Vitamin D Deficiency and Recognizing the Symptoms

by georgettejohn

Vitamin D is a vitamin that is essential for good health. Without enough Vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium and phosphorus effectively. The results can be debilitating.

I was convinced all of my aches and pains were a natural sign of aging. My lack of "focus" I attributed to frustration over how I was feeling. The feeling of being tired all day followed by many sleepless nights, I chalked it up to stress from not having completed what I had wanted to accomplish during the day. It was a vicious circle.

I don't like to go to the Doctor. My grandmother turned 100 in November and her theory has always been, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." Another statement she is noted for making is, "If you let them dig around long enough, they'll find something wrong with you even if there wasn't anything before the poking and the prodding." Of course, part of me knows that my grandmother's excellent health with minimal medical care is the exception to the norm but her phrases do run through my mind whenever I contemplate calling a doctor, especially if I can self-diagnose by finding a good excuse or two for how I am feeling.

Granny & Great, Great Grandson
Granny & Great, Great Grandson

For the past year I have done that. I have had more excuses for how I have felt than my grandmother has had birthdays. It reached the point where my adult children were scolding me. They were quick to point out that if they were feeling the way I was then I would be ushering them to the nearest medical facility immediately.

I made an appointment and my doctor advised me I was healthier than a horse, commented on my weight gain and offered me an antidepressant. He seemed to think it would make me feel better. I refused and went home and napped.  After work a few days later, I was driving by a walk-in medical clinic. I longed for my bed and my new ritual of daily naps but forced myself to prolong the inevitable and pulled into the clinic parking lot. It was the best decision I could have made and the results of the appointment were surprising.

I described my symptoms: weight gain, complete lack of energy, restless sleep, problems with memory and comprehension due to a feeling of "fuzziness", aching muscle and bones, and a couple of occasions when I thought I was having a heart attack but figured it was extreme anxiety although it wasn't the norm for me. He asked about my dental history. I was confused by the question but told him I had two teeth break recently. Lab work followed. I was told I had Vitamin D deficiency. Big deal I thought. I don't take a multivitamin but I eat properly. That couldn't be it.  It was.  Six weeks into treatment I am feeling far better. Actually, it is amazing how it feels  to be returning to my "not so old" self!

Correcting the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic: Strategies to Fight Diseases and Prolong Life for B...

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, mental illness, pregnancy related complications,...

View on Amazon

The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problems

"This information can save your life. Really." -Christiane Northrup, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Wisdom of Menopause Many Americans have succumbed to the scare ...

View on Amazon

Vitamin D is essential. Two other wizzley authors have written very informative articles on the role it plays in the body. For that reason, I refer you to them: http://wizzley.com/how-to-reduce-winter-joint-pain-vitamin-d/  and http://wizzley.com/vitamin-d/.

The symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency vary and it is very important to know them. If you have any of these symptoms, I would recommended that you have your levels checked as the symptoms can become worse if untreated. Irreparable harm can be done to your body if the deficiency becomes severe.

  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Weakness/Tingling Sensation
  • Muscle Cramps and Muscle Weakness
  • Bone Pain and Bone Fractures
  • Psychological Disorders and Impaired Cognitive Abilities
  • Hormonal Changes/Regulation
  • Sleep Disorders

Do you have any symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency?

There are other symptoms as well. For example, Vitamin D is important for optimal functioning of the nervous system and immune system. In children it is essential for normal development and growth of cells, bones and teeth. Untreated, Vitamin D deficiency can cause Osteomalacia (a disease that causes abnormal softening of the bones and result in back/leg pain, fractures of the ribs, spine and legs) and Osteoporosis (a thinning of the bone tissue and loss of bone density).

There are other health risks attributed to Vitamin D Deficiency as well. They include an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease due to the fact that cramps in the muscles cause them to not function properly. This can lead to congestive heart failure. Other risks are cognitive impairment in adults, severe asthma in children and certain types of cancer.

I never realized the importance of having adequate levels of Vitamin D in my body and the havoc it can cause if it is deficient.  I do now and it is my hope that what I have learned and am passing on may benefit others. 

 

Updated: 03/29/2013, georgettejohn
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
11

Comments

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login
sheilamarie on 04/14/2013

I need to take vitamin D more consistently. I tend to take it regularly for a while and then forget for an even longer while. I'm off to get some now!

katiem2 on 04/12/2013

Oh me too there is nothing as good as the real thing, it's amazing what the sun can do for us. I'll be sun bathing everyday with protection that is.

georgettejohn on 04/11/2013

To you too K! I personally can't wait for some natural vitamin D! Sunshine!!!

katiem2 on 04/11/2013

Hope your test came back with a good result, I'm on the same course of Vitamin D supplement, upward and onward. Best of health to you. :)K

georgettejohn on 04/05/2013

RubyHelenRose, I am glad you enjoyed it and hope it will be of some benefit to you! It is an easy thing to neglect taking...I have to remind myself daily even though I know it is helping greatly.

georgettejohn on 04/05/2013

Kajohu, I know it seems to be helping my "aches and pains". If I hadn't been so stubborn, I could have been starting to feel better much sooner!

georgettejohn on 04/05/2013

Ragtimelil, I have a feeling my grandma would really like you too!

RubyHelenRose on 04/05/2013

I am getting up right now to go take some vitamin D, which I have been neglecting, thank you for a wonderful article on the subject.

kajohu on 04/05/2013

My husband's grandmother thought like your grandmother, and I agree with them both :-) I'm also convinced that the high doses I've been taking of Vitamin D this winter have helped me keep my knees happier. I may need a higher dose still -- I continue to have certain symptoms of low energy and some anxiety.

Ragtimelil on 04/03/2013

I agree with your grandmother. I stay away from doctors and I think hospitals are dangerous places. So far, so good.....


You might also like

Reduce Winter Joint Pain With Vitamin D

Do your joints hurt more during the winter than during the summer? You can r...

Vitamin D

What Is Vitamin D?


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!