How much vitamin D do you take?

[crunchy_mommy]

And where do you live (and what other things factored into your decision to take that amount)?

I'm currently taking 1000IU but thinking perhaps I should take more. I live in the Northeast so no matter how much time I spend outside in the winter, my face is the only thing with even a fighting chance at seeing the sun. Plus I'm still nursing & have some random issues that make me think maybe I should be taking more....

[sunnysandiegan]

I live in sunny San Diego (hence username ) and we (DH & I) take 2,000 IUs of D3 every day. DD takes 1,000 IUs of D3 every day.

We take more on days we are not outside in the sun for 20+ minutes (exposing more than just our faces) and/or if we are exposed to illness or feeling run-down or like something is coming on. DD takes up to 2,000 IUs, but she weighs 57 pounds now so I need to look that up again. I have given DH up to 10,000 IUs in a day. I have taken as much as 8,000 IUs in a day.

DD & I end up taking less than DH because we are outside a lot more during the sunny parts of the day. We walk to/from school (10 minutes each way plus I stand in the sun for a few minutes; 40+ minutes for me; 20 min for DD). DD has two recesses outside (35 min) and her class has morning exercises and running outside (30 min) and afternoon p.e. outside (10-40 min) every day. DH tries to walk on his lunch break and that is all the time he gets in the winter and it doesn't always add up to 20+ minutes. Plus, he works literally on the coast (one block from ocean) and it is overcast there more than where we live, which is a few miles inland. Our weather is pretty conducive to wearing short sleeves while walking mid-day even in the winter and we have a lot of sunny days here.

ETA: For other health reasons, I don't wear sunscreen on ordinary days...only when I know I'll be in the sun longer than I can handle or the potential is there for such. I used to wear it on my face daily, but I don't anymore. Also, I take my glasses off when I am outside as much as possible, for health reasons.

Edited by sunnysandiegan - 1/7/11 at 8:36pm

[sbgrace]

This time of year not even your face is making vitamin D--you're not in the right latitude for D making sun now (or much of the year) in the NorthEast.

That said, studies have shown even those in optimal places (like Hawaii) who gets lots of no sunscreen sun are still almost always deficient. http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/6/2130

Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 31.6 ng/ml. Using a cutpoint of 30 ng/ml, 51% of this population had low vitamin D status. The highest 25(OH)D concentration was 62 ng/ml.

Since we know anything in the 30's is actually very deficient and they called all above 30 normal...this is alarming frankly or was to me! I looked at the whole thing and it's available online if you want the details. Almost none of the people (who were a variety of skin tones and spent much more time in the sun than most of us do) had levels in the 50's and above (normal/optimal). It was disturbing. They were nearly universally deficient.

At any rate, I take what I take because I tested and found I was very low even after supplementing 5000 IU per day for months. I now take 10,000 IU 6 days per week. Anything under 10,000 IU per day is safe for healthy adults. So I just dose close to that amount (I get 60,000 IU per week). My kids take 2000 IU per day. They have great levels. I wish I had known before I had kids that I was low. I hate that I was undoubtedly low in pregnancy and nursing.

[sbgrace]

Adding: a rule of thumb is 1000 per 25 pounds to maintain current levels. If you want to increase a low level (or suspected low level) you likely need more than that amount.

[deditus]

I take 4000-5000 ius/day in the upper Midwest. I arrived at this dosage through the WAPF, vit d council, independent research, and having my levels tested. I have a darker complexion and had my vit d tested and it was slightly low (this was in August after a summer full of sun AND supplementing 2000ius/day) so I upped it for a while and got in a good range and I am maintaining well with the 4000-5000ius/day.

[oaksie68]

I live in Phoenix.  I have been taking 10,000 IU daily, and have been doing so for 16 months, starting right after I got my Vit D level results of 15!   As of a few weeks ago, my level in now in the  60's (after being in the 70's in August).  Since it's so freaking hot here in the summer, I'm actually out in the sun longer (and at peakish hours too) during the late fall/winter/early spring.  I supplement my kids most days with the following:  DD (10 yo, 90ish lbs.) 2-3000 IUs, and my DS (2.75, 38ish lbs.) about 1-2000 IUs.  I've never had their levels tested, as they would both FREAK out to have blood drawn (should have seen the freakout sessions just having a finger stick for food intolerance testing)! 

[kythe]

I seem to be on the low end here, I take 1-2,000u per day, depending on which supplements I remember to take. I work nights and am rarely out in the sunlight for an extended period of time. When I am, I wear sunscreen. I still don't feel comfortable taking more than 2,000u per day unless I am tested and found to be deficient. The results of the studies are a bit more ambigious over that amount. I just got health insurance though, so I will take advantage of it and see if I can have my vit D level tested. Then this will be more than just guesswork for me.

[Koalamom]

I take 10,000 to 14,000 per day as I tested in the 30's.  I was still low after take 4,000 ius every day and getting summer sun.  I just got retested so we will see how that goes...

I give my 3 yr dd 2,000 ius per day and my ds that every other day since he is only 21lbs  I don't have less in a dropper.  Anyone know if that is ok to do?

[coyotemist]

Vitamin D council says that the upper limit might be as high as 44,000 per day.  I'm certainly not taking that amount!  But...

I am not insured, live in Oregon (where sunshine falls out the sky and gets your shoes wet!) and have been depressed my whole life.  I only get moderate improvement (if any) from antidepressants, and am taking 15,000 to 20,000 per week.  I don't always remember, but it's working.  I can tell if I've skipped 2 days (I take 5000 per day) a few days later.  My kids get about 2000 per day (I have chocolate flavored ones!).  They really could get more than that, especially the oldest

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by coyotemist 

Vitamin D council says that the upper limit might be as high as 44,000 per day. 

 

[crunchy_mommy]

WOW. I had no idea so many were taking such high amounts!!
 

I did get tested a while back (before I started supplementing) and of course I was low... I don't know the # but doc said "very low". But I figured just spending more time outside & supplementing a small amount when it was rainy (or now, too cold) would be enough.

I guess my hesitancy is I don't like to take anything. I prefer to get vitamins etc. directly from the source -- usually food -- but seeing as it's impossible to get enough D where I live, I thought a little supplementation wouldn't hurt. I am concerned about taking mass doses and it's implications that we may not yet be aware of. Anyway. I want to feel better. Is there a way to tell if you're getting enough? Would you feel different each day depending how much you took, or would it be a more overall, slow improvement when you reach the right dosage?

[kjbrown92]

My DS, DD2 and I are all tested 4 times a year (once each season). DS, 65 lbs. is taking 4000iu/day, DD2, 44 lbs, is taking 3000iu/day. And I am taking 8000-10000 iu/day. We live in the Northeast. We're all low. None of us have gotten to the 50 mark yet (which is "normal").

[Koalamom]

Kathy, where do you get tested that often? My insurance wont cover getting the kids tested and it is too expensive at the local hospital lab.

[sbgrace]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

WOW. I had no idea so many were taking such high amounts!!
 

I did get tested a while back (before I started supplementing) and of course I was low... I don't know the # but doc said "very low". But I figured just spending more time outside & supplementing a small amount when it was rainy (or now, too cold) would be enough.

I guess my hesitancy is I don't like to take anything. I prefer to get vitamins etc. directly from the source -- usually food -- but seeing as it's impossible to get enough D where I live, I thought a little supplementation wouldn't hurt. I am concerned about taking mass doses and it's implications that we may not yet be aware of. Anyway. I want to feel better. Is there a way to tell if you're getting enough? Would you feel different each day depending how much you took, or would it be a more overall, slow improvement when you reach the right dosage?

You would need to test to find where you are to make sure you're in the optimal range. At that point I would think dropping to 1000 IU per 25 pounds might be a nice way to maintain optimal. I wish I had done that. I just got sporadic and now I'm thinking I mgiht be low again so I'm back up to maximum doses not knowing my level. My kids are optimal. My husband was but he got sporadic too. I guess he and I need tested again this winter.

I didn't notice small improvement and, at least once you get normal, you aren't going to affect levels day to day by dosing or not so I can't see feeling different personally. Maybe if the D itself affected you in some way initially I suppose. The levels just don't change quickly let a lone in response to a day or dosing or not dosing, you know?

[coyotemist]

Originally Posted by sbgrace 

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

WOW. I had no idea so many were taking such high amounts!!
 

I did get tested a while back (before I started supplementing) and of course I was low... I don't know the # but doc said "very low". But I figured just spending more time outside & supplementing a small amount when it was rainy (or now, too cold) would be enough.

I guess my hesitancy is I don't like to take anything. I prefer to get vitamins etc. directly from the source -- usually food -- but seeing as it's impossible to get enough D where I live, I thought a little supplementation wouldn't hurt. I am concerned about taking mass doses and it's implications that we may not yet be aware of. Anyway. I want to feel better. Is there a way to tell if you're getting enough? Would you feel different each day depending how much you took, or would it be a more overall, slow improvement when you reach the right dosage?

You would need to test to find where you are to make sure you're in the optimal range. At that point I would think dropping to 1000 IU per 25 pounds might be a nice way to maintain optimal. I wish I had done that. I just got sporadic and now I'm thinking I mgiht be low again so I'm back up to maximum doses not knowing my level. My kids are optimal. My husband was but he got sporadic too. I guess he and I need tested again this winter.

I didn't notice small improvement and, at least once you get normal, you aren't going to affect levels day to day by dosing or not so I can't see feeling different personally. Maybe if the D itself affected you in some way initially I suppose. The levels just don't change quickly let a lone in response to a day or dosing or not dosing, you know?
 

I know they say that, but as a person who has been affected by depression and anxiety my whole life, I can see a big change from week to week.  Last week I only took my dose 1 day, this week I'm uber anxious and irritable. 

"They" (as in the FDA) do say that the values we are going for will lead to an increase in broken bones (their studies say that it leads to brittle bones).  However, the other "they" (some herbal society, I just worked a 12, forgive me, I can't find the quote right now) state that an increase in vitamin D by everyone, shooting for 50 as a average number, will bring down the medical machine, that the "big 3" (depression/anxiety disorders, heart disease, and cancer) will be drastically reduced.  Of course, giving up junkfood for more of a paleo diet would probably get us pretty close to that, too, but that's a different discussion.

I think the answer is probably in the middle somewhere.  We need more vitamin D, but we also need the outdoors time and exercise that comes from natural made vitamin D.  We also need more real foods and less TV (says that lady who thinks her family is really starting to have issues with the TV).

I'm doing what I can to meet each of those ideals, but just like decluttering, it takes time to unbuild lifelong habits.  I'm trying to exercise, I took the stairs UP 5 flights of stairs on purpose today at work, and swam laps ON PURPOSE at the pool last night.  I still have 37 pounds to lose, but if I'm depressed, none of it is going to get done.  So if it takes me vitamin d supplementation to get the mood to be able to do more for myself (which, of course, is going to improve my mood!), then I'm all for it.