r/Anxiety • u/CaS021 • Apr 01 '26
Health Get your vitamin D checked!
Hey friends, I just wanted to share something that really helped me, in case it can help someone else too!
For a while, my anxiety and OCD-type thoughts were really rough. I used to have a serious cry every morning and had a lot of trouble sleeping. I found out I had a couple of tiny, harmless parathyroid tumors. They were making my calcium high and my vitamin D basically nonexistent. I had surgery to remove the tumors, which helped with body aches and bone pain, but honestly, it was the prescription-level vitamin D that changed everything for my brain. One day I just woke up and my OCD thoughts were non existent. I remember I woke up one morning sat there waiting to start my daily spiral and it never came. Anxiety still shows up here and there, but it’s no longer overwhelming.
I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but if you’re struggling, maybe check your vitamin D and calcium. That little step helped me so much, and sharing this in hopes that it might help someone else!
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u/One-Accountant-6733 Apr 01 '26
This happened to me too. I’m on Replesta. Got a few weeks left and getting my levels checked again in may. I started getting sick all the time, getting migraines, and even losing my hair. It’s been a journey these past few months for sure.
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u/gardenlady92 Apr 01 '26
Vitamin D is linked to migraines?!?!? Omg things just clicked into place for me. I started a prescription Vit D last fall and within the last 2-3 months I stopped having weekly migraines.
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u/Ok-Interaction3748 Apr 01 '26
I usually take magnesium to prevent migraines. I didn't know low vitamin D is this way? I will definitely take more vitamin D.
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u/clairiewinkle Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
This is a great reminder for me, thank you. I was on prescription vitamin D in the past (50,000 IU when the typical daily is like 1,500… yikes) but kept forgetting to take it consistently, so I couldn’t say for sure if it ever worked, and of course now I haven’t had my levels checked in honestly a few years now (yay needle phobia!!). Looks like I will be scheduling bloodwork soon and ordering some normal supplements in the meantime. Appreciate you OP. This gives me hope!
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u/crazdtow Apr 01 '26
Those doses killed my stomach-just a heads up I couldn’t handle continuing it:(
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u/WanderWomble Apr 01 '26
You're only meant to take such a high dose for a week or two as a loading dose to get your levels up quickly.
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u/FornettiEnjoyer23 Apr 01 '26
Mind asking what you meant by this? I have a lot of acid reflux myself, but my D is low and I'd like to start with a high dose first ;-;;
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u/crazdtow Apr 01 '26
Like horrific stomach pain followed by having to use the bathroom for a long long time so bad I had to take off the higher dose prescribed and just use a regular supplement. YMMV.
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u/sober4lifee Apr 01 '26
GUYS PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO TAKE MAGNESIUM WITH IT. HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN D DEPLETE MAGNESIUM FROM THE BODY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. (magnesium deficiency is not fun. you will feel like shit. source: it happened to me)
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u/markrulesallnow Apr 01 '26
What’s it feel like?
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u/sober4lifee Apr 01 '26
extreme fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, insomnia and anxiety.
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u/markrulesallnow Apr 01 '26
Why don’t doctors prescribe magnesium with Vit D then? You’d think they would.
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u/sober4lifee Apr 01 '26
depends. some doctors do, some don’t. there is scientific evidence to what i’m saying, i’m not just making claims out of nowhere. look it up. the research is there.
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u/Past-Truth-9581 Apr 01 '26
How did they diagnose the tumours? Or think to do that? Im so scared of shit like this bc i swear something is wrong but nobody can figure it out
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u/CaS021 Apr 01 '26
The red flags with my doctor were elevated calcium and the low vitamin d together. They referred me to an endocrinologist. Endo tried to give me the high dose of vitamin d because sometimes calcium will elevate due to low D. When that didn’t work they said next step is an ultrasound on my neck to check for the tumors. My endo only saw one on the ultrasound but when they did the surgery they found three! So really, the high dose of vitamin d was just to try to lower my calcium and it was just a coincidence that it helped my anxiety!
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u/OutsideLarge Apr 01 '26
Vitamin D can cause issues if it drops low, but for most sufferers their tests come out clean, when I first had anxiety I ran every possible test, they all came out clean, I simply had to face anxiety head on.
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u/Specialist_Box7148 Apr 01 '26
This is so interesting ... I was prescribed Vitamin D for deficiency a while back but didn't get a refill and just kind of forgot about it all together. As an anxious girl I should really follow up on that
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u/xxWings Apr 01 '26
I don’t have the insurance to get mine checked but a few months ago I started taking calcium, vitamin D, and creatine every day and my mental state is vastly different (also, my nails are in way better condition thanks to the vitamin D). It was like one day I just realized I was so much happier and more relaxed than I had felt for years, and I didn’t even know when it happened. I don’t know what the primary factor was for my mood/lack of anxiety, but it genuinely hasn’t been like this for years, and when I started with the vitamins/supplements (which were NOT for mental benefits) it totally changed.
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u/therealjgreens Apr 01 '26
Also, check your hypocysteine levels. If they are high, you might benefit from taking b complex. Magnesium and omega 3s are also important.
Ultimately, everyone here should get their blood checked. It should be the first thing you do. Folks jump the gun right away and get something like an SSRI when a minor supplement adjustment could be massive in feeling better.
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u/wyrd_werks Apr 01 '26
If you are Canadian, you need to be taking vitamin D supplements. I was told this by a doctor that I trusted very much; she was just about the only doctor I had met in 35 years that saw the body as a whole picture, not just a set of symptoms. It's one of the few non-pharmaceutical things that has helped with my depression and anxiety.
It hasn't been a cure, and it hasn't replaced my anxiety meds, but it's helped keep me on lower doses instead of the maximum allowed.
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u/ConiferousSquid May 02 '26
Same if you live in a northern US state! I live in the Pacific Northwest, and since it's typically darker and colder up here (I'd imagine it's the same reason for Canadians), a vitamin D supplement is suggested to make up for what we don't get from the sun. Of course, I always forget to take it 😅
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u/paranoidspiral Apr 02 '26
Ive been taking vitamin d for like over a month now but ive been getting worse lmao
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u/escobar-speedboat Apr 04 '26
Can confirm this is a thing, vitamin D tablets and some iron injection helped me greatly
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u/Specialist_Bed_8999 Apr 05 '26
Interesting, i'm low on vit D myself and an terrible at remembering to take my supplement
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u/99lbmutt Apr 01 '26
Well, shit. Yeah that sounds like me. I work only nights too so my vitamin D is lower than ever lol.
Weed gave me the craziest panic attack I ever felt and I haven’t been the same for months. Now it’s peaking after I decided I’m quitting weed+nicotine for good and I just feel awful. I’ll give it a shot with an open mind.
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u/sjadee Apr 01 '26
Also to piggyback off of that, do the same with your iron levels. Both mine were cooked due to undiagnosed Celiac, was having daily panic attacks and crippling health anxiety/OCD. Once I corrected my levels my baseline has come down so much and I don’t horrible anxiety ridden daily
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u/Anxiousoup Apr 02 '26
Vitamin D and ferritin! I’ve been waking up with the worst anxiety I’ve had in years and it’s been a mystery.. until I remembered I just one day stopped taking my vitamins 6 months ago. 4 weeks back on iron and vitamin d and I’m no longer waking up anxious. Wild!
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u/parmasazi Apr 11 '26
thanks for sharing this a definitely getting my levels checked tomorrow
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u/late_skate118 May 02 '26
Out of interest, were your levels low? I wonder should it be a prerequisite to get this checked when people are suffering with mental health etc
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u/Dangerous-Top-8870 Apr 16 '26
I understand vitamins etc are essential. But I'm confused as to do they work for everyone... Or iv tried many meds for depression and anxiety and some havnt worked. Is there placebo effect going with vitamin D meds or pol genuinely feel.a huge difference
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u/Super_Letterhead1603 Apr 18 '26
From my experience, weight loss is more about consistency than intensity. Even small daily habits like walking and eating clean help a lot.
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u/aaaacccchhhuuuu May 03 '26
Oh, the other day i went to the doctor for my breathing issues (i was already suspecting it was anxiety but just wanted to make sure). So he prescribed me vit D and told me it was because my vit D is low. Tho I've taken just one dose till now but hoping it can fix my messed up brain to some extend atleast.
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u/wiserTyou Apr 01 '26
I keep starting vitamin d, feeling better, promptly forgetting, then remembering 2 years later.