Vit D - again...

[llnmaw]

I've seen threads in the past, but heaven help me I just cannot get the search function to give me what I'm looking for. Sorry in advance about that.

Over a year ago I had my vit d level tested and it was low. Really low. I think it was 9 or 19, the exact number now escapes me. I started taking Carlsons drops, 3-4,000IU daily. It came up pretty steadily, quit rising and then popped up to 50 all within 6-8 months. My doc (of course) said I was normal and I didn't need to keep taking it with regularity. I kept taking it, not as regular, but 4-5xweek. Just got my labs and I'm back down to 24. I was ordered a prescription for 50,000IU 1xweek.

It makes me nervous! That is nearly double the dose I was on...all in 1 day!!! The big dose all at once is what is freaking me out!

Am I freaking out for nothing?

FTR...iron is 'normal, but I'll admit I did not get the specific number. I do not have a thyroid and my current TSH is 1.6 and free T-3/4 are 'normal'.

Just in case any of that is useful.

~L.

[neverdoingitagain]

Just out of curiousity, when did you get your good result lab in(the level 50 for vit.D)? And this new lab, when did you get it done?
I'm wondering if your result of 50 was due to extra sunlight from the summer months.

[sbgrace]

You don't want the prescription form. It's going to be D2 and you want D3. You can read up on the vitamin D council site on forms. But you want to go back to the carlson's (or any D3 form that's easy for you to take).
A rule of thumb is that most people will need about 1000 IU per 25 pounds to maintain their current levels. You'll need far more to raise a deficient level. On average healthy adults can take up to 9000 IU per day indefinitely (no matter their underlying level). There is no evidence of toxicity risk at that level. And taking the entire week's worth at once is safe. So the 50,000 dose isn't an issue but the form (D2) is an issue. You need a high dose of D3 (I'd do the 9,000 IU per day personally).

[llnmaw]

Originally Posted by neverdoingitagain

Just out of curiousity, when did you get your good result lab in(the level 50 for vit.D)? And this new lab, when did you get it done?
I'm wondering if your result of 50 was due to extra sunlight from the summer months.

Nah, it was fall/winter when I had the 50. New lab draw was a week ago.

Thanks sbgrace! I'll pay the extra $$ and keep buying the Carlsons I guess and get a higher dose.

Is it worth a call to the Dr. to see about a prescription D3 or to your knowledge it does not exist? It would just be helpful to get the cost covered by insurance if possible.

Just lookin' to save a buck or two where we can...

~L.

[sbgrace]

Originally Posted by llnmaw

Nah, it was fall/winter when I had the 50. New lab draw was a week ago.

Thanks sbgrace! I'll pay the extra $$ and keep buying the Carlsons I guess and get a higher dose.

Is it worth a call to the Dr. to see about a prescription D3 or to your knowledge it does not exist? It would just be helpful to get the cost covered by insurance if possible.

Just lookin' to save a buck or two where we can...

~L.

I looked into that (same thinking here on the saving some $$) and, to my knowledge, there is no prescription D3 out there. However, you might be able to find cheaper D3 sources. Maybe get some 5000 IU pills. It's easy to take a couple a day five days a week or whatever your plan that way.

[oaksie68]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

I looked into that (same thinking here on the saving some $$) and, to my knowledge, there is no prescription D3 out there. However, you might be able to find cheaper D3 sources. Maybe get some 5000 IU pills. It's easy to take a couple a day five days a week or whatever your plan that way.

I take these (2/day) - http://www.vitacost.com/Country-Life...U-200-Softgels - Works out to be about 4 cents per gel cap. Not as convenient as the drops, but more economical.

I started out with a vit D level of 15! last fall, and using these, I got my level up to 47 within 2 months - haven't had my levels checked recently, but I would imagine it has risen even more.

[Drummer's Wife]

I stock up when walgreens or CVS has buy 1 get 1 free, and buy 1,000 iu pills.

[Mom2M]

I take 6500 iu's a day and get the 5000 iu gel caps really cheap at CVS! They are tiny and not hard to take.

[onetrumpeter]

We, too, use vit D from CVS or RiteAid - just b/c it's been on sale there and we've stocked up when that's been the case. I use to just take one tablet of 400 units, but then had my level checked - just under 32 from LabCorp. The doc rec'd 2000 units/day.

I guess I can try getting the 2000 by taking five 400unit tablets. Maybe I'll try that then see what my levels are in a couple months. then again, here comes summer so it'll be hard to say to what an increase could be attributed...

Thanks for the tips on looking for D3 - not even sure what ours is.

[llnmaw]

So is it safe to assume that all D3 is created equal and buying whatever budget saving form I can buy is going to have the same effect physically as the drops?

Quite honestly I find the drops kind of annoying since I currently take 3-4/day. I'm impatient and that little dropper is slow!;-)

I'd love to find a cheaper alternative in pill/gel cap form.

~L.

[dbsam]

I was just coming onto MDC to look up vitD3 info…

When tested in the fall my VitD levels were very low. I cannot remember the number but the doc (he’s a chiro internist not an MD) said based on the low number I may not absorb vitD well. I purchased, from him, a liquid vegetarian D3 made from palm oil. He told me to take 12,500 IU 3x’s/day for a week then continue with 12,500 IU 1x/day. After looking at the vitamindcouncil.org, I’m wondering if my dosage is too high. Although, starting so low, I may need this much to get my levels to normal.

[Mom2M]

That seems really high to me!
Maybe he was thinking of D2 therapy? Those doses are much higher than D3 because it requires more steps to be used by the body.

If you were not supplementing before your test, you don't know your absorption yet. I would try 5000 iu's of D3 a day and then get tested again.

[To-Fu]

For what it's worth, my Vitamin D levels tested at 7. My ND put me on 8,000 IUs/day, and I'm doing the drops. My dropper is pretty quick and it was either 8 drops a day or 8 pills a day, so I'd rather do the drops. Maybe you can find some pills that come in at a higher dosage if you don't like your drops/dropper?