In March 2016 I was tested for Vitamin D after complaints of aching/weak legs and hips as well as headaches, strange vision, extreme tiredness and a fullness in my head like it was filled with expanding foam. The results came back and my level was 14. It took another 3 appointments and 2 months before they finally treated me with 20,000IU tablets everyday for 2 weeks.
My levels have returned to normal, however, all of the symptoms persist to some extent 3 weeks after taking the tablets; particularly the leg aches.
My question is: how long will it be before I'm likely to feel any better? Is there some time before my body reacts to the increase in Vitamin D or is it likely that the problem lies somewhere else?
Thanks,
James
Hi James.
A serious vitmin D deficiency is not cured overnight - or within the three months claimed by GPs, I'm afraid! Two weeks is a very short course of treatment - most last between 6 and 12 weeks. I would suggest you maintain a good intake of D and/or get some sun if the rain holds off for long enough. It took me seven months before I felt I turned a corner and realistically a year to get to everyay 'functional'. Hope it won't take that long for you, but look after yourself and don't force things. Your body can only recover in its own time.
There are lots of vit D deficiency dicussions on here - have a look at some of the older ones and look at a range of different people's experiences.
Wishing you a solid, if not speedy, recovery.
:-)
Hi James. I was treated for 10wks. I atarted to feel much better about a month after the end of treatmwnt. Some numbness and pins and needles took a while longer than that.
Have you had b9 and b12 tested ?
Jane
You can buy your own vitamin d in spray form n even test online. Don't depend on docs get yourself right they can only deal with you if your on the ground with rickets if you get my meaning they wait till your actually diseased b4 they see it n treat.
Thankfully not all doctors are like that.
Re: Rickets/Osteomalacia... they only deal with rickets if and once you've broken a bone. The great NHS, eh?
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it
It's been almost a month since I finished my treatment and I have felt very little difference. I had a small boost during my treatment but otherwise much the same. Did you have good and bad days? Also, did you find the fatigue was worse after a hard week at work for example? Finally, any differences in your vision? I've had a really hard time describing how my vision has changed since the beginning of this but it certainly has. I'm having a hard time believing that the vitamin D is my issue, I'm so worried that I actually have chronic fatigue and the vitamin D has just been something on the side. I am extremely low at the moment (I know depression can be a side effect of vitamin D) and really can't find anyone, in person, that can understand or relate to this.
Yes, I also had visual problems. I had periodic episodes of double vision although this seems to have stopped now. I can't emphasize enough that just having reached a 'normal' blood level of vit D indicates nothing about the underlying processes of osteomalacia, which take time to resolve. Your bone pain symptoms demonstrate that you do have significant osteomalacia, and you must allow time for this to be corrected: a good intake of vitamin D will allow your body to change the net movement of calcium and phosphorus into your bones, rather than out, until you reach a state of balance.
There are lots of people who have contributed on here who have complained of just your symptoms. D deficiency serious enough to cause osteomalacia is awful. It causes a host of different, debilitating symptoms including depression, tearfulness and panic in some, that take time to resolve. Don't panic. Just keep up a good D intake and do what you can in terms of exercise - when you can - to begin to build up wasted muscles and encourage bone building. If you don't feel you can manage work, you must speak to your doctor about being written off sick until you feel better.
I would recommend you have a look at the books or lecures available on Youtube of Professor Michael Holick who is a world leading researcher and physician specialising in vitamin D. When successive GPs proved almost useless, he provided the information that I might be looking at a long recovery - he wasn't wrong!
Wishing you all the best.
Iv had muscle n bone wasting from an antibiotic when I'd deficiency in potassium at time n was wondering all time is it possible to build it back up I didn't think you could but you've answered that for me thanks, gives bit of hope.
Again, thank you for your reply.
It has been very helpful and reassuring.
Hi Jane,
I'm glad to hear your symptoms relieved themselves so quickly. Could you describe anymore of your symptoms and their severity? I believe I have had my b9 and b12 tested; they were in the normal range. It was just my Vitamin D that was very low at 14.
Thanks for your reply,
James
On several really bad days work had to take me indoors in their wheelchair due to lack of strength. Some days my vision was so poor i dare not drive. Pins and needles in fingers. Numbness in toes and one leg. Exhaustion to the point of collapse and sleeping up to 18hrs a day at worst. Memory to the point of not knowing peoples names that i had known for tears. Total confusion to simple questions. Really uncomfortable head sweats. Largely all gone barr head sweats. Lack of bladder control several times.
James my vit d was 15 so not so different.
Jane, there are anecdotal reports all over the internet about people having visual disturbances with D deficiency. I certainly did; I don't seem to have double vision now that I am out of overt osteomalacia. It's interesting that this does not seem to be mentioned in the medical literature, but so many symptoms that go alongside D deficient osteomalacia aren't. I can only suggest we mention these symptoms to our family doctors or specialists (if lucky enough to get a referral) until the profile of actual D deficient symptoms is raised.
You would need to know whether any bone demineralisation was caused by osteomalacia (which is supposed to be reversible) or osteporosis, which may not be reversible. If the latter, I understand there are drugs that can help to preserve bone strength, but they are controversial. In both cases, gentle load-bearing exercise can help. Wishing you all the best.
I did and my gp seemed to accept it as part of the problem. The optician did, though may have been being polite ?
That's a good sign that vitamin D deficiency is starting to be taken more seriously. My GP sadly wagged his head at me and my optician obviously thought I was nuts because I didn't have double vision the day I went for my eye test!
Too true. The number of people showing up on patient.co.uk saying there is nothing wrong with me, why can't I function (by the way I have low vitamin D) shows that many, many people are seeing doctors who are still unaware of the impact of and disorders associated with D deficiency, and, signficantly, the time it can take to resolve.