Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Can A Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Fertility Problems?


powderprincess

Recommended Posts

powderprincess Rookie

Just wondering if a Vit. D level can cause a miscarriage. I know vit D has to do with calcium absorption but that's about all.

J


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Lisa Mentor
Just wondering if a Vit. D level can cause a miscarriage. I know vit D has to do with calcium absorption but that's about all it.

J

I think that it would highly unusual for someone living in the US (other than Alaska) to have concerns for low Vit D. General mineral and vitamin levels that are low can effect the body in many ways.

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...37107302479.d4x . This may help you with your question.

mouse Enthusiast

I am sorry Lisa, but I have to disagree about the Vitamin D. As you know I live in Arizona and my D levels a year and a half ago, just barely hit the chart. Even with taking mega doses several times a week for a couple of months, I barely got in the normal range. I now have to take 1000 units a day and I am still barely in the range I am suppose to be at. But, I also don't know if the lack of D would cause a miscarriage. At my age, I am more concerned about waking up in the morning - hee, hee.

Lisa Mentor
I am sorry Lisa, but I have to disagree about the Vitamin D. As you know I live in Arizona and my D levels a year and a half ago, just barely hit the chart. Even with taking mega doses several times a week for a couple of months, I barely got in the normal range. I now have to take 1000 units a day and I am still barely in the range I am suppose to be at. But, I also don't know if the lack of D would cause a miscarriage. At my age, I am more concerned about waking up in the morning - hee, hee.

Well, that's what my Dr. said and he knows everything. (yeah right!) :P You had a lot of things cooking back then. Glad it's in the past.

powderprincess Rookie

Well, I must be unusual. Had some blood work done and found out I have very low vit D. It has been just a a bit over a year since finding out I have celiac disease and going gluten-free. Probably still malabsorption. I have even been taking calcium that has built-in Vit D. Now I am taking additional supplements per doctor's orders.

The low vit D is the fact, it being a reason for losing a pregnancy is the speculation. Just looking in hindsight for something to blame even though it was probably chromosomal abnormalities and I know it is unfortunately too common an occurrence for whatever the reason. Nothing I can do will change what happened but I do want to make sure I can do everything possible to have it stick next time. If waiting until vit D levels are in a normal range will make a difference, I'd like to do that.

I think that it would highly unusual for someone living in the US (other than Alaska) to have concerns for low Vit D. General mineral and vitamin levels that are low can effect the body in many ways.

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...37107302479.d4x . This may help you with your question.

powderprincess Rookie

p.s. thanks for the link!

I think that it would highly unusual for someone living in the US (other than Alaska) to have concerns for low Vit D. General mineral and vitamin levels that are low can effect the body in many ways.

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...37107302479.d4x . This may help you with your question.

DeerGirl Apprentice
I am sorry Lisa, but I have to disagree about the Vitamin D. As you know I live in Arizona and my D levels a year and a half ago, just barely hit the chart. Even with taking mega doses several times a week for a couple of months, I barely got in the normal range. I now have to take 1000 units a day and I am still barely in the range I am suppose to be at. But, I also don't know if the lack of D would cause a miscarriage. At my age, I am more concerned about waking up in the morning - hee, hee.

Hi folks - only posting here as I just did a search of the glutenfreeforum for Vitamin D references...

:D In case it is of any use whatsoever -- the entire reason I was sent for celiac testing was my very, very low Vit D levels -- and I live in the Northeast of the US. :huh:

I'm currently awaiting some kind of resolution on my diagnosis (not firm on Dx yet), but just putting my experience out there.

Have no idea of Vit D causes fertility problems per se, but I *do* know that Vitamin D is technically, not a vitamin, it is a steroid hormone precursor that helps your body manufacture and regulate several key hormones/cholesterol. It has many effects outside of skeletal system - including mucous membranes, nerve conduction, hormone levels (can cause cycle problems). And deficiency in it, can cause so many extra-skeletal problems.

That's it! Maybe it's useful (?)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



newceliac Enthusiast

Vitamin D deficiency is definitely possible and I believe celiac is the cause.

I live in the South where sun (and heat) is prevalent most of the year and I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. As a matter of fact, that should have been the first clue for the doctors. However, they just put me on 50,000 iu of Vitamin D 2x weekly for 6 weeks. Actually, I started feeling worse after taking the Vitamin D.

I go back to endo dr. next week to check my vitamin d levels but I but they are still low since the vitamin d was probably not digested.

I have not been back to endo dr. since I was diagnosed with celiac disease.

happygirl Collaborator

x

aikiducky Apprentice

It's quite possible that vit. D deficiency is rare - in healthy individuals. People with celiac are in a different situation though. Sometimes doctors seem to forget that.

Pauliina

Ridgewalker Contributor
It's quite possible that vit. D deficiency is rare - in healthy individuals. People with celiac are in a different situation though. Sometimes doctors seem to forget that.

Pauliina

Yeah, I think that's the key, right there. In the general population of a developed country, Vitamin D deficiency would be rare. Celiacs, of course, can have any kind of nutrient deficiency, though I would hope that would improve after diagnosis. My mother also tested with a Vitamin D deficiency around the time of her diagnosis, but all her levels (except potassium) have improved dramatically since then.

I don't know how Vitamin D would affect fertility, but Deergirl's comments sound logical.

-Sarah

DeerGirl Apprentice
Just wondering if a Vit. D level can cause a miscarriage. I know vit D has to do with calcium absorption but that's about all.

J

Just popping back, were your Vit D levels low?

Some sites, in case you're interested (I think we can post links on the boards...):

Solid, basic Vit D info: Open Original Shared Link

See for muscle spasms: Open Original Shared Link

Good Vit D info: Open Original Shared Link

Celiac, dietary info: Open Original Shared Link

Common symptom of Vit D deficiency: Open Original Shared Link

Didn't find anything per se about Vit D and fertility in humans but....

About fertility, but in rats: Open Original Shared Link

Pre-eclampsia: Open Original Shared Link

I think I did see some mention of PCOS and Vit D deficiency, so that may be worth looking into, if that fits your situation.

powderprincess Rookie

Hi Deergirl and all!

Thank you so much for the links and I hope everyone dealing with low D levels starts absorbing soon!

I will read all the info on the links soon. Also, just went to the Dr and asked about the D levels having to do with fertility problems. She said D only had to do with bones. I spent most of my life dealing with Dr.s who are not always right. The links will be a good source of info I can ask/enlighten her about.

Oh you asked how my d levels are. . .found out recently they are low, and like too many here, probably from malabsorption.

<3

  • 4 weeks later...
farofa Rookie
Vitamin D deficiency is definitely possible and I believe celiac is the cause.

I live in the South where sun (and heat) is prevalent most of the year and I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. As a matter of fact, that should have been the first clue for the doctors. However, they just put me on 50,000 iu of Vitamin D 2x weekly for 6 weeks. Actually, I started feeling worse after taking the Vitamin D.

I go back to endo dr. next week to check my vitamin d levels but I but they are still low since the vitamin d was probably not digested.

I have not been back to endo dr. since I was diagnosed with celiac disease.

hi. thought i'd jump in here:

my vitamin d levels were also very low and are what clued doctors into the gluten problem.

i had a severe allergic reaction to d2 (drisdoll). please stop taking it and take d3 instead. doctors should not be prescribing the synthetic d2 as people are often allergic to it.

i continue taking 4000iu d3 daily with calcium and my levels seem to have stabilized though its clear to me that if i inadvertently get glutened, i still have trouble absorbing the d. i'd like to find an injectable d3 to circumnavigate the digestive process because i would like to test the theory of fertility and d.

vitamin d is, i've been told, by dr. thys jacobs responsible for infertility in animals and people. they use vitamin d when breeding horses! d may be responsible for two pre-clinical miscarriages i had last year. i'm hoping to stabilize now so as to be able to get pregnant.

vitamin d deficiency has also been responsible for terrible menstrual cramps, etc., and generally affects the flow and quality of my menstrual cycle so it would be logical that it affects fertility as well. much of thys-jacobs (based in nyc) research can be found online and is a worthwhile read.

  • 3 months later...
DonnaD777-777 Newbie
Just wondering if a Vit. D level can cause a miscarriage. I know vit D has to do with calcium absorption but that's about all.

J

I know low thyroid can cause infertility...check it out

Ursa Major Collaborator

Almost EVERYBODY in North America is vitamin D deficient. Unless you are able to be out in the sun with almost no clothes on for 20 minutes a day during the time the sun is high in the sky (which only works in he summer, and only for white people), you won't make enough vitamin D yourself. If you have dark skin you can NEVER make enough vitamin D unless you live close to the equator.

Arctic people only survive because of eating fish and the organs and fat of the seals/whales they kill.

Most prescription vitamin D is the inferior, synthetic vitamin D2, which is nearly useless to bring your levels up.

The absolute best way of getting vitamin D is cod liver oil. I take the Carlson brand, since it doesn't taste bad.

My vitamin D was very low two years ago, and I took two tablespoons a day of cod liver oil for a year. When tested it was almost too high, so now I take one tablespoon a day.

Not only will that give you the vitamin D you so desperately need, but also omega 3 fatty acid, without which your body can't function (we all get too much omega 6 and don't need to supplement with that) and vitamin A, which is needed to use the vitamin D (which is needed to use the calcium and magnesium we eat/take).

Personally, I don't believe anybody needs to take vitamin D prescription pills, the only people that benefit from that are the pharmaceutical companies. Cod liver oil is the natural way to bring your levels up. It is cheaper and better.

Oh, and yes, a severe vitamin D deficiency can cause miscarriages.

elisabet Contributor
Just wondering if a Vit. D level can cause a miscarriage. I know vit D has to do with calcium absorption but that's about all.

J

Hei,

yes it can be the cause of miscarriage,but vit D is an oil soluble vitamin .be careful not overdoing.

The best is to measure your D vit and take cod liver oil accordingly.

calcium metabolism is my felt,I will be happy if I can help.

Elisabet

  • 4 weeks later...
shayesmom Rookie
Almost EVERYBODY in North America is vitamin D deficient. Unless you are able to be out in the sun with almost no clothes on for 20 minutes a day during the time the sun is high in the sky (which only works in he summer, and only for white people), you won't make enough vitamin D yourself. If you have dark skin you can NEVER make enough vitamin D unless you live close to the equator.

Arctic people only survive because of eating fish and the organs and fat of the seals/whales they kill.

Most prescription vitamin D is the inferior, synthetic vitamin D2, which is nearly useless to bring your levels up.

AMEN to that!

There is so much misinformation on Vitamin D and the current state of illness in the U.S. reflects it. It doesn't matter if you're celiac or not. Many cases of cancer could be prevented simply by getting enough Vitamin D.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Wheatwacked replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      50

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

    2. - knitty kitty replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

    3. - knitty kitty replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      50

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

    4. - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    5. - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,355
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Amy Immerman
    Newest Member
    Amy Immerman
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Raising you vitamin D will increase absorption of calcium automatically without supplementation of calcium.  A high PTH can be caused by low D causing poor calcium absorption; not insuffient calcium intake.  With low D your body is not absorbing calcium from your food so it steals it from your bones.  Heart has priority over bone. I've been taking 10,000 IU D3 a day since 2015.  My doctor says to continue. To fix my lactose intolerance, lots of lactobacillus from yogurts, and brine fermented pickles and saurkraut and olives.  We lose much of our ability to make lactase endogenosly with maturity but a healthy colony of lactobacillus in our gut excretes lactase in exchange for room and board. The milk protein in grass fed milk does not bother me. It tastes like the milk I grew up on.  If I drink commercial milk I get heartburn at night. Some experts estimate that 90% of us do not eat Adequite Intake of choline.  Beef and eggs are the principle source. Iodine deficiency is a growing concern.  I take 600 mcg a day of Liquid Iodine.  It and NAC have accelerated my healing all over.  Virtually blind in my right eye after starting antihypertensive medication and vision is slowly coming back.  I had to cut out starches because they drove my glucose up into the 200+ range.  I replaced them with Red Bull for the glucose intake with the vitamins, minerals and Taurine needed to process through the mitochodria Krebs Cycle to create ATP.  Went from A1c 13 down to 7.9.  Work in progress. Also take B1,B2,B3,B5,B6. Liquid Iodine, Phosphatidyl Choline, Q10, Selenium, D and DHEA.     Choline supplemented as phosphatidylcholine decreases fasting and postmethionine-loading plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy men +    
    • knitty kitty
      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it.  Gluten is  the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part.  Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate  ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein.   Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat, and bran is the protective covering of the kernel.   Little to no gluten there.   Large amounts of lectins are in wheat germ and can cause digestive upsets, but not enough Gluten to provoke antibody production in the small intestines. Luckily you still have time to do a proper gluten challenge (10 grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks) before your next appointment when you can be retested.    
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.