Symptoms of deficiency in vitamin D?



M

Michael Rawlins

Guest
Hi, I'm checking in regarding some accumulating symptoms
that I've been told might be vitamin D deficiency. I have an
appointment with MD tomorrow morning.

Started few weeks ago with eyelid twitch. Heart
palpitations came on, last few days, and they're fairly
pronounced. I have dry funny taste in my mouth. Calves and
other muscles starting to twitch a bit too, especially
after walking around. The lower part of my legs feel like
they're vibrating. My resting heart rate and BP are lowest
in summer, and highest now. This annual cycle is in it's
third year.

Not much milk in my diet, maybe 6oz (2%) every other
day. Salmon 2x/week. A calcium/magensium/zinc
supplement (1000mg/400mg/30mg) or might
be(400mg/1000mg/30mg, can't recall).

I'm off to get some cod liver oil and hit the tanning booth
per recommendation of friend (physicist/researcher) that is
part of UV/ Vit D study. I live at 40 degrees N (NH), moved
here 3 years ago (grew up in Delaware) and have seen no
significant UV exposure for several months.

Hope it's not all in my head..... See what doc says tomorrow
and following blood work.

Comments are greatly, greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Mike
 
These are actually symptoms of a magnesium, which can happen
due to too much magnesium, but also too much calcium.
Calcium and magnesium should at least taken in a 2 to 1
ratio, but many people suggest the ratio should be closer to
1 to 1. Plus, lots of generic mineral supplements use
magnesium oxide and citrate, both of which are poorly
absorbed, which is why they are sometimes used as laxatives
(the unabsorbed part causes the laxative effect). I suggest
that you switch to a chelated form of magnesium, or possibly
a liquid form, as some people find that form to be better
absorbed than pills. Also, minerals are better absorbed if
you split up the doses, rather than taking a single pill.

Vitamin D can affect magnesium absorption, and magnesium can
affect vitamin D, so it's still possible you have a vitamin
D deficiency. But if that was the case, I would think it
would affect calcium more, in which case you would have
things like aches and pains, and if it's severe enough, a
pin snd needle type of sensation. Twitches and high BP anc
palpitations are symptoms of a magnesium deficiency.

In a previous article, [email protected] (Michael Rawlins)
wrote: ->Hi, ->I'm checking in regarding some accumulating
symptoms that I've been ->told might be vitamin D
deficiency. I have an appointment with MD ->tomorrow
morning. -> ->Started few weeks ago with eyelid twitch.
Heart palpitations came on, ->last few days, and they're
fairly pronounced. I have dry funny taste ->in my ->mouth.
Calves and other muscles starting to twitch a bit too, -
>especially after walking around. The lower part of my legs
feel like ->they're vibrating. ->My resting heart rate and
BP are lowest in summer, ->and highest now. This annual
cycle is in it's third year. -> ->Not much milk in my diet,
maybe 6oz (2%) every other day. Salmon ->2x/week. ->A
calcium/magensium/zinc supplement (1000mg/400mg/30mg) or
might ->be(400mg/1000mg/30mg, can't recall). -> ->I'm off to
get some cod liver oil and hit the tanning booth per -
>recommendation of friend (physicist/researcher) that is
part of UV/ ->Vit D study. I live at 40 degrees N (NH),
moved here 3 years ago ->(grew up in Delaware) and ->have
seen no significant UV exposure for several months. -> -
>Hope it's not all in my head..... See what doc says
tomorrow and ->following blood work. -> ->Comments are
greatly, greatly appreciated. -> ->Cheers, ->Mike
 
[email protected] (Mark London) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

Thanks Mark. This has got me really concerned. The symptoms
are classic tetany, I have the pins and needles, sort of a
buzzing in calf and below. I've looked at my typical daily
calcium intake, and it's at the low end. Not much dairy,
about a cup of day, not much other dairy. I live in New
Hampshire, and have darker pigmented skin. I see there are
studies saying that at these latitudes, vitamin D levels are
lower. So I had blood draw yesterday, and my doctor is
checking calcium, magnesium, 25 OH Vitamin D, and some
kidney function. From what I've read, Vitamin D is important
in absoption of calcium.

I've been on some supplements (calcium/magnesium,
1000/400mg) another supplement I bought has Vitamin D and
calcium. I've also spent 10 minutes in tanning booth each
day past two days. Seems the twitching really drops off for
several hours after I leave tanner, palpitation are almost
gone, and I'm sleeping a bit better. But I am no where near
100%. So I'm concluding that serium vit D is increasing, now
just have to increase calcium in presence of more D. A
leading researcher (my friend is working on a NIH study w/
him; vit D and UV exposure) suggested the regime, and said
give it two weeks. So 2 days in, I see improvement. What's
got me concerned is reading about increasing symptoms in
winter in people with MS. That has me ready to get to a
neurologist. Yikes!

Does any of this make sense? If blood work comes back clean,
I really be scratching my head (no pun intended).

After writing all this, I just realize I took the
calcium/magnesium supplement 1 hour ago, and the twitching
is increasing jut a bit. You said symptoms show too much
magnesium. Did you mean too little? That supplement is 1000
mg calcium, 400 magnesium, if I recall.

Regards, Mike

> These are actually symptoms of a magnesium, which can
> happen due to too much magnesium, but also too much
> calcium. Calcium and magnesium should at least taken in a
> 2 to 1 ratio, but many people suggest the ratio should be
> closer to 1 to 1. Plus, lots of generic mineral
> supplements use magnesium oxide and citrate, both of which
> are poorly absorbed, which is why they are sometimes used
> as laxatives (the unabsorbed part causes the laxative
> effect). I suggest that you switch to a chelated form of
> magnesium, or possibly a liquid form, as some people find
> that form to be better absorbed than pills. Also, minerals
> are better absorbed if you split up the doses, rather than
> taking a single pill.
>
> Vitamin D can affect magnesium absorption, and magnesium
> can affect vitamin D, so it's still possible you have a
> vitamin D deficiency. But if that was the case, I would
> think it would affect calcium more, in which case you
> would have things like aches and pains, and if it's severe
> enough, a pin snd needle type of sensation. Twitches and
> high BP anc palpitations are symptoms of a magnesium
> deficiency.
>
> In a previous article, [email protected] (Michael
> Rawlins) wrote: ->Hi, ->I'm checking in regarding some
> accumulating symptoms that I've been ->told might be
> vitamin D deficiency. I have an appointment with MD -
> >tomorrow morning. -> ->Started few weeks ago with eyelid
> twitch. Heart palpitations came on, ->last few days, and
> they're fairly pronounced. I have dry funny taste ->in my
> ->mouth. Calves and other muscles starting to twitch a bit
> too, ->especially after walking around. The lower part of
> my legs feel like ->they're vibrating. ->My resting heart
> rate and BP are lowest in summer, ->and highest now. This
> annual cycle is in it's third year. -> ->Not much milk in
> my diet, maybe 6oz (2%) every other day. Salmon ->2x/week.
> ->A calcium/magensium/zinc supplement (1000mg/400mg/30mg)
> or might ->be(400mg/1000mg/30mg, can't recall). -> ->I'm
> off to get some cod liver oil and hit the tanning booth
> per ->recommendation of friend (physicist/researcher) that
> is part of UV/ ->Vit D study. I live at 40 degrees N (NH),
> moved here 3 years ago ->(grew up in Delaware) and ->have
> seen no significant UV exposure for several months. -> -
> >Hope it's not all in my head..... See what doc says
> tomorrow and ->following blood work. -> ->Comments are
> greatly, greatly appreciated. -> ->Cheers, ->Mike
 
[email protected] (Mark London) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

Thanks Mark. This has got me really concerned. The symptoms
are classic tetany, I have the pins and needles, sort of a
buzzing in calf and below. I've looked at my typical daily
calcium intake, and it's at the low end. Not much dairy,
about a cup of day, not much other dairy. I live in New
Hampshire, and have darker pigmented skin. I see there are
studies saying that at these latitudes, vitamin D levels are
lower. So I had blood draw yesterday, and my doctor is
checking calcium, magnesium, 25 OH Vitamin D, and some
kidney function. From what I've read, Vitamin D is important
in absoption of calcium.

I've been on some supplements (calcium/magnesium,
1000/400mg) another supplement I bought has Vitamin D and
calcium. I've also spent 10 minutes in tanning booth each
day past two days. Seems the twitching really drops off for
several hours after I leave tanner, palpitation are almost
gone, and I'm sleeping a bit better. But I am no where near
100%. So I'm concluding that serium vit D is increasing, now
just have to increase calcium in presence of more D. A
leading researcher (my friend is working on a NIH study w/
him; vit D and UV exposure) suggested the regime, and said
give it two weeks. So 2 days in, I see improvement. What's
got me concerned is reading about increasing symptoms in
winter in people with MS. That has me ready to get to a
neurologist. Yikes!

Does any of this make sense? If blood work comes back clean,
I really be scratching my head (no pun intended).

After writing all this, I just realize I took the
calcium/magnesium supplement 1 hour ago, and the twitching
is increasing jut a bit. You said symptoms show too much
magnesium. Did you mean too little? That supplement is 1000
mg calcium, 400 magnesium, if I recall.

Regards, Mike

> These are actually symptoms of a magnesium, which can
> happen due to too much magnesium, but also too much
> calcium. Calcium and magnesium should at least taken in a
> 2 to 1 ratio, but many people suggest the ratio should be
> closer to 1 to 1. Plus, lots of generic mineral
> supplements use magnesium oxide and citrate, both of which
> are poorly absorbed, which is why they are sometimes used
> as laxatives (the unabsorbed part causes the laxative
> effect). I suggest that you switch to a chelated form of
> magnesium, or possibly a liquid form, as some people find
> that form to be better absorbed than pills. Also, minerals
> are better absorbed if you split up the doses, rather than
> taking a single pill.
>
> Vitamin D can affect magnesium absorption, and magnesium
> can affect vitamin D, so it's still possible you have a
> vitamin D deficiency. But if that was the case, I would
> think it would affect calcium more, in which case you
> would have things like aches and pains, and if it's severe
> enough, a pin snd needle type of sensation. Twitches and
> high BP anc palpitations are symptoms of a magnesium
> deficiency.
>
> In a previous article, [email protected] (Michael
> Rawlins) wrote: ->Hi, ->I'm checking in regarding some
> accumulating symptoms that I've been ->told might be
> vitamin D deficiency. I have an appointment with MD -
> >tomorrow morning. -> ->Started few weeks ago with eyelid
> twitch. Heart palpitations came on, ->last few days, and
> they're fairly pronounced. I have dry funny taste ->in my
> ->mouth. Calves and other muscles starting to twitch a bit
> too, ->especially after walking around. The lower part of
> my legs feel like ->they're vibrating. ->My resting heart
> rate and BP are lowest in summer, ->and highest now. This
> annual cycle is in it's third year. -> ->Not much milk in
> my diet, maybe 6oz (2%) every other day. Salmon ->2x/week.
> ->A calcium/magensium/zinc supplement (1000mg/400mg/30mg)
> or might ->be(400mg/1000mg/30mg, can't recall). -> ->I'm
> off to get some cod liver oil and hit the tanning booth
> per ->recommendation of friend (physicist/researcher) that
> is part of UV/ ->Vit D study. I live at 40 degrees N (NH),
> moved here 3 years ago ->(grew up in Delaware) and ->have
> seen no significant UV exposure for several months. -> -
> >Hope it's not all in my head..... See what doc says
> tomorrow and ->following blood work. -> ->Comments are
> greatly, greatly appreciated. -> ->Cheers, ->Mike
 
On 2004-03-12 13:20:44 -0500, [email protected] (Michael Rawlins) said:

First of all, let me clarify things by stating that, in all
likelihood, this stuff is indeed all in your head. Frankly,
your posting sounds a bit obsessive-compulsive. Get help.

> The symptoms are classic tetany

No. "Classic tetany" is just that; *rigid*, immobile (and
excruciatingly painful), contracted muscles. You don't have
that. Forget it.

> I've looked at my typical daily calcium intake, and it's
> at the low end.

You've probably underestimated it, but just start taking a
Centrum every day, and save the medical co-payment. Use the
money to buy a self-help book on OCD. ;-) Seriously.

> I see there are studies saying that at these latitudes,
> vitamin D levels are lower.

Do you spend even a few minutes outside or sitting by a
window? Unless you're a vampire or have a serious case of
social anxiety disorder (or are a first-order geek), you're
almost certainly gettting enough sunlight to provide for
adequate vitamin D production. Forget the tanning beds;
they just increase your risk of skin cancer (no matter what
they say).

> So I had blood draw yesterday, and my doctor is checking
> calcium, magnesium, 25 OH Vitamin D, and some kidney
> function.

He must've been in too big a hurry to actually tell you how
unlikely this all is. Expect them to be normal.

> What's got me concerned is reading about increasing
> symptoms in winter in people with MS. That has me ready to
> get to a neurologist. Yikes!

Please buy that book on OCD.

> Does any of this make sense? If blood work comes back
> clean, I really be scratching my head (no pun intended).

Then you'll probably convince yourself you have lice. ;-)

> After writing all this, I just realize I took the
> calcium/magnesium supplement 1 hour ago, and the twitching
> is increasing jut a bit. You said symptoms show too much
> magnesium. Did you mean too little? That supplement is
> 1000 mg calcium, 400 magnesium, if I recall.

Please go buy that book....RIGHT NOW!
 
anon <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<2004040207224764440%anon@anoncom>...
> On 2004-03-12 13:20:44 -0500, [email protected] (Michael
> Rawlins) said:
>
> First of all, let me clarify things by stating that, in
> all likelihood, this stuff is indeed all in your head.
> Frankly, your posting sounds a bit obsessive-compulsive.
> Get help.
>
> > The symptoms are classic tetany
>
> No. "Classic tetany" is just that; *rigid*, immobile (and
> excruciatingly painful), contracted muscles. You don't
> have that. Forget it.
>
> > I've looked at my typical daily calcium intake, and it's
> > at the low end.
>
> You've probably underestimated it, but just start taking a
> Centrum every day, and save the medical co-payment. Use
> the money to buy a self-help book on OCD. ;-) Seriously.
>
> > I see there are studies saying that at these latitudes,
> > vitamin D levels are lower.
>
> Do you spend even a few minutes outside or sitting by a
> window? Unless you're a vampire or have a serious case of
> social anxiety disorder (or are a first-order geek),
> you're almost certainly gettting enough sunlight to
> provide for adequate vitamin D production. Forget the
> tanning beds; they just increase your risk of skin cancer
> (no matter what they say).
>
> > So I had blood draw yesterday, and my doctor is checking
> > calcium, magnesium, 25 OH Vitamin D, and some kidney
> > function.
>
> He must've been in too big a hurry to actually tell you
> how unlikely this all is. Expect them to be normal.
>
> > What's got me concerned is reading about increasing
> > symptoms in winter in people with MS. That has me ready
> > to get to a neurologist. Yikes!
>
> Please buy that book on OCD.
>
> > Does any of this make sense? If blood work comes back
> > clean, I really be scratching my head (no pun intended).
>
> Then you'll probably convince yourself you have lice. ;-)
>
> > After writing all this, I just realize I took the
> > calcium/magnesium supplement 1 hour ago, and the
> > twitching is increasing jut a bit. You said symptoms
> > show too much magnesium. Did you mean too little? That
> > supplement is 1000 mg calcium, 400 magnesium, if I
> > recall.
>
> Please go buy that book....RIGHT NOW!

Pretty hard to separate OCD from primary anxiety disorder,
which is where my money is. And you can see the huge medical
costs associated with this.

People like this are the best argument for the social role
of homeopaths, quacks, and religious healers. These folks
need attention. They usually have money. They aren't ill.
They need to see somebody and need to get some advise on
doing something ease their minds, and which isn't dangerous.
I just wish they wouldn't get $500 of blood tests and
whatnot, and make my insurance go out of reach.
 
On 2004-04-02 23:09:45 -0500, [email protected] (Steve Harris
[email protected]) said:

> Pretty hard to separate OCD from primary anxiety disorder,
> which is where my money is.

Maybe, but the OCD traits are certainly there.

> People like this are the best argument for the social role
> of homeopaths, quacks, and religious healers. These folks
> need attention. They usually have money. They aren't ill.
> They need to see somebody and need to get some advise on
> doing something ease their minds, and which isn't
> dangerous.

The "worried well" are great fodder for quacks of all kinds,
including medical imaging centers (staffed by MDs) hawking
full-body CT scans and such. For cash, of course.

> I just wish they wouldn't get $500 of blood tests and
> whatnot, and make my insurance go out of reach.

I agree. I try to walk a fine line between ordering just
enough tests (usually the simplest ones) to convince the
patient there's nothing medical going on without going hog-
wild. It's an art, and these people (as you noted) need our
time more than they need our tests and medicines.
 
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