Is it Vit D Deficiency or Hypoglycemia?

by Jonathan
(Atlantic City, New Jersey)

I was wondering if it is possible for a doctor to mistake some of the symptoms of Vit D Deficiency for hypoglycemia?


I have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, but could it really be Vit D Deficiency?

What do you think?

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Vitamin D and Hypoglycemia
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen

Thanks for writing in. That's a very interesting question.




More About Vitamin D


Could you be more specific about your symptoms so that I can know more what you are experiencing?

Usually, a doctor wouldn't give a 'mistaken' diagnosis of Hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is very easy to test for with a simple in office blood sugar test and/or a 'Glucose Challenge Test' that can test for diabetes and help to diagnose hypoglycemia.

But having said that, Vitamin D can help to regulate blood sugars and make them more steady. so someone with a Vitamin D defficiency may not have good blood sugar regulation and COULD have more ups and down's.

So in a way, they COULD get mixed up because the hypoglycemia could be CAUSED by Vitamin D Defficiency!


I Hope that I answered your question, Jonathan.





Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
hypoglkycemia induced by vitamin D 3 deficiency
by: Anonymous

An endocrinoligist published a paper on this last year. Low vitamin D 3 can cause hypoglycemia and diabetes.

Taking large doses of vitamin D 3 will stabilize you and your hypoglycemic symptoms will disappear. My symptoms were/are: itching of scalp and genital area, heart palpitations, bigemini, blurred vision, cold spells including shuttering.

Just the facts, M'aam.
no more hypo
by: Jim W.

I just started taking Vitamin D due to very low level in a vita D blood test. Also started taking a formulation containing siberian ginseng, maca and ashwagandha for Adrenal Gland Fatigue. My hypoglycemia went away in 2 days.

I started testosterone therapy due to testicular cancer. My thyroid looks good, although my doc says thyroid problems may arise due to the addition of the meds.
VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY
by: Anonymous

HI
MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN SUFFERING FOR MONTHS WITH THIS, AND IT WAS JUST DETERMINED THAT SHE HAS VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY WHICH WAS CAUSING HER LOW BLOOD SUGAR AND FATIGUE.

SHE HAD TO GO TO THE E.R. AND THEY SAID SHE WAS FINE. SHE THEN WENT TO THE DOCTOR, WHO RAN SOME TESTS AND AGAIN, SAID SHE WAS FINE.

SHE FLEW HOME TO GO TO OUR FAMILY DOCTOR, AND SHE RAN MANY TESTS, AND FINALLY FOUND A DIAGNOSIS.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOME DOCTORS JUST DO REGULAR TESTING, AND SAY YOU'RE FINE. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE PASSED OUT WHILE DRIVING, NOT KNOWING THAT SHE HAD LOW BLOOD SUGAR. THANKFULLY, THE DOCTOR AT HOME RECOGNIZED THE SYMPTOMS, AND RAN THE NECESSARY TESTS.

WE JUST FOUND OUT A FEW DAYS AGO, AND SHE WAS PRESCRIPTION VITAMIN D 50.000 IU A WEEK, AND SHE'S LEARNING HOW TO KEEP THE LOW BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL. HOPEFULLY ONCE HER D IS UP, SHE'LL ALSO GET RID OF THE LOW BLOOD SUGAR SYMPTOMS...

SHAME ON THOSE DOCTORS WHO DON'T GO THE EXTRA MILE
ME TOO!
by: Anonymous

Oh my goodness, I tell you for months I have been sick. And I too was told I was fine from three different doctors.

I just found out yesterday that my Vitamin D Levels are very low 12.7 and suppose to be 36-100. (Kerri's note: No, they are 'supposed' to be 50 to 80 and NOT 36 to 100!!)

They prescribed me some vit d but when my husband took in the Prescription Vitamin D, the pharmacist told him it was synthetic.

So not only am I suffering but I can't even get a real vitamin from the doctor, so I went to the health food store and bought me some real Vitamin D3 Supplements and I have to pray for the best.

My prescription was for 50,000 IU too. Hopefully my hypoglycemic symptoms can vanish for ever!
Vit D & Hypoglycemia
by: Anonymous

Was anyone else's hypoglycemia helped by the vitamin D. I developed hypoglycemia and around the same time I started get extreme muscle weakness and fatigue also. This all happened overnight. I usually work out a lot and haven't been able to do anything for a month now because even the most simple exercise leaves my muscles exhausted, sore and hurting. My D level was checked out and found to be 16.4 but the doc only put me on 1000iu/day and said that would be enough. I have been taking it for 2 weeks now and still no improvement. I am starting to get scared that my hypoglycemia is not linked to my vitamin D and is here to stay. Could it be that I am not getting my Vit D levels up fast enough and that is why the hypoglycemia keeps happening?
PLEASE read more pages on my site
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go back and read some of the more than 1000 pages on this site that discuss the proper dosage of Vitamin D.

1000 IU's will NOT NOT, no matter how long you take it, bring up your vitamin d levels. You'll need to take 7 to 10 TIMES that amount to bring your level up any significant amount.


Kerri Knox,RN
Doctors and D
by: Anonymous

As a Family Physician it is getting more and more frustrating as it is the INSURANCE industry that drives what tests can be done and paid for. I have seen vitamin D deficiency be very prevelant, yet a "payable diagnosis" is often times hard to come by. Fatigue and hypoglycemia often times is not one of those payable diagnoses, which would be why the ER would not order one.

We have been told for years to "stay out of the sun" for fear of skin cancer, yet this is actually the best way to get the necessary vitamin D3 our bodies need and the "most natural way" to do so. It is not sunbathing, just regular exposure, especially from 10-2 that helps and prevents us from having to take supplements.

I hope all of you that have discovered the benefits of needed vitamin D are doing better. Encourage your doctors and tell others to consider this as it helps ALL of us to live better, healthier lives.

Thanks for the comments. Remember - doctors are human too and we always are and can learn new things.
Vitamin D helps me with low blood sugar
by: Anonymous

I am a hypoglycemic person. About 2 years ago, I went to the doctor for some stomach issues and mentioned I was always tired. But it was probably just excessive work, stress & older age. He ran tests on iron, thyroid and Vitamin D. It turns out my Vit D was excessively low. With in a week of taking (2) 50,000IU I found the energetic me that had been missing for a long time.

Fast forward, they rechecked my Vit D levels and they were too high. They asked me to stop supplements and come back in 4 weeks. Well it took me 6 weeks to go back in. But meanwhile after the first 2-3 weeks, I started having a hard time getting up in the morning, exhausted even after 7-8hrs sleep AND constantly feel like I need food. It felt like my blood sugars were constantly low. I generally eat/snack low glycemic foods. After my blood test & waiting on results, I starting taking my Vit D again (just not so often) and I feel great. I have no issues feeling exhausted like I'm dragging an extra person around with me in the morning and now I'm not battling my blood sugar. I eat, feel full and it lasts until my next meal. The only time I feel insulin surge is when I eat excessive sugar & carbs like a basket of tortilla chips and nachos at dinner!
CRYING OUT FOR HELP
by:

I was told I have a vitamin d deficiency my level was 9.9 and my doctor put me on 1000iu daily and some of my symptoms have gone away but I still have many others like low grade temp 99.0-99.6 that only last for about a hour or less, I also still have muscle cramps,depression, night sweats some nights,I also had enlarged lymph nodes that have shrunk in size but still have a shooting pain that also come and go...Sore throat,insomnia and fatigue at the same time..All my blood work is normal MRI of brain and neck were normal,chest x ray normal,but I feel like 1000iu is not enough but my doctor said she feel comfortable with that amount I want to go get a second opinion I just want to feel better this has taken over my life I can't eat I can't sleep I NEED HELP..I feel like I'm dying
Asked and answered
by: Kerri Knox, The Immune System Queen

Please see my page on Vitamin D Therapy.


Kerri KNox, RN
hypoglycemia
by: Doutzen

I am 28 and had very irregular cycles, also I suffer from hypoglycemia. I ran a test my insulin was 30 and fasting blood sugar was 77. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance, I have been prescribed with birth control pills and it seems that my cycles are getting regular but I still had problem with low blood sugar, and if I skip a meal, I will definitely have problem with low blood sugar and extreme weakness which takes me some hours to get recovered even after eating food. I ran another test these days and my FBS was 103 and my insulin was 6. This time I got my vitamin d checked which was 10.8. Also the test shows that although my ferritin is 320 which has to be less than 120 for women (this may cause pancrase and insulin problems), I have anemia and minor talasemia.

I was wondering whether vitamin deficiency could get my blood sugar to fluctuate dramatically.
For the people with low vitamin d levels
by: Jenn

For the people that have low vitamin d. Take 1000 international units of vitamin d3 for every 25 lbs of your body but not over 10,000 international units daily. You will notice hugh improvement in no time.
Careful!
by: Eric

I'm reading some of the replies and deeply concerned. Hypoglycemia as you know can be dangerous. Agree with all of you, good docs are hard to find. My 1st endo found I had elevated ACTH but my cortisol levels were "ok". I said to all 3 of them it wasn't normal and it's not cuahings, it's addisons (insufficient cortisol).

The lab always gives me bad techs to draw blood. My veins hide and always suspecting a lot of poking and prodding, I always go into fight or flight mode but sit there like a good patient.

My cortisol levels were artificially inflated. while with the 3rd endo, my potassium kept going high which FINALLY got them to check my renin and adrenal antiboodes. 4 years later, autoimmune primary addisons.

Have your ACTH and renin levels checked. Cortisol is also used to help balance blood sugar.
Genarussell@rocketmail.com
by: Gena

I have vit D level of 9.45. Also 13 years ago I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia after a 4 hours glucose test in The hospital. Since Nov 6th, 2017 I started taking brand Doctors Best Vitamin D3 5,000iu capsules 1 a day. My blood sugar has been under great control following my hypoglycemia diet. Every since taking the vitamin d3, it is now January 22,2018. I found it feel faint, higher heart rate, blood pressure, clammy hands and feet, shaky, unless able to drive, nervous and anxiety, which are all hypoglycemia symptoms. It's hard to keep my blood sugar up. I then took 2 days off fromy taking vitamin d3 and to my amazement I felt normal, no issues at all. So I think vit d3, messes with blood sugar if you have hypoglycemia. I then after 2 days of not taking vitamin d3 I took it again and sure enough same symptoms came back in 4 hours after taking it. Coincidence? I think not. It's the D messing with my blood sugar. So I'm going tanning until summer. I'll get vitamin d thru ultraviolet rays. Better than not being able to function in a day. Getting heart palpitations etc. I wish it worked for me. My husband takes vit D and has no issues.

I think us with hypoglycemia it just messes with us and messes us crash with the low blood sugar. And I also noticed my blood sugar levels on my monitor would read normal even at times higher like 129-139 but I'd feel hypoglycemia symptoms and eat and they would vanish. That was while taking vitamin d. And not taking vitamin d my monitor reads my numbers at what they actually are, 88-90-100. So just by testing my own while on and off vitamin d, I found it causes inaccurate readings as well. Very interesting. I go to a new Endocrinologist soon and can't wait to hear his input on what I've discovered.

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