Austinite's journey with Vitamin D deficiency - Log

[sagittarius]

I take Animal Pak and I noticed that the content of Vitamin D is only 680 IU. That's way too low, although they say it is 170% DV. I have skin irritations during the winter and someone told me that the cause is vitamin D deficiency (I live in Seattle and the sun is missing during the winter).
By the way, what do you think about Animal Pak? Supplement facts:

Packaging Image

Do you see a better option? Thanks!

[austinite]

I take Animal Pak and I noticed that the content of Vitamin D is only 680 IU. That's way too low, although they say it is 170% DV. I have skin irritations during the winter and someone told me that the cause is vitamin D deficiency (I live in Seattle and the sun is missing during the winter).
By the way, what do you think about Animal Pak? Supplement facts:

Packaging Image

Do you see a better option? Thanks!

Someone told you that you're deficient? Or are you monitoring blood levels?

Animal pak is garbage. There are no multivitamins available over the counter that are good enough.

[sagittarius]

Someone told you that you're deficient? Or are you monitoring blood levels?

Animal pak is garbage. There are no multivitamins available over the counter that are good enough.

Someone told me that I'm deficient. That was last winter. This summer I checked the blood levels:

VITAMIN D, 25-OH, Total 60ng/mL (30-100 ng/mL)
VITAMIN D, 25-OH, D3 60ng/mL
VITAMIN D, 25-OH, D2 <4ng/mL

What do you think?

[austinite]

THanks, VOR. Personally, I would avoid Vitamin K at all costs. Unless you have an issue clotting, there is no need for it. But I'm going to give that a read, thank you for the link!

[V-ROID]

That is what most people say when they hear vitamin K, and you are right. It is K2 specifically that is not toxic and beneficial. The MK-7 derivative if you want a source from bacteria and not dead mammals. haha

[austinite]

Well then I've got some reading to do

[powerlifterty16]

congrats man! you should try to find the cause of why your d isnt getting absorbed well though...67 is a pretty good level.

[austinite]

you know deca will increase your RBC just like test. so if you're taking 100mgs of each ew that's the same if you were on 200mgs test ew. what are the levels on RBC, WBC and Hemoglobin?

Yeah I know. But it's never caused any elevation this fast. In the past, 1 pint of blood every 3 months kept me in range.

WBC is 8.4 (3.8-10.8)
RBC is 5.94 (4.20-5.80)
hGB is 18 (13.2-17.4)

All of this was in range a month ago. The only thing I can think of is my sleep apnea has gotten much worse, but from a little research, it's not that damaging in such little time.

congrats man! you should try to find the cause of why your d isnt getting absorbed well though...67 is a pretty good level.

Thanks. Been working on that for years now.

[austinite]

UPDATE: Results are in...

So the results came in today, as I mentioned earlier my appointment is not until August 9th so I'm unable to discuss this with my Doc.

I'm happy to see it went up, but a little disappointed considering that maintaining my protocol + a 300,000 IU injection did not bring me closer to the upper range. But hey, this is the first time I go over 50, ever. Results came back 67 ng/mL.

My guess is that switching from 50,000 IU Drisdol to 50,000 IU D3 had a hand in this as well. So I'm thinking we might go to 600,000 IU injections every 3 months and that might do the trick. Still doesn't explain the deficiency but I'll wait to discuss that with the doc.

Here are the results, this is about 5 or 6 weeks from the injection date...

[bass]

one step closer Austinite! have you noticed any improvements in how you feel? for me I felt no difference whatsoever.

[austinite]

one step closer Austinite! have you noticed any improvements in how you feel? for me I felt no difference whatsoever.

None at all to be honest. But I know the benefit from this hormone so It's working in the background.

Another issue came up which is alarming... My hCT was 51% 5 weeks ago, I drained a pint of blood about 3 weeks ago, and now it's 55%. I've never really had such an increase in so little time and my TRT protocol hasn't changed. Still running the same cyp and nandrolone doses as I have been in the past year or so. I know I have sleep apnea but I don't know if it's just getting really bad lately, and I don't know that any sleep apnea condition could elevate hCT at such an alarming rate. I'm going to drain another pint today of course, but I need to find out what's going on here...

[bass]

None at all to be honest. But I know the benefit from this hormone so It's working in the background.

Another issue came up which is alarming... My hCT was 51% 5 weeks ago, I drained a pint of blood about 3 weeks ago, and now it's 55%. I've never really had such an increase in so little time and my TRT protocol hasn't changed. Still running the same cyp and nandrolone doses as I have been in the past year or so. I know I have sleep apnea but I don't know if it's just getting really bad lately, and I don't know that any sleep apnea condition could elevate hCT at such an alarming rate. I'm going to drain another pint today of course, but I need to find out what's going on here...

you know deca will increase your RBC just like test. so if you're taking 100mgs of each ew that's the same if you were on 200mgs test ew. what are the levels on RBC, WBC and Hemoglobin?

[kelkel]

Good deal on the D rising! Getting there.

Think you may be a bit dehydrated elevating your hema?

[austinite]

Good deal on the D rising! Getting there.

Think you may be a bit dehydrated elevating your hema?

Thanks, Kel. Not sure really. I'm a little over 220 lbs but I don't think I need more than a gallon a day. Electrolytes, BUN and Creatinine are all good. the entire CMP is good actually. pH level is in range.

Maybe a urinalysis next.

[kelkel]

Can't imagine needing more! I don't think I come close to that.

[bass]

yea I wouldn't worry about it. let us how your self bleeding goes.

[austinite]

lol, it's the only thing I'm worried about right now. At this rate if I hadn't checked I'd be at 60% or more very quickly. This is incredibly dangerous, not something I can ignore.

But self draining is getting easier every time. Certainly better since I started using a tourniquet.

[powerlifterty16]

hey austin did someone from this forum pass away?

[austinite]

Yes, one of our Monitors. T-Gunnz. There's a thread in the lounge about his passing.

[powerlifterty16]

Yes, one of our Monitors. T-Gunnz. There's a thread in the lounge about his passing.

sorry to hear that =(

[austinite]

UPDATE:

Yesterday was my meeting with the endo. Some unusual/unfamiliar information collected. So we know that the 300,000 IU shot helped and is more effective than oral supplementation. She was recently at an endo seminar and they have a session called "Ask the professor". She asked him about my results and noted that everything she is aware of was in working order.

She was told to order a Calcitonin serum level panel. Calcitonin is produced by the thyroid along with T3 and T4. It's job is mainly to counter any overproduction of calcium by parathyroid. I knew what it did but wasn't aware it affected D metabolism. My calcium levels are in range so I don't know where this will take us (they were high a few months ago), however, it seems that Calcitonin is a key player in vitamin D metabolism. It was late in the day and I couldn't get blood drawn, but I'm going in Monday for that. Kind of strange, it seems if T3 and T4 are in range, Calcitonin should be as well. I know that like T3 an T4, it also requires iodine for production. Again, if iodine deficiency was an issue I would think T3/T4 would suffer. Who knows. I'll update results once I have them.

Until next time...

[powerlifterty16]

UPDATE:

Yesterday was my meeting with the endo. Some unusual/unfamiliar information collected. So we know that the 300,000 IU shot helped and is more effective than oral supplementation. She was recently at an endo seminar and they have a session called "Ask the professor". She asked him about my results and noted that everything she is aware of was in working order.

She was told to order a Calcitonin serum level panel. Calcitonin is produced by the thyroid along with T3 and T4. It's job is mainly to counter any overproduction of calcium by parathyroid. I knew what it did but wasn't aware it affected D metabolism. My calcium levels are in range so I don't know where this will take us (they were high a few months ago), however, it seems that Calcitonin is a key player in vitamin D metabolism. It was late in the day and I couldn't get blood drawn, but I'm going in Monday for that. Kind of strange, it seems if T3 and T4 are in range, Calcitonin should be as well. I know that like T3 an T4, it also requires iodine for production. Again, if iodine deficiency was an issue I would think T3/T4 would suffer. Who knows. I'll update results once I have them.

Until next time...

amazing how there is so much to learn and how there are experts in all areas and then the people who are supposed to be specialists are clueless.

i never heard of calcitotcn!

[kelkel]

Lots of stuff to read out there on it...

Regulation of calcitonin gene transcription by vitamin D metabolites in vivo in the rat.

[austinite]

Lots of stuff to read out there on it...

Regulation of calcitonin gene transcription by vitamin D metabolites in vivo in the rat.

yeah finding some interesting studies. Haven't seen that one yet..

Thanks.

[bass]

thanks for the update Austinite, been following this thread and I am very interested how's going to end.

[ZenFitness]

Hey austinite, this is an interesting thread. Question - your vit D is now at a level of 67, and you want it at the top of the range. Out of curiosity, are you doing this because you feel poorly or because you are just shooting to be at the top of the range?

[austinite]

Hey austinite, this is an interesting thread. Question - your vit D is now at a level of 67, and you want it at the top of the range. Out of curiosity, are you doing this because you feel poorly or because you are just shooting to be at the top of the range?

I want it beyond the range, way beyond. Not just at the top. D is a hormone in every cell in the body. Even if you don't feel it, you still benefit greatly in the background.

[V-ROID]

I want it beyond the range, way beyond. Not just at the top. D is a hormone in every cell in the body. Even if you don't feel it, you still benefit greatly in the background.

Then join me at 50,000iu a day with K2/100mcg per 10,000iu D3. I am at 21,000iu starting this morning and adding 10K every week until 50K. Did you ever read that nutjob link I posted earlier or at least the reviews? Far out man...

[austinite]

Then join me at 50,000iu a day with K2/100mcg per 10,000iu D3. I am at 21,000iu starting this morning and adding 10K every week until 50K. Did you ever read that nutjob link I posted earlier or at least the reviews? Far out man...

lol, have you read the thread? 425,000 IU barely made a difference for me. Vitamin D doesn't stick with me. I'm chasing a problem not looking to increase dose

[V-ROID]

Yah I read it, it's been a while, and I didn't remember it was 425K!!! Damn! So are you leaning towards something else you are taking or not taking is hindering absorption? Or that you have some kind of biological freak of an issue? Was reading about thyroid inhibiting absorption... maybe it was this thread... lol

[austinite]

Yah I read it, it's been a while, and I didn't remember it was 425K!!! Damn! So are you leaning towards something else you are taking or not taking is hindering absorption? Or that you have some kind of biological freak of an issue? Was reading about thyroid inhibiting absorption... maybe it was this thread... lol

Yes, just read the last update in this thread.

[V-ROID]

Ah. Well then you may find this page that I am reading interesting: Low Vitamin D Levels and Low Vit D in Parathyroid Disease and Hyperparathyroidism

[austinite]

Ah. Well then you may find this page that I am reading interesting: Low Vitamin D Levels and Low Vit D in Parathyroid Disease and Hyperparathyroidism

thank you. We've established this is not parathyroid related. We're looking at calcitonin.

There's a lot of good info in the thread , take a moment to read through it. Lot's of possibilities have been addressed.

[Brazensol]

Austinite - you mentioned earlier in this thread about suspecting a cortisol issue (that you have since corrected). Do you have a thread on that issue? If so could you post the link? I think I have an issue myself because every afternoon I crash and sometimes it's not pretty. I just feel absolutely drained of all life. I do fine in the morning and come evening time I'm ready to go again but the afternoon's are killing me.

[EverettCD]

Austinite - you mentioned earlier in this thread about suspecting a cortisol issue (that you have since corrected). Do you have a thread on that issue? If so could you post the link? I think I have an issue myself because every afternoon I crash and sometimes it's not pretty. I just feel absolutely drained of all life. I do fine in the morning and come evening time I'm ready to go again but the afternoon's are killing me.

I crash the same way in the afternoon. I'm wondering if its my cortisol levels are low or if its related to using topical get test. I'm starting test injections next week so we shall see said the blind man.

Sent from my iPhone that was manufactured in a sweat shop in China

[austinite]

Austinite - you mentioned earlier in this thread about suspecting a cortisol issue (that you have since corrected). Do you have a thread on that issue? If so could you post the link? I think I have an issue myself because every afternoon I crash and sometimes it's not pretty. I just feel absolutely drained of all life. I do fine in the morning and come evening time I'm ready to go again but the afternoon's are killing me.

I don't have a thread unfortunately. I use hydrocortisone for now. That's my next project after I fix vitamin D. (some priorities, huh?) I was crashing hard and at the same time everyday. I mean literally, if I was driving I would have to pull over. It was that bad.

[Brazensol]

I don't have a thread unfortunately. I use hydrocortisone for now. That's my next project after I fix vitamin D. (some priorities, huh?) I was crashing hard and at the same time everyday. I mean literally, if I was driving I would have to pull over. It was that bad.

I know the feeling! It's like all the life energy has been drained out of you. And then aroung 4 or 5 o'clock I can feel myself 'reviving'. I look forward to your thread.

[austinite]

Those are good numbers. You're not deficient.

[basketballfan22]

I didn't know where to post this question, so I thought this thread is as good as others (you're not answering my PMs!, lol). I am looking at getting blood tests done for the first time. As you may recall, you once recommended an annual blood test (which I will be using as my pre-cycle blood work as well). Part of this annual test was vitamin D. The vitamin D tests that I have found on private md are "Vitamin D, 1, 25 Dihydroxy" and "Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy." I can provide you with the exact details of each test if you'd like. By the looks of it, I think I should get the latter test, correct? It seems that test is for vitamin D3, and it looks like the test you posted above is for that as well. I just want to make sure I get the "correct" test. Thanks.

[kelkel]

The latter test is correct.