I was wonder if it is common to have problems with vitamin D? Mine has been low for a few years and now is very low. I know fibo can cause other issues and was wondering if any one else is having this problem. My pain levels have gone threw the roof and not sure if I need a specialist or what kind of doctor I should be seeing for my fibro. Right now I am just seeing my family doctor. Any advise is welcome. Thank you
Actually, it's pretty common for adults, in general, to have vitamin D deficiency. Has your doc started you on supplements for it yet?
not yet, I know standard numbers are 30-80 mine is at 16, still waiting for my doctor to get back to me. If it wasn't for my chart I wouldn't even know my number was so low. It's a bad night hurt a lot have another 3 hours to work and out of my pain meds.
I have this problem too. After a year of a prescribed daily vitamin D pill, my level was still low. I’ve been on a high dose once weekly pill for 3 months now. I have to have the level checked again to see if it’s come up… I’m really curious. I do feel like my pain and fatigue has improved a little but with fibromyalgia, EVERYTHING seems to come and go.
They should address it when you follow up, but make sure to remind the doc about it. Vitamin D is available OTC, but most often, with really low numbers, you'll get a weekly dose of 50,000 IUs. The max OTC dose I've ever found is only 5000 IU. Like Dyana says, some people do feel better with Vit D replacement. While there is no hard evidence that it impacts pain levels, there is anecdotal evidence that it may. Either way, getting you D numbers back in order is a good thing, especially for women.
kyokired said:
not yet, I know standard numbers are 30-80 mine is at 16, still waiting for my doctor to get back to me. If it wasn't for my chart I wouldn't even know my number was so low. It's a bad night hurt a lot have another 3 hours to work and out of my pain meds.
Vitamin D deficiency has become pretty universal. This is because we evolved to make Vitamin D in our bodies through sun exposure, but then we thinned out and burnt holes in the ozone layer of the planet. So sun exposure that in the past caused just a tan and good Vitamin D levels, now can cause increased levels of skin cancer, cataracts, premature aging etc. The UV radiation is just too intense without the ozone filtering it. And food is a poor source of Vitamin D. So since we can’t get it from food and now we can’t get it from sun exposure without serious health consequences, it’s going to have to come from supplements.
Testing for Vitamin D levels is a fairly recent phenomenon, much of the population is deficient now. I was given rx 10,000 units per day originally, last time tested was borderline, so take 2000 units OTC daily now. Since I avoid sun completely (mom has had skin cancer 9 times, I’ve had corneal clouding from UV exposure), I anticipate probably needing to be on a low dose of Vitamin D permanently. Getting retested soon so we’ll see!
Starr
And Kiyokired, ask your family doc for a referral to a rheumatologist, that’s the best for Fibro diagnosis and treatment. There are now lots of meds to help with Fibro (aside from just pain meds), are you taking anything right now?
Hope you feel better soon.
Starr
My vitamin D levels are always low and I need to address this more when I go back to my Rheumatologist. I take Tramadol, Plaquenil, Sevella and Sulindac for my Fibro and a muscle relaxer before bed but they are weening me off the Plaquenil because my liver enzymes just came back high and from the Sevella due to severe sweating. Of course now the pain is getting worse again. I am stiff everywhere and have all over pain but most has settled in my right hip and nothing I do seems to help it. I have tried physical therapy, injections, ultrasound therapy, some essential oils. Does anyone else have any ideas, I am open to any suggestions.
Trish
If you’re having specific pain in one hip that goes on for awhile, ask your doc for an X-ray. If it continues and is severe in that one spot then ask for an MRI, or to be referred to an orthopedic specialist. I finally got my left hip pain diagnosed after XRays, MRI and orthopedic consult. Now that I know I have severe osteoarthritis, I can take the right meds (started an NSAID), get specific PT in a special pool for arthritis (93 degrees) and if all else fails a hip replacement.
Good luck
Starr
Starr said:
And Kiyokired, ask your family doc for a referral to a rheumatologist, that's the best for Fibro diagnosis and treatment. There are now lots of meds to help with Fibro (aside from just pain meds), are you taking anything right now?
Hope you feel better soon.
StarrI take Cymbalta, doesn't help much. been trying to find a gym around my work that has a pool with no luck. I have a doctor appointment Nov 6th and will talk to her about a referral thank you for the advise was unsure where to go from here.
Oh my goodness, yes! Chronically low and trying everything! I’ve also had low magnesium and b12 and iron anemia off and on.
My doctor told me to increase my vitamin D to 4000 daily. My levels are still a little low so he wants me to increase it more but at a slower rate. Every since I started taking the vitamin D my pain levels have dropped from around 8 to some days almost non existent.
Hi. I take 50,000IU once a week . My husband does also but he is not ill. I guess people are not out in the sun as much or sun bathing anymore since we have little protection from the ozone layer
HUGGGGGGGGGS
Suzie
I was found to have low Vit D several years ago. I was put on 50,000 units once a week for 6 weeks. Now I take 2,000 units per day. My level stays only 3-4 points above the low value from the lab. When I started taking the Vit D I never noticed any improvement at all in my pain level
I too take a once a week vit D because of low levels. My vit D was in the single digits when normal is around 40. Suposed to help with energy also my dr said.
Mom52
They ran a blood panel on me a few weeks ago and found me to be very low on Vitamin D so she prescribed 50,000 units. I take one pill a week. So after a lil bit I hope to feel a lil better.
I take 6,000 units a day because the weekly high dosage did nothing for my Vitamin D. I have been as low as 11 and only as high at 26. At last check i was up to 20 again.
Hi, I to suffer from very low vitamin D deficiency. I was unaware though that is was making my pain worse. The bones in my legs hurt so bad I didn't want to walk. My joints would ache like nothing else and after a few opinions I found out it was the vitamin d problem making it worse. As well over time your bones become week and that is how people can become bow legged. I was told to take 2 vitamin D tablets every morning with calcium for a few months then go back for check up. The calcium is needed to absorb the vitamin D into the bones. The Tablet I was Taking Is Citracal+D. I tend to not have much calcium at home so I knew to get those ones for myself. Anyway that was about 7wks ago and I can feel the difference. My pain has gone back to what I was use to instead of it being unbearable all the time. It is amazing what the lack of Vitamin D can do to your bones. You need to give it some weeks to work though. Good luck sweetie. I hope all goes well for you. If I can help you anymore please msg me. Merry Christmas. Gentle Hugs Take Care. P.S I was also told that really low vitamin D can affect your moods and cause mood swings.
Thank you,
My doctor had me on 50000 units twice a week for 6 weeks and now I take it twice a month.
I know what you mean about it making the pain worse, there have been days I was unable to walk due to the pain. The only way I can describe it is like being hit with several sledge hammers at once. Glad you are doing better, I'm getting there. Merry Christmas and gentle hugs back to you
I think it’s very common for people with fibro to have some vitamin deficiencies. I have low vitamin D but I also live in a place that doesn’t get lots of sun for a good part of the year. There are studies that are trying to see if low vitamin D is partly to blame for fibro symptoms. I honestly don’t see a difference in symptoms when I do take it versus when I don’t. I see a rhuemetologist for some things but he prefers me to see my primary for certain things. I also saw a neurologist for an MRI and to talk about headaches. I’m rally not very reliant on any doctors. I basically go in when I just can’t take it anymore and am faced with the same question every time: “all we can do is try some prescription medication, would you me to prescribe you something?”
Prescriptions have never done me any favors so I say no and move on until it gets really bad again. I’m sure I’ll stop going at some point but I guess I just figure maybe one day they’ll find something new or different.