Vitamin D

Hi all. I really struggle with vitamin D. The Gi has put me on supplements up to 100,000 iu per week and it does not do much for me. I just don't absorb it , maybe from my resection? Just curious - has anyone tried a sun lamp for vitamin d? Any ideas on other ways to get it?

I'm not sure about any really increase in vitamin d levels but my aunt has been using one for the past year plus and it has helped with her fatigue and mood. My mother just got one in Nov and will have her levels checked again in about a month so it will be interesting to see if there is a change since they avertise that they do increase levels.

taking pills is a pain since we already take so many and I honestly don't remember to take my vitamin d or multi everyday

good luck

Thanks Roni please post when she gets her levels checked it would be great to know.

I have had resections and I am fine. (I think lol) using digestive enzymes when you eat and in between help absorb nutrients. I can't say enough of the digestive enzymes they help break down foods so you dont bloat or gas up. Keeps all the nutrients in. Make sure you are taking Vitamin D3 , magnesium and calcium to help absorb it. If you have D get it under control because you lose so many nutrients. Have you had your b12 checked as well? Vitamin D3 is a natural antibiotic, and most crohnies lack it when first dx'd. Hope you get what you need.

Thanks Pen.

I am taking b12 shots every month and it is in the ok area now (500) I will try the magnesium and calcium and I think I have some enzymes somewhere in the hall closet.

When I was first dx'd my D level was 8 or 9. Mostly it sits at 22 now regardless of how much I take orally. The last week or so I have tried to soak up some rays whenever the sun comes out. I am hoping that helps. Everything I have read says that sunlight makes crazy amounts of vitamin D - but generally I am indoors all day.

I am just across from ya on the map, parallel anyways. We dont get much sun in the winter and I try to get some but lately had more snow than sun. This past summer was too hot outside so I know I was behind.

It's your Welchol. It inhibits vitamin D absorption. And A, E, and K for that matter. Basically the absolute opposite of what any Crohnie needs.

Are you on Welchol to reduce D because of the resection or for cholesterol control?

Hi David. I am on the Welchol because of the resection. I take it 1-2 hours after I take any pills and I never take anything else for 4-6 hours after. It's kind of frustrating because I started the Humira and it seemed to help right away and now at week 5 although I go less it certainly is not the miracle it had seemed to be. I was kind of hoping to not have to take the Welchol and lomotil someday.

It's the Welchol I'll bet you good money. The Welchol site says to take any supplements at least four hours BEFORE taking the Welchol. Taking anything 4-6 hours AFTER means that the Welchol has kicked into high gear and is blocking its absorption. If you're taking the D 1-2 hours before or 4-6 hours after, it's getting blocked. Heck, I think it's getting blocked even beyond the four hour time frame, but that's what the pharma company says is the cutoff.

Have you looked into taking psyllium husks instead?

thought about it. Are they as nasty as the cholostermine?

I'll page Dustykat to the thread. Her daughter takes psyllium.

Thanks David.

Hey Sailorluna,

Yes! Sarah does use psyllium for her diarrhoea. She did use Questran after she was diagnosed 5 years ago, she was 14 at the time, but found it too unpalatable. It was the texture she couldn't handle. I initially thought she would have the same issue with psyllium but she doesn't, she said it doesn't bother her and is mostly like pulp in juice. She even adds it coffee and if sarah can tolerate it it can't be too bad! :lol:

Just be aware that psyllium does have restrictions on it in regards to medication too. This is what the GI told us...

Prescription drugs/supplements should be taken 1 hour before or 2-4 hours after psyllium. He did say that he thought two hours after was sufficient though.

Dusty. :heart:

Well dammit, I'm glad I paged you Dusty, I didn't know that about psyllium as well. At least the time frame is lessened, but I'd still be really careful Sailorluna.

Dusty, it's weird to me that psyllium would cause issues like that since it's basically just a bulking agent. Do you know how it causes absorption issues?

No worries. Thanks for the help guys. I may just buy a sun lamp and try it though. The cheap desk lamp kind are only $40 so even if it does not really work at least I will have an over priced ugly lamp out of the deal. . I will also see about spacing the meds farther apart. I can take welchol all in one go in the middle of the day and take everything else before bed and in the morning.

Sounds good Please keep us updated on how you feel the sun lamp works as that would no doubt be of interest to many others!

Oh, I also read that taking your vitamin D with a spoonful of olive oil can aid absorption. I know I wouldn't want to take that down straight (ick) but thought I'd pass the info along.

Yeah, known bug - Welchol can interfere with all the fat soluble vitamins. I take Welchol and vitamin D - I take 5,000 IU's a day. My levels were very low, now they are ok. I try to avoid taking them at the same time, but it doesn't seem to matter. They check my D levels every 3 months.

I can't do the soluble fiber. Ugh.

I would also try a tanning bed, maybe talk to a nutritionist. There might be foods that would facilitate absorption.

I've probably said this before, but a few years ago, taking extra vitamin D was considered dangerous, and we were all advised not to exceed the recommended 400 IU daily dose. Now they say it's probably not really a vitamin, maybe more like a hormone, and everyone needs lots of it.

David said:

Well dammit, I'm glad I paged you Dusty, I didn't know that about psyllium as well. At least the time frame is lessened, but I'd still be really careful Sailorluna.

Dusty, it's weird to me that psyllium would cause issues like that since it's basically just a bulking agent. Do you know how it causes absorption issues?

Click to expand...

The absorption issues are something I haven't thought about in quite a while but I know when I was looking into it I really couldn't find anything about the dynamics, other than sites stating that it had the ability to affect the absorption of prescription medication and supplements. The medically based websites do list the medications that have a known problem with psyllium...

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/psyllium-000321.htm

...sites seem to generally state that the psyllium "traps" medication and can therefore delay or reduce the absorption of some medications.

I haven't seen it listed anywhere that drugs used in IBD, like the Imuran my children are on, are affected but the GI was adamant that Sarah follow the time regime. Better to be safe than sorry no doubt.

I know psyllium is only a bulking agent but to me it's effect is really no different to Quetsran when it comes to IBD. For on prescription use of Questran it binds to bile salts hence it's issues with fat soluble vitamins. The problems with non absorption of bile salts already exist with ileal Crohn's so the Questran is merely binding to the excess of salts already contained with the bowel thus bulking up the stool. Perhaps the bulking of the stool to overcome bile salt induced diarrhoea has the same inherent problems regardless of the bulking agent.

Dusty. xxx

Sailorluna said:

No worries. Thanks for the help guys. I may just buy a sun lamp and try it though. The cheap desk lamp kind are only $40 so even if it does not really work at least I will have an over priced ugly lamp out of the deal. . I will also see about spacing the meds farther apart. I can take welchol all in one go in the middle of the day and take everything else before bed and in the morning.

Click to expand...

The nurse practitioner at my doctor's office told me to take the Welchol about 15 minutes before I eat, that it works best that way. Just contributing what I've been told. It does do better at controlling my diarrhea - that's about the only symptom I have, though, and I am able to absorb enough vit D - so far, anyway.

Have you had liver or gall bladder problems? They can affect fat and fat soluble vitamins. I do hope you get it figured out.