Has anyone had their Vitamin D levels tested recently?

[Chipmunk]

My doctor recently tested my Vitamin D levels, sort of an "oh what the heck, we are taking lots of blood anyway" thing. Well it was a good thing he did - they came back that I was severely deficient, despite taking 2000 IU every day for the 2 months prior to the test.

There are two types of Vitamin D - D2 and D3. D3 is the one that you most commonly get in over-the-counter supplements, D2 is not as commonly available, but you can supplement it through a prescription.

The reason I mention this is that my EKD/RLS got AMAZINGLY better once I started taking the Vitamin D2 50,000 IU prescription. My iron levels have actually fallen since then, but the RLS is still improved.

I mentioned it to my sleep doctor yesterday at my appointment and she said that another of her RLS patients has said the same thing the day before! She said if she has 1 or 2 more patients say that Vitamin D supplementation helped that she is going to start a study.

It might be worth it to ask your doctor for a Vitamin D test the next time you are in. I do have to say that taking Vitamin D3 2000 IU did not seem to help - I was still deficient and no improvement in RLS - but the Vitamin D2 really made a difference. It is a prescription that you take once a week. I started at a non-detectible level of D2 - we will see what my levels are in a couple months.

I suffer from depression and ADHD as well - I wonder if all of this is related somehow?

[sleepdancer]

I look forward to you reporting back what your levels look like when you follow up. My Vitamin D level is low, and I take the D3, but I haven't had a follow up reading. Guess I should. Glad to hear that you are getting some relief.

[dogeyed]

I just read some info on Vitamin D, on account of whilst doing chemo for this dang cancer, it dropped... my RLS legs have been about the same all the way thru this thing. Well, it is the prescription kind once a week, as was mentioned here. I was told a couple weeks ago that my electrolytes had dropped, but it would not affect how chemo progresses, so was not given anything for that. I drink tons of OJ and V8, so not too worried either. Also, I drink plenty of milk, which provide D and elecs, so guess this is just something that chemo does to a person no matter what they consume.

So THEN I read that Vitamin D can goof up the electrolytes. Go figure. I'm afraid now to continue Vit D on account of my elecs are messed up already, don't want to make those even worse. Now, my understanding is some elecs like potassium and iron can affect the legs, give RLS-like symptoms, but it's those foot cramp things people can get, not RLS. Still, folks who are suspected to have RLS, do have to get blood drawn to make sure it's not just low electrolyte cramping stuff.

I have NO IDEA what this info means, but perhaps someone else who is not as spaced out as I am right now can add it to their brain banks for future thinking. I cannot think on this new round of chemo they're giving me... good thing I got just about every last thing done that I needed to before they started this last drug (just two small things left on my list). Fortunately, as I said, chemo has not affected my RLS at all. My legs in general hurt, like the thighs especially, and my feet sometimes are sore, but no increase in RLS symptoms, in case anybody ever wants to know and does a search for cancer.

[badnights]

The very little I quickly read seems to indicate that humans have/need D3, which is made in our skin and in fatty fish, but D2 is only made by things humans do not universally eat (phytoplankton, invertebrates, and fungi) which makes me wonder how it could possibly have evolved into a required nutrient. And it is unknown if D2 is an effective substitute for D3.

Can anybody add some knowledge here? If D2 is being prescribed it must be known or suspected to be important.... I had my D tested at one point (it was low) but no one said anything about D2 or D3.

[Rubyslipper]

I think it's important here to do some research on the different vitamin D's and how we should get them AND if we really need them. Is it another "phase" thing like Vitamin E was a few years ago? I don't know but all of a sudden so many people are D deficient. Just makes me wonder. However, I am not saying that you should not check into it and if you truly are deficient, get with your doctor to figure out the best treatment.

[ViewsAskew]

I seem to recall reading that the reason for the "outbreak" of D deficiency is better use of sunscreen and lowered dairy consumption. As we switch to soy milk or just don't eat dairy and we use sunscreen, we are likely to be deficient.

I've heard dermatologists say that 20 minutes in the sun early in the mornng or late afternoon without sunscreen on our arms or legs is very good for us and often will provide all we need so that we don't need supplementation. I try to remember to work on my outside plants in the spring, summer and fall in the mornings before I put on sunscreen. But, in the winter, I don't get any sun at all

[badnights]

I have posted before about how switching from ferrous gluconate to ferrous sulphate caused a rise in my serum ferritin and a sudden elimination of Ekbom breakthroughs.

But 2-3 months later the breakthroughs returned with increased force, and for the last few weeks, afternoons and evenings have been wastelands until I could take my meds.

I lowered my vitamin D intake in March, since I was taking a lot more than recommended - I live in a part of the world that doesn't get much sun for most of the year - and I suddenly decided to worry about toxic effects. I decreased from 4000 IU to 2000 IU.

When I saw this thread that Chipmunk made, I remembered that I had done that - lowered my D -, and wondered if that had caused the worsening symptoms. But I had also just doubled my ferrous sulphate pills, and hadn't given that enough time to take effect. So I waited a week. No improvement, from the ferrous sulfate, so two nights ago I increased the D back up to 4000 IU.

I slept like a baby and didn't get woken by Ekbom symptoms for the first times in weeks. Coincidence? Placebo? D? who knows....

[Polar Bear]

We will take our sleep where we get it. Excellent result.

I shall do a little research on Vit D. for myself. Thanks.

[Rubyslipper]

If it works for you that is great! It may work for others too. I just urge caution in talking to your doctor before taking ANY vitamin or miineral in such large doses. I hope it continues for you. Keep us posted. In the meantime I may see if there has been any official research into D helping RLS.

[badnights]

True. What I'm taking is WAY over the recommended dose, and vitamin D does get toxic at high doses. Don't do it unless a doctor advises you to.