Vitamin D!??

KMD127 · 10-21-2009, 01:59 PM

Hello Ladies!

I am new to this website but not new to PCOS--was dx'ed a few years back and have had symptoms since about 15 or 16 (am 27 y/o now)...I recently got my physical done and my Vitamin D is on the cusp of being low--33 and the normal range is 30-100...I've read that Vitamin D supplementation can help PCOS/Diabetes with insulin sensitivity and even mood (seasonal affective disorder etc)..I live in New York and don't get much sun with the season changes...Has anyone tried Vitamin D with success? What dosages are you on?

I am already on Met ER 500 2x daily, Evening Primrose oil 1300 1x daily, Zinc Gluconate 50 mg Womens Multi and Fish Oil 1000 1x daily

MaraJ2005 · 10-22-2009, 12:06 PM

My primary care doc told me I am Vitamin D deficient. I just went to a doc who is known as the "PCOS Expert" in the Chicago area and she said Vitamin D has no relation to PCOS. I am still taking one Vitamin D3 tab. it is 1000 iu.

Payton · 10-22-2009, 12:39 PM

Yes I have! My vitamin D level was low - 30 something. I supplement with 8000 units a day (a lot, I know!), have my levels tested every 3 months, and my vitamin D level is now at 70. You start to see benefits at levels around 50. You need to take vitamin D3, not D2, and it has to be in an oil-based capsule, not a tablet. This blog has excellent advice on vitamin D - check it out!

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/se...el/vitamin%20D

Samie · 10-22-2009, 01:55 PM

Many many women who have any endocrine disorders are at an increased risk of being Vit. D deficient. PCOS is an endocrine disorder. My mother's endocrinologist actually recommends that all women take a minimum of 1000 units a day, whether they are deficient or not. Maximum 2000units.
I take 2000 units of D3 a day. It has definitely increased my energy levels, etc.
You should also be taking additional b-complex as well. Not only do we typically have lower than normal levels, even with taking it in a multi, but taking Metformin also interferes with full absorption of b-vitamins. HTH!

narcissa_bell · 10-22-2009, 05:00 PM

I also have a vitamin D deficiency... I have done quite a bit of research regarding Vitamin D and PCOS.. and it certainly seems to me that there is a relation. There have been a few studies done showing this to be a very probable theory.
First time i was tested I felt AWFUl, I was in a lot of pain, I was tired, etc... got tested (thinking it was an iron deficiency) and found out that my vitamin D levels were at 20! My doctor prescribed 50,000 units once a week and BOY did I feel better! I was just recently tested and my numbers are up, but only to 33 (just like you.. haha). So while I feel a million times better, Im not yet at the point that it would be helping with PCOS. I took the 50k units once a week for 3 months and after that I started with about 3000 units a day.. after finding out that my levels were still only at 33 I started taking 7000-8000 units a day. Vitamin D takes a while to build back up in your system, and you have to take it every day! dont skip! Im hoping in a few months to get my levels above 60... hopefully then I will start seeing results in my BBT chart

Good luck!

felinity · 10-22-2009, 06:15 PM

What form of Vitamin D did you take, to give you 50,000 units once a week?

MaraJ2005 · 10-22-2009, 06:40 PM

Interesting! I wonder why this doc said there is no connection if she is the big expert??

Samie · 10-22-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaraJ2005

Interesting! I wonder why this doc said there is no connection if she is the big expert??

Is she a Reproductive Endo, regular Endo, or Ob/Gyn?

DiamondPrincess · 10-22-2009, 07:03 PM

Well My RE is a PCOS expert IN GA and he said Vitamin d does help with PCOS.. Also ive done my Research 2. I take 2 1000iu a day. and i found this read it and follow the link

PCOS Treatment: Vitamin D & Calcium Success!

I believe in Vitamin D as an alternative treatment to support insulin senstivity, I not only take a daily supplement in liquid form, I prefer to get lots of it direct from the sunlight…much of the final ’stages’ of my PCOS management came through my time in the tropics. I was living simply, and getting sunshine on my body everyday. Done properly, sunning can be a healthful part of anyone’s lifestyle. For some great information on Vitamin D, I encourage you to read on the Weston Price website HERE.
Here’s a quote from the Weston Price site:
“During the last ten years, researchers have made a number of exciting discoveries about vitamin D. They have ascertained, for example, that vitamin D is an antioxidant that is a more effective antioxidant than vitamin E in reducing lipid peroxidation and increasing enzymes that protect against oxidation. Vitamin D deficiency decreases biosynthesis and release of insulin.21 Glucose intolerance has been inversely associated with the concentration of vitamin D in the blood. Thus, vitamin D may protect against both Type I and Type II diabetes.”

narcissa_bell · 10-22-2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felinity

What form of Vitamin D did you take, to give you 50,000 units once a week?

It was a prescribed little green gel pill.. i would take it once a week for three months

Got it from the pharmacy. I think the highest dosage you can get over the counter is 5000 ius or so... (per pill)

DiamondPrincess · 10-22-2009, 07:11 PM

The Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency And PCOS

It appears that vitamin D deficiency occurs frequently in women with PCOS and could be a contributing factor to some of the biochemical abnormalities which are seen in the condition. Women who have been treated with vitamin D for PCOS have experienced normalization of their menstrual cycles and some have conceived.
Low vitamin D levels have been linked to insulin resistance and obesity. For women with PCOS, this is important news because the heavier a woman is, and the more insulin resistant she is, then the more likely it is that the levels of vitamin D are too low.
Metabolic Syndrome, PCOS And Vitamin D

Vitamin D affects the metabolism of blood sugar and may possibly prevent diabetes and metabolic syndrome, disorders associated with insulin resistance. People with Type 2 diabetes commonly have a vitamin D deficiency and supplementation with the vitamin has been reported to improve glucose tolerance, insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity in diabetes. Metabolic syndrome-which is characterized by heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, elevated triglyceride levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol and abdominal obesity-shares many of the attributes of PCOS. Women with PCOS are more likely to develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease

MaraJ2005 · 10-23-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samie

Is she a Reproductive Endo, regular Endo, or Ob/Gyn?

She is a regular endo who does at lot of PCOS research studies (at Northwestern in Chicago). I did not like her, btw. The visit was pointless. She had me do a gajillion labs and then was telling me she didn't really know if I had any hormonal issues (all in normal range according to the results) because I was on met when the lab work was done. Then she referred me for laser hair removal.

Sorry for the rant! Anyway, I also had those high level gel pills. One per week for six weeks, then she told me to start the D3.

DiamondPrincess - thanks for the info!

Samie · 10-23-2009, 02:35 PM

That's interesting... But you know, that makes me think about something that happen recently. I wanted to get involved with a PCOS genetic study. BUT didn't qualify, reason's? 1) I've been on Metformin, and have had Ovarian Drilling, 2)I've never had a documented case of high testosterone 3) I've always had regularish periods.
What frustrated me, is that not every woman that has PCOS has high testosterone, nor has a absences of periods.
And then I've come across other studies, where you can only have male patterned hair growth and high testosterone.
Its very frustrating.
Many of the women in my family have PCOS, me, my sister, several cousins, possibly 3 aunts. I have an incredibly large family, that has endocrine disorders all throughout. But no one wants to study the genetic link. Even though we have a perfect case. 3 generations of Irish Catholic families=over 100 of us living now. Go figure.

KMD127 · 10-23-2009, 08:19 PM

wow thanks for the replies ladies--you're all very helpful...My doc said nothing...I need a new family doc...my iron was also low but I think thats one thing that's shockingly not related to pcos...I think. lol Anyhow have you noticed any other management of symptoms besides energy levels on Vitamin D?? Do you think supplementing with 1000 IUs (in addition to my 300 in my multi) would be sufficient to eventually raise me? I'm definitely pro-supplement when it comes to managing PCOS, but it just seems there are so many and I can't possibly take them all...hard to know what's going to help, and help me specifically. Also off topic but related do you all take B Complex in addition to a multi?

Samie · 10-24-2009, 03:43 AM

You should probably take 2000IUS to 3000IUS since you are already borderline deficient. I actually think that the Academy of Family Physicians recommends 2000IUS for women. I will double check though and also find the link/info my mother sent me a while back on it. She works for a state nutritional dept.
I take a Super B Complex in addition to my multi. Both my doctor and my own research has lead me to doing this, because PCOS has been shown to interfere with B vitamin absorption and I also take Metformin, which does too. Double whammy...and I know that taking a complex, I will get the right amount of all the b vitamins, and if I am taking a bit too much, the body just rids the excess through the urine, so it doesn't build up too much in the body.