Just been diagnosed with low levels of vitamin d. Im in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and feeling so tired and weak. Ive been prescribed what i think is a high dose.
20000 IU of colecalciferol to be taken 2 capsulaes once a week for 8 week
Does this seem high or am i bein paranoid? I never was told my actual levels just that it was low and i need a prescription
I should ask for your actual levels, you are entitled to see them and it is interesting to know what the current level is. Let us know. It takes at least three months to build up your levels with supplements, so good luck.
This is about the standard approach for getting a low vit D up to where it should be. It must be pretty low or you would probably have been told to buy some from the chemist or just given the standard supplements!
Some health authorities recommend 60,000 IU taken either as a single dose or as 20,000 IU 3 times a week - so you are well within that.
You should feel a lot better yourself (though being pregnant often makes you feel pretty rubbish in the first trimester) - and the baby will also benefit a lot as studies have shown that if the mother is given vit D during pregnancy the baby will benefit too:
"Vitamin D deficiency is common during pregnancy. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to abnormal bone growth, fractures, or rickets in newborns.
Some studies link vitamin D deficiency to a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and low birth weight, but more research is needed to confirm these links.
The symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency can be subtle. They may include achy muscles, weakness, bone pain, and softened bones, which may lead to fractures.
You can also have a vitamin D deficiency without any symptoms. And if that happens while you're pregnant, your baby can suffer a deficiency, too."
So good luck - and all the best with the baby.
Thanks for the replys... would a 8 week supply not be any help them if it takes months? Im worrying as i know having to much vitamin d isnt good for you. What are the normal levels? I think ill ring tomorrow and ask what they are
The high dose you are on should get your levels up in that time - and they will check it at the end of the 8 weeks to be sure.
You would have to take something like 10,000 IU every day for months and months to get your blood vit D level to being so high it is bad for you - above 30 ng/mL/50 nmol/litre is taken as acceptable by everyone, some say higher, 50 ng/mL/75 nmol/litre. Up to 100 ng/mL/150 nmol/litre is the top end of the range - and it isn't until you get to 200 nmol/litre that you have to worry.
I was originally told 50 was normal but since then it seems have changed to 70. Anything below 26 is getting pretty low and you should get a prescription. I have to renew my prescription every month and get a month's supply. I don't think they like giving too many tablets out at one time in case they are wasted or sold! I am able to do the renewal on line through patient.co.uk and I just have to go to the chemist to pick them up. Perhaps your doctors offer a similar facility. It saves lots of time and you can order them while watching TV!
Back in March 2016 I was "low" with a reading of 59.6nmol/L with a range of 80nmol/L to 150nmol/L
I was prescribed 1 – Colecalciferol 800 Unit 20mcg (Vit D) every day for 3 months. At 5600IU per week it is a significantly lower amount than you are taking
I was still slightly low in October with a reading at 74.9nmol/L so was again given the same prescription except now it is to be permanent because at my age (75) I am unable to absorb Vitamin D via my food.
I have shown you my results to give you an idea and example of the sort of figures you will be quoted when you ask for your own.
Do you have any idea why you are deficient?
Apart from exposure to sunlight the main sources of Vitamin D are Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon. Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals. Beef liver. Cheese. Egg yolks etc..
If your vitamin D deficiency is possibly caused by your not including the above foods in your diet then I worry that you may also be Vitamin B12 deficient as B12 too is only naturally obtained from the same foods and the symptoms of both are similar.
Do you know whether your serum B12 and serum Folate (B9) levels were tested at the same time as the Vitamin D? If not I suggest that you ask your doctor to have them checked when you speak with him to obtain the vitamin D results.
I am not a medically qualified person but one who has suffered from B12 Deficiency (due to Pernicious anaemia) for 45 years so am aware of how important it is to keep a healthy balance.
I wish you well in your pregnancy and for the future.
That's all great advice but I wouldn't recommend tuna because large fish contan more mercury. Smaller wild fish such as trout, wild salmon, sardines etc are best.
Hi Georgina
Just to say that clive has measured his vit D in nmol per litre. Where I was talking about ng per millilitre. I should have said. Clive's vit D in my language would be under 24 ng/ml, which is considered deficient. You will need to check which measurement you are given. You can get vit D from sunshine and about twenty per cent from food. You can Google foods with vit D but there are not than many. It is important to ensure your vit D level is good particularly if you are pregnant. I read somewhere that in UK around 35% of children are now considered vit D deficient. Probably because they are sitting inside with their tablets and X boxes! In the US they are reckon that 97% of the elderly are deficient!
Thank you
Tbh i live where theres hardly any sun, i dont spend alot of time in the sun or outside really. I dont eat fish. I dont like it. My diet hasnt been the best for a while. I dont tend to eat cereals and i may jave the odd glass of orange juice. Dr has mentioned he thinks its more to do with the lack of sun, md tje fact i wear makeup with spf in it aswel as face cream. I tend to cover up aswel.
I was thinking for him to prescribe that much it must be low! Ive been feeling very tired and achy lately but put it down to being pregnant. Im guessin its more likely down to the deficiency. It was checked earlier this year and was fine. As far as im aware e ertthing else is fine in terms of levels. Im only young.
With me being pregnant i cant eat to much fish
It is highly likely it is due to lack of sun. It seems vit D deficiency has gone up a lot since we started covering ourselves in high factor sun screens and have it in our make up etc. It is incredible the effect vitamins, minerals etc can have on how we feel. I am sure a lot of people with achy limbs just need a bit more vit D. I think chemists should start offering to measure it for people. A lack of it can be quite debilitating sometimes.
Do you eat eggs? There's vitamin D in egg yolks, and a SAD light therapy box may help with your tiredness and they lift moods.
"at my age (75) I am unable to absorb Vitamin D via my food.
... Apart from exposure to sunlight the main sources of Vitamin D are Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon. Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals. Beef liver. Cheese. Egg yolks etc.."
Age doesn't make that much difference - and it is more likely you won't make enough vit D from sunlight at 75, at 70 you make a quarter of what you could make at 20 via the sunlight on skin route.
Less than 10% of requirements comes from food - there simply aren't that many foods with significant amounts of vit D in them. Egg yolk, mushrooms and oily fish are the most likely sources but you would need to eat over 1/2lb of salmon, a 17-egg omelette or a couple of kilos of mushrooms to get your daily "fix". Not going to happen is it - I love all of them, I couldn't do it!
I see the "fortified foods" mentioned almost every time someone replies - IT ONLY APPLIES IN THE USA. Food in Europe is NOT fortified other than margarine which is "fortified" to contain the same amount as butter. There is no fortification in milk or organge juice in the UK where Georgina lives.
As for why Georgina is deficient - here where I live in northern italy, where we have shed-loads of sun and theoretically we can make vit D at midday all year round, some 80% of the population is deficient. Because when there is sun we walk on the shady side of the street, we don't sit in the direct sun without covering up - and people use sunscreen. Using Factor 8 sunscreen reduces the amount of vit D made by well over 90%, even a suntan is the same as a Factor 12 sunscreen.
See my reply to Clivealive.
Thanks all for the replys. With mornin sickness my appetite has gone to nearlly 0. Im probably able to eat half a meal a day. Ill try adding a little bit more of the foods into my diet. Carry on taking the tablets and spend a little more time outside and then see how we are at the end of the 8 weeks.
I dont tend to show alot of skin even in the summer. Ill wear long dresses or skirts, ill sit in tje shade a lot more than other peoole do and i do have high spf in my creams and makeup. When we go on holidays im also covered in spf amd spend time in the shade too. Tbh i have become a worrier when it come to sun exposure over the past year or so before then i would sit in the sun all day!
We do have some cereals with fortified vitamin D and i only actually realised mushrooms had it in them last week! As a whole my diet needs to be looked at anyway.
Good thionking Georgina
Don't worry about forcing yourself to eat for the sake of the vit D - as the difference you can make is minimal. It is agreed by almost all experts that it is so much simpler to keep an eye on the level and take supplements. It is the one supplement that is worth taking!
Yes it is hard to get vitamin D. I use a multimineral mix that contains it. I wonder if there's a vitamin D transdermal spray. I use vitamin C and Magnesium sprays on my skin.
That's good to know about mushrooms. I've been eating shitite mushrooms and I really like them. As I mentioned above there might be a vitamin D transdermal spray.