Could Vitamin D cause water retention?

I'll try to be as through as I can here, to provide all the info.

Background:  I had been taking daily doses of vit B12. Something I came up with on my own with my sister. Stupid cause I did not research or talk to a dr about this. Anyway...I suddenly stopped being able to sleep and became VERY irritable and feeling like I was just totally losing my mind. One day out of the blue, I woke up wih tiny red spots all over my skin. After reasearching, I found online that Vit B toxicity can cause all those issues. So I stopped taking it.

I had blood work done just after stopping the B..about 3 days so some of my spots were still visible. My count was 202.2 which was just high enough to set uff the the HIGH flag. My nut was very impressed with this number though and said I was right where I needed to be. I cant maintain that level though...its too much for me.

Anyway, to my point...

My Vit D level is 16.7 which is very low. My nut put me on 1000 IU daily, then ask my PCP for an RX. Ive been on the D for 5 weeks now. I have not yet gotten the RX nor have I had any blood work done yet.

The thing is...I have gained 2lbs a week since then. My eating habits have not changed, actually I have been eating better and started getting more exercise in. Im so bloated and actually have 'the kankles' now. The only difference I can come up with is the Vit D.

Im wondering if I could be sensitive to Vits? Is that possible? My nut is on vacation until next week. Im on my second day without the D to see how my weight changes by tomorrow morning.

Thanks for sticking in there if you are still reading.

I am very curious about what you find out about this. As I was leaving the hospital yesterday I was informed that I have a severe Vit. D deficiency and instead of daily supplements I am taking one strong one once a week. I tend to retain water, genetic, and would hate to see that keep happening and interfering with my weight loss.

Allison

Hi Mary -

I assume your B12 count was 2022, not 202.2.  Right?  2000  is a bit high, but not horrible.  We like to see a range of 1000-1500.  Every person is different with their dosing of B12 based on how well your body deals with it.  I'm able to maintain my high numbers with a dose of 1 2500mcg taken 3 times a week.  Others need that much every day.  So find your sweet spot and run with it.

16.7 for Vitamin D is dangerously low.  Like... so low that you need to be HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE to get that number up.  Your Nut is nuts!  1000IU is nowhere near enough to do anything good for a level that low.  in fact, people with good levels need 2000IU per day just to maintain those good numbers.  Don't bother with the Rx for Vitamin D.  It's a little green gelcap that's got D2 suspended in oil.  We malabsorb fats, so that oil-based pill will be malabsorbed to some extent too.  Plus, D2 is the inactive form of Vitamin D and your body needs to convert it to D3 before it can be used... and that conversion process uses up some units of D.  SOOOO.... why not just start with D3 to begin with so your body can use it without any work .  Plus you'll need a "dry" formula of Vitamin D - not the oil-based kind.  And since it's the Rx your PCP wants you on, that'd be 50,000IU dose. 

The Dry Vitamin D3 can be bought over the counter (not available as a Rx).  Here's a link to buy it on Amazon (ooo... and it's on sale right now too, it's usually $25, but now it's only 19.99) or you can get it at Vitalady -- you can't find it in stores that I'm aware of.  

I'd also suggest you get much more aggressive than the usualy once-a-week dose most doctors recommend for normal un-altered folks.  When my D was that low I did the following:

30 days - 1 50k once per day
30 days - 1 50k three times per week
30 days - 1 50k one time per week
RETEST and adjust...

Your goal is to have a Vitamin D level at 80-100 for optimal health benefits (like a 50% reduced risk of breast, cervical and other cancers). 

Water retention -- as far as I know this is probably not related to Vitamin D.  It can be a hundred different things though.  Hot weather.  Added salt. Lack of water intake.  Drink more water and see if that elminates the issue.  If not, call your doctor for suggestions.

Those script D caplets are D2. These don't work on RNY patients. I know, as I had an 8 for D levels post op. My PCP put me on a 50K IU script D once a week for 8 weeks and then new labs. I repeated this 3 times, and the labs showed a HIGH D level of 14.  Not hardly any improvement.  I began taking some liquid vitamins that actually contained 600 IU of D3 in the daily dosage. After 5-6 weeks time, I had another set of labs. My D levels went up to 33 in that short time frame. I now take a dry D3 5000 IU capsule 3 times daily, with my calcium citrate. I get both of these from vitalady.com .  D3 should be your vitamin D used daily as a RNY post op.  I had cancles prior to RNY surgery. If I was on my feet for more than 2 hours in a day (at 360 pounds prior to RNY), my ankles and feet would swell up to the point it was painful to walk. No issues of that type at all as a post op.  You should probably query your PCP or surgeon on this bloated issue. It's not typical, and I listen to 100's of post ops in my support groups over the past 4 years. Not one mention of this severe bloating in any of these meetings. DAVE

Thanks Pam and Dave!

I'll go ahead and go back to my vit D and get some of the D3.

Ive been drinking extra water to try to flush myself out, but it seems to be getting worse. I can feel my calves swelling and my feet look like im baking bread out of my shoes! LMAO I do ocassionally get swelling in the heat, walking alot or flying. But this is unusual. if I sit for too long, its actually hard to walk.

Mary -

When did you have your surgery?  Are you still in the early weeks post-op?  If so.... be very cautious about the higher risk in the early weeks of blood clots. If your skin is hot to the touch or the swelling was sudden... call the doctor for advice.  Better to be safe than wait too long. 

In fact. Call the doctor anyway about the swelling.  Just ask what they suggest you do or if they need to see you.  Let us know what they say.

Pam

I've had LOTS of fluid retention since my Dr. gave me 50,000 IU of vit D, 1x weekly for two months. Within the first few weeks I noticed major fluid retention. I'm on my 6th week (2 more to go) and I can't fit into ANY of my clothes, I've had to buy two sizes larger in everything I own.

My body has always balanced fluids well, until now. I feel like Ralphie's little brother from "A Christmas Story" when his mother suits him up to go to school and he "looked like a tick about to pop." You are not alone.

Oh, no worries there...Im still pre-op.

I just dont get the gain...I assume its water weight because of all the swelling, but 2lbs a week? I'm afraid they wont do my surgery if I keep gaining!

I was eating kinda bad the first couple weeks after I had my band unfilled, but I've gotten that out of my system and have been selecting fruits and vegs and cutting way back on other stuff.

I know my nut is on vacation, but I'll send an email and see if she'll answer anyway.

Thanks so much