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

Vitamin d

Posted , 9 users are following.

rhiannon231
rhiannon231

Hi

I've just had a call from my GP Surgery to tell me to make an appointment to see a doctor after having blood tests. I was then told my vitamin D level is 28 and calcium is 1.97!

Are they normal??

0 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

Prev
  • kadge
    kadge rhiannon231

    Posted

    i have been taking 10,000 units a day for 5 or 6 weeks. Told me after 8 weeks to just take a multi vitamin with vit d in. I am still in really bad pain with my arms and shoulders which is made worse when I walk a lot, tiredness is still a real problem.
    • EileenH
      EileenH kadge

      Posted

      Is it "just" vit D deficiency? Another lady on the forum has been diagnosed as having PMR - polymyalgia rheumatica as well as vit D deficiency. She was on high dose vit D but it got worse not better so I suggested PMR as a possibility - and the hospital agreed. 

      Here's a load of links on another thread

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316

      and this

      https://patient.info/health/polymyalgia-rheumatica-leaflet

      It is always worth considering if you are over mid-40s with shoulder and hip problems - not so likely if you are younger though not impossible.

    • kadge
      kadge EileenH

      Posted

      Eileen, that was what I originally was tested for all tests came back negative though. Wasn't expecting to have low vit d. I have been out in sun and took my vit but it just doesn't seem to be improving. Walked around 15,000 steps today and its hurting so much. Am Guessing I need to see the gp again. Thanks for your reply. It's so frustrating I cant get family to understand how bad I feel
    • EileenH
      EileenH kadge

      Posted

      There are no tests for PMR - except maybe the ESR and CRP blood tests which generally indicate inflammation being present in the body. However, about a fifth of patients who actually do have PMR never have raised blood tests - but trying to get that through to some doctors is like squeezing blood out of a stone!

      It's an autoimmune disorder and low vit D is associated with those quite often - but it isn't known whether it is cause or effect. In that link I've given you is a link to something they've referred to as the "Bristol paper" - they suggest using a pred sandwich to test the water: a week of vit C, a week of 15mg pred and a week of vit C. The symptoms should mprove by about 70% with the pred in a few days and then return in much the same time when it is stopped. It can't do any harm and might provide the clue.

  • rhiannon231
    rhiannon231

    Posted

    Hi again! Just thought I'd update you!

    My coeliac test is negative! And after more blood tests and supplements my calcium and vitamin D is still low.

    I'm not convinced with the coeliac results. How accurate are they? My result was 0.0.

    I'm still getting a lot is symptoms which point to coeliac such as

    Fatigue - sleeping for at least 12 hours every night and extremely tiered by midday

    Low calcium

    Low b12

    Low vitamin d

    Abnormal bowel movements and

    Pins and needles in my arms and legs

    The doctor has said to carry on taking supplements and go back in 2 months time.

    Do you think this is right?

    Thanks in advance for any help

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy rhiannon231

      Posted

      If you feel you have coeliacs why not just give up gluten and see if that improves your symptoms? Also carry on with the supplements which should improve things too. If you still have problems you have at least discounted some possibilities. 
    • EileenH
      EileenH rhiannon231

      Posted

      Some of these are symptoms of autoimmune disorders in general and strange bowel habits can be due to other things.

      However, the blood test isn't 100% reliable, especially if you weren't eating a diet with plenty of gluten in it prior to the test so a proper diagnosis requires a biopsy - and even then it may miss it if the damage is in the wrong bit of gut! As ptolemy says you could try going gluten-free for some weeks and see if it improves any of the symptoms. It is very easy these days - any supermarket has plenty of gluten-free goodies (NOT any use to weight loss mind you as they are all very calorie dense!). Have a read of this thread on this site

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/negative-coeliac-test-results-40844

      I googled "how accurate is the blood test for coeliac disease" to get that and got several very good links which maybe would provide approaches for you. The webmd one is good and so is the NHS one. 

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy EileenH

      Posted

      The only trouble with gluten free products I find is that they taste disgusting!
    • EileenH
      EileenH ptolemy

      Posted

      Not always - gluten-free jaffa cakes are better than real ones! (I have friends who say the same who aren't in need of gluten-free) Bread IS a waste of space - I just gave up on it. Pasta was better in the past but it is still fairly good I think though you have to be careful when cooking it, is too hard one minute and the next it is overcooked - but OH can't tell the difference! Some of the biscuits are pretty good too. There are speciality bakeries that produce superb offerings. One of my friends makes a lemon drizzle cake and discovered it turns out better when she makes it for a coeliac friend using gluten-free flour! I also have a few Italian naturally gluten-free cake recipes that are wonderful. Anna del Conte's Torta Paradiso made with potato flour is the best sponge cake I have ever made (IMHO!)
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy EileenH

      Posted

      I must admit I hate Jaffa Cakes, but I have heard that some cupcakes are OK. I am not really a cupcake fan either! I suppose things like gnocchi would be good instead of pasta. Probably cooking things yourself may be better as there are all sorts of exciting substitutes for wheat. I think I must be a savoury person rather than a sweet person. As my mother said the sign of a true lover of alcohol. 
    • EileenH
      EileenH ptolemy

      Posted

      Tell you - we're twins separated at birth...
  • petered
    petered rhiannon231

    Posted

    The best people to decide when your levels are low is your GP or hospital specialists. When you have low vitamin and mineral levels you, are more prone to pick up infections are the bones not working as they should.

    As we get older it is more important to look after our health. Sometimes we do not get enough nutrients from our diets, and therefore need to take extra supplements to help support our bodies as we age.

Back to top
Prev

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.