Low vitamin D and Folic acid causing real anxiety

[Callum43029]

Hello everyone, I’ve got fed up of my anxiety really. It all started back I. January when I had a heatstroke type thing where I left my heater on in my room and went out to the shop and came back and felt very faint. Since then my anxiety has got worse, been on several medications for anxiety and a few call out from paramedics as I thought I was dying etc.

Had blood tests around a month ago and I’ve got low Vit D and Folic acid. Been on supplements for around 3 weeks and still feeling no difference, has anyone here suffered with something similar? I’m finding it hard to not let it affect me but the dizziness is just relentless. I’m eating healthy, lots of greens, water etc and I’m just not feeling any effect. Also get annoying pains on my body and I’ve lost a stone in 5 months from 11 to 10 stone.

I’d really appreciate some advice and some reassurance, many thanks

Callum

[RadioGaGa]

Hi Callum

A lot of folks in the UK are deficient in Vitamin D. As per NHS Choices website, they recommend people take Vit D supplements. These can be bought at any supermarket.

With regards to the Folic Acid, again this is a common finding. I assume you're taking Folic Acid 5mg in the morning?

I think these symptoms are more so from anxiety.

I think, having seen your doctor, you can rest assured you're fine.

All the best

(Quote from NHS Choices website re: Vit D)

But since it's difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10mcg of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

[WhereIsMyMind]

Hi there.

RadioGaGa is correct - it's very common to be low in Vitamin D, especially being in the UK and once Winter has passed.



And I went through the same! Got my results early March, and was deficient in both Vitamin D and folate. At the time I was feeling pretty rubbish with fatigue, back pains, inability to concentrate, brain fog, stomach problems etc.


Try not to worry about not feeling better after 3 weeks. I actually still felt pretty bad when I finished the treatment 2 months(!) later, wondering if my levels had increased at all (they had). It's only now, another month later, that I've started to notice any difference. And some symptoms are just stubborn and still haven't gone away.


You don't say if you've been given a high loading dose by a GP or not. If you have, perhaps consider taking magnesium alongside it. Vitamin D in high doses can deplete magnesium and leave you with more pains than before.

Also, it's worth noting that Vitamin D deficiency can cause mood changes so it might be making you feel even more anxious.


Good luck and hang in there!

[Callum43029]

Thank you both very much for the responses. I was given a dose of 10000 on Vit D for about 10 days or so, so maybe I should look into magnesium. I’ve had a good couple of days but the dizziness/lightheadedness still hangs in there!

On the whole I’m starting to feel better, but I think when the headaches and dizziness come back after a while it starts up my anxiety again. I just feel like there’s something going on in my brain! I have results suggesting there’s no infection anywhere, but the fun thing with anxiety is is that it still makes you feel horrible and worry about things that don’t exist.

I guess the main thing is the lightheadedness really, I’m just curious if it is my Vit D and Folic acid making me feel like this, as my doctor doesn’t really answer... she’s lovely and very helpful but I haven’t had a straight answer.

Many thanks

Callum

[sarahxxx]

hi just to say i had a vitimin low vitimin d last yeargot put on 2000iu of vitimin d for 10 weeks i was realy ill with it but after the meds i got better was starting to feel ill again this year thought it was my vitimin d aggaid but its low folic acid i eat plenty of greens so dont know why doctor has me on folic acid now

[ankietyjoe]

I have actively used nutrition to help my recovery from anxiety and it takes weeks/months, not days. Your body can become nutritionally deficient during periods of stress and/or anxiety as your body burns through them, and I personally believe the 5 a day recommendation is woefully underestimating what some of us need.

Keep at it, there's no reason NOT to use a healthy balanced diet to assist your recovery. There is no down side.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Callum

A lot of folks in the UK are deficient in Vitamin D. As per NHS Choices website, they recommend people take Vit D supplements. These can be bought at any supermarket.

With regards to the Folic Acid, again this is a common finding. I assume you're taking Folic Acid 5mg in the morning?

I think these symptoms are more so from anxiety.

I think, having seen your doctor, you can rest assured you're fine.

All the best

(Quote from NHS Choices website re: Vit D)

To add...

This is a deficiency that might affect us all year round in the UK to a certain extent.

But with supplements you do have to be careful. GP's just use a stronger version that is licenced as a med, yet you can effectively achieve that with supplements if you take more than is advised, and it's to give you a quick jolt back into the range they desire.

Interestingly, GP's look at deficiency rather than being near to it. So, we may be lower than we could be if we were more healthy yet it's not medically deficient.

Another note on this. Make sure you research the maximums before you buy many of the stronger supplements that are easily available. Never buy D2 as it's a weaker form, as doctors found after years of prescribing it, and now it's all D3 that is used. But there is a safety issue with vitamin D that once you reach a certain level you also need to add in vitamin K2 otherwise there is a negative impact as the calcium you take in won't be spread around your body and causes calcification in areas you don't want it to. Therefore over some higher levels of vitamin D, and yes there are many supplements with these doses in that are much lower than a GP prescribed one, you need %mg of vitamin K2 to go with it resolve this risk.

GP's though use short term therapies hence no need to worry about those risks. Long term solution means a bit more care.

SADNoMore has a thread about it if you look for her. (I think it was on her SAMe thread?) Some info in posts 11 & 16:

https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showth...=173433&page=2

And some about the volume of vitamin D3 to K2 here:

https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showth...amin+k2&page=3