It was a difficult and frenzy moment. I was waiting for a biopsy result. Is he suffering from cancer? It is my close friend’s husband, who is responsible for their multiple kids and his wife. He ended up in the hospital having several bumps on his neck and swollen feet which he thought was due to cold. He had excessive sweating too which he thought was due to bad summer. It turned out he is at phase 3 of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL cancer). Over a matter of few days, a normal assumed to be a healthy person ended up in a cancer ward taking radiation, getting blood and platelet infusion, suffering from liver cirrhosis, diabetes and living on pills and what not. It is scary to think further.
All these diseases above (and many more) might very well be the effects of Vitamin-D deficiency. Vitamin-D is associated with 200 diseases as the current research reveal. The family mentioned above, were not aware of Vitamin-D deficiency although, without conclusive evidence, it is hard to say D-deficiency is the cause of these symptoms.
Is n’t it an alarming situation looking at the connection of Vit-D with so many of the life-threatening diseases?
I assume you are here to learn or want to see the symptoms you feel and see, can it be due to low Vitamin-D? But before you read the post about my personal confrontation with low Vitamin-D, let me share some topical knowledge. Have you heard the humming sound traveling around the world that 94% of people in the world are Vitamin-D deficient? Symptoms of Vitamin-D deficiency
But the good news is, it is easy to have your Vitamin-D level upped to the medically desired level compared to being in the hospital and suffer at the end, if truly that D-nutrient is the cause.
Are you eager now to know what effects did I see and feel? I will describe what my skin revealed and body felt as much as possible. Hope it will help you to identify or correlating your symptoms with mine. In the end, I got out of this and hope you will.
I was Vitamin-D deficient with a dismal level of 4ng/ mL (the official optimal level was 30 ng/ mL). It was the first time I ever tested for Vitamin-D in my life. The effects I describe here is what I experienced at that level. I do not know when they started because I was not vigilant or have ignored them like many of us.
Here are my personal experiences, that my skin revealed and body felt.
- Benign white spots on foot
- Urinary incontinence
- Feeling hungry and craving sweets after the meal
- Impaired vision got repaired to normal
- Upping Vitamin-D reduced my physical weight
- Dental cavity, decay, and bleeding of gums
- Excessive sweating on my forehead
- Unusual hair loss
- Eczema
- Depression and Fatigue
1. Benign White Spots on My Foot
I wish I could tell you when they started. I was so busy with my work and I was functioning well and never thought Vitamin-D deficiency is showing its color on my skin.
I am not a spa person by any chance or passionate about uplifting my skin beauty. I am lucky if I see my face in a mirror before I office. I had that kind of time constraint with my work along with I really am a tomboy.
The great news they were tested benign.
Benign white spots
These disgusting spots disappeared with Vitamin-D supplements along with directly exposing my bare foot to UVB producing solar radiation between 11:30 AM to 3:30 pm for 25-30 minutes (I have a brown skin) and upgrading my food and life habits. The supplements I use was prescribed 50,000IU Vitamin D2 once a week after a meal (I shallow it after lunch) for 6 months followed by 2000IU Vitamin-D3 from OTC (shallow it after breakfast). It is a daily dose and I am using now for over three years. I am still on and will use it until I am alive.
Per my observation, exposure of the barefoot directly to sunlight worked really well while I can’t ignore the contribution of supplements, either Vitamin-D2 and D3 and other lifestyle uplifting habits I adopted. In the right-hand side of the picture, the feet were massaged with sesame oil and the picture was taken after the shower.
Let me tell you the feeling of exposing my bare back skin for the first time in my life. I felt something is happening like a little worm is swiftly walking on my skin the very first few days. It felt like a small insect is moving around. I was not feeling hot at 80- 85 oC on my well-lit deck. I get inside When I felt the heat on my skin. There were many sunny days in the summer months and I was on 2000IU Vitamin-D3 supplements/ day eating right after my breakfast swallowing it.
This miracle happened in front of my eyes over 3-4 summer months. It is a litmus test for the heck of it. The bad thing is I did not know when it started
The big message is Vitamin-D deficiency can be treated.
The disappearance of benign white spots by upping Vitamin-D
What I could say is sun is the cause and cure of the white benign spots. This is reflected quite well from the above picture.
Now, are you interested in what was my Vitamin-D nutrient status when these spots disappear? More than a >5X lift from 4ng/ mL to 25.7ng/ mL. I did see these spots at 18 ng/ mL (interim measurement).
I owe you the treatment condition that I adopted in another blog to help you in your low D problem.
2. Urinary Incontinence
Have you ever gone through this? How embarrassing can this be in a work environment? Here is my experience and check if you can relate to yours.
I can’t remember how many times my pants were wet before sitting on the toilet cover and how had I have tried this not to happen. At times, I carry an extra pair of pants to restroom and change. To alleviate this embarrassment, I got into timing mode to set up an alarm every few hours. It did work to some extent.
Are you thinking about a bladder problem or something else as the cause?
No, my bladder was not the problem. Neither, it was due to sneezing, coughing, holding on to urinate because I was completing a task before visiting the bathroom or extreme anxiety that you feel before a difficult life making-breaking test.
In fact, this happened in the period of my extreme Vitamin-D deficiency. I failed to control this supposed to be a natural process every time.
The biggest news: I upped my Vitamin-D level from 4 ng/mL to 25.7 ng/ mL ( 30 ng/ mL was normal) and got relieved from this sweaty situation.
3. Feeling Hungry After the Meal
I love food as many of you are. But I never wanted to be almost always feeling hungry after the meal [1], even after the meal. This was the situation when I was suffering from low level of Vitamin-D. I was also craving for sweets after the meal.
A company I worked for, offers free healthy snacks including fresh fruits and varieties of drink possibly because they do not house an in-house cafeteria. I quench my thirst and hunger visiting the kitchen and still feel I should eat more.
After I upped my Vitamin-D level, it all stopped and I was satisfied with my regular meals. Scientific research supports this as well.
4. Impaired Vision Got Repaired to Normal
Can you imagine correction of -1.25 to normal 20/20 after upping my Vitamin-D level?
It is unbelievable to me and maybe for you as well. I am driving without glasses!
I never expected and checked out literature to find how general it is and has anyone reported it. With my extensive search, I found Vitamin-D receptors are pleiotropic in nature and they morph with retinoid receptors. I am not sure of the exact reason here for vision correction.
5. Upping Vitamin-D Reduced Physical Weight
The world is in a rat race of losing physical weight, of course for an important reason-to had a better health. I am one of them but like natural processes though like many of you.
I was wearing 178- 181 lb with a height of 5’ 6”. I was not dieting or taking in any extreme measures to knock off the extras. My ideal weight should stay between 108 and 148 lbs per my primary care physician. Great news: I am around 148 lb in the high end with diet, exercise and upping my Vitamin-D and took about 2 yrs. I find it hard to get it down to the lower end. The weight kind of plateaued for several months.
Your heavyweight might be connected to the low level of Vitamin-D. Several studies point low vitamin-D connection to abdominal obesity and visceral fat Vitamin-D reduces physical weight.
6. Dental Cavity, Decay and Bleeding Gum
Looking at my dental cleaning record and cavities filled during the time of my Vitamin-D deficiency period, it was at the highest level and might have been occurring before. I had occasional bleeding while brushing. Those are now taken care of. My overall dental health has improved with respect to cavities and gum bleeding. The tooth foundation was compromised during the process.
bleeding gums
Dental health
Here is what is known from the research that I did. Tooth decay can be an early sign of Vitamin-D deficiency. The periodontal disease weakens the teeth bone that anchors teeth into their socket. This results in inflammation, redness and gum bleeding resulting in loss of teeth. The anti-inflammatory Vitamin-D helps prevent bacterial infection into the gum and in other places. Vitamin-D helps prevent bacterial infection to gum [2]
Calcium which is stored in bones and teeth is always in a state of motion. In case of a need, the body hauls out calcium from this storage to replenish the deficiency in the body. When Vitamin-D is low, calcium is not restored back in bone and teeth. That makes bones weak, prone to fracture. It results in tooth-decay and cavity formation.
Vitamin-D regulates calcium absorption, the deficiency can result in deformed bone. Vitamin-D and Calcium together strengthen the tooth. D-deficient children experience late teething and deformed teeth.
7. Excessive Sweating From Forehead
I was sweating like crazy from my forehead during this low-D-nutrient period but never felt a fever. My doctor was asking about this before she ordered a Vitamin-D testing on my blood. I was not sure how many years of D-deficiency I was suffering from.
Professor Michael Holick, M.D., the pioneer of Vitamin-D research says that this can be one of the first signs of Vitamin-D deficiency.
Sweat can come from multiple sources. It can come from cancer symptoms, high-stress (may lose your job, that feeds your family), thyroid problems, diabetics, and infection etc. Sweating is a good indicator of the heart attack.
How do you pinpoint this symptom to low Vitamin-D? Look at your composite symptoms. Can you say you are at a dismal D? Make a visit to your doctor for a diagnosis to confirm.
8. Unusual Hair Loss
I was not suffering from any other major illness. I used to wear reasonably think hair. The area I live in has good water I shower with.
During my low D level time, while combing my hair, my comb gets jammed with hair. I used to get scared can I will lose it all! My parents and the rest of my family, all have decent hair and none of them were bald. That was giving me little assurance. I never had comprehended it can be due to a shortage of Vitamin-D. I got them back after I recovered myself. I am not losing hair like crazy I used to be. Scientific literature supports this.
But research and expert opinion suspect Vitamin-D help regulate the expression of genes that foster normal hair follicle growth (Rania Mount Abdel, MD, and dermatologist).
9. Eczema
This is not my direct experience but because it happened in front of my eyes in my house. One of my family members was suffering from Eczema. Using a doctor prescribed Vitamin-D ointment on the eczema patch cured him. If you see this kind of patches, you seem to have D-deficiency.
Eczema is a skin condition which is seen as red, itchy, dry skin patches on the skin. Eczema can be contagious if it is infected. People with low Vitamin-D are known to suffer from skin ailment like a bacterial colony and skin infection.
There is solid scientific evidence supporting the fact that Vitamin-D cures eczema. If the patch is not cured by Vitamin-D, it might not be eczema per Vitamin-D council. It is that strong an evidence Vitamin-D cures Eczema. Eczema could arise from several conditions.
- Low levels of Vitamin-D
- Allergen can trigger an eczema flare-up
- Food allergy
- Children of eczema suffered patients may get infected with eczema easily.
Topical application of doctor prescribed Vitamin-D ointment has cured eczema in one of my family members. So It was clearly for D-deficiency and not due to other reasons. This person is on 2000 IU 1 tablet/day and has not had a flare up after the cure.
10. Depression and Fatigue
I never had experienced depression and fatigue to impact my work. It might be that I was too busy to feel any impact. I can firmly say now after I filled my D-deficiency
- Undoubtedly I felt an improved stamina
- Improved energy and elevated interest level
Skin and mind are well intertwined. A stressed and depressed mind acts shortening the telomere and can place the root for skin aging.
Know Your D-nutrient Status
Based on current research, the D-nutrient level is modified. The following chart is from the Institute of Medicine. Vitamin-D council has a similar but little different label.
Recent Guidance of Vit-D from Institute of Medicine
Are You One of them?
- Ignoring confusing symptoms of early Vitamin-D deficiency?
- Vitamin-D deficiency test involves money (~$53 dollars one time). Should I spend this money when I don’t have clear symptoms?
- Conflicting messages in the web to misguide people Vitamin-D deficiency is overrated and a hype. Who do you trust?
- My current doctor did not know about Vit-D deficiency. Forget general people.
- The world population does not have awareness specifically in underdeveloped countries. Hey, we have bright sun in our country. We can’t be deficient with Sun Vitamin. I have got responses of this kind from educated people while discussing D-deficiency. You know just having the sun is not enough.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
I have given a synopsis of what my skin revealed and body felt during the dismal Vitamin-D period. Vitamin-D works in its hormone form. Every cell of the human body has a Vitamin-D receptor. Known as sunshine and bone Vitamin, the effects of a Vitamin-D deficiency can lead to detrimental health and wellness consequences if not treated. New symptoms are added on regular basis to the repertoire from ongoing research and clinical trials. The good news is Vitamin-D deficiency could easily be treated.
My originally measured level at 4ng/ mL was elevated 25. 7 ng/ mL after 2 years. I am still on using 2000IU of Vitamin-D3 every day after my breakfast. From my personal experience, I would recommend doing the following.
- Check your Vitamin-D level (25-hydroxy-Vitamin-D) per the advice of your physician. The cost of this could be as high as $53.00/ one time but it will outweigh all your odds.
- Expose to sensible sunlight for 10-15 minutes at solar noon time 3 times a week.
- Enrich your meals and snacks with Vitamin-D and fortified food.
- Use supplements if recommended by your doctor.
- Exercise regularly.
- Don’t mortgage your 7-8 hours of sleep for anything.
It’s great to bring awareness to a situation that can easily be avoided with the correct nutrition intake, I work night shifts and there was a period where i hadn’t seen sunlight for months, and to be completely honest i did not feel that great at the time. Small changes like going out for 15-20 minutes a day to be exposed to sunlight has proven to be beneficial in my case. I also think that paying for a vitamin D deficiency test is well worth its price because after all whats more important than your health?
Hey Alex,
I worked years at night shifts and also during the day inside. That for sure, made me Vitamin-D deficient. If there is sun you can expose yourself everyday, I believe you should be good. They are changing the Vitamin-D status of every couple of years based on research finding.
I aspire this article will create awareness. It is better be safe than sorry.
Hello and than you for this informative article Ansuya. I had a really nice time reading it. Some useful information you got there. I never knew that Vitamin D deficiency can cause that much health issues. I taught Vitamin D was not that imporant for us.
Oh boy I was wrong. I definitely have a few symptoms. I have dental cavity and i also feel hungry after a meal. These are the two main things I noticed about myself. I will search for good supplements.
What supplements do you use and are there doing the job for you?
Hi Strahinja,
I am happy you found the article informative. We never know enough, that’s the way I feel now. I never thought, coming from India, I will test D-deficient.
If you have cavities, it might be an early stage of the D-deficiency.
I was prescribed by my doctor for Vitamin-D2 50000 IU (once a week) and 2000 IU over the counter medication (1 tablet daily).
How about, you ask your doctor during your regular check up or may be just call and find out.
Thank you for your time reading this article.
My son’s doctor has recommended taking a Vitamin-D supplement since the moment he came home from the hospital, and all he ever really said about it was that people just don’t have of it. I never knew any of the symptoms of deficiency. I’m curious now as to what my levels are, as a few of the symptoms make a lot of sense to me. Things that you think are normal because you’ve had them for years, but are probably a sign of something else! This was a really great read, thanks!
Hi Chandra,
My daughter was treated for Vitamin-D deficiency but she upped it up after few months. Some of the symptoms are so easy to ignore or forget. I think it is better to a test done to know where we are at.
Thank you, you liked the article.
I guess that’s why they say getting necessary sun rays are important right? Wow those effects are absolutely frightening and I freak out every time I think I see another mole on my body. What symptom could that stem from? Either way I take vitamins and minerals very seriously and seeing what you had to go through keeps me wanting to not ever take it for granted
Yes, Kira.
Nothing can be taken taken for granted in life. Good that you are taking vitamins and supplements. You are right, take the sun bath. They recommend to take it during the mid-day (solar noon) to get the maximum effect. How about asking your doctor, next time you visit?
Hello good and informative post. Waoo it is really an event opener. I think i have seen some of these symptoms and I never took it as serious. Imagine that you get Hungary after meal, oops.
I might have to up my vutamin D level by eating meals rich in it and sun bathing and probably seek medical advise
Thank you once again
Hi Olonisakin,
Thank you for taking time to read the article and you found it informative. Exposing your bare body to sunlight is a major source of obtaining Vitamin-D. But as we know it is not always available. Summer months are better than winter and it depends where you live etc.
Because it is such an important vitamin-D, it is better to visit a doctor.
wow I knew that vitamin d was good for your bones and teeth, but I had no idea it could cause all these other serious symptoms. I’m glad to hear though that after upping your vitamin d intake, that you started getting better.
I’m not sure if I skipped over this in your post, but what would you say is the best way to get vitamin d? Milk or maybe a capsule?
Also how long does it usually take to see good side effects after increasing your dosage?
Hey Michael,
Thank you for your time reading the article. Vitamin-D known as bone Vitamin-D is now found to be connected to 200 diseases. We need it everyday for different activities. I also had very little awareness before I started writing.
How I cured the D-deficiency will be my next blog. Diet like fatty fish such salmon, sardines etc, some mushrooms , fortified vitamin-D milk, yogurt, cereals have Vitamin-D.
But if you can, ask your doctor to do a check-up to know your status. He or She can advise you for capsules if at all.
For me it took ~6 months to see the effect of improvements using 50000 IU of Vitamin-D2, once per week (Prescription medication). I was also having one capsule 2000 IU Vitamin-D3 everyday.
To see my spots disappear (I think, it is sunlight exposure), it took about 2 years.
Thanks to exposing me to the effects of vitamin d deficiency, I have gone through most of the symptoms you mentioned here on this post like unusual hair loss, getting hungry after meal as well and I didn’t even have a slightest clue what was going on with me because I didn’t take it too serious until now that I’m reading about this and I’m lucky I got over it with ease and it’s best I get the knowledge about it should I know someone who suffers vitamin d deficiency, I’ll definitely recommend them to reading this post . Thanks
Hi there,
The Institute of medicine has elevated the Vitamin-D blood serum level and most people in the world are deficient and have to replenish.
Thank you for taking the time to read the post and offering your thoughts.
It is so unbelievable to see many effects that can arise as a result of vitamin D deficiency. So the tooth decay, ezema, can be as a result of low vitamin D. I do believe the uv light from sun between 7:a.m and 10:am is good for acquiring vitamin D. I don’t know about the 11:a.m and above I met hear. Health they say is wealth. And prevention is better than cure. This will be the reason why your advice and recommendation should put into consideration. This is a very useful review that worth reflecting on.
Hi Stella,
Thank you for reading the article.
Many people believe the sun exposure time is morning. It is different for different parts of the world. But it is not the morning sun that gives Vid-D3 producing radiation.
The approximate way is to stand under the sunlight and look at your shadow. If the shadow is smaller than your actual height.
Thanks for a brilliant and very informative article. I never knew the effect cause from vitamin d deficiency. Its good to know that the vitamin d deficiency can be treated. Its a lot of money $53 to have check if you have the deficiency but its a no brainer to have this test so that you can verify if you have this.
Hey Darren,
I always thought Vitamin-D check should be free. I had my insurance paying but now I have to pay from my pocket. But the importance of the optimal D-level is a good way to have a mental peace for me.
It takes more money and pain to treat a disease coming from D-deficiency.
Thank you for your time.
You certainly know your stuff, Anusuya, and this article made very interesting reading for me as I recognize more than one of the symptoms you mention in myself.
I knew that Vitamin D was important, but I didn’t realize just how important before reading your very informative and interesting article.
I’ll definitely be getting myself checked out regardless of what it might cost me financially. You can’t put a price on your health whether it is for the sake of feeling better as we go about our daily routines or avoiding the tragic consequences that befell your friend.
I live in the UK and our weather has a well known reputation for lack of sunshine and this Summer has been the coldest, wettest and most dismal weatherwise that I can remember. I’ve been experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder this year which normally only effects me at the onset of Winter, so it seems my Vitamin D levels could do with a boost.
Thanks for a timely and much needed reminder to do something about it.
Hi Richard,
I am glad that you found the article informative. As we say ‘it is better to be safe than sorry”
With your weather, I would check my D-level and follow the doctor’s advice.
Thank you for your time reading the article.
I was not aware that Vitamin D deficiency can cause so many health issues. I knew that Vit. D together with calcium is important for healthy teeth and bones. I would like to add that Vit. D is fat soluble, which means that the body will store any excess in the liver. So it is important that if you do take a supplement, that you don’t take too much. I always thought that as long as I can get some sunshine, that I would get enough Vit. D, but I might need more than just a dose of sun.
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Vit-D is a critical nutrient and is involved in managing multiple functions of the body.
More importantly, the Institute of Medicine has raised the optimal vitamin-D level recently.
I would encourage you to go for a check-up and then follow your doctor’s advice.
This is really a helpful article. To be honest I had no idea that vitamin D deficiency in the human body could cause so much harm.As a teacher, while at school I have seen several students bleeding gums but no one knew that this was probably due to vitamin D deficiency. I am grateful to be aware of this. This will help us to take appropriate actions to address this problem. All the best.
Baraka
Hi Baraka,
It is a worldwide problem. Institute of Medicine has increased the optimal level based on current research on Vitamin-D. So it is advisable to check the level and act on it to prevent your health from multiple illnesses
I am glad that you found this article helpful.
Thank you for this post. This is some really good information on vitamin D deficiency. I too have a lot of knowledge and experience with vitamin D as it (vitamin D3) was one of five antioxidants that I took in my all-natural cancer treatment that totally healed me of cancer within a years time.
I had learned from my doctor at that time that everyone in the world that lives above 35 degrees north latitude and below 35 degrees south latitude is vitamin D deficient most of the time. This is because when you live 35 degrees north or south of the earth’s equator, you do not get optimal sun exposure, especially in the winter and fall months.
Fortunately my then doctor and the doctor I have now gives me a 25(OH)D blood test every year in October to see where my blood levels are at. Another thing I learned that many of the “official” recommended levels of nutrients like vitamin D are the minimum levels meant to keep you from developing disease.
However the optimal blood levels, with darker skinned people requiring more, is 50 to 70 ng/mL of D3 in the blood. To keep my blood level at around 55 ng/mL during the Fall and Winter months, I take 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day, 5,000 with breakfast and 5,000 with dinner.
During the Spring and Summer months I only need 2,000 IU per day. I get ample sun exposure just being outside and in the car with my left arm always exposed to the sun while driving with an open car window. The body on average will make 20,000 to 30,000 IU of vitamin D3 from just 15 to 30 minutes of daily sun exposure.
It is amazing how vital vitamin D is for the many functions in the body. It is also vital for our bodies to process calcium efficiently. But like my doctor tells me, when taking vitamin D in supplement form, always take the D3 variety and in either capsule or gel cap form so the body can easily absorb it. I love vitamin D3.
Hi Robert,
I am glad that you found the information on Vitamin-D good. I enjoyed the knowledge and personal experience contained in your comment.
I am following the prescription of a few cancer patients. Each of the prescriptions has Vit-D3 supplementation as part of the medication.
Because of the IOM (institute of medicine)’s higher Vit-D3 recommendation, most of the world is vitamin-D3 deficient-which is a vital nutrient of the human body.
The great thing about Vit-D is one can easily increase it with food, supplements and both. Recent research has shown for certain cancer and bones, Vit-D3 from sunlight exposure is mandatory.
It is not very cheap to have Vit-D3 test but it is definitely worth spending money when you are not covered by health insurance.
Hello there, thanks for taking your time to educate us on this really nice topic here. Most people who don’t like seeing a doctor may suffer form lack of vitamin D and wouldn’t know what the cause is, and in some situations, they take medications that are not related to helping them with vitamin D. I’m glad to have come across this post. Now I can easily identify the symptoms of deficiency in vitamin D. Thanks once again.
Hi Chole,
Knowing your symptoms can always help to be aware of what may be coming to you.
Some people have a tendency not to visit their doctors until they are really sick.
It always helps to have a regular physical checkup.
Deficiency in Vitamin-D can be responsible for multiple diseases. It always helps to know your Vitani-D blood serum level.
Thanks for taking the time to read the article.
Wow, this is such an informative article I did not realize that a lack of vitamin D could cause so many problems. I actually have some of these symptoms as well as one of my friends I will definitely be sharing this with my friend who suffers from Eczema it has spread all over legs now and doctors seem to be unable to help her. I myself with get tested to see if I can rectify some of these symptoms. Thank you.
Hi there,
Vit-D3 is a major problem of the current world and a large percentage of us are victims of this situation. I would encourage you to check the level in a laboratory. The symptoms could be misleading and confusing at times.
Thank you for reading this article. I am glad that you found this article informative.