From the Guidelines
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, and mood changes like depression, with severe deficiency causing rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. These symptoms are associated with the crucial role of vitamin D in calcium absorption and bone health, as well as its importance in immune function, cell growth, and inflammation reduction 1. Some people may experience frequent infections, slow wound healing, hair loss, and back or bone pain, while many others may have no symptoms at all, making it difficult to detect without a blood test.
Key Symptoms and Conditions
- Bone pain and muscle weakness
- Fatigue and mood changes like depression
- Frequent infections and slow wound healing
- Hair loss and back or bone pain
- Rickets in children, characterized by soft bones and skeletal deformities
- Osteomalacia in adults, causing bone pain and muscle weakness Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include limited sun exposure, darker skin tone, obesity, and certain medical conditions affecting fat absorption 1. If a deficiency is suspected, it is essential to consult a healthcare provider who can order a blood test and recommend appropriate supplementation, typically 600-2000 IU daily for adults depending on severity and individual needs.
From the Research
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
- Bone pain, which can be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or chronic pain syndrome 2, 3, 4
- Muscle weakness, increasing the risk of falls and fractures 2, 5, 4
- Osteopenia, osteoporosis, and osteomalacia, which can increase the risk of fracture 2, 5
- Fatigue fractures, muscular cramps, and muscle pain 3
- Gait disorders, with an increased incidence of falls in the elderly 3
- Myopathy with muscle pain, fatigue, muscular weakness, and gait disturbances 4
- Deep bone pain, reduced mineralization of bone matrix, and low energy fractures in more severe cases 4
- Increased risk of cancer of the prostate, colon, and breast 4
Diagnosis and Treatment
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is the best measure of vitamin D status 2, 5
- Monitoring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the only way to determine vitamin D status 5
- Treatment consists of high-dose intake of vitamin D3 and replacement of phosphate if deficient 3
- Administration of combined calcium and vitamin D supplements can be used to treat hypovitaminosis D 4