Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Absorption Problems With Calcium And Vitamin D

BeckyW

By BeckyW
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

BeckyW Contributor
BeckyW
Posted

I could really use some help! Doctors just aren't providing much help so I thought I would turn to this message board where I learn more.

I had my thyroid removed in Feb., 2006. I was diagnosed with Celiacs in Aug., 2006. I am having an absorption problem with calcuim and vitamin D. My body is not absorping either very well and I am having every symptom you can have from the low levels. I have taken different types of calcium - citrate and carbonate. The doctors want me to take the carbonate but that seems to upset my stomach. I am also on vitamin D prescription strength, over the counter vitamin d, magnesium and zinc. I currently take 1,500 or more of calcium, 3 prescription strenght vitamin D, 2 over the counter vit. D, mag and zinc along with the synthyroid.

One day my levels will be fine and then all the sudden they drop and I can't figure out why.

Can you someone please give me some information on this or any ideas what I can do for this? I am so frustrated as I feel horrible and the doctors are not helping at all.

Thank you!

Becky

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Becky, have you tried getting your vitamin D from a natural source such as cod liver oil? I had low vitamin D levels a year ago and started Carlson's cod liver oil (the only kind that doesn't taste awfully fishy), and my vitamin D levels went too high within several months!

The other benefit of cod liver oil is, that it supplies you with omega 3 essential fatty acids. Both omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids are essential to all our cells and body functions. We normally get way too much omega 6 from many sources, but are severely lacking in omega 3s.

Have you tried taking a liquid Calcium/Magnesium/Vitamin D supplement? Because the stomach and intestines don't have to break down a liquid it is absorbed easier.

Synthroid is not the best thyroid replacement to take, as it is synthetic. You would probably do much better on a natural thyroid hormone replacement like desiccated thyroid (Armour). Go to Open Original Shared Link to find out more.

I hope this helps.

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted
One day my levels will be fine and then all the sudden they drop and I can't figure out why.

How do you know this? AFAIK vitamin D can only be measured in the blood and it doesn't just drop precipitously, it gets lower incrementally.

There is, of course, the old fashioned way of getting D... by exposing your body to the sun. Just don't use sunscreen and be sensible about the amount of time.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted
There is, of course, the old fashioned way of getting D... by exposing your body to the sun. Just don't use sunscreen and be sensible about the amount of time.

Well, if I'd try to get my vitamin D from sun exposure right now, I'd be sunk. It's the middle of winter, with snow and cold, and I have to bundle up to stay warm. The sun isn't out anyway, but even if it was, it wouldn't do much good.

The only places where you can get enough sun to make the vitamin D you need all year round are around the equator. Everywhere else you need to supplement to have optimal levels.

RIMom Newbie
RIMom
Posted

Find a local Chiropractor, nutritionist or Naturopath who sells professional grade supplements. I personally recommend Metagenics. They gear all their supplements away from gluten and have a very high rate of dissolve-ability. You can contact Metagenics directly if you search them on the web and ask if they have a distributor in your area (this will be a doctor or nutritionist trained in their products). They have some products that are specifically geared toward those with bone density issues that they will recommend.

Getting a liquid is also a good idea.... please stay away from drugstore brands as their absorbtion rates are horrible and you can't be sure they are gluten free.

Try this test. Put one tablet or pill in a glass of water and time how long it takes to fully dissolve. If it doesn't dissolve in 20 minutes your body can't dissolve it before it passes out of your stomach.

Good luck.

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

Here's a really interesting talk from a doctor about Vitamin D. It is quite long but very fascinating.

Open Original Shared Link

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted
Well, if I'd try to get my vitamin D from sun exposure right now, I'd be sunk. It's the middle of winter, with snow and cold, and I have to bundle up to stay warm. The sun isn't out anyway, but even if it was, it wouldn't do much good.

The only places where you can get enough sun to make the vitamin D you need all year round are around the equator. Everywhere else you need to supplement to have optimal levels.

True enough, but perhaps the OP lives somewhere tropical? There's also tanning salons, you just have to make sure you get the sort that have lamps that emit UVB. Me... I take 4000 iu a day. I just realized my knee arthritis has completely disappeared. I am astonished!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted
Here's a really interesting talk from a doctor about Vitamin D. It is quite long but very fascinating.

Open Original Shared Link

Wow, I watched the whole thing and it's amazing. When I was retested to check my vitamin D levels in October (after taking two tablespoons of cod liver oil a day for a year), my vitamin D levels had gone up from 25 IUs to 158. According to the lab, the normal range is 40 - 150. 40 is way too low, and not normal at all. This guy says that we are designed to have a level around 150, so mine is actually right where it should be.

I am glad I watched that presentation, because I thought 158 was dangerously high, and decreased my intake of cod liver oil. I think I'll go back to taking what I did.

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted
Wow, I watched the whole thing and it's amazing. When I was retested to check my vitamin D levels in October (after taking two tablespoons of cod liver oil a day for a year), my vitamin D levels had gone up from 25 IUs to 158. According to the lab, the normal range is 40 - 150. 40 is way too low, and not normal at all. This guy says that we are designed to have a level around 150, so mine is actually right where it should be.

I am glad I watched that presentation, because I thought 158 was dangerously high, and decreased my intake of cod liver oil. I think I'll go back to taking what I did.

Unfortunately there's a lot of bad, old, out-dated information imbedded in the medical types about vit. D toxicity, and they're also prescribing the wrong type of it!

I've had arthritis since my 20's and it has virtually disappeared since I started the 4,000 iu of D3.

One thing, I think that guy's measuring is different from what they use in the US. He was going by umol/litre... Here's what the Heart Scan doctor says:

If you view Dr. Vieth's wonderful webcast, keep in mind that when he discusses vitamin D blood levels, he's using units of nmol/l, rather than ng/ml. To convert nmol/l to ng/ml, divided by 2.5. For example, 125 nmol/l is the same as 50 ng/ml (125/2.5 = 50).

This heart doctor is a big believer in Vit. D: Open Original Shared Link

150 is a lot, in nmol/l that'd be: 375 I think, if we're converting from nm/ml to nmol/l then we'd multiply by 2.5, right?

How much D is in 1 Tbl of cod liver oil?

I don't know if it is the D3 I'm taking or what, but I sure have been sleeping much better. :D

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted
Unfortunately there's a lot of bad, old, out-dated information imbedded in the medical types about vit. D toxicity, and they're also prescribing the wrong type of it!

I've had arthritis since my 20's and it has virtually disappeared since I started the 4,000 iu of D3.

One thing, I think that guy's measuring is different from what they use in the US. He was going by umol/litre... Here's what the Heart Scan doctor says:

This heart doctor is a big believer in Vit. D: Open Original Shared Link

150 is a lot, in nmol/l that'd be: 375 I think, if we're converting from nm/ml to nmol/l then we'd multiply by 2.5, right?

How much D is in 1 Tbl of cod liver oil?

I don't know if it is the D3 I'm taking or what, but I sure have been sleeping much better. :D

Well, I didn't know there are two different ways of measuring vit. D. Because they did a lot of testing on me, they didn't have enough blood. So, I went and got more taken, and just called and got the levels I didn't have and added them to my sheet. Meaning, I don't really know how they measured it.

If their 'normal' levels are 40 to 150, and they tend to be off on a lot of things, I assume that it's likely umol/litre. Especially because that doctor was obviously Canadian, and I am in Canada.

One tablespoon of Carlson cod liver oil contains 800 IU of vit. D, meaning I am only taking 1600 IUs a day from that source. I am also taking 100 IUs in each of my multivitamins (I am taking three a day), and 100 in my calcium/magnesium supplement. Meaning, I am taking 2000 IUs of vit. D a day.

Hardly an excessive amount. I assume that the vitamin D in the cod liver oil is the one which is assimilated the easiest, as it is completely natural.

Gentleheart Enthusiast
Gentleheart
Posted

Maybe you could split the difference and take 1 T per day to achieve a nice balance.

By the way, does anyone know if a good quality far-infrared dry sauna cabinet can help your skin produce vitamin D. Believe it or not, I actually have one. Never thought about that possibility for it.

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted
Well, I didn't know there are two different ways of measuring vit. D. Because they did a lot of testing on me, they didn't have enough blood. So, I went and got more taken, and just called and got the levels I didn't have and added them to my sheet. Meaning, I don't really know how they measured it.

If their 'normal' levels are 40 to 150, and they tend to be off on a lot of things, I assume that it's likely umol/litre. Especially because that doctor was obviously Canadian, and I am in Canada.

One tablespoon of Carlson cod liver oil contains 800 IU of vit. D, meaning I am only taking 1600 IUs a day from that source. I am also taking 100 IUs in each of my multivitamins (I am taking three a day), and 100 in my calcium/magnesium supplement. Meaning, I am taking 2000 IUs of vit. D a day.

Hardly an excessive amount. I assume that the vitamin D in the cod liver oil is the one which is assimilated the easiest, as it is completely natural.

Doh! Yes, I didn't realize you're in Canada, so it probably is the litre one. Yeah, you're fine!

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted
Maybe you could split the difference and take 1 T per day to achieve a nice balance.

By the way, does anyone know if a good quality far-infrared dry sauna cabinet can help your skin produce vitamin D. Believe it or not, I actually have one. Never thought about that possibility for it.

I don't know, but it requires ultraviolet B to make D, I think.

super-sally888 Contributor
super-sally888
Posted

Hi,

Have they checked your parathyroid function? This is tested by testing for Intact PTH (intact parathyroid hormone). Sometimes the parathyroids are damaged when they remove the thyroid.

If your parathyroids are damaged then the problem is with the hormone that regulates the uptake/production of Vitamin D and the absorption of calcium - rather than with the absorption from your gut....

Treatment is more complex and will require calcitriol and calcium and close monitoring.

Just another idea.

Sally

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,751
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Alison A
    Newest Member
    Alison A
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      High blood test numbers - with scales. Any advice?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I agree with @RMJ, you have multiple positive tests so celiac disease is likely.  This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease.     
    • trents
      Newly gluten free… withdrawal?

      By trents · Posted

      One small study found that 50% of celiacs react to the dairy protein "casein" like they do to gluten. It is also common for celiacs to be lactose (the sugar in milk) intolerant, though that often disappears in time as the villi heal. About 10% of celiacs react to the oat protein "avenin" like they do gluten.
    • K6315
      Newly gluten free… withdrawal?

      By K6315 · Posted

      Thank you so much Trents (Scott?)! I have started working with a dietitian and did a deep research dive as soon as I got the diagnosis. I am aware of what you mentioned in the first two paragraphs, and was not aware of anything in the third, so I am grateful for that information, and will talk to the dietitian about that. I think I was most interested in the withdrawal process - it gives me hope that, although I have felt unwell recently, I just need to be patient (not a strong suit). I have printed the article you sent and will look at it more closely. Thanks again!
    • Sandi20
      Gluten Free Daily Vitamins for Kids w/ Celiac

      By Sandi20 · Posted

      I really like Thorne!  I've researched thier products.  Thank you so much.
    • trents
      Newly gluten free… withdrawal?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @K6315! Gluten withdrawal typically lasts for a period of a few weeks. But there is a real learning curve involved in actually attaining to a gluten free dietary state. Much more is involved than just cutting out major sources of gluten such as bread and pasta. It's all the places that gluten is hidden in the food supply that is difficult to ferret out, like soy sauce and canned tomato soup, canned chili and canned pork n' beans, some "lite" pancake syrups, potato salad, flavorings, etc., etc. Gluten-containing grain products are hidden through alternate terminology and found in places you would never expect.  There is also "cross contamination" where naturally gluten free foods come into contact with gluten-containing grains during farming, transportation, storage and manufacturing processes. Then there is the issue of "cross reactivity" whereby you may be having gluten-like reaction to food proteins whose structure is similar to gluten. Chief among these are dairy, oats (even gluten-free oats), soy, corn and eggs. I am including this article that you might find helpful:   
×
×
  • Create New...