Vitamin Deficiency?

[Metoo]

I went to my doctor last week for my exhaustion. She agreed to test my vitamin D again, my thyroid (doing the TSH and Free T4 this time, usually they just do the TSH), and anemia plus I think 2 other things.

I looked up my results fro last year, My TSH last time was 1.38, which is normal. I had a Vitamin D result of 14.3...severely deficient the range readings were supposed to be from (32-120) with 70 being normal. I went gluten free in November, and I feel like my vitamin D level has been more stable, because I haven't been as tired, but I have been gradually getting more tired again.

So my question is, once you have a vitamin deficiency, and now that I am gluten free shouldn't my level stay up there once I get my level back up, and I can supplement like a normal person in normal amounts?

I hope hope I get my results back today, I am getting desperately tired of being tired...which is pretty much how I felt last April, so I am going to guess my vitamin D is off again.

[TeknoLen]

That is a great question and I hope someone can answer it because I am wondering also. My vitamin D score was at 23 without supplementation (Aug-2011). I started vitamin D drops (5,000 IU/day) a couple weeks later and by Nov-2011 my level retested at 46 (recommended range is 30-100 on my lab report). I too am wondering if I can start backing down the dose or if I need to keep it high because now my post-gluten metabolism just needs more D3 than the average person... I suppose I just need to have it retested every 6 months or so...

[Ninja]

Teknolen: Just curious, what kind of vitamin D drops are you using?

[TeknoLen]

Xymogen Liquid D3.

[Ninja]

Sorry to have interrupted this thread!

Thank you!

[Cinnamongirl]

I recently had my vitamin D level tested for the first time and my result was 17. Normal range is 32 - 100, optimal range is 50-80. I read that where I live (Northeast US), we have "Vitamin D winter" from November to February which may be part of the reason I'm so low. I'm supplementing 4000 IU/ day now and will re-test in 3 months. I also plan to sit outside in the sun a bit when I can since it is starting to warm up here now.

[Diane-in-FL]

It could also be a B12 deficiency. Are the doctors testing for that?

[c-m]

once you have a vitamin deficiency, and now that I am gluten free shouldn't my level stay up there once I get my level back up, and I can supplement like a normal person in normal amounts?

I think I remember reading it can take a year or longer for your intestines to fully heal after going gluten-free.

Until then, you're not going to absorb all the vitamins/food you eat, so you may continue to have a vitamin deficiency for a bit.

[mushroom]

I am still taking Vitamin D, and B12 injections, and my MCV just came back high again so I am going to have to go back on folate - 4 years down the track. For some of us it seems we just need to keep on supplementing - I just read recently that for many of us the intestinal tract never fully heals.

[Metoo]

Thanks for the replies!

I havent gotten my test results yet, but the nurse did call me and said my Vitamin D is lower than they like to see but thyroid was good and no anemia....so I guess that answers my question . Guess I still have to supplement...I am interested to see my number though, doesn't sound like it's as low as 14.

I am happy though I am do tired and frustrated with trying to lose weight...it's all probably just my Vitamin D again. there is a cure for my exhaustion again

[Metoo]

I did get my results back...it was 32. Which isn't all that low, but its 20 points lower than i was in July. So I guess a 20 pt drop might cause problems.

My TSH was 1.19 and my Free T4 was 0.8 (I believe? I might not remember that right). So normal.

[cavernio]

What other people said; winter means less sun on your skin so you're going to have less D. It's, like, supposed to be deficient in everyone who lives in cold climates during winter. Also I've heard it takes awhile for the intestines to get themselves back, so you will still have absorption issues, in general, until then.

I think, also though, in order to absorb vitamin d, you also need vitamin A. There's some ratio of those that you're supposed to have to have the ideal amount of either vitamin or else oversupplementing one can in fact cause you to overdose even while you might be deficient. I haven't verified that info though, and I might be getting it wrong...maybe it's vitamin E not A even.

As for the anemia, you can still have low b12 or low iron without being so deficient as to exhibit anemia.