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My psychiatrist ran some blood work. She called today and said that I am Vitamin D deficient. The normal range is 30-100, I'm 22. She called me herself and said to take a vitamin D3 supplement.

Should I be worried? Anyone else go through this?

I looked and my risk of cancer is greater with Vitamin D as well.

This may make more sense with my moods though.

I don't remember where I was at but it was low enough that the doc told me to take up to 3000mg a day in supplements. I will admit much to my embarrassment I don't just take supps I own a full spectrum light box I use for 45-60 minutes a day in the winter or when it's been gray for extended periods. It does help so I'll take it even if it's placebo.

I was low at my last physical, and I was on 50,000 IU weekly for 8 weeks, and now take a D3 supplement of 2000 IU daily. To be honest, haven't noticed a difference either before or after. I don't sweat it if I forget to take it.

I live in sunny California, but I work indoors and it's so freakin' hot here, I tend to stay inside until dusk.

I also don't drink milk...don't like it, never have.

My mom was diagnosed with a 17, so my 22 is better. But my mom is in her 70's. I'm only 44.

My doctor told me to take 800 mg, but it sounds like I should take more based on the amount my mom took and what everyone on here is saying as well.

[This message edited by tabitha95 at 1:14 PM, August 12th (Monday)]

Vitamin D helps the body in aiding in the absorption calcium and phosphate. Lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis. With enough sunlight exposure your body should be able to synthesize the needed vitamin D.

My doctor checked mine in 2012 - I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in late 2008 and she read a study that stated that the spirochetes can literally eat away at your Vitamin D so she had me come in right away. My level was a SIX. I took 50,000 IU weekly for 4 months and got it up to 23, which my doctor was pleased with. I still take it to this day as I have chronic Lyme - but bi-weekly - my level is 34 at present. If I do not take it any more than that it starts plunging back down. Since I have chronic Lyme, it's hard to say if my fatigue and joint pain is because of the disease or the low D.

I have a health condition, but 90% of the US population is Vitamin D deficient to one degree or another...mostly because of sunscreen use. But of course we don't want skin cancer either!

Being so low, I ran the risk of many ailments, fractures, etc. 22 is low, and definitely warrants a supplement. I would suggest the Rx Vitamin D for a couple of months. My husband was also low - I think it was 23 - he took D3 supplements that you buy from the drugstore and has been taking them daily for 3 years - his level is now 35 and stays around that range, but it took a year to get from 23 to 35. And he is feeling much better.

My girls, ages 26 and 29 are also deficient and are taking daily D3 supplments (their levels were in the low 20s as well)...

My wh gets severe leg cramps. His doc said it was because of being low in Vit D but never did bloodwork.

I was extremely deficient when I went for bloodwork about 6 months ago. Doc gave me high doses of it for a month and then she told me to take OTC strength. I stopped doing that because they messed with my stomach. I just had bloodwork and I'm going to the doctor in a week so we'll see if my levels went up.

I was very tired and achy and it was in the middle of a dreary winter. I hope the levels are back up. I'm still always exhausted but I'm sure that's because I don't get enough sleep.

I was at 3 and was put on 50,000 IU once a week for something like 12 weeks. Dr. told me to get an OTC of about 2000 IU after that was done and take two or three a day. I fell out of the habit of taking my supplements, but have been back at it for a week.

I take 2000IU of Vit. D3 daily...

I was low, not sure how low.

It helps with the absorption of my Thyroid medicine and Calcium.

I don't notice any difference with it vs without it.

Extremely common. Almost epidemic proportions. I'm an outdoor sunroof open kind of gal and was shocked to find out I was low.

My Dr said you need 20 min of direct sunlight daily to keep it up to normal range. That's a lot! So now I take the once a week 50,000 unit caps. I plan on tanning in the cooler months now too.

It can contribute to feeling tired, achy, and generally blah. So it's definitely worth taking a supplement. I do feel better with it.

Question: is it better to take vitamins on their own on in a multi vitamin?

(I don't even know if Vit D is in any multivitamins. Just curious about it in general).

Untreated vitamin d deficiency (<5) caused me a rather severe bone loss, I believe. I took bisphosphonate drugs for several years without any benefit before someone finally tested my levels. Next year's dexa showed significant improvement. I also had a huge improvement in the chronic aches and pains I was experiencing.

I take 4000IU in the winter and 2000IU in the summer and my levels are usually around 30-35. Most multis don't have much D. There is a complicated relationship between D and the parathyroid hormone that I don't pretend to understand, so see a endocrinologist if you also have thyroid issues. This is not the same as "thyroid" but they kind of all work together along with calcium metabolism. Vitamin D is metabolized in the intestines, there's also one theory that links deficiency to the Crohn's/IBS/Gluten intolerance issue.

I think all adults should be tested for D levels. Supplementation is easy and cheap.

My daughter was extremely low, 5 or 6. I could tell the difference in her when she started to take the Vitamin D regularly. The low Vitamin D affected her mood, she was tired all the time, her cycle, her joints. What a difference normalizing her levels made. And, she never noticed the difference but I sure did.

[This message edited by windows at 7:37 AM, August 13th (Tuesday)]