Just had some blood tests done. All ok. Been on steroids for almosf two years.
Currently on 5mg just starting the slow reduction.
My vitamin d is 100, which is a good result.
I took vitamin d during the winter and presuming I do not need to take any with that
Result?
No - you should be OK - your vit D naturally would be at its highest in September and lowest in May.
If you have been on Pred for two years and you are on 5mg now what was your dossage before ? And how long have you been on 5mg. I have been taken Vitamin D and have decided to continue even though summer is here.
i would like to ask another question to anyone out there, I have just started to bruise easily it looks old people when there skin has gone thin I am 58. Is this another side affect of steroids.
I am afraid bruising IS a part of PMR. Many of us have 'patches' or 'tears' (they even bleed sometimes)😡. We also suffer from thining skin - not all of course. I found as I Iowered the pred the bruising, etc stopped.
Don't worry, it's not a sign of ageing.
What scale is your hospital using for a Vit D test. 200 is approx one third below and I would be takingg 1000 units per day, which is a maintenace dose. Vit D deficiency causes aches and pains just like PMR. it is an exclusion test before a PMR diagnosis is confirmed.
I used arnica tablets and cream to break down the bruises quickly.
I believe the lab range is 50-120 nmol, with 75 being optimal. So my 100 result is very good.
That is OK,
I just wondered because our Hospital Trust uses 30 to 148.
So even with that range it is very good?
I would think so.
To keep mine up I buy (from Boots as they show which country they are made in 90 tablets for just over £5) of Vit D maintenance daily dose - this has kept my Vit D right on track for the past 5 years. I have a six monthly blood test for other reasons not connected, but they always add 'full spectrum'. This because standard tests cost less, but if you need additional stuff then the test cost rises.
I am not going to supplement as I feel it would be a waste of money and waste of vitamin d. I have not been taking any since April so reckon my levels will remain good, I am very much outdoors and I make sure I do the recommended sunscreen free period .
It would be an idea to get it checked in the autumn - being in the sun without sunscreen is still no guarantee your body is doing the job. I can't remember my husband EVER using sunscreen and we live in northern Italy, lots of sun all year round that is powerful enough to trigger the production of vit D in theory. But his level last autumn was dire - 7! And 80% of the population are said to be deficient!
Recently had Vitamin D test done and optimum was described as between 80-200. The "optimum" appears to have been raised over the past little while. I was told as recently as last year 150 was high!
200 has been found to greatly improve pulmonary problems. And of course there are two different units which make a difference to the numbers.
We use nmol.
The relationship is a factor of 2.5:
Levels of 20 to 40 ng/ml or 50 to 100 nmol are often quoted as "normal range" - but these are relatively old figures and nowadays 30-50 ng/ml or 75-250 nmol/l are felt to be much more acceptable. But you can see it is important to know the units being used.
Of course, the level you are told is low/ok/high depends on which hymnsheet the person is singing from! We have done the reading that tells us that the expert opinion is changing and believe it - others are still stuck at the levels they learnt at school...
Eileen, I think you mean: 75-250 nmol/l. UK
in the US some researchers suggest 40-60ng/ml being optimal. In my case when my "normal" range Vit D was 30.5 ng/ml I felt terrible. When it approached 50ng/ml I felt much better. When it reached 70 I was starting to go days without needing Ventolin. 70 is the target dose my pulmonary Doctor agreed on to help my breathing and I did.
There is a web site with a Vit D dose calculator to reach desired levels based on weight and current Vit D level. The thing is unless you do a blood test its guesswork. In the US Medicare allows three Vit D tests a year. I test every month myself until I know My dose and level will be stable.
Oops - so I did! If only we could edit things!
We keep on banging on about the need for the 'edit' button.
It is not the fault of admin, it is the fault of the tech guys who just do not listen to any of us...............grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Don't we just - there was some talk of it but it seems to have lapsed again...