# Vitamin D for infertility



## xanzaba

I hope my story goes out and helps some ladies. After 2 1/2 years TTC, I am (cautiously) pregnant. I never had a BFP until this month. My RE did a vitamin D test and I asked why and did some research. It turns out that implantation problems can be caused or worsened by vitamin D deficiency and, if you do get pregnant, can lead to issues during pregnancy. 

Considering that vitamin D levels are also important for bone and breast health, it's good to understand vitamin D and find your numbers. Most vitamin D comes from the sun, and then from fortified foods. It is harder to get vitamin D during the winter if you are further north than Atlanta! But it is fat soluble so you can store extra vitamin D you get from the summer sun. Wearing sun screen blocks the absorption, and you only need about 10-20 minutes in direct sunshine (i.e.eating lunch outside). It's good to get supplementation if you are on the low side, especially in the winter

I had no ovulation problems, DH had good numbers, and we were labeled as having unexplained infertility. But this month, after 2 1/2 years, I got a BFP! I had spent a few weeks in the sun and took supplements. My levels were only at 33 (normal is 30-100), so I was probably pretty deficient before my vitamin D intervention. I wish I had known about this sooner, but hopefully this will help someone out there.


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## messica

I've not heard of that but congratulations!

It's an interesting theory to me. Our infertility issues were due to exclusively male factors. After our IVF/ICSI cycle we transferred two and both implanted. I didn't find out until week 7 I believe that I was severely vitamin D deficient (I was at 11 if I remember right?) and I've been on a very high dose prescription supplementation since (50,000iu/wk).

My deficiency didn't hinder implantation (obviously lol) but I will say getting caught back up into normal ranges did help me feel MUCH better overall. Physical and mental health is just as important to reproductive health as anything else so I can imagine getting tested and supplementing when needed certainly couldn't hurt anyone TTC!


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## xanzaba

Congrats to you too, Messica, and thanks for sharing your story. Hopefully we can help raise awareness :)


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## HolisticDoc

Congrats xanzaba!! Great information also. Im sure that will help a lot of ladies!


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## CanadianMaple

My clinic tests everyone and makes sure our levels are good before they let us start a cycle. They found that more than half of their patients were deficient.


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## xanzaba

Hi CanadianMaple- that's good to know that doctors are so savvy up in Canada! Good luck with your transfer, I'll keep my fingers crossed :)


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## babyvaughan

I discovered this in Nov and mine was at 14 in six months time I got it to a 36 she wants me at a 50, I had DH get tested he was at 10!!! We both just had ours rechecked today and will find out monday! :)


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## Fruitee

How interesting, someone was telling me the other day to sit out in the sun, she said she wasn't ovulating and was told to sit out in the sun and get vit d, and she now has a beautiful baby boy, so there must be some truth in it, definitely worth a try :)


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## Irish_eyes

This is interesting. I have an appt with my doctor for another reason this Friday and maybe I would ask him if I can get the test done. 

xanzaba - did your doc prescribe the vitamins or did you buy them? How much did you take?


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## xanzaba

Hi Irish_eyes- I bought the 2000 IU soft gels, but found that it became hard to go to the bathroom, which can already be a problem in pregnancy. My pre-natals have 400 IU already, so for the summer I am sticking to that and sunshine, but in the winter I might reconsider the soft gels.

If your levels are really low, sometimes they give you 50,000 IU treatments, just to put these levels in perspective.

From what I understand, there is a very low risk of toxicity with vitamin D. Kidney stones are a rare side effect, so drinking plenty of water is good if you're going to take a high dose.


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## Tink_

Congratulations on your pregnancy :)

Also, thank you for the info! I've lately been spending a lot more time outside and it's funny because a lot of people kept telling me when I asked for holistic advice for different things that I needed to be doing that so I hope this well help and I might look in to supplements depending on what's about. 

I don't think I can get my levels tested within the nhs unless they suggest it but no harm in boosting it naturally and before winter gets here! x


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## CareBear

Nhs will test your vitamin d levels if you have trigger signs for it being low, I was having pain in my knees and back which was indicating signs of arthritis. My doc ran blood tests one of which was vitamin d which came back low and was most likely causing my pain. I think if you went in and asked for it to be checked they might do it.


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## xanzaba

Tink- hope this is your cycle. Vitamin D is also important for sustaining a healthy pregnancy. So glad the info was helpful.

Carebear- thanks for sharing the information about NHS and testing. Hope the vitamin D helps you feel better and gets you closer to your bump.

I've also had bone issues in the past so I should have been on Vitamin D and, who knows, have had my BFP sooner. I'm just glad I did get a BFP and hoping it sticks. I have an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy on Friday (7 weeks). My HCG levels were rising well a couple of weeks ago, but it would be great to hear a heartbeat!


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## Irish_eyes

xanzaba - thanks for the info and congratulations on the pregnancy :hugs:

carebear - I am going to my doctor on Friday to see about a pain that I am having in my back and my hips although this may be due to running, do you think I could then say about the Vit D. Would that cover as a possible symptom enough to be tested?


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## CareBear

Could be, it's worth asking if you could have your levels checked to be on the safe side.


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## Irish_eyes

Well he didn't see the point as I had a good diet and he knows I run a lot so I am always outside. I suppose it was worth asking.


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## laurac1988

My first vitamin D draw my numbers were 12. The second one a year later they were 33.

I now take 5000iu a day vitamin D3 in the hope that it will help. Getting my numbers dine again in a few months so let's see how it helps


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## messica

Irish_eyes said:


> Well he didn't see the point as I had a good diet and he knows I run a lot so I am always outside. I suppose it was worth asking.

He sounds a bit uneducated as far as levels go. Can you go elsewhere to be tested?

I eat phenomenally well and was a daycare provider who spent hours each day outside. I was still completely tanked out - even on a prenatal vitamin. Diet and exposure don't have anything to do with levels in most people. To compare, they're found health guru types that have outdoor occupations that live on the equator with low levels. Anyone, anywhere can be low. 


50,000iu once a week for 12 weeks took me from 11 to 33. My OB has now switched me to 5,000iu once a day preventatively. If the highest I could manage was 33 (which is the lowest of low acceptable levels) on that super dose, in the middle of summer, I'm likely going to need supplementation for the rest of my life. I'd rather take a pill once a day than deal with the permanent damage low D will do to your body!


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## Irish_eyes

I am not sure where I can go to get the test as that was my GP. I would even pay for it if they would do it in my GP surgery.


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## xanzaba

Okay, sorry for the rant, but i hate bad science...

While there are some studies that didn't find a link between vit d levels and sun exposure, there's still much evidence that sun exposure does affect vit d. Over interpreting a negative finding is something like saying that because you don't find your car keys, they don't exist. Personally, my levels ebb and wane with the seasons (low in winter, high in summer), similar to findings from a study that repeated tests monthly on the same people over several years. I stopped using sunscreen on a daily basis because it blocks absorption, which is often a confound in studies not finding a relationship (I still use it when I'm outside for long periods). And pregnancy rates in northern climates are highest 9 months after the summer and correlate with vitamin d levels.

Although there is variability between people for baseline levels of vitamin d, it's highly unlikely that sun exposure has no effect. Some people do not absorb vitamin d from supplements as well as others, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take supplements.


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## laurac1988

I agree about sun exposure, it probably has SOME effect. I know my levels were higher in the summer than the winter, however some people will be deficient no matter how much sun they get.
I'm very grateful to my GP for taking my levels because I felt like hell. Since taking a high dose vit d every day I feel less tired, have more energy and my mood is much, much better. Whether it does anything directly for my fertility is yet to be seen, however the good effects it is having on my well being will affect my fertility. More energy and being happier means more exercise and less stress - all good for fertility!


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## messica

xanzaba said:


> Okay, sorry for the rant, but i hate bad science...
> 
> While there are some studies that didn't find a link between vit d levels and sun exposure, there's still much evidence that sun exposure does affect vit d. Over interpreting a negative finding is something like saying that because you don't find your car keys, they don't exist. Personally, my levels ebb and wane with the seasons (low in winter, high in summer), similar to findings from a study that repeated tests monthly on the same people over several years. I stopped using sunscreen on a daily basis because it blocks absorption, which is often a confound in studies not finding a relationship (I still use it when I'm outside for long periods). And pregnancy rates in northern climates are highest 9 months after the summer and correlate with vitamin d levels.
> 
> Although there is variability between people for baseline levels of vitamin d, it's highly unlikely that sun exposure has no effect. Some people do not absorb vitamin d from supplements as well as others, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take supplements.


I'm not sure where you're getting that I said sun exposure has NO effect on EVERYONE. To repeat, what I said was *"Diet and exposure don't have anything to do with levels in most people."*

And that's fact.

When poster said her doctor said she was fine because she spent time outside and ate right, that's lazy medical advice at best. My point was that diet and exposure are no kind of guarantee for anyone. Claiming otherwise is a sweeping generalization of near everyone who lives in higher latitudes. When they've found 80%-90% of some populations of people deficient - does that mean everyone eats like crap and never goes outside? It's not bad science but rather fact that sun exposure doesn't necessarily dictate levels, but rather how well an individuals body is able to utilize that exposure - that matters. 


We know that exposure can help almost everyone on some level, but whether that alone is enough to keep most people at a healthy level has obviously been long since disproven.



Beyond that I have no idea where you're coming from with the study talk of negative findings or claim that this is bad science. I'd venture to say the over interpreting is coming from your end based on a mere skim of what I actually said :shrug:


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## messica

laurac1988 said:


> I agree about sun exposure, it probably has SOME effect. *I know my levels were higher in the summer than the winter, however some people will be deficient no matter how much sun they get.*
> I'm very grateful to my GP for taking my levels because I felt like hell. Since taking a high dose vit d every day I feel less tired, have more energy and my mood is much, much better. Whether it does anything directly for my fertility is yet to be seen, however the good effects it is having on my well being will affect my fertility. More energy and being happier means more exercise and less stress - all good for fertility!


Exactly!!!! :thumbup:


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## laurac1988

My levels still weren't high "enough" in the summer. And is lent a crap,lad of time outside


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## messica

Irish_eyes said:


> I am not sure where I can go to get the test as that was my GP. I would even pay for it if they would do it in my GP surgery.

If you're worried about it, and have symptoms of low D, can you *tell* them you want the test?

I'm not very familiar with how the NHS works. If I want a test I walk in and ask for it. Thankfully my doc was diligent enough to pick up on it herself and I didn't have to know enough to ask for one - but if I had it certainly would have been within my rights to get a simple blood draw! Docs can sure deny unnecessary testing/procedures, but know they'll get their butts handed to them if a patient comes in with symptoms and they deny them the care they need to sort out what's causing them. Here docs work for us, not the government, and I do think that makes a huge difference.

Is a GP the only doc you have access to? Do you have private access to care? I think most fertility specialists would be more than happy to run that kind of blood work, even if they are somewhat restricted?


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## Ummi2boyz

Great info and so true! I have been reading studies that showed the link between vitD Nd fertility. 
I had very low levels back in 2012 and was put on very high dose too. 50000 IU/week for 12 weeks and then 25000 for another 12 weeks. And then I stopped when some pain in my back came back. My gp told me that I should not stop it and be on it all my life (unless I go and live in a sunny country and get sun exposure everyday). She also said that the NHS advice is for everyone in the uk to get some supplementation of at least 1000IU/day. So 400IU in the pregnancy vit is not enough. 

Also, unlike in the US, in the UK we don't get the tests we ask for, but the ones that GPs feel necessary. It all depends on individual GPs and also in the area where you live.


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## babyvaughan

We had a date to get our vita D level's check his is at a 26 which is still so low but better than 10. I haven't had mine yet but i'm going to call to find out!


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## xanzaba

Sorry Messica, I wasn't saying you said that, but some scientists, wanting to make a splash have! I am a researcher and it drives me nuts. I just wanted to clarify in case people had read some of the papers out there.


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## laurac1988

I'm in the UK, and my results showed the following targets. So really we should be aiming for above 80, although she said above 50 is "enough"

https://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q568/lauracostello1988/62a7f1570bcbe0a8691dc6682ffba1e1_zps933256cb.jpg


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## babyvaughan

He had his level rechecked and is at a 26 better than 10 but still a lot to go to get to 50! I guess it really effects there sperm mobility mine was first a 15, then 36, she wants it at a 50 I just had it checked waiting to find out!


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## Amythyst

The level ranges and testing sensitivity will vary by the lab doing the test. So a normal 30 at one lab may not be the same as a normal 50 in another. 

I've had chronic Vitamin D deficiency most of my life. Even with taking 50,000 units a week my body still has a hard time absorbing Vitamin D. Because of this, my endocrinologist tested me for Celiac disease and the test was positive. 

For those that are struggling to keep up their vitamin D (and possibly other vitamins), I recommend getting tested for Celiac. Celiac greatly inhibits your bodies from absorbing vitamins and may play a role in low vitamin levels that seem to be a pain to get higher.

My lowest number was a 7 many years ago and I got it up as high as 33 at one point and then it fell back down to an 11. I have been on 50,000 units a week on and off for years but the number never seems to stay high. I have been on 50,000 units this round for 3 months and will be getting it retested shortly.


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## TTCBayBay1

Hi all! What Vitamin D supplements did your doctor recommend? D2 or D3? THANKS!!


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## laurac1988

Was d3 for me


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## babyvaughan

D3


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## CareBear

D3


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## boobear2872

CareBear said:


> D3


I think we should be taking both?


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## laurac1988

I was told d3 by my GP, but timers may prescribe different


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## Irish_eyes

I have decided to do a home test for Vitamin D since my GP won't do it for me.


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## xanzaba

Irish eyes- I haven't heard of home tests. Where do you get them?

Good luck- hope you get some answers :)


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## Irish_eyes

Xanzaba, I found this website. https://www.vitamindtest.org.uk/index.html

I probably don't have Vitamin D deficiency but I just want to rule it out. After nearly 6 years trying I'd do anything.


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## babyvaughan

Irish it would hurt to take vitamin daily just dont take super high dosage like us that have issues with it!


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## xanzaba

Irish eyes- I know what you mean. After 2 1/2 years we thought it just wasn't possible. I'd never seen a BFP, started to believe they were mystical creatures- like big foot- often photographed, but never seen! I really hope you get some answers!

I think that vitamin d also helps men (don't really know the literature) and it really is mostly harmless. If you can convince him to take some too, it probably wouldn't hurt...


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## Irish_eyes

Thx ladies, thing there is some Vit D in my pre natal anyway.


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