Not Absorbing Vitamin D

[Uno]

Hi folks

My mum has very low Vitamin D levels and has been having injections but her levels remain low and her doctor is baffled as to why she is not absorbing it?

I wondered if it could be a methylation issue?

Thanks!

 

[Valentijn]

My mum has very low Vitamin D levels and has been having injections but her levels remain low and her doctor is baffled as to why she is not absorbing it?

Which form is testing low and which form is she being injected with?

 

[Uno]

I don't know I can find out? Does it make a difference? x

 

[fibrodude84]

Yes, 25 hydroxy is the best vit d test. Is her injection vitamin d 3? Vit d2 is synthetic and harder for body to absorb.

 

[heapsreal]

I remember i was taking something like 5000iu a day and my vit D was still low, i managed to increase this by use a high dose 50000iu capsule. I think i did this daily for a week, then took 1 once a week for a few weeks and then just slowly kept spacing them out, now i probably take 1 x 50000iu once a month when i remember?

 

[IreneF]

Is your mum able to sun herself? It's not something I would do because I'm fair, but it's the way your body makes vitamin D.

Medication use can affect vitamin D:

"Steroids
Corticosteroid medications such as prednisone, often prescribed to reduce inflammation, can reduce calcium absorption and impair vitamin D metabolism. These effects can further contribute to the loss of bone and the development of osteoporosis associated with their long-term use.

Other medications
Both the weight-loss drug orlistat (brand names Xenical® and alliTM) and the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine (brand names Questran®, LoCholest®, and Prevalite®) can reduce the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins. Both phenobarbital and phenytoin (brand name Dilantin®), used to prevent and control epileptic seizures, increase the hepatic metabolism of vitamin D to inactive compounds and reduce calcium absorption."

--US Office of Dietary Supplements

Also, your kidneys covert the vitamin precursor to active vitamin D, so your mum might need to have her kidneys checked.