Pancreas or Scotland? A Vit D tale

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mikeyB

mikeyB

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I've just been down for my diabetic screening, and checking up on bloods I had done last week. I'd suggested the doc do Vitamin tests because of the pancreatitis.

So all is normal apart from a Vit D test showing a level of 20ng/l. I think the normal minimum is 100 more than that. No wonder it was in red on the computer screen. So it's no wonder I've been feeling tired and falling asleep all over the place.

Anyway, the question is, is this due to malabsorption caused by the pancreatitis ( notwithstanding the Creon) or is it due to living in Scotland with the paucity of daylight in winter? What does the team think? I'll tell you what the doc thinks when I see him next week.
 
mikeyB said:
I've just been down for my diabetic screening, and checking up on bloods I had done last week. I'd suggested the doc do Vitamin tests because of the pancreatitis.

So all is normal apart from a Vit D test showing a level of 20ng/l. I think the normal minimum is 100 more than that. No wonder it was in red on the computer screen. So it's no wonder I've been feeling tired and falling asleep all over the place.

Anyway, the question is, is this due to malabsorption caused by the pancreatitis ( notwithstanding the Creon) or is it due to living in Scotland with the paucity of daylight in winter? What does the team think? I'll tell you what the doc thinks when I see him next week.
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It's probably a bit of both Mike but I'm a firm believer in keeping my Vit D at optimal levels (mine wasn't much higher than yours) because I've been doing a fair bit of research on it's impact for people with my type of cancer. So after a 8 week mega boost, I'm now on 800 iu supplement a day (I know there's some debate about whether it should be taken with calcium but I've had the cardiac link discussion with my doc).

I had to supply all the research links to my GP however to convince him I wasn't just a supplement geek. Vit D isn't taken seriously enough and in my case, deficiency was causing a lot of leg pain.

This is an interesting article on Vit D and diabetic retinopathy; - early days but food for thought.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/863974

Hope your pancreas accepts it and you're feeling more chipper as a result 🙂 Everything else ok?
 
Does the body store Vit D? (I can never remember whether it's one of the fat soluble or water soluble ones.) You get more daylight than us Southerly lot up to the Autumn Equinox.
 
Hi Mike. Glad they've found the reason of your tiredness. Whatever the cause of the deficiency I hope once you've started treatment you feel much better.
 
Probably a bit of both Mike because (as I'm sure you know) Vit-D is fat soluble which is a problem with CP. Anyone with CP should have DXA scans every 3 years to check for the onset of osteoporosis (sp?)
 
I take a teaspoonful of this vile tasting stuff every morning. OK...it's for dogs and horses, but what harm can it do? :D
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Naaaaaaayyyyyyyyy harm at all young lady so don't be telling us that you feel woof 😛
 
I had an intensive course of Vit D and now take it daily. I also have significant osteoporosis. Whether these are connected to my pancreaslessness or stomachlessness I don't know - probably a combination. I have an annual infusion for osteoporosis rather than the weekly tablets 'cos of malabsorption.
 
I was hoping you'd comment, Susan, thanks for that. If the doc thinks I'm not absorbing Vit D from food, I'm hardly likely to absorb it from tablets.:(
 
Ref said:
Probably a bit of both Mike because (as I'm sure you know) Vit-D is fat soluble which is a problem with CP. Anyone with CP should have DXA scans every 3 years to check for the onset of osteoporosis (sp?)
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Thanks for that Andy, I'll let the doc know. I've put this up on the pancreas forum as well, so no need to repeat!🙂
 
Ah - if you're seriously deficient - and you are Mike - you'll defo need daily jabs to begin with, followed by regular jabs thereafter. I mean when you're fit and healthy otherwise it's monthly after the initial hit it with a sledgehammer approach (both of which it has to have, to have any effect TBH) - but not sure with your err, co-morbidities.

There's a B12 deficiency charity website that's really helpful - I'll come back asap with a link or two.
 
trophywench said:
Ah - if you're seriously deficient - and you are Mike - you'll defo need daily jabs to begin with, followed by regular jabs thereafter. I mean when you're fit and healthy otherwise it's monthly after the initial hit it with a sledgehammer approach (both of which it has to have, to have any effect TBH) - but not sure with your err, co-morbidities.

There's a B12 deficiency charity website that's really helpful - I'll come back asap with a link or two.
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Why would it need to be jabs Jenny? I only needed an initial mega boost of Vit D orally to get mine up and onto the maintenance dose.
 
Amigo said:
Why would it need to be jabs Jenny? I only needed an initial mega boost of Vit D orally to get mine up and onto the maintenance dose.
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If the deficiency is due to poor absorption, oral medication won't work efficiently any more than a vitamin rich diet will.
 
http://www.b12d.org/index

Merely because that was my understanding of it Amigo with a near relative of my husband with pernicious anaemia and also some T1 and T2 friends where it has been caused by Metformin.

I'm not sure about the actual science of absorption problems though, I'd have to look it up.
 
mikeyB said:
If the deficiency is due to poor absorption, oral medication won't work efficiently any more than a vitamin rich diet will.
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Yes I appreciate your situation could be different re: absorption capacity Mike. I see Jeny is referring to B12 not Vit D and there is a common denominator even though they are different.
My mum has pernicious anaemia and had jabs because of the lack of intrinsic factor.
 
Yes, though my B12 is normal. TBH I don't really care how they get the stuff into me as long as I can stay awake for important stuff like cricket and football matches on the TV, and my bones don't go transparent.:confused:
 
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