• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Vitamin D supplementation causes worsening of symptoms?

Sporty

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Essex, UK
Hi there

I'm VDR Bsm +/+ and a couple of days ago I added in some oral vit D. I only added a 1000 but I'm feeling worse in myself! I'm guessing it's the vitamin D but why?!? Why would that cause me to feel worse again....? Any ideas?

Cheers
Simon
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,266
Location
UK
Hi there

I'm VDR Bsm +/+ and a couple of days ago I added in some oral vit D. I only added a 1000 but I'm feeling worse in myself! I'm guessing it's the vitamin D but why?!? Why would that cause me to feel worse again....? Any ideas?

Cheers
Simon

It happens to me too so I am adding just a little,rubbed into my skin and trying to build it up though I am a bit wary as I have autoimmunity.
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,266
Location
UK
Its so long since, but l seem to recall it stimulated my immune system and l have hashimotos.
 

rwac

Senior Member
Messages
172
Have you tested your serum calcium/vit D/PTH ?

If your PTH is high, it will rapidly convert the D into the active form which raises serum calcium further.
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I too have reacted poorly to vitamin D supplementation. Before becoming ill I had been taking 1200 IU (400 IU tid) of D3 per day for over a year. I never had my level checked while healthy and just assumed this was enough. After becoming ill my 25(OH) level was shown to be low, so I decided I would try bumping the dose up. The first day I tried taking 800 IU in the morning, an hour later I started feeling much worse with increased anxiety and didn't take any more that day. The next day I again took 800 IU in the morning and felt pretty bad. Later in the day I took an additional 400 IU and had a brief panic attack shortly after. I haven't touched D3 since.

I decided I would try getting D naturally instead and started sitting out in the sun for 30 minutes almost every day for two months. I again had my 25(OH) level checked and this time it was even lower, much to my dismay.

I've read multiple places, including the link Gondwanaland posted above, that magnesium is used up in the conversion of D3 to the active hormone form. Having been borderline low on magnesium constantly since becoming sick I assume this is a big part of why I had such a bad reaction.
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
I had to take 10 to 20 thousand icu to notice any significant changes, actually was surprised the doctor told me it was okay to take it like that on alternating days for a while. At first my levels showed 34? I believe, still very moderate range last time I checked. Might be bordering too high pretty soon though. I think its just your body finally fighting things off. To take enough vitamin D for toxicity it would need to be much, much higher then that. I can understand your worries about causing a flare of something else but perhaps talk to that with your doctor. You do need optimal levels of vitamin d for not only the immune system but hormone production and every other process of your body.
 

Sporty

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Essex, UK
Hi all

Well as I say, when it had my vit D levels checked a year or two ago they were very good. I'm going to call the surgery this morning to double check my level.

As I read somewhere else, I'm ok in the sun. Love the sun! Perhaps it's not the vit D supplement. Hard to say isn't it? All I know is I've felt worse the last few days with more fatigue, lower mood and acheier.

Then again, it could be my "natural" cycle of going up and down!! Lol does anybody really know what's going on......lol
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Oh I see, so it could well be my vit D?

Why does it possibly make me feel worse though?
Like I said it activates your immune system. That means increased inflammation.

Vitamin D also increases calcium in the blood. You might want to take it with vitamin K and magnesium.
 
Last edited:

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
it's also possible it could be an extra ingredient in the vitamin D preparation (e.g. soy oil)
 
Last edited:

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
One year ago vit D was the only supp I was taking. After taking 3,000 iu daily for about a month I noticed the following outcome:

- panick attacks (for the 1st time in my life) upon taking L. acidophilus
- antibodies against thyroid went from 800+ to 1,500+

That was also when I went gluten free and started paleo dieting, so magnesium intake through food lowered by much. And I was firmly believing that everything I was making was going to make me healthier...:rolleyes:

Well, gluten is still a no go, probably because of the synthetic folic acid content and high natural vit B15 much more than gluten per se...

izzy
 

Sporty

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Essex, UK
Like I said it activates your immune system. That means increased inflammation.

Vitamin D also increases calcium in the blood. You might want to take it with vitamin K and magnesium.
Inflammation I have! Polyps to be exact! I take magnesium......I take most things! Lol
 

Gondwanaland

Senior Member
Messages
5,092
I forgot to add that my memory problems increased after supplementation with vit D :rolleyes:
I also started experiencing strong EMF sensitivity.

I take magnesium......I take most things! Lol
Do you think your supplementation could be out of balance?

izzy