That title sounds a little bit dramatic but seriously...
For the past couple months i've been so tired all day.. like falling asleep at the computer tired even after getting 8 hours of sleep at night. Fatigue all day, everyday... it felt like a truck hit me. (I was sometimes napping twice in one day!) Not to mention, i was getting a headache like clockwork around 3 or 4pm.
I went to my doctor a couple weeks ago to get some blood work done to make sure i wasn't dying of cancer or something, and it turns out I was extremely deficient in vitamin D (which is pretty common in portland)
I bought a little bottle of the vitamins at whole foods and guess what... i haven't felt tired since. I've seriously had more energy than i've had in a long time and my mind feels crystal clear. I don't know how this is possible but i'm just glad it is. This tiny little vitamin is a life saver.
Thank you vitamin D!
p.s. seriously, if you have some of these symptoms it's worth a shot. Start with a lower dosage or get your blood levels checked to know exactly what to take. I take 5,000 IUs but its more common that people only need 250. i'm not a doctor so maybe you should talk to yours first... but a small amount probably wouldn't hurt.
The photo scared me for a little while.. Looks like the pills in the movie "Limitless" http://youtu.be/THE_hhk1Gzc.
ReplyDeleteI think it's normal people are tired during winter, because they don't have that much sunshine :).
I just found out I'm vitamin D deficient! What brand do you take? My boyfriend has some leftover D3, but I'm thinking I need to cover all the Ds, yeah?
ReplyDeletePS - so happy you're feeling better. It's pretty awesome when something as little as a vitamin can change your life.
I take it every day...necessary living in Seattle!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Minnesota... So I can relate during the winter. I might have to go out and purchase a bottle. I've been feeling uber tired, too! With 8hrs sleep. At least you get in naps, not me. So glad youa re feeling better. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, vitamin D is a lifesaver. I've been taking it religiously for the past 2 years and it really has made a world of difference.
ReplyDeleteWow. I get that tired feeling a lot! Maybe I should look into it... I'm just really a baby when it comes to getting my blood drawn.
ReplyDeleteOh - good to know! I had the same thing last year: I was feeling really lethargic and sleepy around 3pm or so everyday, and it turned out I was iron deficient! I live in Vancouver, so vitamin D helping that out wouldn't surprise me...!
ReplyDeleteIt's normal to be deficient when living in a low sunlight area. I live in Alaska, so of course I experience this as well.
ReplyDeleteBeing deficient in Vitamin is actually dangerous, as is taking too much. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, so it is possible to take too much and that is toxic to our systems.
I highly recommend any person suspecting a deficiency, to get tested and have a Dr suggest the amount you should take. A Dr will monitor depending on deficiency levels and change it when your level changes.
Glad you're feeling better! This proves sunshine and whole foods are vital to our well being :)
Vitamin D deficiency is a epidemic in the UK, with up to 1/3 of the population likely deficient. Lots of foods over here add vitamin D to try and make us healthier, but I started taking supplements this winter and have also noticed a difference. Apparently there is a vitamin D awareness month now to try and remind all the people who live in grey countries to not forget about it!
ReplyDeleteHear hear for Vitamin D. I have had really poor health for 6 years and really thought I was on course to be diagnosed with MS... Last June I was diagnosed as being severely Vitamin D deficient and started using a Vitamin D spray called DLux. Within 6 months I was back to me, back the health!
ReplyDeleteI take Vitamin D here in Portland, too. I honestly agree, it really is a life saver!
ReplyDeletehello lovely abi,
ReplyDeletethank you so much for sharing! i've been sick for many years + have been taking iron tablets but still feel really drained - soo much sleep + too much napping! i'm going to try the vitamin D!
thank you : )
lizzie
let me know if it helps! its a little miracle pill :)
DeleteHoney I'm with you i've been feeling weird lately too and went to the doctor, my vitamin d levels were really low. I feel alot better now too.
ReplyDeletesuch a lovely blog,
ReplyDeleteim your new follower.
xoxo from Dubai,
www.streetblush.com
I've never had blood work done so I wonder about what I'm deficient in!
ReplyDeleteglad you figured it out though :)
barnicles
Have been taking vit d for 3 days now after weeks of feeling so very tired, today was the first morning in weeks that I woke up before the alarm feeling fantastic!!! Thanks for for your post. x
ReplyDeleteyou're so welcome! isn't it amazing?? i feel like i need to carry them in my purse and hand them out to people!
DeleteThanks so much for posting about this. I've been experiencing some of the same symptoms for a while and had no idea what was causing them. When I read this I decided to get tested for vitamin D and it turns out my levels are pretty low. I never would have thought of getting tested if you hadn't written about it. Thank you and glad you're feeling better!
ReplyDeletethat is amazing!! so glad i could help out...
Deletethat's awesome! I'll have to buy some myself. Nice!
ReplyDeleteValentina
Valentina Duracinsky
I don't think you can get too much Vit D...and it's very, very good for you in many ways!!
ReplyDeleteJosi
www.sweetlifeblog.net
Isn't it crazy how one pill can change your life? I'm borderline anemic and can definitely tell when I'm low in iron. Oh, the fatigue :(
ReplyDeleteWhat I've learned is that it never hurts to add vitamins to supplement your diet. We can all try to eat healthier but reaching the daily recommended nutrition isn't easy with food alone. From your experience, taking vitamin D gave your health a boost. Thanks for sharing, Abi!
ReplyDeleteWould you share what your level was? I live in the Midwest, have been outside w/o sunscreen regularly to get my daily dose of sunshine, taking Caltrate with vitamin D, and found out yesterday my level was 27 (normal range is 30-100). I'm just wanting a point of reference. Thanks!
ReplyDelete