Very vitamin d deficient and pregnant

General health and lifestyle
1

Hello 

I am pregnant (13 weeks) and very deficient my vitamin D level was 10! I am very worried about this. My doctor prescribed me a daily dose of 4000IU, is this enough? should I not be taking 8000IU at least (done my own research)? If so, how long should I take it, is two months about right and then lower the dose? Should I take calcium as well? Anyone have experience? I do not drink milk or eat dairy, there is calcium in my rice milk and in my multivitamin tablet and I eat a lot of green food with calcium. I appriciate your advice. Thanks!

2

Regarding calcium intake, your doctor is also the best person to ask about this.

Unless you have a special reason to not consume dairy products (e.g. allergy, intolerance), then you may want to consider adding them to your diet during pregnancy for the well being & development of the baby.

I am not sure where you are, but here in Australia there are combination Vitamin D / Calcium tablets available, you may want to consider those if you are not able to get these nutrients through your normal diet.

3

hi I am not sure what research you have done but was it from reliable sources and did the studies take pregnancy into account? I am sure that you are aware that there is a lot of tosh online - statements made without appropriate supporting evidence etc.

Your doctor has picked up on the problem and is dealing with it by prescribing 4000IU/day. I think that your are best advised to follow your doctor's advice and, as the previous person has already said, discuss your calcium intake with them as well. your body will require a lot of calcium during this time and you need to make sure that you are getting enough.

can you get into the sunshine as well, and allow some sun onto your skin? that would top up your vitamin D levels as well. (obviously don't overdo it since you don't want to add further problems....)

4

Hello

Thanks for your email. Yes I am aware of that (internet), Ive done hours of research, usually the amount that my doctor prescribed is a maintanance amount, not to treat a severe deficiency. The vitamin D council agrees with this too amongst a lot of other sources. When I went to the pharmacy to buy my tablets, both pharmacists said I need to take at least 6000IU per day. Anyway, I know I should listen to my doctor but I cant help but to worry about my baby getting enough as my level is as low as 10. I probably need to get a second opinion. I was just hoping someone on here wouldve had a similar experience that is all. I am also trying to get some sunshine daily yes... 

5

that is a good idea to get a second opinion. especially if your doctor is unwilling to put you on a higher dose and is unable to satisfactorily explain why.

i wasn't as low as you (38 rather than your 10), and I was put on 800IU daily.

that, plus the sunshine and it didn't take long before i was well up in the 'safe' range. 

i was in a lot of pain - if you are suffering from that also then take courage from the fact that it does stop. the research suggests it can take about 3 months of supplementation for things to normalise, and i think that's what i found.

best wishes for you and your baby.

6

Thank you!

wow, 800 is extremely low! Here the normal daily dose for ANYONE is 1000IU thats for maintanance for someone with a normal level, even in the multivitamins its 1000IU. I have emailed my mum to ask our family doctor back in Finland (I am in Australia) to see what he thinks. Hopefully Ill get some clarification. I cant help but to do my own research as well as doctors are doctors yes but they do get things wrong and I cant afford that with a baby, if it were just me then it would be different. I am not in pain at all actually, I had no idea anything was wrong with me! I am just extremely tired and fatigued after starting the supplements.... the pharmacist said I may get worse at first so maybe thats it then, its difficult at the moment! Hopefully itll get better soon, its my third week now... 

7

btw how long before your level went up?

8

Oh sorry, three months you said

9

At the end of June I was at 38 nmol/l and at the end of September that same year it was 113 nmol/l.

So although you suggest that 800 IU was extremely low - it clearly worked very well for me.

10

My vitamin D reading back in March was 15nmol/l (unit of measurement generally used in the UK) / 6ng/ml (unit of measurement used in the US).

I was put on a loading dose of 50,000iu weekly for 20 weeks.  I took my last D3 tablet mid July and am waiting a few weeks before I take a blood test, so presently I have no idea what my levels are, but I feel energetic, no bone ache etc.  My doctor said that he will review things once I have my blood test, and if necessary, then put me on a maintenance dose which will be lower.  

I don't drink milk, but eat a small amount of cheese and occasionally plain yoghurt.   I drink a fair bit of almond milk.  My doctor didn't say anything about taking calcium or magnesium supplements, and I didn't bother looking into this as I figured I'll be getting enough of that from my diet.  Unless your diet is really bad and you only eat white food e.g white bread, pizza, sugary cakes, etc, you should be ok.  

You should ask your doctor about how long you need to take the tablets, don't just try to do guess work yourself.  After a while you ought to have a blood test taken, and this will also check the liver and bone density.  Ask your doctor when you need to have this.

11

Hello

I dont agree milk/dairy being good intake of calcium. Do you know how much calcium you can intake by eating greens, legumens, fruit? Or juice fortified with calcium? Or rice milk/almond milk etc? See below article (maybe do your own research on this) and to add , milk is full of pus, antibiotics, mucus, hardly healthy for either you or baby.

"The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to understand that the confusion about milk’s imaginary benefits stems from the fact that it contains calcium – around 300 mg per cup.

But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!

Here’s how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is – you guessed it… in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.

Knowing this, you’ll understand why statistics show that countries with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest fracture incidence in their population (there’s more on this later).

But the sad truth is that most mainstream health practitioners ignore these proven facts. ."

Please dont think I am being rude! I am simply tired of hearing about why I should drink milk and consume dairy when I simply and totally disagree.

 

12

Hello!Thanks so much for sharing this with me! so that means you were prescribed about 7100IU per week, that seems to be a common number from doing my own research with very low vitamin D levels. 

I will hear from the doctor next week so happy I am getting a second opinion. 

I will have a blood test in three months time.. however I wouldve liked to have it in a month or so to know if its improved at all..

Good luck to you! Hope your levels improve soon.

13

sorry I meant 7100IU PER DAY! not week..

14

thanks , thats very reassuring. I am sure my levels will have gone up significantly in three months then! Thats when I will have the new blood test anyway so..

15

yes, your levels should go up. 

i was taking calcichew - (D3 plus calcium).

and i also made sure i spent some time daily in the sun.

was UK sun, so nothing super spectacular.

best wishes

 

16

Thanks! smile

17

Hi,

Yes, it would have been just over 7100iu per day, but thankfully I got it as a weekly dose so it was easier to take and gave me a larger concentration in one go, which I think really helped my aches and pains!  I'm not sure loading doses are given as a daily dose, but I could be entirely wrong.  

Which measurement is your 10 in - is it nmol/l or ng/ml?  Were you having problems with aches or pains, or even cognitive issues before you were diagnosed?  I was having major lower back problems, heel pain, arm pain, and bouts of severe tiredness where I would feel like I would collapse, and I'm sure there were other issues, but I cannot remember them at the moment.  Since taking the tablets all these aches have disappeared and I think I've also got more mental sharpness/clarity.  

For your information I was taking D3 Aciferol (Colecalciferol) high strength tablets (I've just copied this information from the packaging).  

Why did you purchase your own prescription/decide on the dose with the pharmacist?   In the UK (I think you are in Australia?), the doctor will decide on the amount and write a prescription.  

I actually think that I had been low in vitamin D for 3-4 years, at varying amounts, but my regular doctor did not want to do a blood test, and luckily for me I saw another doctor when he was on holiday, who ordered a test straight away.

I've also just taken a look at my blood test form and it says:

            Investigations required: LIVBO, TVITDN, UE

            Liver and bone profile, vitamin D, Urea/Electrolytes

 

I'll probably have this test at the end of September as that would be approx 10 weeks from my last tablet.  Once I get my results, I'll post them for your information.

Re your decision not to have animal's milk, I totally see where you are coming from.  I stopped drinking milk 18 years ago as I suffered with stomach issues and just decided to eliminate it.  I only eat dairy cheese because I haven't tried a dairy free alternative yet, and also just for that added bit of calcium as I can sometimes be a bit lazy with preparing vegetables (although I've good with salads as these are quick/easy to prepare).  I have recently also started taking maca powder and baobab powder (I use the Organic Burst range).  Both of these provide high levels of vitamins/minerals. I will soon purchase a Nutribullet (nutrition extractor) so I can make healthy green smoothies, as it works really well with crushing/chopping spinach and kale, so it's an easy way to up my dosage of healthy stuff.

Regards

 

18

I lived in Ireland, UK, Finland for past 8 years and only now Australia (Ive been here for a few months only). So I think I have been deficient for ages since I am quite good weraing sunprotection too even in winter! my results were 10nmol/L and I had a bunch of other things tested too, thyroid amongst other things. I didnt experience any aches or pains really, unless I am just so used to it that I think it is normal? Sometimes I felt that my muscles ached a bit too much after exercise but.. and at one stage after running my knees/bones felt very sore for ages. Not sure if this had to do with the deficiency.. I was always quite dizzy easily anyway as I have very low blood pressure, so this i am used to.

I did notice forgetting things at one stage and I even mentioned this to my other half. So I guess, all of this could have had to do with the deficiency. Overall though I thought I was feeling quite well to be honest! And I was surprised by my results! Back ache I have always had but not lower back so much, so not sure about that either. 

If it was just me and if I wasnt pregnant then I would probably just have relied on what the doctor prescribed me, but since I am carrying a baby it led me to investigate this further as I am very worried. I found out a lot and I have reason to believe that the dose I was prescribed is fairly low, too low perhaps. In sweden for example the dose I was prescribed (4000IU) is a normal dose to take for ANY pregnant woman, but as I said I am waiting for a second opinion now from our family doctor back in Finland. Some doctors are very conservative still with vitamin D as there has only been research in recent years that the small doses that were prescribed/recommended in the past are way too small that is. In the US for example the doses are WAAAY higher. 

Anyway, as far as Ive done my research it is very hard to get D vitamin toxification and one would have to consume massive amounts over a very long period of time in order for this to happen. Anything below 10000IU a day is considered very safe and even 10000 safe but that is I guess a "limit" that they have put on it. Anyhow, of course I am no doctor or anything but this is just from what I have been finding out when looking in to this.  

The pills come in 1000IU so you can just take as many as required to reach the desired amount. They are bought over the counter and most of them are 1pill=1000IU. Anyway, I am going to hear what my family doctor says. I am hoping he will give me some clarification on this.

Please do share your results with me end of September as I would be very inteterested to know and good luck with it!

 

19

So turns out the amount my oroginal doctor prescribed me is HALF the amount my other doctor recommends. I am very happy I DID MY RESEARCH and questioned this. 8000IU is the amount that I am to take, not 4000IU which I thought sounded very low considering my deficiency. 

20

So turns out the amount my oroginal doctor prescribed me is HALF the amount my other doctor recommends. I am very happy I DID MY RESEARCH and questioned this. 8000IU per day is the amount that I am to take, not 4000IU which I thought sounded very low considering my deficiency.