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Could I have absorption problems? Vit D bringing out nutritional deficiencies?

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
I wasn't sure what category to put this question in. I'm wondering if I may have some sort of absorption problem, as a tiny bit of Vitamin D seems to be perhaps causing nutritional deficiency symptoms to flare pretty badly. I appreciate any insight.

I recently tried vitamin D yet again, despite many bad effects in the many times I'd tried it previously. This time I got dry vitamin D just to be sure I was not reacting to anything in the oils of the gel capsules, but still had the same effects and very quickly.

By my second dose of 400 mg, I had two massive dark bruises on my legs. Restless leg started. Depressed feelings came in about 4 doses. I don't know if the depressed feelings can be from magnesium deficiency, I read it is possible. After my first dose I could already feel my fingernails being stronger, which is always one of the most noticeable signs of vit D for me. It's hard to believe how fast it can take effect, seems almost impossible.

I tried upping my magnesium as much as I could (I use a spray and much of my skin can't tolerate it) and it did help with the restless leg but not the bruising or depressed feelings. I ordered some vitamin K but had already stopped the D by the time it arrived. I will maybe try taking the vit K and much more magnesium first for a while then try the D again.

I've also gotten bad bruising in the past from being on antibiotics for a few weeks and I know those can also cause problems with depleting certain vitamins. If in fact these side effects are due to deficiencies in other vitamins, why am I so deficient? I take a multivitamin, eat healthy, use magnesium spray every day. I don't eat meat so I know I may be low in some things that are only in meat, eggs, and dairy, since I rarely have eggs and dairy either. But magnesium and vitamin k are in almost all the foods I do eat. So is it a possible absorption issue, that I may not be absorbing nutrients from the foods I'm eating?

And why does vitamin D bring this out? Is it competing with its cofactors for absorption?
 

liquid sky

Senior Member
Messages
371
I do better with Vit. D if I take the large prescription dose. I was on it once weekly, now just every 2 weeks. My doctor follows my blood levels to adjust the dosage. It did cause me to feel flu like when I took it for just the 1 day, but even that has resolved now. By not taking it on a daily basis, it doesn't effect absorption of other nutrients for more than one day.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
I do better with Vit. D if I take the large prescription dose. I was on it once weekly, now just every 2 weeks. My doctor follows my blood levels to adjust the dosage. It did cause me to feel flu like when I took it for just the 1 day, but even that has resolved now. By not taking it on a daily basis, it doesn't effect absorption of other nutrients for more than one day.

Wow, because I've had so much trouble with it, I just assumed higher doses would be even worse. It's interesting that it may actually be the other way around. Although considering by the second day I was already having problems, I wonder if even taking it once a week would make that much difference. It's not like I was taking it daily for a while, allowing for nutrients to get depleted over time. Just two days was all it took! Still, something for me to consider trying. Thank you!
 
Messages
15,786
Here's one sensible answer I find on the internet that might (or might not) be helpful:

I just happened to be in this blog to read some articles and see many people are sharing about Vit D allergies. I am a veterinarian, not a medical doctor, but I thought my comment may be helpful. Most of the time, allergies are happening due to digestion issue. In another word, when we take something and it is not digested correctly, it shows the symptoms of allergies often. Vitamin D3 is the best form of all Vit D, but still it needs to meet bile juice coming from gall bladder. If we don't have enough bile juice either because we our body cannot produce enough of it or bile duct is blocked, then it could cause this allergies symptom on top of other possible digestive symptom (e.g. bloat, constipation, etc..). So, try this. Get emulsified Vit D (One of good brand is Life Extension brand) in small strength then slowly increase it. And take ox bile/digestive enzyme/Betaine HCl product along with Vit D and food together. Also there is a test to see if you are producing enough bile juice. Hope it helps.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroi...e-allergic-reaction-to-Vitamin-D/show/1050672

It also sounds like vitamin D can cause increased calcium absorption, so maybe the actual symptoms are from calcium instead of vitamin D.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
Here's one sensible answer I find on the internet that might (or might not) be helpful:



http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroi...e-allergic-reaction-to-Vitamin-D/show/1050672

It also sounds like vitamin D can cause increased calcium absorption, so maybe the actual symptoms are from calcium instead of vitamin D.

Thanks Valentjn. So you're saying it may be lowering my calcium, right? I don't take calcium besides what's in my multivitamin, so maybe I'll try adding some. Although my Vit D side effects seem to match up better with vitamin k and magneisum deficiency symptoms than calcium deficiency symptoms. I was always reluctant to take calcium because I thought it sort of counteracted magnesium (?), which I feel I'm low on.
 
Messages
15,786
Thanks Valentjn. So you're saying it may be lowering my calcium, right? I don't take calcium besides what's in my multivitamin, so maybe I'll try adding some. Although my Vit D side effects seem to match up better with vitamin k and magneisum deficiency symptoms than calcium deficiency symptoms. I was always reluctant to take calcium because I thought it sort of counteracted magnesium (?), which I feel I'm low on.

I'm not sure really how D and calcium interact, beyond D helping calcium be absorbed. So what seems to be vitamin D problems might be the result of it affecting calcium somehow. Maybe too low, maybe too high. Just something to consider looking in to.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
Hi, do you have any updates regarding this? Was having the same problem..
I've been doing better by taking zinc, magneisum, and vitamins A, and K. Somtimes I take some vitamin E and sometimes a little calcium too. I found zinc lozenges work better for me than capsules. I can't tolerate B vitamins so I skip them now. I'm also experimenting with the advice above to take larger doses less frequently instead of smaller daily doses. I've just started trying that but so far I think it helps.
 

penny

Senior Member
Messages
288
Location
Southern California
It also sounds like vitamin D can cause increased calcium absorption, so maybe the actual symptoms are from calcium instead of vitamin D.

That's what my doctor suggested when I reported major symptom flairs with vit D. He said it might be that my body isn't able to regulate calcium well (which I think is born out by my widely swinging blood calcium levels), and vit D increases calcium which causes the symptoms. I definitely seem to do better when avoiding calcium and vit D (even in food sources). I'm actually having a bit of a crash right now after letting some small amounts of cheese and dairy creep back into my diet over the last week.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
I have trouble taking it but it seems to overall help me so I keep experimenting with its cofactors etc to find ways to tolerate it. My sleep, for one, is much much much better when I'm taking vitamin D.
 

penny

Senior Member
Messages
288
Location
Southern California
I can't tolerate Vit D either, and my levels are quite low. I've been wondering lately if taking it is strengthening an autoimmune reaction by giving the immune system a boost. There seems to be some evidence it can boost the Th2 immune response, which may already be overactive in many people with this illness. http://www.jneuroinflammation.com/content/8/1/56

Certainly could be. I definitely feel more 'sick' (fluey, fevery, and just generally crap) with it which could be immune activation. I might try astralagus at some point, I think it's supposed to help with that Th1/Th2 balance, but without the D and Calcium that Equilbrant has.

I have trouble taking it but it seems to overall help me so I keep experimenting with its cofactors etc to find ways to tolerate it. My sleep, for one, is much much much better when I'm taking vitamin D.

Interesting, it has nothing but negative effects on me (worsened sleep, pain, cognition, inflammation, etc.). I wonder if part of it is that I get 'enough' D from the sun, so I'm meeting my bodies minimum requirements without supplementation or foods...I wonder if 'sun vit. D' effects calcium absorption in the same way that ingested vit. D does.

I ordered some vit. K since it's supposed to help with getting calcium in the 'right' places, but haven't really given it a good trial yet (so much going on) - but maybe now is the time to do that...

Good luck with figuring out how to balance all of this Ocean! I hope you're able to get the good effects without the bad. And do keep us updated, it's interesting to follow how others react, and get a better idea of the complexity of the bodies reactions.
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
Certainly could be. I definitely feel more 'sick' (fluey, fevery, and just generally crap) with it which could be immune activation. I might try astralagus at some point, I think it's supposed to help with that Th1/Th2 balance, but without the D and Calcium that Equilbrant has.



Interesting, it has nothing but negative effects on me (worsened sleep, pain, cognition, inflammation, etc.). I wonder if part of it is that I get 'enough' D from the sun, so I'm meeting my bodies minimum requirements without supplementation or foods...I wonder if 'sun vit. D' effects calcium absorption in the same way that ingested vit. D does.

I ordered some vit. K since it's supposed to help with getting calcium in the 'right' places, but haven't really given it a good trial yet (so much going on) - but maybe now is the time to do that...

Good luck with figuring out how to balance all of this Ocean! I hope you're able to get the good effects without the bad. And do keep us updated, it's interesting to follow how others react, and get a better idea of the complexity of the bodies reactions.
Thanks Penny. With vit K someone here told me to take it with fat and that helped me absorb it. I have noticed nothing negative from the vitamin K.

I'm not sure but I think for me the vit D is just bringing out other deficiencies so trying to address those has helped, but the D itself seems to have a good effect on me. I know for others like you it's the opposite. One thing I haven't figured out is why it's gives me severe brain fog and drowsiness the day I take it, I feel drugged many of the days i take it. For that reason too it's better for me to take larger doses less often than smaller doses daily, since I only get those effects from it on the days I take it. Hope you find the vit. K helpful.
 
Messages
2
I've been doing better by taking zinc, magneisum, and vitamins A, and K. Somtimes I take some vitamin E and sometimes a little calcium too. I found zinc lozenges work better for me than capsules. I can't tolerate B vitamins so I skip them now. I'm also experimenting with the advice above to take larger doses less frequently instead of smaller daily doses. I've just started trying that but so far I think it helps.
Thank you! Good to know that you are doing well. Also, be careful that you are taking Vitamin D3 and not D2. Many people are having quite a bit of side effects from D2 I believe. D3 is the one that our body makes when sunlight touches our skin. I'm currently taking 2000IU Vitamin D3 daily as I am deficient.
 

Marlène

Senior Member
Messages
443
Location
Edegem, Belgium
I found some very disturbing information about supplementing with vitamine D:

If I understand well:

Supplementing with vitamine D could have the same effect has chronic antibiotic treatment on the gut:
- it weeps out the good bacteria
- "the bacteria may be evolving to produce factors that inhibit a critical step that converts the ingested vitamin D into the active form (from 25-D to 1,25-D)" which is catastrophic for your health

Vitamine D is essential to protect you against radiation, cancer, infection, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, ...

Source: http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/statins_pregnancy_sepsis_cancer_heart_failure.html
Point 10
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
Thank you! Good to know that you are doing well. Also, be careful that you are taking Vitamin D3 and not D2. Many people are having quite a bit of side effects from D2 I believe. D3 is the one that our body makes when sunlight touches our skin. I'm currently taking 2000IU Vitamin D3 daily as I am deficient.
Yes am taking vitamin D3. I found that when I got a lot of sun I also felt much better.
 

GcMAF Australia

Senior Member
Messages
1,027
there is a body of opinion that bacteria in the gut can affect vitamin D events.
you probably have seen these papers

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758226
&
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15246025

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758159

Vitamin D (at least in "normal people:) is anti inflammatory via the Th2 system. This is good.
There is a body of thought that many CFS & Lyme people have disturbed Vitamin D systems.
Maybe this problem with vitamin D is an indication of bacterial (Lyme) infection??
 

Ocean

Senior Member
Messages
1,178
Location
U.S.
there is a body of opinion that bacteria in the gut can affect vitamin D events.
you probably have seen these papers

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758226
&
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15246025

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758159

Vitamin D (at least in "normal people:) is anti inflammatory via the Th2 system. This is good.
There is a body of thought that many CFS & Lyme people have disturbed Vitamin D systems.
Maybe this problem with vitamin D is an indication of bacterial (Lyme) infection??

I don't know if i totally understand these articles but it's interesting to note that our Vitamin D metabolism may be messed up. I wonder if that means taking vitamin D might actually cause more problems for some of us? It seemed in one of the publications they mentioned giving a blood pressure drug to fix the problem?