Vitamin K Deficiency

[ravenwoodglass]

For quite a while now I have wondered why I have bright red spots on my torso, and in the last few months I have had a red bruise like rash on my neck and on my face. If one of my kitties scratched me I would have bleeding under the skin around even the tiniest scratch and the smallest bump or blood draw would leave a nasty bruise. Years ago my doctors told me the bright red spots that look like red moles were 'normal'. With the rash on my neck, which had come and gone for a couple years but has now been present consistently for months I was fearful I might have something like lupus but since I have no insurance now I haven't seen a doctor. I also had a couple dark bruises inside my mouth and one on my lip that I had been worried was cancer, but again no insurance so....

Fast forward to the last couple of weeks. I needed to get some more vitamin D so the last time I went to get some I saw some that combined D3 and K2. I figured why not try it as it had the D level I needed and they were out of that level in just D. I noticed that on the days I remembered to take it, like every other day the 'rash' on my neck would be less pronounced but if I forgot it for a couple days in a row the rash would be back full force. So a couple of weeks ago I started taking it every day. Not only is the rash now totally gone but the bruises in my mouth that I had feared were cancer are also gone and the bright red spots on my torso are also fading.

I did some searching this morning on Vitamin K on Medscape. Vitamin K deficiency is considered to be rare but one of the risk factors for it is celiac disease. I thought this information might be of use to others as doctors never thought to check for it. So if you bruise easily, have mystery red spots or bleeding under the skin do ask your doctor to check for it as it can become serious if left unchecked.

It might be a good idea to specifically ask for K levels to be checked when doctors do a vitamin and mineral panel at diagnosis since no doctors ever checked my levels. Since Vit K is a fat soluable vitamin you don't want to take megadoses without having checked with your doctor first.

[maximoo]

Have Dr chk your platelet count. My sis used to bruise easily & it was due to low platelets in her blood.

[ravenwoodglass]

  On 5/21/2011 at 1:36 PM, maximoo said:

Have Dr chk your platelet count. My sis used to bruise easily & it was due to low platelets in her blood.

Thanks that is good advice. Since the bruising and red spots are pretty much gone since I started the vitamin K I think that was the issue. If they should start up again I will get blood work done.

[rdunbar]

I also heard recently that vitamin K is a osteoporosis wonder drug, as well!

glad that you found out that it can benefit you so much!

I have little red dots, especially on my legs. I've just assumed that they are skin infections. I also get full on mersa staph infections regularly, although less frequent all the time.

I remember having little spots of what seemed to be skin infections even as a kid.

I'll give the K2 a whirl!! can't hurt?

thanks again!

[eatmeat4good]

I'll see if it works on what is left of my livedo reticularis.

I only got it when I got sick, so it is probably another vitamin deficiency symptom.

It has lightened a lot since being gluten free but it isn't gone.

I don't eat many leafy vegetables so I bet i'm deficient.

I'm going to take it and ask Doc to check my blood level.

Thank you.

[rosetapper23]

What brand of Vitamin D/K2 are you taking? I'd like to check it out. I've been using a Vitamin K transdermal creme for the past seven years to keep my levels up. Recently, I asked my doctor to check my K levels, and she said that that test isn't normally done. When I needed surgery four years ago, I recall that I had to be referred to a doctor of hemotology in order to get the test ordered.

[ravenwoodglass]

  On 5/22/2011 at 10:37 PM, rosetapper23 said:

What brand of Vitamin D/K2 are you taking? I'd like to check it out. I've been using a Vitamin K transdermal creme for the past seven years to keep my levels up. Recently, I asked my doctor to check my K levels, and she said that that test isn't normally done. When I needed surgery four years ago, I recall that I had to be referred to a doctor of hemotology in order to get the test ordered.

I use the NOW brand. Yea K isn't a vitamin they usually check as a deficiency is considered rare. It wasn't until I noticed the improvement when I take it that I did a little bit of research and found that it is another vitamin that with celiac may be deficient.

You could do a search using vitamin K and celiac and print out something from someplace like Medscape and maybe you doctor will order it without you having to be referred to a specialist.

[mushroom]

My nutritionist had me order Vitamin K from Complementary Prescriptions www.cpmedical.net.

[rdunbar]

Dr. Peter Green mentions Vitimin K deficiency in relation to bruising, and clotting on page. 124 of his book, Celiac, the Hidden Epidemic.

oddly enough, in the section about dermatitis herpetiformis.