It's very common. I was feeling tired and dizzy for months. I finally went to my general doctor, he couldn't find anything, told me to go to an ear specialist. I told them about this board and how meds can effect my vitamin D. He sent me for a blood test, which I waited till it was time for my blood work from my rhuemy, and it was very low.
2 doctors, and it took this board to help me.

You tell a doctor your dizzy and they look at you like your crazy. I haven't been dizzy since I stated taking vitamin D.
Hope it helps you, plus add vitamin C. Really keeps me from getting sick.

Lin =)

My Vit D level is so low that they were shocked I hadn't developed osteoporosis. I was having intermittent dizziness but no one put it together with the RA. For me it took a nutritionist to find it. I am taking 4000IU a day. My dizziness is gone and my DexaScan is normal too. WOOHOO!!! Always best to be certain and have it checked. Since mine is better my fatique hasn't gotten any better BUT the dizziness is gone. Good luck and let me know how your fatigue gets, please.

I was vit D deficient a few yrs ago. I was put on 50000 units once a wk. Now Its is considered in the normal range 32. No doc says anything about it. I am going to start taking it again. I can't tell you that I felt any better. My energy level doesn't seem to get better or if it does it doesn't last long. I hope you feel better soon.
Jan

My vitamin D level had dropped to 18. I was put on prescription of 50,000 unit (pills) once a week for 6 weeks, plus 2,000 units daily. Now, I take 2,000 units a day of vit. D. I will have my levels checked again after Christmas. My fatigue level is the same.

I was hoping that once my Vitamin D level increased that at least some of the fatigue would subside. I guess not according to the comments. I swear I can deal with the pain more so than the fatigue! It sucks being tired all the time. Especially having to work full time. Thank goodness my job isn't strenuous! However it gets difficult at times because it does requires some physical labor. Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and comments. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know! I wish you all well!

Hi Ty, my vitamin D level was always low. As my doctor has said, that many people with immunologic disorders and bone dyscrasias tend to have a low Vit D level. Also if you live where you don't get much sun all the time you can tend to have a lower vit D level. I was on liquid vit D and Po tab OTC vitamin D capsules and since then my levels have come up nicely. No more deficiency. Increasing our D intact and being conscious of our low levels can remind us we need to take out Vit D and have our levels checked. The fatigue is in most part due to RA. I have bouts when I am more fatigued than others. I have learned to pace my activities so I do not wear myself completely out.

Mine was quite low. Surprising, as I live at high altitude and hate wearing sunscreen. These days the sun is my enemy, but when I first found out my D was low i was outside quite a bit. Common with most autoimmune diseases, i guess.

Interesting--my vitamin d has been low for the past 3 years--even taking Rx Vitamin D--it just won't come up...not sure what it will be when I go to the doctor for my check up...but it is interesting to see that all of you also seem to have the issue with vit. d. I wasn't this tired when I did not have the RA symptoms--the fatigue came on as quick as the joint problems...

Add me to the list! I have to take Vitamin D twice a month.

Lynne

I take a daily vitamin D supplement. The sun is NOT my friend with lupus and RA. Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with depression.

Fatigue is very, very, common witth RA. I take 12K IU of D daily, calcium, potassium, zinc, manganese, etc. When my RA was really kicking my butt my fatigue levels were terrible, now I'm able to get up in the morning, go to work, come home eat supper and then I'm done. Usually in bed by 9PM or earlier, earlier is better because i get off my feet and can help control the swelling. RA is a beast, don't know how long you have been DX but I wish you good luck and hopefully the right meds will help you out. Charlie

I have to take 50,000 iu once a week. That just barely keeps my Vit D in the normal range. It seems to help me with muscle pain.

Very common! My D levels were below 4. Probably has something to do with that memory thing, too! B's and D's... :) hang in there! My D's and B's are back up and my memory is so much better.

my vit d level was 11 and had to go through a few 6 week periods of 50,000 units a week until it came up. Now I take a 1,000 twice a day in am and pm and it is right on and have had no problems for a year and a half now. common in many people for many reasons, not just ra.

my vitamin d was low. i had no idea how this affected everything (my depression and my fibromyalgia and RA). i haven't been back to the doc in months, so i don't know if my levels came up. i do know that being educated about what it does/how it works. helped me tremendously.