Vit D question

Hi, I am 4 1/2 yrs post op and have very low vitamin D levels.   I had a check up last week and the only thing that came back very low was that.   Everything else was within normal range except my iron was a little low.  I take 2 vit D pills daily and 1 prescription vit D monthly.   Does anyone else have or has had this issue and have any ideas how to get it to come up?   I'm tired of feeling so exhausted etc...

my pre-op labs said my vitamin D was low.  My surgeon put me on 1000 units of vitamin D daily and apparently that brought mine up.  Now I get my vitamin D with my calcium citrate I take daily and have 1 1/2 bottles of vitamin D pills sitting in the closet =\ might need extra in the winter though when the sun goes away!

I'm pre-op, but my Vitamin D level was completely deficient.  I'm now taking 1,000 units daily except for Thursdays, I take 50,000 units. 

What I would suggest is seeing what your numbers are for your calcium and PTH as well, because those numbers also effect how you absorb your Vitamin D.  I would suggest taking a dry form of D3 probably 50,000 for at least three months and then test it again.  A great source of infrmation regarding your labs and to buy these types of vitamins would be vitalady.  You can reach her at Vitalady.com  She is wonderful.  If you send her your lab values she will help you and give you her recomendations of what to take to get that Vitamin D level up.  She is a Distal RNY patient and so is her husband.  SHe is extremely knowledgable and will help you get your number back up and stabilized.

Jennifer

Thank you very much!   I have been taking exactly what was suggested above and have not gotten much result from it.   I will check this out!

Michelle, I totally agree with Jennifer 100%.  I have found and vitalady will agree that the Vitamin D that is prescribed is not absorbed well, if at all.

Vit D labs need to be looked at in conjunction with PTH and Calcium.  Studies show tanning/sun will have little effect as well.

Most of the world's population is deficient in Vit D.  I have been on 50K for a long time and it's working, slowly, but surely my levels are getting there

good luck!

I sent an email off to vitalady this am so hopefully she'll have a suggestion.   I have been taking the monthly 50,000 IU for a couple of years now and it's not helping much at all.   I just feel so tired and like there's a fog in my head all the time. 

I just wanted to pop back in and reply to you that the reason you are probably not seeing results is that you are not absorbing the prescribed Vit D enough for it to help.  It is packed in Oil so you are not absorbing a portion of it.  Plus you are only taking it once a month...not enough for you to see an impact.  I know Michelle will be able to help get all your numbers in line.  She is amazing.  Vitamin D is hard to get to move up so you do not have to worry about becoming toxic, but she will tell you all of that....

Jennifer

I just got an email from my doctor (on a Sunday! he must have just gotten back from vacation) that my Vit D levels are too low as well. 
I was taking a bit of a supplement and there is a lot in my Bariatric Advantage Multivitamin but apparently not enough. Maybe that's why I haven't been able to shake my depression and moodiness despite doing lots to try to take care of it.
Thank you as well for the information as I'm going to have to have a discussion with my PCP on this very topic this week.

Hi Anna, I just posted this above but I will repost this to you incase you do not see it.  The prescribed Vitamin D is packed in oil, which to a WLS patient is virtually useless.  You need to have a dry form of this vitamin for your body to be able to use it.  That is why I am suggesting that you contact Vitalady to get on a program to get your numbers up.  PCP's and even our WLS surgeons do not know enough about our vitamin needs to help us get these numbers to where they need to be.  Especially when it comes to giving us a prescribed vitamin that is almost useless to us.  Go to Vitalady.com and send her your lab values and she will be able to make suggestions to you of what you need to take to get your Vit D back up to par. 

Good Luck.

Jennifer