Went to the doctor yesterday and was told I am not absorbing vitamin D and he is sending me to an endocrinologist.  Is this common ?  My blood work has always been ok.  I am 3 years out.  Also, if I am not absorbing vitamin D, am I not absorbing everything else ??  

Vitamin D is a liposoluble vitamin. Try taking it (and the calcium which likes to tag along with it) with a fat or an oil. For example when eating a salad with an oil and vinegar dressing.  Or a cheese (not fat free cheese), or tuna (oil packed..no****er packed).

Hope it goes well.

Skinny

Since RNY patients malabsorb fats, we actually do better not taking vitamins with fats or oils. 

I thought we (RNY post-ops) are supposed to take DRY d3.  I take dry sublingual D3 (5000 IU a day) as a fast melt.

You are correct.  We are, since we malabsorb fats.

RNY patients malabsorb oil.  You need to be taking dry D3.  If you have been taking vitamin D in oil filled capsules you are probably not absorbing it.  We also can't convert prescription D2 (prescribed vitamin D is NOT the right kind)  into the D3 that we need.  You don't mention your actual numbers or what you are taking, so it's hard to advise you on what you need to do.  

I was very deficient in vitamin D and had to take very large doses to get me to a good number.  I was taking 50,000 units twice weekly for about 9 months.  I have finally been able to back off a little.  My last labs had me at 115 which is a little high.  It seems to take a long time to get the numbers up.  I had my labs drawn every three months to track it.

interestingly, there is someone on the sleeve forum that is taking dry D3 and it isnt working for her either.

I am really interested to see how the docs are going to handle this one...

What were your levels at your last blood draw?  How about the two before that?   How much are you supplementing each day and in what form?  

All of the above are important facts to know to work out why your doctor thinks a) you are not absorbing it and b) why you need to see an endocrinologist!   I'll bet if you followed the protocol most of us do, you would have the same results as we do.

What type of vitamin D (D2 or D3?  Dry or in oil?) have you been taking?  How much of it have you been taking?

Most post ops seem to need at least 10,000 IU dry D3 a day.  Many need more.  I take 50,000 IU dry D3 three times a week to keep my level up.

It would be very odd if you couldn't absorb D3 at all.  But if you take D2, or take D3 in oil, or don't take enough, your level will be too low.

How much have you been taking?  MANY doctors, including mine, are clueless about how MUCH Vit D we need to take in order to keep our levels up.  If you are only taking 3000 units a day, for example, (the dose my PCP thought should be "plenty"), the problem isn't that you aren't absorbing it, it is that you simply aren't taking enough (and seeing an endocrinologist would be a waste of time, money, and blood)!

Lora