Vitamin D

[phoenix]

As people who know me will probably realise, I'm not a great one for taking any supplements. However, when I went to fill my prescription this morning I realised that my Doctor had prescribed Vitamin D. (I don't think she told me but she did put a calicium phosphorus ratio blood test on the script for next time and when I asked about that said something about Vit D, now I realise it will be to check the results!)
It comes as an ampoule of 100,000 IU every 2 months, which sounded a huge amount but is about 1670IU a day. What worries me is taking what seems to be such a lot at one time. Anyone with any experience? (bit worried about taking it in the next couple of days as travelling 900 km on Monday followed by lots of visits. I don't want any stomach upsets!)

 

[donnellysdogs]

I got the cheaper vit D and calcium given to me but to take on a long term basis..... However the tablets from NHS had aspartame in it so not possible for me to take.

I think @iHs had a big input of vit D in the past year.

 

[iHs]

Hi

Yes I did but mine was done as a one off injection of 350,000iu and I was only mildl y deficient. It didn't cause me any side effects and I didn't feel any different either at first but after a while the leg cramp appeared to go.

 

[phoenix]

Thanks, I think I think I'll err on the side of caution although I've just looked at the insert and it seems that they use this dose for babies at risk of rickets from aged 5 months upwards so it shouldn't be problematic. . (my dose seems to be a bit more than that for an adult at risk of Vit D deficiency who gets one ampoule every 3 months and but less than that for an aged person who gets 1-2 ampoules per month.)

 

[Brunneria]

I hope the doc also told you to take Vit K2 as well?
The Vit D will do you much less good without it...

I question these mega doses too. Presumably it is cheaper and easier to prescibe a single massive dose, rather than ongoing supplementation or more frequent larger (but not mega) doses, but that isn't how the body is intended to receive Vit D. It is designed to either arrive in foods (small regular intake) or from sunlight (regular larger doses), but not as a huge one-off.

@phoenix I will be very interested to hear how you get on with this, and what (if any) percieved benefit you experience.

I've been supplementing Vit D (and K) for a few months now, and I have to say that I am feeling great. Much better than before the supplementation. I started off on 10,000 iu a day, and after a couple of weeks dropped down to 5,000 iu. Different sources will tell you that is too much, but it seems to be working for me. I will test my level in the spring, and possibly drop down to a 3,000 iu daily maintenance dose at that point.

 

[phoenix]

I was very surprised when I found it on the script because I haven't had a Vit D test. Yes, I've not been getting out as much as I did and still not as motivated .Otherwise, the only thing that had really changed on my blood tests was that my TSH level had gone up to 6.7 (have already diagnosed/treated autoimmune thyroid disease ).
I agree that the high dose at one time seems a strange way to take it and had I time I would research it. I get a fair amount of K2 from my diet I would think (chicken, liver, cheese, egg yolks)

 

[donnellysdogs]

I always thought Vit D and calcium had to go together.
This was confirmed when my consultant inadvertently prescribed it as the 'combined' tablet as the after treatment for the breast cancer. Shame he didn't consider my adverse reaction to aspartame.

I'm having bone density DEXA scan this week. This for me will be interesting as I've taken d3 and calcium for years now-on top of being in sunshine / daylight working a lot. I've had to stop taling it pre scan but will find results interesting.

 

[Brunneria]

I always thought Vit D and calcium had to go together.
This was confirmed when my consultant inadvertently prescribed it as the 'combined' tablet as the after treatment for the breast cancer. Shame he didn't consider my adverse reaction to aspartame.

I'm having bone density DEXA scan this week. This for me will be interesting as I've taken d3 and calcium for years now-on top of being in sunshine / daylight working a lot. I've had to stop taling it pre scan but will find results interesting.

I have never worried about calcium. I eat enough dairy, green veg, canned fish and almonds that my calcium intake is plentiful, but without D3, is has probably never been doing me as much good as it should, and without K2, the D3 won't be as effective...

 

[donnellysdogs]

I take K2as well!! Don't think I get enough calcium as green veg has now had to be limited unless it can be stewed. Limited to peas in a curry or spinach...have salmon. Finding anything with almonds sends bloods rising later.. Just same as peanuts did.
Thanks for reminding me to check calcium intake!!

 

[badcat]

I have just been diagnosed as deficient in vit D with a level of 18. Ive got normal calcium and a high parathyroid hormone level ( apparently the parathyroids are having to work like buggery to keep calcium level up due to the low vit d) and have been prescribed 20,000 units for 8weeks then 1,000 daily for next 4-6 months. I have ordered K2 to go alongside the supplementation and have also been advised to take magnesium as well
oh joy more pills!
I was a bit dismayed but not altogether surprised to find that vit d deficiency and hyperparoithyroidism are both more common among diabetics and have symptoms that mirror / overlap / relate to a number of things Ive neen getting in spades but which are often cited as just being to do with diabetes ( poor immunitey, muscle aches, fatigue, neuropathy, high blood pressure etc)

 

[Brunneria]

@badcat

I hope you get the same benefits from VitD/K that I have received. It has been subtly transformatory, to my mood and my body.

In retrospect, I think I was deficient for years before being tested for it, and I really do think that it affected a few life choices and major decisions over the last couple of decades. Hey ho. Onward and upward, eh?

 

[badcat]

@badcat

I hope you get the same benefits from VitD/K that I have received. It has been subtly transformatory, to my mood and my body.

In retrospect, I think I was deficient for years before being tested for it, and I really do think that it affected a few life choices and major decisions over the last couple of decades. Hey ho. Onward and upward, eh?

 

[badcat]

Cheers
I think I've also probably been deficient for ages al though more so for the last year or so. Have had muscle pain ,fatigue etc most of my adult life
I've looked at treatment recs from both nhs and alternative health sources - both indicate 20000 a week as an initial mega loading does is low so ill maybe take some more - meeting a friend who's a consultant medic and can access latest research etc so will see what she can dig up for me

 

[Brunneria]

I took an average of 5,000 a day for about 3 months, then dropped it to 5,000 every other day (ish)
I am REALLY not very good at remembering to take tablets, so tended to forget, then double up when I remembered. Bad B.

After a year of this lacadaisical sporadicness, my D has risen from low 20s (I think) to about 100. Which is EXACTLY where I want it.

I am now supplementing 2,000 a day, on average, of D3 with 200 units of K2, as a maintenance dose. Will check levels again in a year, or if I start to feel that achey low gloominess and apathy creep over me again.

Sorry, am not in a position to check the units at the moment, but they are the standard units used for each

Please note: I do not recommend these dosages for anyone else! The dose was decided bearing in mind my weight (obese) and level of deficiency, so it was tailor made for me. Please don't take this as an example of what anyone else should do!!!

 

[AngelaW5368]

Thanks, I think I think I'll err on the side of caution although I've just looked at the insert and it seems that they use this dose for babies at risk of rickets from aged 5 months upwards so it shouldn't be problematic. . (my dose seems to be a bit more than that for an adult at risk of Vit D deficiency who gets one ampoule every 3 months and but less than that for an aged person who gets 1-2 ampoules per month.)

Hello pheonix,just read your post about vit D, I was told I had a critically low vit d count. My gp gave me 20,000iu to take for 5 days wait a month and take another 5, and do this for 6 months. The first thing i noticed is the terrible nausea you get shortly after taking, them abit later you get horrible stomach cramps.( like having an upset tummy). This does wear off as the hours pass, im 48 with quite afew extra lbs. When i explained to my gp how i felt, he told me not to bother, your a grown woman and dont need vit d. Taking one high dose like that may give you a couple of side effects but once it is in your system you should be fine. Good luck. Enjoy your travelling.