Vitamin D deficiency success stories

Posted , 122 users are following.

I am in the midst of this deficiency trying to recover from the horrible symptoms that it can cause. I want to hear from people who have overcome this deficiency and how they did it. If there was adverse affects of long term use of vitamin d supplements.

How long did it take to make a full recovery and any hurdles you ran into along the way.

I am just in need of encouragement right now from this deficiency. It has stopped me in my tracks and life just stopped for me. Being frozen in time while everyone continues on with their life while I suffer and wrestle with the symptoms.

Dealing with doctors who are not knowledgeable with this deficiency can be very frustrating.

Please share your story so I know after the storm comes a rainbow. Your stories will bring encouragement and hope not only to me but for everyone out there searching for answers on vitamin d deficiency.

Thank you and God bless!

11 likes, 448 replies

448 Replies

Next
  • Edited

    I hope you get to feel better soon. It can take many months to recover from a Vitamin D Deficiency but if you are taking a supplement it will happen,

    I'm now permanently on 1 – Colecalciferol 800 Unit 20mcg vitamin D capsule every day for the rest of my life because at my age I cannot "manufacture" it myself at the age of 75 by sitting out in the sunshine which of course nowadays is a no-no.

    I wish you well.

    • Posted

      Hi

      ​Mind my asking you a few questions?

      what was your last Vitamin D level?

      What were your signs and symptoms? that made u suspect a vitamin D deficiency and what if any medication(s) were/are youtaking? Many thanks in advance.

       

    • Edited

      Hi Jane,

      My last vitamin d level was 20 in February. I was at 13 in November.

      In December I was on 50,000iu d2 for 4 weeks, the first three weeks I felt better then it went down hill from there. The fourth week taking d2 I felt extreme dizzy, fatigue, weakness, and thirst. I did a little research and realized I needed to take cofactors with vitamin d supplements because it uses up magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and k.

      I reduced my intake to otc d3 5,000iu, with 400mg magnesium, 80mg k2 (mk7), a good whole foods multivitamin. I did this for the next 4 weeks but symptoms didn't improve, felt even worse. I was getting more fatigue and weak. So I decided to stop supplementing d3.

      Because of what I read on magnesuim advocacy group, your magnesium levels have to be optimal in order to safely supplement with d3 or it will cause havoc in your body. Lesson well learned for me. Now I supplement with only 400mg magnesium, multivitamin and v-8 for the potassium and go out in the sun for 45minutes when possible. Until everything balances out.

      My symptoms are: head pressure, headaches, extreme fatigue, weakness, body aches, sores especially the neck and shoulders, brain fog, muscle weakness, numbness in fingers at night, heavy leg feeling, irregular heartbeat, palpitations and irregular highblood pressure.

      I've never been this sick in my life. I'm only 36years old. Never experienced these symptoms before. The symptoms came on like flu symptoms than gradually got worser esp the fatigue, weakness and brain fog. It's been a roller coaster ride. When I think I'm getting better, I get hit with more fatigue. Alot of ups and downs.

      I never heard of vitamin d deficiency so I never suspect it. I asked my doctor to give me a vitamin deficiency test to rule out anything. Vitamin d was on the test and the only thing that came back low.

      I was never on any medication nor am I taking any medication right now.

      I hope this helps.

    • Posted

      When first tested in March 2016 my Vit D level was 59.6 nmol/L <80 - 150>

      I was prescribed 1 – Colecalciferol 800 Unit 20mcg daily for 3 months

      Re-tested in October 2016 the level still low at 74.9 nmol/L so my doctor decided to prescribe the same capsules permanently.

      As to symptoms I wasn't really aware because they were probably "masked" by the symptoms I have from the Pernicious Anaemia (a form of Vitamin B12 deficiency) I've had for 45 years and the Type 2 Diabetes I've had since 2015.

      Some of the symptoms of B12 and D deficiencies are similar e.g. difficulty thinking clearly,muscle weakness, unexplained fatigue.

    • Edited

      Hi Taro - were you ever able to resolve this. I have the exact same situation, everything you've written.

      IT started Nov 2016, it started off like a flu, and I havent been the same since. Exact same symptoms as you, head pressure, leg heaviness, braing fog, weakness, depression, sometimes I get anxiety attacks, palpitations, soreness through neck and shoulders, vertigo, sometimes my muscles and bones ache, I also have constant tinnitus (24/7). I too am 36.

      I havent been able to work, or do much of anything since this started. I saw docs, specialists, and they were really of no help. Like you I sometimes begin to feel bettter, and then I get hit by a wave of fatigue. I feel helpless and embarrassed, as no one around me gets it, and think I'm faking or crazy.

      It was such a  relief to see that there are other people experiencing this. IF you have any insight, please, I'm all ears!

    • Edited

      Hi pbhealth,

      It's been a year trying to figure this all out as everything has still come back normal. Doctors has just put it down to chronic fatigue and some fibromyalgia.

      I have been reading and researching alot because I know there is more to this vitamin deficiency. I came to learn that vitamin d depletes magnesium, potassium, retinol vitamin A, and raises calcium making us low on a cellular level. When we are low its so hard to replete these minerals. Hence all the symptoms are connected to the minerals that are being depleted.

      I talked to a few people who are going through the same thing and it all started out with taking vitamin d supplements and it goes down hill from there. Doctors are ignorant about this and do not want to hear it. Some have gone and did the hair mineral analysis to prove to their doctors that vitamin d is the culprit for the cascade of symptoms.

      Now its just putting back those vitamin and minerals to rebalance the body. I've been on a protocol for 3 months, it's still too early to see improvements because it takes at least 18 months or more depending on how depleted you are. I wish I started the protocol in the beginning and not wait on doctors. So much time wasted.

      You should check out Morley Robbins on magnesium advocacy group or gotmag dot org. He explains it in laymans term backed up with research. It's a wealth of information.

      I wish you well, I know it's hard I struggle everyday. Hang in there. The body can heal and repair itself in time. So there is hope.

    • Posted

      How long has it taken you to recover I've had same symptoms as you for 3 months but only just found out I'm vit d deficient so just started on 2 20 000 vit d tablets once a week for 7 weeks

    • Posted

      Did your doctor tell you why you were deficient besides the usual not getting enough sun. Did he test your red blood cell magnesium? I'm still trying to raise my levels up. There is no point in taking vitamin d if your magnesium is low, it will drive it even lower.

      Magnesium takes a while to replete in the cells. Oral magnesuim can take up to five years depending on the type. Transdermal bypasses the gut and goes straight to the cells.

      How long it takes you depends on your mineral status that is needed to convert vitamin d and all the co factors.

    • Posted

      No he just said everything else had come back normal thyroid kidneys b12 etc vit d had come back low which he said he'd expected. Will see how I get on take second lot of high dose on Wednesday so I suppose it's still a bit to soon to expect a difference

    • Posted

      Hi Taro93814, I've made an account here because i came up with your story and it's just right like mine. I started with the symptoms in 2013 and my first diagnosis was vitamin D deficiency,after all the test you can imagine. I was supplementing during one year and got worse and worse ,but the first months i felt better so i thought it was vitamin D deficiency.Long story short,ended bedridden and had i suspected by researching my symptoms it was Lyme disease.Sent my bloods to Germany (one of the few labs with accurate lyme test) and i confirmed what i was suspecting: Lyme disease. 

      Please,send your bloods tp Arminlabs in Germany and don't accept a negative Elisa test because there are lots of false negatives.

      Hope it helps and nobody else having to go trough the hell i was.

    • Posted

      Vitamin d deficiency is gaining a lot of momentum in the last few years. I also was diagnosed with Vitamin d deficiency and took supplements according to the doctor. At first I felt better but then I started to get sick, very sick. I found a website that explained everything to me after lots and lots of searching. If you Google cforyourself vitamin d toxicity, it has answered all of my questions that all the doctor's couldn't. The blog writer is a scientist and it's very interesting to read. There are also other websites with similar truths. Hopefully, we all heal soon as this is awful.

    • Posted

      where did you read that it can take up to 5 years? would be interested to know
    • Posted

      Hello Kristine98132,

      Did you have vitamin D toxicity? How do you treat that? So what do you do to treat vitamin D deficiency then? If taking too much vitamin D is bad for you? I've been on 10,000IU of vitamin D since March, & I started to feel better for a little while but am starting to feel awful again. Not as bad as I was before but I'm so afraid to get there.

      Any advice is greatly appreciated.

    • Posted

      Can you please tell me what protocol you're on? Explain exactly what you do daily. Amount & times. Everything. I've been on 10,000IU vitamin D for 4 months. It worked at first but recently I've started feeling bad again. I hate it. I just went back to my doctor again & hes doing more blood work but still says I shouldn't feel all these symptoms from low vitamin D so obviously he doesn't know what he's talking about. He's checking my hormones, cortisol, thymine, vitamin B, & full panel thyroid. I did try adding Magnesium glycine 400mg, along with 10,000IU of vitamin D & my anxiety got worse so I stopped. Why do you think this happened? What else should I do? I don't want to get as bad as I was before. Also, my doctor said taking 10,000IU of vitamin D could be toxic. I'm feeling overwhelmed. Help! Thank you!

    • Posted

      Hi Elisa

      I am now only on 25000 of vitamin d every month I used to take it every 3 weeks I also take a multivitamin every day also only other change I have made is I no longer eat meat or chicken.

      Hope you can get some answers and feel better soon it is very debilitating

    • Posted

      Hi PBHealth,

      I have the same exact symptoms as you. So you are not alone. I wish we could figure out how to get better. It seems so unfair. I really hope we can feel better one day. I'm trying my hardest to stay positive. But I guess it causes depression & anxiety so no matter how hard I try, it's a daily struggle. Keep in touch. Its helps.

    • Posted

      Upon research ive found out that depending on how defiecient you are. 20000 a day is not a high dosage,If your still feeling bad than you will need a higher dosage to feel better

    • Posted

      Hi , are you all well now ? How long did it take you to get well if you are ? Thank you

    • Posted

      LOOK! A SUN LAMP-delivers Vit D naturally. I can't take supplements at all! Chose the right mercury arc lamp-vit D lamp. Hope it helps.

    • Posted

      Hi anetta , best wishes for you a speedy recovery ! How low are your levels ? Mine was 19 4 months ago

    • Posted

      hello pbhealth my story is also similar to you ... when i start feeling better out of nowhere i get fatigue and no one can understand that... doctors were of no help .. i dont know what to do ... have you recovered yet or still struggling.

    • Edited

      PBHealth - I saw your response and had to make an account just to reply. In December i was diagnosed with every single symptom you described below, seriously every single one, its almost scary. My vitamin d levels were at 14.... after being on supplements for MONTHS now (its now September) I am finally starting to feel somewhat better. While its a super frustrating process it is so important to give your body a break and to give it time to heal and get its strength back. I found if I pushed myself too hard on days I was feeling slightly better than normal I would be run down for like the next 5 days... PATIENCE is sooo important. Also taking your supplement with the largest meal of the day helps you absorb so much more of it - super helpful.

    • Edited

      Hi PBHealth,

      I am having the same issues and batting through them, currently on Anti Depressants to help with the severe anxiety and panic attacks.

      Sometimes I start to feel better and push my self then the next 5 days are in bed!

      Everyday towards the evening I am tired. Dizziness, balance and gate issues, Tinnitus, Fatigue and Muscular Pain are my problems.

      When have panic attacks, chest gets heavy, heart starts to pound and a strange feeling/sensations though out the body appears with a sense of doom, sort of a burning feeling, followed by anxiety and depression for a few days.

      The worst is balance and gate issues, the feeling of dizziness annoys me the most. i have been batting with all of this for 2 years.

      I cannot take supplements full stop, the day I take Vit D I will have extreme anxiety.

      Can you please share the make and mode of the Sun Lamp you have?

      Wish you a speedy recovery, I know exactly what you are going through.

    • Edited

      Hi Taro,

      Thanks for your post it was super helpful for me. The exact same thing happened for me. about 3 and half months ago I had a lot of pain in my right shoulder, my neck, elbows and ankles. My joints were so noisy. My first blood test showed high amount of calcium, 10.8 (maximum range for my age is 10.4). Then my primary care doctor decided to run more tests to check my parathyroid hormone level beside vitamin D and calcium. The calcium got back normal this time, 9.9, PTH was 39 which is in the normal range but vitamin D was 12.6! So she asked me to take 4000 iu D3 everyday for three months! I was recovering from all of the pains after 1 month of taking D3 and got totally recovered by the end of month three. I was so happy that even decided to stop taking the pills but after 2 days the pain returned! So again I started taking them again but the pain has been increasing everyday 😦 Now I'm afraid that the vitamin D deficiency was because of primary hyperparathyroidism which the only cure would be removing the overactive glands... Anyway I'm going to meet the doctor tomorrow and will figure it out after another blood test. I was wondering if you have checked your calcium level beside your vitamin D? How are you feeling now? Many thanks in advance.

    • Posted

      I just came to this forum as I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. I hope you are now feeling better and all resolved for you. I know this a post from few years ago but I interested to know how things went for you and any advice from you.

      My vit D is 14 ng/ml. I have very similar symptoms as yours - the most bothering one is the fatigue. Also have dull persistent headache, daytime sleepiness, wired feeling in my leg, mild ankle pain and mild muscle pain in arms and legs. Sometimes feeling tingling in my left check, eye and lips. Also sometimes feel nausea. Interestingly, I can walk on a treadmill at 6km/hr for 50 mins without fatigue, but fatigue is the single most bothersome symptom while resting with daytime sleepiness. This fatigue and sleepiness don’t go away no matter how many hours good night sleep I get. Also, there is an urge to do frequent deep breath and have palpitation. All my other blood test came normal except for Calcium which was borderline.

      I am now supplementing Vit D - 2000 IDU (prescribed only 1000 IDU per day for 3months but I doubled it). I also take 400 Magnesium, and 200 Vit K in addition to a general multi vitamin and omega 3/6/9.

      I would really appreciate any thoughts from you.

      I have never been sick like this before.

    • Edited

      hello taro, i know that you posted this so so long ago. But i just ran across your post and i have to say that i have every single symptom that you had including irregular heartbeat, palpations, weird blood pressure etc. Please let me know what helped you and how long did it take. I feel super miserable....hope your doing well.

    • Posted

      hi i feel the same way as you im 37 my vd levels are at 34 i also suffer low iron as well i see you posted 10 months ago can i ask how your feeling today and did you just keep taking your vd tablets i spent the night in the ed cause of the pain in my chest and the heart flutters just hoping this gets better

    • Posted

      how r u now please reply i have same symptoms and i m in same situation

    • Posted

      how r u now please tell me...i have same symptoms n situation please help me

    • Posted

      Hi Tor,

      Just wondering how high your supplements were? My vitamin d level is 11, and this is my third month of taking supplements...

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.