I was told by my GYN, my Vitamin D levels were really low...I think she said 13...very low. She recommended taking Vitamin D 50,000 IU once a week for 8 weeks. I am scared to take this much vitamin D.. Anyone else have any experience with low Vitamin D and taking this much of a supplement. Can I expect any ill side effects.

I was surprised to read low Vitamin D levels have a distinct correlation to many cancers, and other diseases, as well as Breast cancers.

Any replies greatly appreciated.

Tee

Hi Tee-

If you do search of the posts, a few of our PS sisters recently spoke on this topic. I too tested last December @ 13 also. I was told by my GYN to take 2000 iu's of D3 twice a day. It's amazing to discover what chronic diseases or conditions can result in low "D" levels. I do notice a difference....it didn't happen quickly though. I'll be getting retested in June. Good luck to you!

I tried to do a search, I must be doing something wrong....It just comes up error. Thank you for your reply

Hi time:

I was recently diagnosed with very low D. My doctor gave me a horsepill to take three times a day for a while. No thanks. I got outside every sunny day for 30-60 minutes and sit in the sun in my shorts and tanktop.

I am horribly afraid to take any medication of any kind even vitamins. I hate it!!!!!!! So I decided to try doing it in the sun. I have noticed some difference in the way I feel day to day unless it is cloudy.

Last Sept I was finally tested for vit D and found to be low (our lab ranges for D in NZ are between 50-150 mine was 43, it's hard to interpret what each country deems low with differing testing techniques as I have found from reading on this site that none of our Lab ranges here in NZ are anything like what the US has). So the holistic doctor gave me the option of taking a 50000ius free Rxd tablet once a week or fortnight for a couple of months or using a sublingual compounded form of D3 (very expensive) at 1000-2000ius per dose each day for 2 months. I opted for the sublingual as I loathe those large doses of the tablet. I'm glad I did as upon retesting in December my level had gone into the middle of range so I was pleased that this dose had done the trick.

I have not taken any since early December and I'm not sure if my levels are still up there or have dropped cos I'm feeling kind of off again now. Because it's just finished summer here they don't really see much need to supplement then as we usually have lots of sunshine. I might take a conservative dose on ocassion just to keep my levels stable throughout the winter and see how it goes.

She told me that Vit D is actually a hormone so it has quite an important role in the body like many other hormones, I definitely think it helped alot with my feet leg and various muscle pain.

Tee-

Run a search on just the word Vitamin from this site, and the recent posts will show.........

I had very low vit D. Mine is a nice sized regular old capsule though and is 5000 iu. The brand is Life Extension for those of you taking the "horse pills". So far I can't say it has caused any problems, along with all the other supplements and the P I actually feel good.

HI. My D has been on the low side the last couple years. It was first kinda low-24, so I was told to go outside more and take 8oo iu a day by my MD. When I got retested, my levels dropped lower-12! I was then put on a different type of D3 (from my ND) and at 6000 iu a day for a few months. The numbers came back up, but I was kept on 2000 iu daily. After a test last fall, the numbers dropped again, so I'm on 4000 iu for now.

I was very freaked out when I was told 6000 iu, and remember asking alot of questions/looking online, but since I get tested regulalrly, and I know my system doesn't hold D as well, I feel a little more comfortable, at least with 6000 or under. I was having a weird type of muscle thing when my D was low, and it went away after getting my levels up. I know that when I do notice that weird muscle thing, that my levels are probably low. I think the side affect I was told of at the time was possible diarrhea.

Hope you feel better!

I tested very low, and was prescribed 50,000 units, once a week for 6 weeks. I took my first "pill" on Saturday (these came from a pharmacy and are tiny compared to regular vitamin pills)...good news was, no side effects from the pill.

I am now aware by reading everything on this site the US labs have differant ranges to Australia. When I had a blood test in November 08 I was told cholesterol reading 4.7. good no prob But when told of my vitamin D was low, I was not given a range , although I did not think to ask next time when blood test is due I will know to ask. My doctor just told me to take Ostelin Vitamin D3 1000 IU bought from the chemist..

PS don't mean to be cheeky 'Rox' you said you get plenty of sunshine in NZ

gizzie

Haha too funny yeah we get plenty of sunshine compared to you guys..... NOT!!!!!!!

I have a hyperparathyroid but with LOW levels of Vitamin D. My levels were so low I ended up experiencing petit mal (absence) seizures. Finally, the drs prescribed 1000iu D3 per day. But, that was too much and I ended up in the hospital with chest pain/pressure. D3 is the only supplement that DOES act as hormone in the body. I am particularly sensitive to meds and supplements. It was so frustrating to be admitted to the heart unit when I knew that the sudden addition of D3 was probably the culprit. I had even asked the dr if I could start at 200iu and titrate up from there. But, she said, "no, you'll be fine." lol The ER drs also didn't recheck my D levels but wanted to pump me up with digitalis. Umm, I said "no" but then they admitted me for all sorts of needless tests and observation. Everything was fine and they let me go. I then slowly titrated my dose of D3 from 200iu daily to the initially recommended 1000iu. Over several months (due to peri brain drain) I ended up accidently taking 1,600iu. Found that I felt much better. Then I upped it to the current 2000iu and have kept it there. My endo initially freaked out and said this was too much. Once we rechecked blood levels he found they hadn't increased too much from taking the 1000 iu to the 2000iu. I also find that when I go on vacation and get losts of sunshine I feel MUCH better than the D3 alone.

Another interesting note: I finally started absorbing my estradiol patch once I had added the D3. If I don't take the D3 or reduce the dosage I find my patch does not adhere as well.

All of my drs say that it only takes 2 weeks for the D3 to show up in the bloodwork.

Also, what is this 50,000iu D that a lot of you are taking? Is it extended release? Prescription? And, will you be on it indefinitely at that dose?

I am 48 and have osteoporosis so it is important to get the Vitamin D right. My D3 tested at 27 (which is deficient) in October. At that point, I had already been taking 800 iu a day for a year.

My preventative medicine doctor told me to take 5,000 iu a day (except when I get sun). In March, my level tested at 40. He said that was good.

(My rheumatolist told me to just up it to 1,200 but I ignored her.) Since the allopathic medical community is still playing catch up with what is appropriate D3 to take, it is hard to find a capsule in more than 1,000 or 2,000, but my doc sells them only in 5,000 available on his website.

Think I have posted this already but you can order 5k iu through life extensions online too. I get mine directly from my doctor but did check out their site. I payed $12 for 60 capsules (2 months supply)

Hi JZZ,

After testing with a level of 9, I took 50,000 IU of D3 weekly for four weeks. This brought my levels to 39, which my doctor says is fine. She says to take 1000 IU a day until summer, then to stop. I am taking 2000 a day, because my reading says optimum level is at least 50. I had a ton of symptoms which my doctor said were all anxiety. Even after diagnosing the D deficiency (which only happened because I asked her to test me for it), she does not attribute any of my physical symptoms to the D deficiency.

When you say you have hyperparathyroid, do they assume those levels are up because of the D deficiency? Because from what I've read, only surgery can correct primary hyperparathyroidism. Have you had your calcium checked?

Missy

I'm 48 and have osteopenia in my right femoral neck (whatever that means) and my Vitamin D tested at 28 in October. I was also taking about 800-1000 d3 already too. Oh well. I upped that to about 3000 and sometimes 4000 iu and my latest level tested a few weeks ago went up to 33.7. I still have a ways to go, so I will try to take 4000 every day for sure. The healthiest level to be at is around 70 to 100. The lab reports now post a note about the vitamin D level that states what is deficient (20 and under: deficient, under 30 insufficient anything above 30 normal), I think those were the levels. However, most of my reading says higher numbers are better for the body. So I'm aiming for at least 60.

Low vitamin D is also related to parathyroid problems and hypothyroidism. I have nodules and cysts on my thyroid and also very low free T4 so mine could be from that. I'm in the sun all summer so I would think I've stored up enough as well as taking supplements all summer too, but mine was low, so I think it's other things causing it.

Very important for everyone to supplement with D3. I even give my son 400iuD3 in a children's supplement every other day.

Hi Missy, Thanks for the concern. I have secondary hyperparathyroid with Low blood calcium levels and low D3. (my parathyroid was wrecked due to being given the wrong medicine while in the hospital). Usually people with hyper para have high blood calcium levels. Anyway, I was having the petit mal seizure when I was at a D level of 9. Just shows how we're all so different. Don't let your doc tell you otherwise cause numerous physical symptoms can be attributed to insufficient D levels. Also blood levels of calcium can wreck havoc up our cognitive health too (my neurologist has confirmed this fact although the internist, gyn initially dismissed my symptoms).

Whether you have primary or secondary hyperparathyroid, the para hormonal output varies in conjuction with the amount of D3 and/or sunshine that you are exposed to.

I get both my D and calcium and just about everything else checked every 4 months. Frankly, I would not stop the supplemental D3 that you're taking without getting another consultation. Just my opinion. Regards, J

Hi Tee,
don't worry too much, apparently vitemine D comes from the sun and as we try to avoid too much sun or as we get older our levels of vitimine D reduce. The good news is that you can increase it by spending 15 minustes a day in the sun exposing 15% of your skin or you can take Cod liver oil capsules that daily. I have just started taking the capsules of Cod liver oil.

Hi JZZ,

I am definitely not stopping the D, but I'm not sure how much to take. I am going to a new doctor next week who has more expertise with vitamin deficiencies and I'm hoping she can answer some of these questions. I'm sorry about your parathyroid -- that is too bad. When my D levels were at 9, my calcium was at 10, which is high normal. I was concerned about taking the D, actually, because I was worried about it raising my calcium levels. But my doctor wouldn't re-check my calcium, she said it was fine. She did check my parathyroid which was normal at 59.5. I still find it strange that my D could be so severely deficient yet my calcium high normal. Missy

I had my first appointment with a new rheumatologist ( my RA factor is very high) last month (my follow-up appointment was last Friday), very thorough and i was sent for extensive blood work, one was for Vitamin D, which was low at 32 (reference range is 20-100) for both my Vit D , 25 -HYDROXY and Vit D, 25-OH, D3. My Vit D, 25-OH, D2 was <4 (no reference ranges listed) The dr started me on Vit D 50,000 IU twice a week for now and i will be retested in a while (not sure when) It's been about a month and i do feel somewhat better with a little more energy than i had, although i still ache from the RA.

I read a forum on Vitamin D deficiency awhile ago, but I do remember many of the posters who were using the 50,000IU said it took awhile to get their D levels up and when they got to a better range after quite awhile and stopped the 50K iu, their levels went right back down. Some said they found better levels just taking 5000 or more of the OTC D3 instead. The prescription D is not the D3 either. I've only used about 3000 iu of the OTC D3 and at times 4,000 and my level went up in 3 months from deficient to insufficent 28 to 33.7. I'm aiming for about 70 so I am now taking 4,000iu and may even go to 5,000 after the next test.

Google Vitamin D deficiency forums and see if you find the one I read. It has many posts on their from people with this deficiency; their symptoms, and what they took.