Christa - I found your post very interesting regarding the gallbladder removal and low Vitamin D. I had my g/b removed in 2013 after years of problems. I didn't have stones but it was inflamed and had a suspicious lump in it which they couldn't tell what it was until they looked at it under microscope! Luckily it wasn't cancerous and I am glad to be rid of it although it hasn't been all plain sailing as my digestive system isn't great due to ibs/diverticulosis/hiatus hernia .....!! Anyway, last autumn I asked my GP to check my Vit D level as I had a lot of joint/muscle pains and it was found to be low (don't know what the level was). I was prescribed Fultium 1600 IU/day for 3 months and the re-check in January showed it had gone up to 59 so 'normal'. I said to the GP I wanted to carry on supplementing and had bought some myself - the ones I got are Vit D3 1000 IU made by Sunshine Vitamin Ltd. My GP checked my calcium levels back in January and apparently they were fine but your post has made me wonder how often this should be checked if I'm still taking the Vit D supplement. As Babyjane mentioned I couldn't believe the neon blue of the Fultium could possibly be down to any natural colouring so I dread to think what chemical was added. When I was hunting around for a good supplement I noticed that some contained Vit D, calcium and also K2 and from what I can glean from googling I think it's the K2 that's the important bit to prevent calcium depositing where it shouldn't - you'd need to read up on it as I wouldn't want to mislead you on this but might be worth a look. Your post has made me re-think the supplement I'm taking so thank you for that!
Sorry, that's very long-winded but I do hope you manage to sort things out - keep us posted.
By the way I could relate to a lot of your symptoms - my hair seems to have a complete mind of it's own and I've also had phases dry skin then spots then red patches!
So pleased you found this site, it's an absolute lifesaver!
S x
Hi Sparkle
There's a general misconception that removing the gallbladder will improve your metabolism.
I will never forget how my surgeon told me on the day of the surgery how much easier my life would be afterwards. It was almost like watching an advert where they try to sell you a holiday
But so far I haven't met anyone who said that it improved their digestive system post-op, but the problems afterwards can be very individual as well. Some people have too much bile afterwards and can't gain weight, while others are the opposite and can't lose weight. I belong to those who gained weight and it just won't come off. Constipation is a part of my daily life no matter what I eat and how much I move around, and that is partly to blame on the vitamin D deficiency and the inability to absorb vitamin D from food and sunshine. Which was a problem I didn't have before that surgery.
Also, I didn't have any problems with kidney stones before the g/b removal. For some reason my GP told me there was no way to find out what kind of kidney stones I've got (there are 3 different kinds I believe), and I found out later that that's not true. Which is another reason I want a second opinion, even if it's another GP from the same surgery. However, stones that appear because of too much calcium are the most common kind and the less painful ones as well...and it does make a difference if I keep my intake of calcium on a lower level.
I believe that Fultium are currently the only vitamin D supplement without calcium. When my GP said that I shouldn't take them for too long because of my kidney stones, I asked her what I could take instead (since I won't be able to absorb it naturally) and she said that at least at the moment there are no other supplement that I can take. What on earth that means for my future health I'm not sure...but vitamin D is very important for a lot of reasons, so one way or the other I will need the supplement to function. The strange thing is that in the beginning I was prescribed Pro D3 for those first couple of months and had no problem at all with my kidney's. I don't think they are free from calcium though, however they are free from peanut oil, which is a part of Fultium.
As for how often you should have your levels checked I believe once a month is a good time frame. But talk to your GP about it. He/she will know more about that. When I was on that mega dose a year ago I went back every two weeks to have a blood test taken...but then again, that dose was 20,000iu/day during the first month, so a lot easier to overdose. 800iu a day is something that most grown-ups can take without getting tested so if you take 1000iu a day it should be enough if you get checked once a month
