Vitamin D Deficiency

A few weeks ago I got my blood tests back from my new Endocrinologist and the biggest issue was a very low count of vitamin D. This was news to me! I was expecting it to be my adrenals or my hormones, but vitamin D? How strange. The doctor’s answer was to prescribe 50,000 IU’s of vitamin D to be taken twice a week. She also said that I should check my levels again in three months to see if I have made any progress.
Well, it was no surprise to me that my body couldn't tolerate such a high dose of the supplement. The first time I took it, I ended up having to lie down for a few hours until my feelings of sickness passed. About four days later I took a second dose (but this time at night) and the next two days were difficult for me as well. I felt dizzy, nauseated and a bit weak. Finally I decided that this was not the way for me to get my vitamin D levels up. My acupuncturist asked me to get some of the supplement in liquid form, which I may do, but I have a feeling it won’t come in a high enough dose to make a real difference. My other choice is to take a supplement- so within the next week I will make a choice and start to take care of this piece of my wellness puzzle. Feel free to share any experience you may have with this issue- I would love to hear what has worked or has not worked for you.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
- Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin D
- Malabsorption of vitamin D
- Too little exposure to sunlight
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- Celiac disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Colitis
- Fistulas
- Bilary Obstruction
- Renal disease
- Malfunctioning parathyroid gland

If you can’t go out and spend some time in the sun every day, here are some other ways of increasing your vitamin D:
- Take 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil daily
- Carlson Labs and Solgar make a 1,000 IU vitamin D supplement that can be very helpful. Take one daily. Swanson also carries some great brands too.
- Eat foods rich in vitamin D: bone broth, egg yokes, milk, salmon, sardines and cod.
- If you do decide to supplement do so under the care of your doctor- it is easy to increase your vitamin D to toxic levels- this can be avoided with regular blood tests to monitor your progress

Alternative Anxiety Treatments

I have been dealing with anxiety for many years- usually it is hormone related and the two weeks before my period are the worst by far. Due to the fact that I am unable to tolerate anxiety meds I have been looking into natural alternatives so that I can be free of the stress of feeling like I am on high alert all of the time. Here is what I have found so far:

Supplements:

Magnesium Taurinate
Valerian Root
Apple Cider Vinegar
Rhodiola
Sam-E
L- theanine
Passion Flower
Niacinamide
Gabba


Treatments/Therapies:

Massage
Acupuncture
Tai Chi/Martial Arts
Cold showers (need to look into this one further- doesn't make much sense to me)
Walking/Exercise
Yoga
Meditation
Abdominal Breathing


I would love it if you could share with me what has worked for you or someone that you know- I am absolutely open to suggestions.



Be well!

Acceptance and Faith

On Friday I went to see my Cardiologist for an Echo cardiogram and to check in with my doctor. I was quite happy that I took the step of asking someone to go with me; in the past I have usually gone alone, and for some reason just driving to the appointment was enough to bring me to panic filled tears. On the way to UCLA, I made it a point to remember that God is always with me, and that whatever the results of the test were, I was ALWAYS being taken care of. As with the last three tests, nothing had really changed with my heart. My Cardiomyopathy had not improved, and I was prepared for my doctor to basically give up on me because I have been unable to tolerate the medications, and I seem to be a rather challenging case. In fact, I was so sure of this that I have an appointment to see another (Cardiologist #4) in October. Well, as it turns out, I was way off base as to how the conversation would go with her. I was actually projecting quite the opposite of what was said - what happened instead has given me more hope than I have had in a long time.
Suddenly, I feel like my doctor is very interested in finding out what is going on with me and we talked about several tests that she thinks I should do in order to figure this whole thing out. The reality is that I am not the average Cardiomyopathy patient; my blood pressure is very low, my heart is stiff and not weak, and I can't handle the meds. I am also quite young (which people love to point out to me). Additionally, she suspects that there is something muscular that may be going on in my body that is contributing to my weakness and she is hoping that the tests will help us find that out. I may end up going back to a Rehumatologist in the future to see if they can find anything out too.
As scary as some of the tests are (the first test is done while riding a bike and wearing a mask that will help to monitor several aspects of my body's function, the other two tests will be done at the same time: doing a biopsy of my heart and exploring the arteries and areas surrounding my heart for possible blockages and fluid that may be behind my heart) I am really glad that I haven't come to the end of the road of finding a solution. I know that I have said that I don't need to try and figure this out, but at the same time it would be nice to know how to treat this, and exactly what will help me to get better once and for all.
I still plan on seeing the new Cardiologist- I don't feel that it will hurt to get another opinion, and from what I hear she is also a fantastic doctor that specializes in women's hearts and is open to natural treatments such as acupuncture, which I feel very strongly about and I know is what will truly help me to heal and move on from this. I am choosing to stay positive and in the faith today and not get caught up in how much I don't want to do these tests. For all I know, I won't have to do the biopsy, but even if I do it may just give us some long awaited answers and solutions to this life altering condition. It helps to know that God is with me through all of this, and that family and friends are there to support me- without that I don't know how I would deal with even half of the issues I have been going through. To say that I am grateful is an understatement; to tell you that I am blessed is the absolute truth; to remember that I am always okay is essential.