GeetaBihari.COM

I have plenty of reasons to love summer. I have never enjoyed baking out in the sun on hot summery days but with the winter fast approaching, I wish the weather was a little warmer. What I need… is a little sunshine!

From my recent posts, most of you are familiar with the odd health issues I have been dealing with. It took 20 months to figure out the reason for my debilitating condition. I went from being a very active person who could do back to back exercise classes at the gym to a person who could barely keep up with daily activities. I remember doing 45 minutes on the step mill. Now, I can barely go up and down the stairs.

I saw all kinds of specialists from Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Orthopedics to Rheumatologist. While they all offered their perspective on the matter, none of them could explain the cause. The Rheumatologist said that I have ‘Hypermobility Syndrome‘ also known as ‘Double-Jointed disorder’. The Sports Medicine doctor said that I developed unstable knees from weak muscles. I can’t keep up with my physical therapy exercises. If I try, I hurt all over. The tenderness is so intense that I can’t even lean against anything. Have you ever heard of the plant ‘Mimosa Pudica‘ commonly known as ‘Touch me not’? That’s what I am…

I recently visited the UMass Memorial Spine Center. The orthopedist didn’t have one look at the MRI. He did some physical exam and when I jumped in pain, he immediately ordered some blood work. One of the exams was to find Vitamin D levels. The 25-hydroxy Vitamin D test showed that my level was extremely low: 11ng/mL. While anything less than 20 ng/mL is considered deficient, the optimal level is around 40 ng/mL. The requirement increases if you are a very active person. It is best to be in the range of 50 to 99 ng/mL. My goal is to reach 40ng/mL.

Vitamin D is extremely important for normal functioning and cellular activity in human body. Low levels can inhibit absorption of calcium. This deficiency causes thinning and softening of bones. In children, it is responsible for ‘Rickets’. In adults, it presents itself as ‘Osteomalacia‘, softening of bones or ‘Osteoporosis‘ that causes loss of bone density. It usually starts with pain in the lumbar back. It can cause bone pain, bone tenderness, muscle pain and weakness especially in the thighs. In some cases, I have read that it could be responsible for nerve damage. If left untreated, it increases your risk to developing autoimmune diseases such as MS and RA. It also puts you at increased risk for developing several forms of cancers.

So how did I develop this deficiency? Most of us do not get adequate amounts of Vit D from food. A lot of fishes such as Sardines, tuna, Salmon have high amounts of Vit D. Cod Liver oil is another good source. Unfortunately for me, I do not each fish. There are Vit D fortified cereals, milk and orange juices.  Egg yolk is another good source for this vital vitamin.

Being dark skinned puts me at increased risk for developing Vit D deficiency. Melanin prevents absorption of sunlight. It is also noted that people living in higher altitude regions such as Massachusetts do not get enough UV in the winter months. Lack of sun exposure is one of the biggest culprits for this deficiency. Next time you reach out for that sunscreen, think twice. Do you really need it?

The other risk factor is pregnancy. We underestimate how much demand we put on our bodies with each pregnancy. Perhaps I was deficient all along and the pregnancy just depleted me of what little Vit D reserves I had left in my system. To top it off, I was back at the gym just 4 weeks after giving birth. I wish I had heard my mom. At the time, I was focused on losing the 68 lbs that I gained during pregnancy. I felt good enough to go back to the gym. The truth is, it takes several months for your body to replenish. Moms are always right! Always…

So what’s next?

I am going to receive 50,000 IU of Vitamin D per week for at least 8 weeks. In my case, I might need it for longer than 8 weeks until I reach my goal of 40ng/mL. I will need a follow up visit every year to make sure the levels are okay.

Although Vit D deficiency can be a side effect of another underlying condition, I have reason to believe that in my case, it is an isolated problem. I am hoping that in a few months, I should be pain-free!

There is ‘sunlight’ at the other side of the tunnel.