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  • Vitamin D Deficiency

    I'm just curious if anyone out there had a problem with their Vitamin D in the following year after their surgery. About 14 months post op I became very lethargic, depressed, anxious and lost 15 pounds. I'm sure it had been low for some time but had just gotten progressively worse. It wasn't until I had my yearly physical that they found my Vitamin D was significanlty low....about 20 points lower than the low average range allowable ( for woman it should be above 30 and mine was at 10). I would think that being put on a Vitamin D Supplement post op would make sense for patients to prevent something like this from happening.....Now, it's possible of course that my surgery had nothing to do with it but my feeling is that it did. Anyone's thoughts on this? Thank you!
    Susan

    Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
    50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
    Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
    X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
    Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
    Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
    Nice and straight now!!!!!

  • #2
    Yes.

    I didn't have any symptoms but my bone specialist tested me and I was given 1800units a day until my values went up.
    Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
    Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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    • #3
      I'm just curious. I live in a climate where seasonal affective disorder is common due to lack of sun in the wintertime. Could it be, since scoli surgery is such a big surgery requiring many months to heal, that vitamin D deficiency is more of a problem simply due to the fact that people tend to stay indoors more when they are recovering? It would be interesting to test people pre and post-op (like several months out). It would make sense that the surgeons would want everyone to have adequate vitamin D during the healing process just to make sure that the fusions are healthy bone.
      Be happy!
      We don't know what tomorrow brings,
      but we are alive today!

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      • #4
        They tested my Vitamin D level before surgery and it was 60. I haven't had it tested post op but I have been taking a 1000 IU Vitamin D3 supplement (as well as calcium with vitamin d) for several years ; ever since I started reading how important Vitamin D is. And being from Indiana, we don't get much sun in the winter so I thought I'd take a supplement.
        Age 56
        Wore a Milwaukee Brace for 3 years in hs
        Fused L4-S1 for high grade spondylolisthesis Jan '09 in Indy
        Thoracic 68
        Surgery Aug 31, 2010 T3 to L1
        Dr Bridwell St Louis
        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...1&d=1289881696

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        • #5
          Dr. Lenke had my vitamin D level tested prior to surgery and it was low (20). He had me take a prescription vitamin D supplement that was about 7,000 IU per day. I took this prior to surgery and until about 1 month post surgery. I had my D level tested after surgery and it was up to 70 on this supplement. At this point, Dr. Lenke's office said I should talk with my PCP about D supplements. My PCP had me take about 4,000 IU a day. On this doseage, I tested at 30 (low end of normal). So, I think I'm prone to very low D levels and will continue to supplement and have it checked regularly.
          Kathy
          46 yrs at surgery, now 50
          71 degree thoracolumbar curve corrected to 34 degrees
          8/2/2010 surgery with Dr. Lenke

          posterior T9 to sacrum with pelvic fixation

          4 osteotomies and 1 cage
          http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/...athK_08022010/

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          • #6
            Yes, I would agree that as important as vitamin D is to bone health that this is something that the doc's would really stress pre-op and post-op. My mother has low vitamin D so perhaps I am prone to the condition. I have to say though I couldn't believe how badly I felt and for a while thought it was all in my head. I took a 50,000mg pill once a week for 8 weeks and now take about 1200/day and I think my level was around 45 which the doc thought was ok but I was still dragging. I think for someone who may be around 30 with no symptoms and feels good then this is may be the normal their body yet may not be enough for someone else. If your at the low end of average with symptoms than the norm for your body may need to be higher. I get very frustrated with doctor's treating patients as though they are cookie cutter patients. This makes absolutely no sense to me. This also goes along with how they treat pain as well. They have their "guide lines" and think that one size fits all. Everyone better get to taking that viatmin D, it does a body good
            Susan

            Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
            50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
            Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
            X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
            Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
            Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
            Nice and straight now!!!!!

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            • #7
              My primary care doc tested my vitamin D for the first time this year, just as a matter of course. She said there has been a higher incidence of Vit D deficiency in the past several years concurrent with increased use of sunscreen. As a result, many people are low, which can lead to depression-like symptoms and also has been linked to some types of cancer. She put me on 2000 mg (or whatever the unit is; I don't remember) per day. This had nothing to do with back surgery.

              Evelyn
              age 48
              80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
              Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
              Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
              Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
              Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

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              • #8
                i was put on Vit D by my hormone doc, who practices in CA...
                she routinely checks her patients for deficiency while she tests for hormone levels, etc...
                she said she sees the deficiency more often in patients who come from places with the kind of weather we have in the northeast...long amounts of time either without a lot of sunshine, or periods of time too cold to spend outside...

                i did not notice any changes after starting Vit D...i did notice changes after starting bio identical hormones she prescribes for me...
                i just stay on the Vit D along with other stuff she has me taking...
                i have osteopenia, but don't know that taking Vit D makes any difference to that condition...

                jess

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by jrnyc View Post
                  i was put on Vit D by my hormone doc, who practices in CA...
                  she routinely checks her patients for deficiency while she tests for hormone levels, etc...
                  i did not notice any changes after starting Vit D...i did notice changes after starting bio identical hormones she prescribes for me...
                  i just stay on the Vit D along with other stuff she has me taking...
                  i have osteopenia, but don't know that taking Vit D makes any difference to that condition...

                  jess
                  Jess, If you wouldn't mind further filling me in on what Bio Identical Hormones are and what they are for......via private message if that makes you more comfortable. thanks
                  Susan

                  Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
                  50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
                  Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
                  X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
                  Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
                  Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
                  Nice and straight now!!!!!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    hi Susan
                    sent you a private message...
                    the bio identicals are amazing!!

                    jess

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      You have to have Vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. So if you're Vitamin D level is low, you may not be able to absorb as much calcium which can be a problem for your bones.
                      Age 56
                      Wore a Milwaukee Brace for 3 years in hs
                      Fused L4-S1 for high grade spondylolisthesis Jan '09 in Indy
                      Thoracic 68
                      Surgery Aug 31, 2010 T3 to L1
                      Dr Bridwell St Louis
                      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...1&d=1289881696

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by LisaB View Post
                        You have to have Vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. So if you're Vitamin D level is low, you may not be able to absorb as much calcium which can be a problem for your bones.
                        I was definitely getting plenty of both through my diet so who knows why this happened but I can tell you I sure felt better once my levels got back to normal I make sure to stay up on my vitamins and diet and so far so good!
                        Susan

                        Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
                        50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
                        Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
                        X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
                        Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
                        Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
                        Nice and straight now!!!!!

                        Comment

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