I was shocked when I read this in a pamplet that was sent to my house about fibromyalgia, because I was diagnosed within one week from having fibro that I was also vitamin D deficient, which can also make you ache all over miserably.
all your bones hurt and you feel horrible.

I thought the two were independent from one another and just want to warn others about this.
I wish someone had thought of it when i was suffering for so long without a diagnosis.

Fibro can cause havoc on the body which is another thing I am finding out being I have such a new diagnosis of fibro.
I've heard of it thru out the years, but never knew that I'd be afflicted with it and I had NO IDEA how much people suffer with this syndrome.

I see it's under the category of "autoimmune disorders". I didn't know it's considered an autoimmune problem.

I hope they are able to do more research on this syndrome being so many people are afflicted with it.
They really dont' have any specific blood tests for it yet, but they're working on it

Linda

I just found out Im vitamin D deficient as well, and I've had fibro over 10 years.

Hi all -Thanks for the interesting posts - I have both FM and osteoporosis. I live in south Florida so I should be getting enough Vitamin D from the sun????? Also the calcium I take has D in it as well as my multivit. I have not been tested though. May ask my pcp in February when I see him. Would hate to think low levels were contributing to my problems.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.......sunny47

Hi Fibrostuff and Sunny,
how long were you suffering before finding out you have vit. D deficiency too Fibrostuff? did you suggest the test for it, or did your dr? and what type of dr suggested it to you?
more dr's need to be aware of this.
the good think sunny is that you're already taking a supplement of D plus calcium with D in it.
if one is deficient of this vitamin, the good thing is it can be restored quickly in only a matter of 3 months or more.
so if you do request a test for it, your levels won't be low because you've been putting it in your body.
how long have you been supplementing it?
I too was having daily contact with sunshine and still wound up having it.
My body is still tan from being in the sun from the summer.
I don't think my deficiency was caused by lack of sunshine on my skin.
it's something else, which could be the fibromyalgia that caused it.

or it could be my kidneys being I've had problems with one of them last Christmas. I had nephrosis and hydrouter. how ever you spell it.
we still don't know the cause of that and we didn't see a stone or I may have passed it and just didn't see it because I wasn't looking for it.
either way, I have to go for a follow up to my rheumy dr to see how my levels are now that I've been supplementing and I can't go and get the blood work performed or even see my doctor because i dont have anymore medical insurance due to being fired.
I don't want to miss this appointment because i"m suffering badly with my body temperature core. I'm having horrible drenching day sweats as well as night and It's not caused by lack of estrogen due to menopause because i've been taking estrogen now since Oct.2005.
I"m wondering if it's the anti inflammatory medication he prescribed me for my pain? maybe it's a side effect of the med? or maybe it's interfering with my estrogen patch and i"m not getting the estrogen like before?
I asked a gyno and she said "no", the medication would not interfere with the estrogen.
so I"m really stuck wondering what's causing this horrible symptom. PLUS the medications and supplemtns are not working as well as it did when I first started them. All my previous symptoms are returning.

I just learned by doing research on fibro that people who have fibro can also have problems with their thyroid gland and thalamus gland.

I'm learning alot in such a short amount of time.
now if I can get this body healed up, I'd be much happier.

:)
Linda

Hi lintek45 - I have been taking the calcium with vit D for years - ever since they started adding it to the calcium. But it is far less (only 400mg) then the recommemded doasge especially for fm and osteoporosis - so I could still be low, even with the sun. Maybe some people just do not absorb it from the sun... who knows with the wacky way our bodies work - or should I say don't work. Even if testing it doesn't show I am low I will know to continue as I am...right?????

sunny47

I am just now learning Sunny how important it is to take supplemtns.
I never believed in them.
I'll find out even more if they really work when I go for my follow up blood test to see if my vit.D deficiency is getting better by taking the supplemnts that I was told would help it.
I'm going tomorrow for a repeat blood test and Tues to see my rheumy dr. to go over the results.

I think it's a good idea for you to take your calcium and other things.
it doesn't hurt to have the D that's in the Calcium. Plus i take D supplements along with the calcium.

nice talking to you Sunny.

Linda

I also tested positive for Vit D deficiancy. I've been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease also. I just wanted to add that taking an over the counter Vit D might not be enough to get you where you need to be. Which is why it's wise to get tested. I have been put on an RX of 50,000 iu's of Vit D two times a week for 4 months. . Just thought I'd put that out there.
good luck everyone ,Kat

-I have had fibro for over 10 years and just found out I'm Vitamin D deficient. I don't know if there is any way to know how long I have been deficient.

-I went to a naturopath and I asked to be tested for Vitamin D just based on what a friend told me. The naturopath would've tested for this anyways since I live in the NW where there isn't much sun, but not every dr/naturopath knows to check for this. He was just up on all the recent reports about Vitamin D.

-I am extremely low in Vitamin D and take supplements daily. I am not taking the prescription of 50000 IUs like a lot of people seem to be. Im not sure why some people take this dose and some don't. Maybe I'll ask my ND next time I see him.

-I don't think the theory is that Vitamin D deficiency causes fibro, I think it is that some Vitamin D deficient people 1) also have fibro or 2) their pain was diagnosed as fibro but really is the muscle pain that can come with vitamin deficiency.

lintek- I would think medication could cause all kinds of side effects. Even if you don't have insurance, check around and see if there is a doctor or naturopath that will let you pay not using insurance and sometimes they'll give a slight discount since they don't have to deal with insurance.

thank you for your reply fibrostuff,
I don't even have any incoming money anymore either. I was paid two checks from unemployement benefits and then was told they're not going to send me anymore but keep on claiming benefits weekly just in case the pay me again. they're investigating my case at my last job. of course they dont' think i qualify for help if I was fired due to absenteism and I told them I couldn't do the work and therefore they asked me why I lied.
I did'nt lie. I told them I was sick all the time and therefore wasnt able to perform my duties. therefore I was absent which they're both the same to me.
being fired for absent alot is the same to them as theft on the job and using drugs. it's the same category to them and they say no one would qualify for benefits if someone did any of those things.
I think it's down right horrible that they condemn me for being ill and treat me as if i' a theif or a drug abuser.
I am praying that someone helps me in the course that I"m trying so hard to find a job. there are some replies to my faxes of resume or emails of resume but only three answered back out of many many resume's sent.
I feel hopeless and lost.
I am sick and can't get any help.
I'm in the process of filing for disability on line but it's so intense and tedious to collect all the past information on dr's visits, the names of places and doctors plus their address and phone numbers and the dates I saw them.
some of these visits were back in the 80's because that's when my illness first started. I don't have records of those visits that long ago, which can work against me now.
so I'm praying that God will hear my cries for help. One can't live in this world without money. I hate to say it comes down to it, is money.
I was always a believer in not being materialistic and I live a most simple life possible, but I'm finding that the need for money is the most important thing in order to live life healthily and happily.
I'm trying so hard fibrostuff to have a positive outlook on all that's happening to me and my family.

at least I have wonderful caring people here at this site which makes me feel I"m not alone.

thank you all.

sincerely,
Linda

ps- I'm taking the vitamin D religiously and yet I"m still suffering with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. so in my case, I think I really do have fibro. I don't hurt as much as I used to in my spine and neck but am suffering with other symptoms that are related to fibro. the achiness that is so deep in my bones is subsiding. but not my arthritis in my left hip and my fingers.
I've been waking up again with a stiff spine and pain but nothing in comparrison to the way it was before I started taking the vit. D.

I just went yesterday to have my blood level checked again to see if my deficiency is improving. I have a follow up visit to go over this lab work on tuesday with my rheumy dr but I don't even have a dollar even if he agreed to let me pay in installment.
I may have to ask my older sister for help, but it's so demeaning for me to have to go to this level. I feel like such a worthless low life at this stage in my life. it's making me feel so depressed on top of everything else.
enough of my squabbling and feeling sorry for myself.
I have to be strong and keep my head up!!!

I am sorry to hear about your troubles. It is hard to navigate chronic pain and work.

Do you have a good support system? I think it is important to reach out to those around us when we need to. They might not even realize how bad things are until you tell them.

Keep your head up and have a plan. It's like we have to be project managers of our health, our jobs, our lives. You can do it. You have the strength.

Please update and let us know how you're doing.
FS