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Vitamin D levels are back up but little relief?
Hi all,
I also found out I was deficient in Vitamin D. Some of the symptoms were
chest pain/tightness (felt like i was having a heart attack)
difficulty breathing correctly
headaches
dizziness
muscular
pain in the knees
arms and legs felt like they were falling asleep
back/neck pains
fogginess
muscle spasms
I was tested with a level of 14. After taking 10,000 iu per day for 6 weeks some of the pains have gone away. I was retested last week and my levels are at 80 which is considered optimal. Now I am worrying that I may have something else bothering me since I am not 100% yet. Ive seen so many specialists (Cardiology, Pulmonary, Urology, Nuerology, Gastrology etc) and I am at my wits end with this. I have my Nuerologist follow up next week for headaches/dizziness and Gastro to see if my pains are related to that. I am currently reducing my intake to 5,000iu as my doctor said that the headaches and dizziness may be attributed to taking so much vitamin D. Still working on figuring out why I am still getting chest pains but I am thankful it is not as bad as it used to be. Its incredibly frustrating knowing that I am now in the optimal level yet some of my symptoms have not gone away. Its like "what else is wrong with me"? A couple doctors before have stated anxiety and panic attacks, but I just dont buy that right now.
I also found out I was deficient in Vitamin D. Some of the symptoms were
chest pain/tightness (felt like i was having a heart attack)
difficulty breathing correctly
headaches
dizziness
muscular
pain in the knees
arms and legs felt like they were falling asleep
back/neck pains
fogginess
muscle spasms
I was tested with a level of 14. After taking 10,000 iu per day for 6 weeks some of the pains have gone away. I was retested last week and my levels are at 80 which is considered optimal. Now I am worrying that I may have something else bothering me since I am not 100% yet. Ive seen so many specialists (Cardiology, Pulmonary, Urology, Nuerology, Gastrology etc) and I am at my wits end with this. I have my Nuerologist follow up next week for headaches/dizziness and Gastro to see if my pains are related to that. I am currently reducing my intake to 5,000iu as my doctor said that the headaches and dizziness may be attributed to taking so much vitamin D. Still working on figuring out why I am still getting chest pains but I am thankful it is not as bad as it used to be. Its incredibly frustrating knowing that I am now in the optimal level yet some of my symptoms have not gone away. Its like "what else is wrong with me"? A couple doctors before have stated anxiety and panic attacks, but I just dont buy that right now.
Have you recovered from weakness?
Understanding a little more about how vitamin D works can help explain why symptoms continue after levels are normalised.
Vitamin D has many effects on calcium and phosphate balance, but most important is that it allows you to absorb calcium, and directs calcium into your bones for storage. When vitamin D is too low, calcium isn't absorbed properly, and you begin to develop a deficiency even if you're eating enough in your diet.
The natural storage place for calcium is of course in your bones, and your body reacts to a lack of calcium absorption by increasing parathyroid hormone, which directs your bones to release calcium into circulation. This corrects your electrolyte levels at the expense of the strength of your bones in the long term. Eventually, as more bone mineral is consumed by the body as an electrolyte, your body realises that its bones are becoming too demineralised but still needs to leach calcium out of them to function properly. It acts to try and decrease the amount of calcium it is using, and this results in hypocalcemia because calcium isn't being absorbed from the diet, and your bones are starting to run out of stored calcium. You experience this as muscle cramps and spasms, heart palpitations, and other symptoms on top of the usual symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
Now, when you finally begin to correct a vitamin D deficiency, parathyroid hormone levels begin to decrease in response to the vitamin D because these hormones are balanced together. You begin to absorb calcium again, as long as you're consuming it in your diet, but with the decrease of parathyroid hormone and diminished bone minerals, your body begins to rapidly push as much calcium into bone mineralisation as it can, which can potentially result in hypocalcemia again. Basically, as vitamin D rises, bone mineralisation increases and bones begin to heal, serum calcium normalises, and you feel stronger and healthier; but as vitamin D levels continue to rise, the bones soak up so much of your dietary calcium that you experience a resurgence of symptoms because calcium is primarily being stored instead of used as an electrolyte. Eventually, everything should get back to normal in about a year once your skeletal system heals properly.
In the mean time however, it is prudent to ensure you're taking enough calcium to support both bone healing and electrolyte function during recovery from vitamin D deficiency. The best thing you can do in this regard is to get lab tests for Vitamin D, PTH, serum calcium, ionised calcium, serum magnesium, serum phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase. Recovery of Vitamin D deficiency should show that Vitamin D goes up to the normal range, and PTH and alkaline phosphatase go down into the normal range. If tests of calcium and phosphate show low serum levels once the other labs are normal, this is a sign that your symptoms are due to increased mineralisation of bone and you can treat it by increasing calcium consumption and/or taking supplements as advised by your doctor to provide your body with the amount of calcium it needs to both recover and sustain electrolyte levels. It's possible to require much more than the regular recommended calcium intake for vitamin D deficiency recovery.
To summarise, definitely don't become too disheartened if you seem to improve but then face problems again as vitamin D increases. This is a normal phenomenon during recovery. Find a doctor who is willing to provide you quality care and actually monitor your recovery with lab tests and you'll feel much better.
Vitamin D has many effects on calcium and phosphate balance, but most important is that it allows you to absorb calcium, and directs calcium into your bones for storage. When vitamin D is too low, calcium isn't absorbed properly, and you begin to develop a deficiency even if you're eating enough in your diet.
The natural storage place for calcium is of course in your bones, and your body reacts to a lack of calcium absorption by increasing parathyroid hormone, which directs your bones to release calcium into circulation. This corrects your electrolyte levels at the expense of the strength of your bones in the long term. Eventually, as more bone mineral is consumed by the body as an electrolyte, your body realises that its bones are becoming too demineralised but still needs to leach calcium out of them to function properly. It acts to try and decrease the amount of calcium it is using, and this results in hypocalcemia because calcium isn't being absorbed from the diet, and your bones are starting to run out of stored calcium. You experience this as muscle cramps and spasms, heart palpitations, and other symptoms on top of the usual symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
Now, when you finally begin to correct a vitamin D deficiency, parathyroid hormone levels begin to decrease in response to the vitamin D because these hormones are balanced together. You begin to absorb calcium again, as long as you're consuming it in your diet, but with the decrease of parathyroid hormone and diminished bone minerals, your body begins to rapidly push as much calcium into bone mineralisation as it can, which can potentially result in hypocalcemia again. Basically, as vitamin D rises, bone mineralisation increases and bones begin to heal, serum calcium normalises, and you feel stronger and healthier; but as vitamin D levels continue to rise, the bones soak up so much of your dietary calcium that you experience a resurgence of symptoms because calcium is primarily being stored instead of used as an electrolyte. Eventually, everything should get back to normal in about a year once your skeletal system heals properly.
In the mean time however, it is prudent to ensure you're taking enough calcium to support both bone healing and electrolyte function during recovery from vitamin D deficiency. The best thing you can do in this regard is to get lab tests for Vitamin D, PTH, serum calcium, ionised calcium, serum magnesium, serum phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase. Recovery of Vitamin D deficiency should show that Vitamin D goes up to the normal range, and PTH and alkaline phosphatase go down into the normal range. If tests of calcium and phosphate show low serum levels once the other labs are normal, this is a sign that your symptoms are due to increased mineralisation of bone and you can treat it by increasing calcium consumption and/or taking supplements as advised by your doctor to provide your body with the amount of calcium it needs to both recover and sustain electrolyte levels. It's possible to require much more than the regular recommended calcium intake for vitamin D deficiency recovery.
To summarise, definitely don't become too disheartened if you seem to improve but then face problems again as vitamin D increases. This is a normal phenomenon during recovery. Find a doctor who is willing to provide you quality care and actually monitor your recovery with lab tests and you'll feel much better.
I'm going through the samething!!! Sigh...
thanx for ur reply. Now am taking magnesium 400g daily with calcium and zinc but what am asking is Why am still having these symptoms while my level is 65 suppose to be optimal level ??? How any one can help me am really facing hard times While all my test are good ,, since I have had the vitamin d around 8 in my blood am still suffering from it ??
Muscle spasms may be magnesium deficiency. This can be go along with vitD deficiency
And what is the worse thing is that my level went up now it's 65 It's almost in my optimal level and still facing these symptoms '. When it will goes these symptoms And how long it will takes. I feel miserable And what pits me off is that all the doctors they don't have any clue in my deficancy
and also I made all the test full test and all comes great my ear and my brain and my blood it all comes great my vitamin d was 8 and I felt horrible at first but now little bit relief But what am facing now is weakness and in steadiness in walking I feel tired evry time I walk and it ended up with off balance from the pain like am coming from marathon ....
and also I made all the test full test and all comes great my ear and my brain and my blood it all comes great my vitamin d was 8 and I felt horrible at first but now little bit relief But what am facing now is weakness and in steadiness in walking I feel tired evry time I walk and it ended up with off balance from the pain like am coming from marathon ....
hi I do have like ur symptoms but I also have off balance it comes from weakness in my legs and my hip pain ??? I afraid it will stay long time I want to back to my life. I was so healthy full of energy now I don't have these at all fatigue and muscle cramps I can't enjoy my life I need help
Thanx for reading ...
Thanx for reading ...
I m going through the same problem..my vitamin d level was around 5ng /ml 3 weeks ago..I rechecked it and now it came up to 34 but I still m having all the symptoms..I have arm weakness and burning sensation in my feet and hands..m getting really scared if m having MS or something?
hi all
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