We have all heard that vitamin D is good for our bones. However, few of us really understand how seriously a lack of vitamin D can impact our day to day wellbeing. In fact, one UK survey found that more than half of us are vitamin D deficient! 

Why does this matter?

Well, Vitamin D’s job is to regulate the level of calcium and phosphate in the body. It does this by controlling how much is absorbed in the gut and taken up by the different parts of the body, including muscle, teeth, and bone. As a result, Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness, tiredness and bone pain. In extreme cases, a lack of vitamin D can impair bone growth causing diseases of brittle or painful bones, such as Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Most of our vitamin D is produced in our skin. Sunlight plays a key role in activating the vitamin D, hence its nickname “the sunshine vitamin”. Unfortunately, winter sun is not great at making vitamin D (it does not contain enough ultraviolet B radiation) and sunlight through a window does not work either. The best way to get vitamin D from the sun is to exposure our skin to the summer sun. If you are spending a lot of time in the sun, remember to take the necessary precautions to protect your skin from sun damage!

We can also get vitamin D from oily fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines), red meat, eggs and certain foods (breakfast cereals, formula milk) have added vitamin D.

• Regulating calcium metabolism.
• Regulating calcification of the bones.
• Regulating the body’s use of phosphorus (a mineral that is important for bone structure).
• Increasing the absorption of calcium from the gut.
• Decreased excretion from the kidneys.
• Assists with depositing minerals into the teeth.
• Maintains healthy blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
• Helps maintain nervous system, heart function and normal blood clotting.

There are times, however, when we are not receiving enough Vitamin D naturally like in the winter or on a rainy day, this is when we will start to experience the lack of Vitamin D and need to find another source.

There are certain groups of people who are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency

• The elderly (skin thins as we age, reducing its ability to make vitamin D)
• People with darker skin (dark skin needs more sunlight to make the same amount of vitamin D as paler skin)
• People with reduced skin exposure to sunlight (such as those who spend a lot of time indoors or those who cover a large proportion of their body)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• People with certain diseases (such as Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, kidney disease)
• People taking certain medications (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, primidone)
• People on strict vegetarian or vegan diets

And sometimes, for unknown reasons, people without any risk factors are deficient in vitamin D! These can be evaluated along with any other Vitamin Deficiency by a GP.

• if you are allergic to ergocalciferol (vitamin D) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
• if you have high levels of calcium in your blood
• if you already have high levels of vitamin D in your blood, or if you are especially sensitive to vitamin D
• if you have kidney problems
• if you have an accumulation of calcium salts in the body’s tissue.

If any of the above applies to you talk to your doctor or nurse.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or nurse before being given vitamin D:

• if you have heart disease, problems with your kidneys or with your circulation
• if you have kidney stones
• if you have low levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH)
• if you already have high levels of vitamin D in your blood or if you are especially sensitive to vitamin D.

It is important that you are taking enough calcium in your diet so that your body can respond properly to your medicine

While it is not possible to get too much vitamin D from sunlight, very high doses of vitamin D supplements can cause the calcium levels in the blood to be too high. This can cause symptoms of nausea and vomiting, headaches, thirst and passing a lot of urine. If you are taking vitamin D supplements and experience these symptoms, then we recommend you speak to your GP as soon as possible!

Not really, but it’s always a good idea to have had your breakfast; it is after all the most important meal of the day for many good reasons. So long as your blood sugar is stable and you’re well hydrated you will be set to go.

Definitely manageable, the pain is equivalent to a little pinch, takes a few seconds for the needle to go through and a couple more for the vitamins to go through.

Approximately 5 minutes in total.

Of course, extra vitamins are always the best option.

Although for Vitamin D injection we will only be able to administer it if deficient (recent blood test report will be requested).

300,000 IU

No, only your doctor can advice you how often you can have the injection