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Vitamin d level not increasing
About 2 years ago my vitamin d level was 21
Then I started 12 weeks of 60000iu dose
After that my levels were 25
Then I take supplements (may be 2&3 dose in a year)
Now I again tested it comes 19.6 (why it's not increasing)
Symptoms: fatigue, neck stiffness, anxiety, calf muscle cramps.
Note: I have hypothyroidism and my tsh is 7.21 and t4 -5.44 and t3 is 78
Answers (9)
Hello, thanks for writing in, and for sharing your history so clearly.
Your vitamin D probably isn't rising because the supplementation has been too irregular. Taking it only 2 to 3 times a year doesn't keep the level up, and it falls back within a few months. Other common reasons are very little sun exposure, taking the dose on an empty stomach (vitamin D needs some fat to absorb), low magnesium, and poor absorption from the gut.
Your thyroid is also important here. A TSH of 7.21 is above the usual range, which suggests your hypothyroidism is not fully controlled. That alone can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, stiffness and a low, anxious feeling, so your symptoms may not be coming from vitamin D alone.
Next Steps
Please show these reports to your treating doctor and ask about reviewing your thyroid management, since the level is still raised. Please don't change any thyroid medicine on your own. I'd also suggest checking calcium, magnesium, B12, iron and ferritin, and a stomach and gut review if the vitamin D stays low despite regular supplements. Retest vitamin D after about 3 months of steady use, not sooner.
Health Tips
- Take vitamin D regularly as your doctor advises, with your largest meal that contains some fat
- Get 20 to 30 minutes of sunlight on your arms and legs, ideally late morning, several days a week
- Eat magnesium-rich foods (nuts, seeds, banana, leafy greens) and stay well hydrated, which helps calf cramps
- Stretch the calves gently before bed and after exercise
- Keep a gap of 3 to 4 hours between your thyroid medicine and calcium or iron supplements
- Walk daily, and manage stress and sleep, as both affect fatigue and anxiety
If you're still worried, do book a consult and we can look at it together. Take care.
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Need more information about you.It is not connected with supplements but at first improve your gut health for better absorption so detiled, connect me through practo you will get good results definitely.
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Chat via app
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Pls connect personally for personalised consult to help u better
Counter suggestions will not help
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Good evening pls focus on dietary improvement rather on medicine or supplement solely.
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Your Vitamin D level of 19.6 ng/mL is still low, and the fact that it increased only from 21 to 25 previously and has now dropped again suggests that you may need a proper maintenance strategy rather than occasional supplementation.
Since you also have hypothyroidism and your TSH is 7.21, it would be important to consult your endocrinologist/physician to review whether your thyroid treatment is adequately controlled. Fatigue, muscle cramps and stiffness can have multiple causes, so these symptoms cannot be attributed to Vitamin D alone.
From a nutrition perspective, make sure your Vitamin D supplement is taken regularly as prescribed, preferably with a meal containing some dietary fat, as this improves absorption. Also include Vitamin-D-rich foods such as egg yolks, fatty fish and fortified dairy/plant milk, although food alone may not be sufficient to correct a low level.
I would also suggest discussing with your doctor whether calcium, magnesium, B12 and PTH need to be evaluated, particularly because of the muscle cramps and persistent low Vitamin D.
Health Tips
Avoid taking repeated high-dose Vitamin D (such as 60,000 IU) on your own. Your doctor should decide the appropriate repletion and maintenance dose and when to repeat the test.
Ideally, recheck Vitamin D after completing the recommended supplementation period rather than taking only a few doses intermittently.
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Ms. Neema Yadav
Dietitian/Nutritionist
7 yrs exp
Kolhapur
If vitamin D is low and the level is not increasing despite completing a course, don’t simply keep increasing the dose. First look for the reason.
If confirmed deficiency
A commonly used treatment regimen is:
* Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 50,000 IU once weekly × 8 weeks
* Then maintenance 1,500–2,000 IU/day may be used in adults with documented deficiency.
* Recheck 25-OH Vitamin D after the treatment period as advised by the doctor.
If level still doesn’t rise
Check for:
* Poor adherence or missed doses
* Taking vitamin D without a proper meal/fat-containing meal
* Malabsorption (celiac disease, IBD, bariatric surgery, etc.)
* Kidney/liver problems
* Medicines that increase vitamin-D breakdown
* Calcium, PTH, magnesium abnormalities
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Ms. Moumita Dutta
Dietitian/Nutritionist
11 yrs exp
Kolkata
You may conta
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Ms. Somya Jain
Dietitian/Nutritionist
11 yrs exp
Delhi
Please connect over consultation to help better
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