1 Year Labs - Vitamin D is low....

My surgeon said to add vitamin D and more milk to my diet.    Anyone else had low vitamin D?  Any symptoms or long term issues?  Thank you.

My vit d is already low and I'm not even 3 mo. out yet! Dr. says vit. d defficiency is very common... Heather

I am 2 years out and have a bad vitamin D deficiency.  My one year lab's showed a big drop in Vitamin D and my two year lab was actually worse, but I am on a very high dose of Vitamin D and have been drinking more milk and getting out in the sun more.  The only symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency I experienced were fatigue and a low immune system (got sick with 3 different colds/respiratory infections throughout the summer.)  I am doing much better now.   You are not alone. Hang in there. :) ~Shannon

Thank you!

Hi,  I'm 6 1/2 years out from RNY. This past July, my PCP noticed that my Calcium was high on last blood test. I pointed out to him that my calcium had been high on tests for last four years. ****ep records...) He had my PTH (parathyroid)  tested & it was 3 times higher than normal. It was then discovered by nuclear med test that I had tumor on one of my parathyroid glands. New Research now shows that this happens to over 30% of long term GBP patients, esp females. I had parathyroid surgery ($20,000) a month ago to remove tumor. My calcium & PTH levels returned immediately to Normal..In the previous year,  I had lost over 15% of my bone density. .     However, blood tests from last week showed that I am almost depleted of Vitamin D (10) which is also involed with calcium  bone density.I am now taking 50,000IUs vit D (dry capsules) once a week for 8 weeks to bring back to normal and am on a serious weight training routine & WALK 4 MILES A DAY to rebuild my bones.  High PTH depletes calcium and Vit D from body. Doc says I should be able to regain bone density after 4 years of the routine. Low D can rob calcium /density. More milk & sunshime will do very little to get your Vit D to where it should be per research.         See a COMPETENT endocrinologist who will test you correctly. Also BE YOUR OWN RESEARCHER using the internet med reports. This surgery may seem great but I don't want to be normal weight and have osteoporsis/osteopenia in a wheelchair...

WOW!  Thank you for sharing that!!!!

You are the answer to my question!!  What vitamin suppliment are you taking for your vit d?  Please share!!!  I need it!!! Carrie

We have covered Vitamin D before, so I'm going through the recent posts and 'cutting & pasting' for you. You may see multiple messages from me regarding this -- As you will read, I don't recommend supplementing Vitamin D -- you can get all the vitamin D you need from the sun -- unless you're living in Alaska in the winter time. Also, I STRONGLY, STRONGLY, STRONGLY caution you from allowing someone who SELLS supplements to tell you how much to take. If your doctor wants you on it -- he or she should prescribe it for you. In addition -- you should never supplement based on a blood level alone --- this is NOT a full work up and can cause more problems for you. Vitamins are toxic if you take too much - especially Vitamins A, D, E, K. In any event, I'll provide you with the information ... ****"Because vitamin D3 can be endogenously produced by the body and because it is retained for long periods of time by vertebrate tissue, it is difficult to determine with precision the minimum daily requirements for this vitamin (although it's really a steroid, not a vitamin). The requirement for vitamin D is also known to depend upon the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in the diet, age, sex, degree of exposure to the sun, and the amount of pigmentation in the skin. In the US, adequate amounts of vitamin D can be readily obtained from the diet and from casual exposure to sunlight. However, in parts of the world where food is not routinely fortified and sunlight is often limited during some periods of the year, obtaining adequate amounts of vitamin D becomes more of a problem. As a result, incidence of rickets in these countries is higher than in the US. Blood tests only measure what is in the blood. Vitamin D levels measured by blood are not an accurate measure of what your body has stored. I know people think that blood levels tell the whole story - THEY DON"T. Blood levels are one piece of the puzzle - there are many nutrients that are stored in the bones, the liver, the fat tissue, or vertebral tissue, etc. To treat a blood level is irresponsible, unless you have other evidence that leads you to suspect a deficiency. We treat patients, not lab work. However, these are SAFE levels of supplementation: Doses of 400-600 IU (10-15mcg) vitamin D3 have been used safely. There are preparations of up to 1000 IU, but those are reserved for parathyroid dysfunction and renal bone disease. An upper limit (do not exceed) of 2000 IU is recommended. With total body sun exposure, your body can produce 10,000 IU (250 mcg) of vitamin D Doses that reach "intoxication" are caused by large amounts of vitamin D3 and its conversion in your body to a form called 25(OH)D3 - this is an unregulated step, meaning if you put too much D3 into your body, this is what your body will do with it. Patients suffering from hypervitaminosis D have been shown to have a 15 fold increase in blood levels of 25(OH)D3 and can lead to a massive stimulation of intestinal calcium absorption, increased leaching of calcium from the bones, deposition of calcium in the soft tissue, and development of kidney stones." So, TOO MUCH vitamin D can cause low calcium levels & soft bones. Go****'s sooo important that you understand what you're doing with these vitamins ....

Hi!  Thank you for your response.  I truely appreciate your time and patience with my issue.  I live in Delaware and the only exposure i get to the sun is my nose and that has 15 spf!!  I take bariatric advantage vitamins that incorporate 400 iu (?)  I take 2 capsules 3 times per day.  So, you are saying that I will do more harm than good taking more vit d3?  What is the true test to find out?  I would be really upset to find out 5 years from now that I should have...........You know?  I have spent so much money and so much time going through this change I would hate to throw it all away. Carrie

Dear Carrie, I think one of those messages listed a SAFE dose -- no? I'll have to go back and re-read. In any event, I know ... I understand. The WLS is relatively new to all of us. You know, there was a time when we only saw B1 deficiency in third world countries, and severe alcoholics. Now, it's popping up in the WLS population. So, we routinely supplement B1 (or a B-complex). However, B vitamins are not toxic at high levels. If you take too much, it will come out of your body via urine. You may have wasted money, but, you're not in any risk of toxicity. Vitamins A, D, E, K are different. They can be toxic at high levels. I'd first ask you if you have any signs and symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency? Have you broken a bone? Do you feel your bones ache? If you answer no, then, you likely don't need a mega dose of D. Why not start on the SAFE dose of Vitamin D (refer to previous post)? Take it for 14 days. Then stop. Await a re-eval from your doctor. If you consistently have low vitamin D, you may consider asking for a full work up rather than relaying on the blood draw alone. If you have any orthopedic surgeon (surgeon that deals only with bones) friends, ask for their opinion. I think I'll run it by my orthopedic friend and get back to you. But, I still feel strongly about the mega dose. It makes me nervous. If I don't get back to you within in 7 days -- PLEASE remind me. I have an 11-month old boy, and really, I think he hides my brains sometimes. !!!