Extremely Low Vitamin D

begalli · Jan 9, 2005

Isn't Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin?

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/VitaminD.html

I don't mean this as a joke. One of the best ways to get Vitamin D is exposure to sunlight.

alintanurse · Jan 9, 2005

I just got a letter from my endocrinologist who had done a bunch of tests on me cause I have low magnesium and require twice weekly infusions of mag sulphate. Now he says my labs came back extremely low in vitamin D and that he wants me to start having vit D infusions once a week. Is this odd to have low Vit D? Can you infuse vit D with mag sulphate without compatability issues? I can't seem to find anything in my nurses drug book or in any of my nursing lab books about low vit D.
Has anyone treated a patient who has low vit D and need infusions for it? I need any info anyone has. Thanks, Curleysue

Try this website : http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/index.html -you can research magnesium also. It doesn't mention infusions, but is very informative re: causes,tx's ,abnormal levels etc. :idea:

curleysue · Jan 9, 2005

Thanks for all the useful websites. It actually explains a lot of the muscle pain I have been having. Extreme muscle pain that I have just been relating it to my fibromyalgia (scared to say I have that cause its looked down upon). Anyways, the low vit D also explains why my calcium is low too. It all adds up. I am a mess. I wonder if going under the tanning beds would help my body make more Vit D? Silly. I eat a lot of vit D rich foods including vit D enriched milk. So I don't know what I am doing wrong.

Some of the doctors have told me I may have to make a trip to the mayo clinic cause they cannot understand why I am deficient in magnesium, calcium, vit D. It makes me feel so AWFUL!! its hard to work feeling this bad. Oh well enough complaining. Again thanks for those who responded. I wish more people knew more about it. Oh well. Have a good night. Curleysue

nicolel1182 · Jan 9, 2005

Anyways, the low vit D also explains why my calcium is low too. It all adds up. I am a mess. I wonder if going under the tanning beds would help my body make more Vit D?

tanning beds wont help your vit D...it only comes from the sun...hope you get it all back up to track :)

alintanurse · Jan 9, 2005

curlysue(I like that name!) What else have the doctors told you? What is your dx? Is it a malabsorption problem?

group_theory · Jan 9, 2005

You can make Vit D from tanning beds ... however the UV exposure from tanning beds is FAR MORE than you'll ever need to make Vit D ... sunlight for a few minutes is sufficient

The poster probably also has hypophosphatemia, given the low Vit D and low serum Mg.

Besides inadequate diet and intestinal malabsorption (Crohn's or other pathology preventing absorption), there are other causes to consider. Check the liver and kidney. Before Vitamin D can be active, it has to go through two hydroxylation steps, first in the liver, and second in the kidney. A defect in any of those 2 organs will result in low active Vitamin D level.

The kidney also regulates vitamin D, calcium, magnesium levels so consulting with a nephrologist might be a good idea.

Hypoparathyroidism is always possible but since you are already seeing an endocrinologist, ask him/her about it.