Can Low Vitamin D Cause Fatigue

Can You Rely On A Vitamin D Test Kit

At-home tests are convenient when it is difficult to attend a surgery appointment, but the following should be considered:11

• User error. This is a possibility with at-home tests and can affect results. Make sure you follow guidance closely.
• Understanding results. A test can show you are deficient, but without the support of a nutritionist or doctor it can be difficult to interpret what your results mean for you. For example, in the context of your age, gender and other personal factors. You will also need to seek further advice on the best course of action to take.

How Much Vitamin D Per Day Do I Need

The NHS recommends around 10 micrograms a day.

It is recommended to take supplements containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during autumn and winter, and throughout the year for those who are not often outdoors.

Taking more than 100 micrograms a day could be harmful to your health. This applies to adults, children, the elderly, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.6

Can Low Vitamin D Cause Adrenal Fatigue

Vitamin DLowvitamin DVitamin D deficiencyadrenal insufficiency

. People also ask, how does vitamin D affect cortisol?

Previous research suggests that vitamin D can block the action of a specific enzyme needed to make cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone.” It is believed that high levels of cortisol may be implicated in high blood pressure, as cortisol restricts arteries, narrows blood cells, and causes the kidneys to

Subsequently, question is, does Cushing’s cause low vitamin D? Cushing’s syndrome patients have a higher risk of fractures due to reduced bone mineral density and osteoporosis, but these issues are not associated with vitamin D or parathyroid hormone levels, two important regulators of bone health, a study shows.

In this regard, what is the fastest way to cure adrenal fatigue?

15 Ways to Support Adrenal Health

What is an early sign of adrenal insufficiency?

SYMPTOMS. The symptoms of adrenal insufficiency usually begin gradually. Chronic, worsening fatigue and muscle weakness, loss of appetite, and weight loss are characteristic of the disease. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea occur in about 50 percent of cases.

Read Also: Can Heart Valve Problems Cause Fatigue

What Should I Do If I Get Really Dizzy From Vitamin D Deficiency

If you are feeling dizzy due to a vitamin D deficiency, it is important to see your doctor as soon as possible. While dizziness can be a symptom of many different conditions, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to more serious health problems if it is not treated.

Your doctor will likely order blood tests to check your vitamin D levels and may recommend that you take a supplement. They may also suggest changes in your diet to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D.

In the meantime, there are some things you can do at home to help with the symptoms of dizziness. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and try to avoid overheating. You can also lie down when you feel dizzy and put your feet up. If you have to stand up, do it slowly. And avoid sudden movements.

Can Vitamin D Deficiency Make You Dizzy

The short answer is yes. Dizziness is a common symptom of vitamin D deficiency, along with fatigue and brain fog. If you are feeling dizzy all the time, it is worth checking your vitamin D levels.

Insufficient vitamin D can cause dizziness because it plays a role in maintaining blood pressure and fluid balance. When you’re deficient in vitamin D, your body is not able to regulate these functions as well, which can lead to dizziness.

You May Like: How To Beat Menopause Fatigue

Signs You Have Low Vitamin D

What are the signs that you have low vitamin D? Are you feeling tired, moody, and having muscle aches? If yes, you may have low vitamin D levels in your body. There are many symptoms of low vitamin D and we list the most common ones here:

1.Weakness

The first symptom of low vitamin D is weakness. If you feel very weak and get tired easily, even after doing simple things like walking or climbing stairs, you have low vitamin D levels. This is because vitamin D deficiency weakens your muscles and bones, making it difficult for them to work properly.

2.Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are caused due to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D requirements for the muscles to function normally and if the body is not getting enough active vitamin D, it will cause muscle aches and cramps.

3.Problems Sleeping

It is easy to notice that you are having trouble sleeping after suffering from low levels of vitamin D for a long period of time, but sometimes it may be harder to notice because you may not be aware that you have been suffering from low levels of the vitamin.

4.Stiff Muscles

Stiffness in your muscles can be caused by low levels of vitamin D because they are weak and will start to feel stiff as a result. For example, the first time you try to lift a heavy object you have not lifted before, your muscles will feel stiff.

5.Depression

Nutrient Deficiencies That Cause Fatigue

Your body operates like a well-oiled machine, and nutrients are the gas that keep your engines running. When youre low on these essential vitamins and minerals, your body cant function as effectively cue struggling to keep your eyes open in those back-to-back Zoom meetings!

Many of these nutrients arent produced by your body naturally, so you have to ingest them through food. But since the food you eat isnt as nutrient-dense these days, you might not be getting the nutrients that give you energy.

To fix that, here are 6 of the most common nutrient deficiencies that could be causing your fatigue:

Also Check: Foods To Help Adrenal Fatigue

Symptom Scores After Normalization Of Vitamin D Levels

Mean MFSI-SF scores in the general scale, emotional scale, mental scale, and vigor scale and the median MFSI-SF scores in the physical scale and total score improved significantly after normalization of vitamin D levels . The multivariate analysis showed that history of depression was the only significant factor that impacted the post-intervention vitamin D level. Patients who had a history of depression had 12 times greater odds of having a normal vitamin D level than those who did not have a history of depression .

The reasons of discontinuation and consequent exclusion from the study were non-willingness for continued participation in 3 patients, inability to go for serum 25-OHD test due to loss of medical insurance coverage in 7 patients, and protocol violation due to a significant delay in getting serum 25-OHD test in 5 patients.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need

In healthy people, the amount of vitamin D needed per day varies by age. The chart below shows the often-cited recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, now the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It is important to know that these are general recommendations. If your doctor is checking your blood levels, he or she might recommend higher or lower doses based on your individual needs.

If you have osteoporosis, your doctor might suggest a blood test of your vitamin D levels. The amount of vitamin D supplement can be customized for each person, based on the results. For many older patients, a vitamin D supplement containing anywhere between 800 to 2000 IUs daily, which can be obtained without a prescription, can be both safe and beneficial. It is important to speak with your doctor about your individual needs.

*refers to adequate intake vs recommended dietary allowance of the other age groups.

Also Check: What Can Cause Low Blood Pressure And Fatigue

Vitamin D3 Supplementation And Fatigue

I have been diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency D3 6.23 ng/ml, 1,25-OH 19 pg/ml) and ordered 5000IU Vitamin D3 gelcaps. After the first dose I felt very very very tired and exhausted and the worst is that this fatigue lasts for several days . I have seen a similar post and there you were talking about problems with the adrenal glands and you advised taking magnesium. However, I am already taking magnesium glycinate and get my 200-400mg of elemental magnesium daily. Do you have any other ideas?

How Low Vitamin D Can Lead To Fatigue And Weight Gain

Although fatigue and weight gain can be attributed to a number of health conditions, as well as lifestyle factors, it might also mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. This nutrient, which your body primarily gets from sunlight, is important for muscle and nerve health as well as fighting disease and illness. Perhaps most important, vitamin D is needed to help the body absorb calcium for strong bones.

âRead more:â Relationship Between Vitamin D and Calcium

Recommended Reading: Can Depression Cause Fatigue And Body Aches

What Exactly Is Vitamin D

Commonly known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is important for regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate we have in our bodies. These are the nutrients our body uses to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Typically, during the sunnier months, we get most of our vitamin D from spending time outdoors.

One of the ways our bodies manufacture vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight, says Dr McClymont. But recently lockdowns, home working and shielding may all have led to us spending less time in the great outdoors than wed like. And now we’re in winter, its even more important to think about vitamin D and the other sources we can get it from.

Strengths And Limitations Of This Study

• This is the first cross-sectional analysis of vitamin D status to be determined in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgicencephalomyelitis .

• Patients were referred through a single National Health Service CFS services unit at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University NHS trust and diagnosed with CFS/ME using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines ensuring diagnostic uniformity.

• Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main marker of vitamin D status, was determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and comprehensive dietary/supplement analyses were undertaken to support vitamin D serum data.

• Recruitment included a broad spectrum of ambulatory patients with CFS/ME, age and sex matched to health controls, but excluded the severest, non-ambulatory patients with CFS/ME.

Read Also: Us Army Fatigues For Sale

Influence Of 1252d3 On Antimicrobial Peptides

AMiPs are produced after a microbial challenge by epithelial cells, by natural killer cells , -T-lymphocytes, and also by B-lymphocytes serving as important biochemical barriers. AMiPs de-stabilize bacterial membranes by cationic and electrostatic effects . In addition, they are multifunctional and bind to certain cell signaling receptors and to DNA . They interact with immune, endothelial and epithelial cells , enhancing phagocytosis, auto/xenophagy, cellular cytotoxicity, chemoattraction of immune cells, induction of memory T-cells, angiogenesis and wound healing . AMiPs also possess immunoregulatory effects by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, down-regulating toll-like receptor expression, and by neutralizing endotoxins .

In humans, 1,252D3 significantly enhances the expression of two antimicrobial peptides, called cathelicidin and defensin-4B . Importantly, AMiPs act synergistically with 1,252D3, enhancing innate immune functions, as well as down-regulating inflammation, and adaptive immune regulation. In a counter-measure, bacterial toxins reduce cathelicidin expression . Interestingly, in contrast to humans, mice devoid of sun exposure, regulate cathelicidin expression independently of 1,252D3 .

Physical And Functional Epithelial Barriers Are Enhanced By 1252d3

At the first stage of defense at dermal and mucosal barriers, 1,252D3 regulates gene expression of major proteinsresponsible for sealing epithelial tight junctions, i.e. claudins, thus stabilizing skin and mucosal barriers . 1,252D3 enhances keratin differentiation , modulates mitogen-activated protein kinase-signaling in keratinocytes by exerting anti-inflammatory and protective effects , and down-regulates matrix metalloproteinase-9 . Also 1,252D3 protects against radiation effects , and against programmed cell death in stressed keratinocytes . 1,252D3 reduces the responsiveness of interleukin-2-activated T-lymphocytes, thus diminishing stress-induced local inflammatory reactions .

Vitamin D3 repletion ensures effective microbial elimination, yet combined with prompt protective anti-inflammation and immunoregulation.

Also Check: Ways To Help Chronic Fatigue

Can You Ever Have Too Much Vitamin D

Yes. You can get too much vitamin D if you overdo the supplements. Interestingly, you cannot get too much vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D toxicity is, thankfully, quite rare but can lead to hypercalcemia and together the symptoms can include:

• Confusion.
• Ataxia .

Do not take higher-than-recommended doses of vitamin D without first discussing it with your doctor. However, your doctor might recommend higher doses of vitamin D if he or she is checking your blood levels and adjusting your dose accordingly. Also, be cautious about getting large doses of vitamin A along with the D in some fish oils. Vitamin A can also reach toxic levels and can cause serious problems.

What Causes Osteoporosis

People who live at altitudes above 40 degrees north or south have a higher chance of suffering from osteoporosis because the suns ultraviolet rays arent as powerful in these regions.

Research has shown that people with low levels of vitamin D intake in their blood tend to develop osteoporosis. In addition, post-menopausal women are at a higher risk as they age.

Unfortunately, osteoporosis is not reversible. But it can be prevented.

Winters in northern latitudes and cloudy, rainy days throughout the year make it tougher for people to get enough vitamin D from natural sunlight, which is the predominant source of vitamin D.

People who have darker skin pigments also miss out on natural sunlight their bodies arent able to synthesize adequate amounts of vitamin D from sunlight.

Vitamin D supplements can prevent osteoporosis and help those who are vitamin D deficient in this essential nutrient to maintain strong bones. But always consult with your doctor for screening for vitamin D before taking any supplement.

Don’t Miss: Can The Flu Shot Cause Fatigue

Sore Bones & Bone Loss

Vitamin D is known for its relationship to bone strength.

There is a relationship between vitamin D levels and bone pain, especially pain in your back, ribs, legs, and joints.

Low bone density may be a sign of vitamin D deficiency and can lead to an increased risk of fractures.

On top of this, vitamin D actually improves your bodys absorption of calcium, which further contributes to your bone density and health.

Do Bananas Have A Lot Of Vitamin D

Bananas are a good source of vitamin D, but they don’t have as much as other fruits and vegetables. For example, oranges have more than twice as much vitamin D as bananas.

So if you’re looking to get more vitamin D from your diet, you should eat foods like oranges, sweet potatoes, and leafy green vegetables.

Read Also: Prochef Comfort Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mat

Do You Need Vitamin D

Your body needs vitamin D to help absorb calcium. Your body cannot make vitamin D , so you must get it through your diet or supplements.

If your body does not have enough vitamin D, your bones may not grow naturally and strong as you age. This condition is known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Other health problems related to low vitamin D are frequent bone fractures, muscle weakness, and general poor health that can make getting around difficult.

Your body may have a hard time absorbing calcium if your stomach does not produce enough acid to break down the fortified food you eat into smaller particles that are easier for your body to use for nutrition.

How To Stop It

Testing levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D can ID a deficiency. My goal is to get levels to 50 to 70 ng/ml, says Dr. Blum. But if youre experiencing red flags like fatigue and frequent illness, consider the steps below to boost levels.

Supplementing with vitamin D3 is the best way to correct a shortfall. My rule is to take 20 IU per pound of body weight per day, says Dr. Dowd . And for women with darker skin, 25 IU per pound per day.

Snack on almonds. Theyre a top source of magnesium, a nutrient Harvard researchers say is required for the body to break down and utilize vitamin D. Adding 200 mg. of magnesium daily can boost vitamin D levels eightfold.

This article originally appeared in our print magazine.

Recommended Reading: Extreme Fatigue And Weakness In Elderly

What Are The Forms Of Vitamin D For Vitamin D Deficiency

There are two forms of vitamin D: vitamin D-rich foods and supplements. Vitamin D-rich foods include fatty fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon fortified milk, cheese, and yogurt egg yolks and mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light.

You can also get vitamin D from beef liver and cod liver oil. Supplements are another option, and they come in two forms: D3 and D2. D3 is the more common and effective type. Vitamin D supplements are available in capsules, tablets, liquids, and injections.