel this rough , i get the flue like symptoms to at times ... body tempteture fluctuations , my joints are aching to and so tired ...

    thanks for replying to me 

     

    • clare02625
      clare02625 lady40s

      Posted

      Mine was 17 so pretty low. The flu like symptoms are quite normal and the joint aches, you will feel exhausted for a while so take care.
    • lady40s
      lady40s clare02625

      Posted

      thanks yours was alot lower than mine , cant beleive can feel this rough just with vitamin D /calcium deficency .. but comfort to know the simptoms are same 
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