Vitamin d deficient?

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  • Celearnil
    Celearnil Posts: 6 Member
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    You have to get your blood work done to tell if you are Vitamin D deficient and by how much. I was severely deficient and my doctor put me on 6000ui a day for a month and then down to 2000ui. I got my blood work done again about 6 months later and was still deficient, although not as badly so I'm doing 4000ui a day, which is two of the little otc pills.

    I don't believe that by just drinking milk or orange juice fortified with Vitamin D and going out in the sun 20 minutes a day will cure everyone of Vitamin D deficiency. For instance I drink lots of both milk and orange juice and live in the sunshine state doing plenty of outdoor activities, and I was still very deficient. That is not to say, milk and sunshine won't help.

    As for side effects of Vitamin D deficiency, from my understanding, the human body uses vitamin d for a bunch of processes, and a bunch of different little signs can pop up. For me, after going on Vitamin D for awhile I noticed that I don't need to sleep as much, cutting my sleeping needs from 10-12 hours a night to a healthy 7-9. I also noticed that I don't dislike cold temperatures as much and I don't have to wear 6 different layers for 60 F weather.
  • pg1girl
    pg1girl Posts: 268 Member
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    Living in the far north of Canada extra vitamin d is a must. We only have 4 hours of daylight in the darkest months so I up it to 2000 units and up my families too. B complex too!
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Vitamin d deficient? So my vit d is at 12 units or something like that. Under 100 is considered Deficient. From what I've found and heard It can contribute to all kinds of serious issues like cancers and bone and organ abnormalities. Also causes serious issues when trying to lose weight. My doc has me on 50000 units once a week for 6 weeks. Then 2000 daily after that. Any one else gone thru it? Or going thru it?

    Yes, my levels were at a 4 and I was starting to get heart palpitations really bad.

    I take 70,000 IU a week, which is 10,000 IU per day and since my levels were not raising fast enough I have started going to the tanning bed for additional light therapy.

    Also something to take into consideration....................If you are consuming no or low far dairy products that are fortified with Vitamin D and your body is not absorbing it at all because Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. Without fat is just passes through the body.

    Also can you get your Dr to do blood work for magnesium and potassium deficiencies? They go hand in hand with Vitamin D deficiency.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    And if you can hit a patch of sunlight for about 20 minutes, it can really help. I know that isn't easy in the winter.

    Along with sunlight, milk had Vitamin D added to help nutrient absorption. Not a lot, but if you levels are that low every little bit might help.

    Only if it is whole milk. The skim, 2% and non-fat milk will not absorb the Vitamin D.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    thx everyone, my next dr appt i will ask for them to check my vit d as they check my b12...
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    imo, vit D is one supplement most people would benefit from.

    Agreed!

    I take 10000 iu per day. And have so for about a year straight.,
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    would this be something like my b12 deficiency? something you would have to take for the rest of your life?
  • jenslife82
    jenslife82 Posts: 229
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    50,000 UI impossible. After 10,000 vit D is toxic. 5000 UI/day for sure. I've been vit D deficient and now after 1 y on supplementation with 2000-3000/day I'am back in business. Hard to evaluate the benefits though.
    its a prescription. i take it once a week for 6 weeks.. just started yesterday. its prescribed when your levels are very low and daily suppliments arent enough to increase it.
  • whatevany
    whatevany Posts: 109 Member
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    I take 5000iu daily. I had my levels tested in January and it was 55, which is good. It is advised to take vitamin D with fat to help with absorption.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    50,000 UI impossible. After 10,000 vit D is toxic. 5000 UI/day for sure. I've been vit D deficient and now after 1 y on supplementation with 2000-3000/day I'am back in business. Hard to evaluate the benefits though.

    When you are very deficient, 50,000 IU is not toxic. I am taking 70,000 IU per day and it is slowly rising.
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    Vitamin D is a great thing, even if you're not deficient, it can help prevent a ton of things, and studies even point to its being useful in the treatment of MS.

    I've never been diagnosed as deficient, but I take it anyway, and spending some amount of time in the sun (about 15-20 minutes a day) without sun screen and allowing the sun's rays to hit you, it's another good thing.
  • Bookers23
    Bookers23 Posts: 187 Member
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    50,000 a week is the routine with daily supplementation afterwards. Once your level is greater than 30 the body is able to store it, that's why you need the big dose, anybody in the northeast should be on vit d. I use a light therapy lamp, big square thing you sit in front of for ten minutes a day, amazing how your mood changes and you get energized after that. With vitamin d, especially ergocalciferol, make sure to drink plenty of water or kidney stones are in your future! This is an acceptable risk, as you will feel so much better with a therapeutic d level. Good luck!
  • janf15
    janf15 Posts: 242 Member
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    This is from the National Institutes of Health website "The normal range is 30.0 to 74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL)."

    Most of us are Vitamin D deficient. Right now there is good data to support treating Vitamin D deficiencies with supplemental vitamin D and the amount you take should be coordinated with your primary care provider who will base it on your Vitamin D levels. Usually done annually.

    Benefits (particularly well documented) is bone health and heart health. There may be other benefits but the evidence is not as strong.

    A good source of Vitamin D is sunshine - but since that is not always possible, supplemental Vitamin D is needed. You should look for vitamin D (liquid) that can be given under the tongue. However, it is more expensive. An alternative is gel capsules. (Consumer report recently reviewed all the brands of Vit D).
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
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    This is actually extremely common. In northern climates the sun doesn't even get high enough in the sky to give you any vitamin D. Here it only gets high enough from May through July and most of May and June are usually pretty cloudy. Fyi vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin so you can overdose on it. Don't take it unless you know your levels and have run it past your physician first. I'm not a big milk drinker and I live north of seattle so my levels are super low. I still only take 2000 IU a day tho and my levels have risen just fine.
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 351 Member
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    Yep, I'm deficient as well. Dunno how badly, but bad enough to be on 5000/day. Doc told me not to worry about taking in that much because of the Rx level being 50000, so I'm glad you're on it.

    My deficiency cases pretty severe fatigue and depression. It's amazing what this little vitamin can do! I felt better within a week. :)
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 351 Member
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    50,000 UI impossible. After 10,000 vit D is toxic. 5000 UI/day for sure. I've been vit D deficient and now after 1 y on supplementation with 2000-3000/day I'am back in business. Hard to evaluate the benefits though.
    its a prescription. i take it once a week for 6 weeks.. just started yesterday. its prescribed when your levels are very low and daily suppliments arent enough to increase it.

    LOL love how everyone on here knows everything! My doc told me we could always try the Rx 50,000 if 5,000/day didn't help. SMH lol
  • trishoida
    trishoida Posts: 95
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    Wisconsin winters always wreak havoc on my vitamin D levels. My blood work always come back between 8-12 ng/ml. It takes me three months of 10,000 iu/day before it gets back up to the 50's. From what I understand, and this is not medical advice, good levels are anywhere between 32-150 it all depends on how you feel. My fatigue is remedied and I only have to supplement my diet with 1,000 iu after those three months :) (I'm currently taking those darn 10,000's)
  • karenhs2
    karenhs2 Posts: 197
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    Here is a balanced detailed informative article:
    http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx

    It points out that you can take up to 2000IU a day without testing and not be in danger of too much. It also gives guidelines about how much sun exposure is needed. And in case it isn't obvious, it has to be exposure without sunscreen to work (reason for the guidelines of early morning or late afternoon but of course you might want to be out at noon in some places).

    In case you weren't aware, the supplements are usually D3.

    Like any other nutritive factor, there will be a host of other factors that are affecting it, hence the differing experiences.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    50,000 UI impossible. After 10,000 vit D is toxic. 5000 UI/day for sure. I've been vit D deficient and now after 1 y on supplementation with 2000-3000/day I'am back in business. Hard to evaluate the benefits though.
    its a prescription. i take it once a week for 6 weeks.. just started yesterday. its prescribed when your levels are very low and daily suppliments arent enough to increase it.

    LOL love how everyone on here knows everything! My doc told me we could always try the Rx 50,000 if 5,000/day didn't help. SMH lol

    Just listen to your Dr girl.

    My Dr has me on 70,000 IU (10,000 IU per day) and I have been on that regimen for 4 months and my levels have only raised a short climb. From 4 to 11 in a four month time span..........

    Under the advise of my Dr I have also started going to the tanning bed 3-4 times per week (usually every other day) for 5 minutes in an effort to raise my levels a bit faster. The heart palpitations are no fun.
  • HeavenlyBri77
    HeavenlyBri77 Posts: 31
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    so how do you know if you have a deficiency? blood work? I take a B12 shot every 3 weeks, my body won't adsorb it for some reason and i get the max does every 3 weeks. After 1.5 weeks i can tell i am due for another shot already but i can't get it more then 3 weeks. so how different is vit d compared to b12. can you just take a otc supplement? how much? i have been told by many that i probably should be taking it
    If you need to get B12 shots then your body is lacking intrinsic factor which is needed to absorb vitamin B12. This has nothing to do with a Vitamin D deficiency. This is not to say that you don't have a deficiency in vitamin D as well, but the two wouldn't be related.

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