Low Vitamin D worries

[Nighttime pacer]

Hi all
I just had a blood test to recheck my vitamin D levels.
I had a test back in January and it came back really really low, I think it was 8.
I was put on 20,000 once a day for a week then once a week for 6 weeks.
They said it takes a while for the pills to work but I forgot to go back and ask them to retest.
I've been reading lots of scary stuff about low bit D and cancer and MS.
I'm just worried that it'll still be low. I've started taking 1000ug a day to help a bit.
I have been on omeprazole for some time so assume that may be partly to blame though I'm only on 10mg now and only take it every other day.
I don't see much sun in the summer though as I work in theatre and have never been a sun bather, also I have a lot of moles so don't want to take any chances.
Has anyone got any comments or experience of low vitamin D?
I'm assuming that in Britain it must be very common due to the terrible weather a lot of the year!
Thanks for reading this.
Nighttime pacer

[dizzy daisy]

It is common in this country to have low vit d. We can absorb from food but that's not easy - it's easily obtained from sunlight but as you don't go outdoors much it will be hard for you to absorb. Xx

[KayeS]

GP sent me a letter after my last blood test 6 weeks ago telling me I have low Vitamin D and to start taking supplements. A ridiculous amount of people in this country and even America are low in Vitamin D, it's EXTREMELY common, due to lack of sunlight due to weather, and also being indoors a lot. The reason this revelation about how many people are Vitamin D deficient is quite recent is that doctors really only began testing specifically for it in recent years.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's hard to take vitamin D from food because few foods contain it hence why we have evolved to make out own from exposure to sunlight. But it does matter what type of sunlight and just because it seems light doesn't mean it is sufficient. If you look on the Met Office website they will probably explain whether it is suffucient where you live as I have seen this information on various weather websites before.

Ever thought of a light box? They can trigger mania in people with manic disorders though e.g. bipolar but otherwise they seem safe and doctors prescribe them in countries like the US. I'm not sure if we can get them over here as our GP's love their pills!

Some useful threads for you here:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=174070
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=175023

SADNoMore (Marie) is very knowledgable on anything vitamin D related so hopefully she will spot your thread.