Does anyone know anything about this? I have been taking Vitamin D for about 10 days now, and started getting increasing candida symptoms. I had to withdraw some other supplements that I had just started taking (Vitamin K and Primal Defense) to see if these were causing it, but I am concluding that it is the Vitamin D. I also have increasing mercury symptoms - buzzing nerves, very tired, headache - in addition to the candida, which are making me think that I am getting a mercury hit from the Vitamin D, which is made with fish oils. It is a Solgar supplement, which is know for its purety, so I assumed that it had been scanned for mercury contamination, but then perhaps not.

So I'm not thrilled to be repoisoned with mercury when I'm trying to get rid of the stuff :-(((( I have just done a web search on other forms of Vitamin D, and have come across one made from sheep's lanolin!!! Can anyone explain - Russ/ Laura? Can anyone recommend a mercury-free source of Vitamin D, so I can get going with this again, and reduce my high levels of calcium, which are causing my blood sugar problems.

thanks for any input.
Nicola

Blue Ice cod liver oil is supposed to be an excellent brand and has a high naturally occuring vitamin A and D levels. It has been tested for mercury and PCBs and is apparently completely clean from it.

But again I cannot vouch for that not having used it becaue I am in another country and cannot get the stuff. But I know many do take it.

Other than that, natural sunlight is a great way of getting vitamin D. You only need to spend about 15 minutes in natural light daily, even just exposing some skin, face, arms etc. But in winter time, it is usually advisable to take a cod liver oil supplement.

Hi Nicola,

I'm sorry you're having a bad reaction with the Vit. D. So frustrating, isn't it? Especially for those of us who really need to supplement with it. I know when I had my Vit. D levels tested last year, I only regsitered a level of 9. That's the category for Ricketts! Healthy levels should start at 50 and 50 is the lowest acceptable level according to the tons of new research findings that are coming out.

I take a Vitamin D supplement that is liquid. It's by Biotics Research Corporation. I just squeeze a drop (or more, depending upon how much you need to supplement) on my tongue. My holistic doctor recommended this brand to me. They also make the same Vitamin D supplement in a 400 i.u. strength as well.

I'm afraid I don't know what the source of the D3 is in this formulation. But here is the link to the company. You can contact them to find out, if you like.

http://www.bioticsresearch.com/

I hope you feel better soon.

SomedaySoon (Sharon)

p.s. In lieu of all the overwhelming evidence that Vit. D deficiency might be epidemic, 2 of my docs are testing their patients across the board. They've both told me that they've found alarming deficiencies in the majority. This is regardless of their sun exposure!

Hi Sharon / Bex

thanks for the info. I will contact Biotics and find out what the D3 is derived from before ordering. I think the drops might be more practical.

Sharon - have you noticed any side-effects from taking the Vit D? Lifting of fatigue? I noticed that my heart rate got lower, from the 70s down to late 50s-early 60s, which I'm not sure is a good thing. Apparently calcium regulates the heart or something. Or it may be I need to increase my thyroid dose. So frustrating not knowing what's what.

I am having a bone scan tomorrow, so all will be revealed then....

thanks again
Nicola

Hi Nicola,

Yes, I noticed a difference in some symptoms I'd say around day 5 of beginning VIt. D supplementation. And you guessed it .... what I noticed was a lifting of fatigue and feeling a little stronger. Mind you, I still had alot going on at the time (hadn't removed my amalgams or root canaled or abcessed tooth when I first began the Vit. D, still had Chronic EBV at the time and undiagnosed low adrenal function, etc.). Yet, I still felt a small change for the better. And for me at that time, even a small change felt victorious. I did not notice a lowering of heart rate in me.

When my doc told me about my severe Vit. D deficiency I did some Googling (don't we all do that? lol). I was astounded to find out that I had been suffering more than a few of the symptoms associated with a Vitamin D Deficiency Disease State.

I get my Vit D blood levels checked now about every 4-5 months or so. My blood levels are steadily climbing. When I had my husband tested for this he came in at a low vit. D level of 20. And he's in the Sun alot more than I am. So he is now using the Biotics Bio-d-Mulsion as well.

I tried many other brands of Vitamin D. I had reactions to all the others I tried -- either due to fillers that were used or something else I couldn't identify. Since I tend to be a little sensitive still to some herbs and supplements, I was happy to find this Biotics brand that agreed with me.

I know what you mean about getting frustrated or tired trying to figure things out. People in situations like ours have learned the hard way that we need to keep questioning and searching and playing detective with our bodies. Sometimes it feels like a full-time job! It can become boring and tiring to have to keep trying to figure things out. And while I don't want to presume, I'm sure that we'd hear an echo from just about everybody on this Forum being able to identify with those feelings at times.

During the times when I feel particularly overwhelmed and tired from playing health detective for myself, I just remind myself that if I become too complacent then I will just be surrendering complete control over to the very types of professionals, industries and institutions that are probably responsible for putting me in this situation of ilness to begin with.

I'm sure you've done your own research. But in case you haven't come across this site, I thought I'd offer it here. I first learned about this site in the Townsend Letter For Doctors And Patients.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/

And I had a visit with my holistic Gyn last week. He had an interesting article reproduced for his patients to take home. The article comes from http://www.obgynnews.com and it's titled, "Osteoporosis a Risk in 'Normal' Vitamin D Range." I'll try to link it below:

http://www.obgynnews.com/article/PIIS0029743707703403/fulltext

And this doc (I just love him!) told me about a new heavy metals test that has just become available in the US last month. It's the Urinary Porphryins Profile. This is the test that Dr. Boyd Haley says is one of the best ways to test for metal toxicity around. So, my doc sent me home with the kit to do. I'm going to post a separate thread on this but here's a link to the test, in case you might be interested:

http://www.metametrix.com/content/DirectoryOfServices/0060PorphyrinsProfile

Good luck, Nicola. I'd be interested to hear if you find out what the Biotics source of their D3 is!

SomedaySoon (Sharon)

Hi Nicola, It's me again.........

sorry to be so long winded -- I meant to bring your attention to this from the vitamin d council site I posted above. I don't know whether it would apply to your situation. But it speaks to high calcium levels and hypersensitivities to Vit. D and the fact that sometimes hypersensitivities are misdiagnosed as Vit D. toxicity. Anyay, I bring it up only because it speaks to high blood calcium levels. Here is a link to that specific page:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/vitaminDToxicity.shtml

"It is true that a few people may have problems with high calcium due to undiagnosed vitamin D hypersensitivity syndromes such as primary hyperparathyroidism, granulomatous disease . . . but a blood calcium level, a PTH, a 25(OH)D and calcitriol level should help clarify the cause of the hypersensitivity."

"Vitamin D hypersensitivity syndromes are often mistaken for vitamin D toxicity. The most common is primary hyperparathyroidism. Other syndromes occur when abnormal tissue subverts the kidney's normal regulation of endocrine calcitriol production."


As I said, this might not be applicable to your situation at all. Hope I haven't confused things for ya!

SomedaySoon (Sharon)

Hi Sharon

thanks for all that info. Took me quite a while to read!

Had my bone scan today, and despite hemorraging calcium in my urine and hair (not blood) for at least 3 years that I know about, my bones are fine. Anything over one is considered an indicator for osteoporosis, and the highest score I had was 0.7. Still, higher than I'd like, and although the doctor said I didn't need to do anything, it doesn't feel right to me.

So I will email Biotics and find out where their Vitamin D3 is derived from. Uncontrolled fish oils are clearly out for me after that reaction. I feel better since stopping it for the last 2 days, but *****ed off that I have repoisoned myself and gone backwards when I was just beginning to pick up.

Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Best
Nicola