# Vitamin D deficiency **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274 "2014-01-20T14:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/1 "2014-01-20T14:28:18Z")
So I had my annual check up last week, and I asked my doctor if she could add a vitamin B12 test because I had been very fatigued lately. She said no problem, and also recommended a vitamin D test. So the results come back: Vitamin B12 comfortably in the middle of the normal range. However, my vitamin D is almost non-existent, so she has me on 2000 international units a day and is going to recheck in 8 weeks. My question (I know you aren’t my doctor and I am currently seeing a physician), how long until I can see improvement in my fatigue levels? Should I see signs of improvement before the 8 week retest? (I hope I hope). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/2 "2014-01-20T14:42:46Z")
It seems like most people in the northern hemisphere have low Vitamin D levels in winter. I went through the same thing as you and I don’t think there was much improvement in my fatigue levels while I was taking the supplement. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/3 "2014-01-20T22:33:34Z")
Some people just have trouble holding onto D … I take D regularly, and make sure to go outside barring rain or snow 10-15 minutes a day for sunlight and I am almost always seriously low on D when I get my bloodwork done every 3 months. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/4 "2014-01-21T00:20:37Z")
Heck. I live in South Florida and drive a convertible. I have to take 2000IU of vitamin D to be within the recommended range. (We tried 1000IU, and my doctor wasn’t happy with the results. Although I do have a longer commute these days…) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/5 "2014-01-21T01:25:15Z")
I searched around for vitamin D deficiency symptoms (I have it too) but fatigue doesn’t seem to be one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/6 "2014-01-21T03:43:46Z")
Hmm, I wonder if that means I’m bordering on Osteomalacia, because: > [@](#): > > Early symptoms include gradual onset and persistent fatigue And my doctor did predict the deficiency, I really thought it was going to be a B12 deficiency. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/7 "2014-01-21T05:08:36Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Some people just have trouble holding onto D … Maybe your D isn’t tenacious enough. ---
**Author:** ![soulburnz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@soulburnz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulburnz)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/8 "2014-01-21T07:39:17Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Maybe your D isn’t tenacious enough. I see what you did there. ::golf clap:: ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/9 "2014-01-21T08:52:37Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I searched around for vitamin D deficiency symptoms (I have it too) but fatigue doesn’t seem to be one of them. It might be a placebo effect or something but I feel like I have more energy during winters now that I take vitamin D supplements. Wiki says “Hypovitaminosis D is also considered a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in older persons.” so there might be something to it. ---
**Author:** ![Whitney\_Harper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@Whitney\_Harper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whitney_Harper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/10 "2014-01-21T11:35:16Z")
Have you been tested for anemia? Anemia can cause great fatigue. Do you have fatigue upon wakening or do you wake up refreshed and get fatigued as the day goes on? ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/11 "2014-01-21T11:53:26Z")
It’s usually a late onset, starting in the afternoon and getting worse until I finally lay down and go to sleep. An hour nap before dinner and I’m usually good to go until bed time. Their have been a couple times the before dinner nap turned into a 12 hour sleep though. I’ll ask my Dr. about an anemia check next visit. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/12 "2014-01-21T19:00:07Z")
Sleep apnea can also cause fatigue, since your body is basically interrupting its own sleep all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/13 "2014-01-22T17:48:24Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Maybe your D isn’t tenacious enough. \<3 I’m always low on D and have to supplement. In some vague way, it does make me feel better. How scientific, eh. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/14 "2014-01-22T18:23:15Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > It’s usually a late onset, starting in the afternoon and getting worse until I finally lay down and go to sleep. An hour nap before dinner and I’m usually good to go until bed time. Their have been a couple times the before dinner nap turned into a 12 hour sleep though. > > I’ll ask my Dr. about an anemia check next visit. Good idea, but most routine bloodwork will include a complete blood count (CBC) and hemoglobin test - your doctor would probably already know if you have abnormal blood cells or a decreased hemoglobin level. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/15 "2014-01-22T18:42:24Z")
Oh, I was looking for an Iron test, not a hemoglobin test. Yeah, my hemoglobin is well within normal range. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/16 "2014-01-22T19:21:53Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Sleep apnea can also cause fatigue, since your body is basically interrupting its own sleep all the time. Holy shit does it ever. I typically sleep on my stomach or side, and don’t really snore or have apnea. However, after my recent surgery I had to sleep on my back for a while, and I was constantly super tired and fatigued, and my wife said I snored really loudly and gasped, etc… So when it was reasonably comfortable, I switched back to side/stomach sleeping, and it’s a 180 degree turnaround. No more falling asleep at random or being super-tired all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vitamin-d-deficiency/679274/17 "2014-01-22T19:33:26Z")
I too am vitamin D deficient as well as over half the population. Since it has been put on the general screening blood test, it is being found all the time. However, it usually doesn’t lead to fatigue but increases your risks of certain diseases. [http://www.healthcare.siemens.com/clinical-specialities/bone-metabolism/vitamin-d/vitamin-d-deficiency](http://www.healthcare.siemens.com/clinical-specialities/bone-metabolism/vitamin-d/vitamin-d-deficiency)