OT: Vitamin D levels a question or two

[Guest]

WOW! riverdreamer what a fantastic article. I have saved it and will read it again to try to absorb more of the information.
I have decreased my Vit. D to a daily 3,000 IU's and have noticed that I do not have the flushing, sweating or as much restlessness (or anxiety may be a better word). I worry that this low dose won't be enough to really increase my levels but I don't know exactly what else to do. My doc just says take the 50,000 IU's once a week-he doesn't validate my side effects whatsoever!! What's a gal to do??? Thanks again- "Grumpygirl"

[spitintheocean]

My family doctor's office called a few months back to say that my doctor had reviewed the results of some blood tests and recommended that I take a vitamin D supplement. I was always aware that vitamin D wouldn't flush out like an overdose of vitamin C so I pretty well limited myself to a single daily tablet of 1000IU. And to be honest, since it didn't really respond like a couple of aspirin for a hangover and I wasn't 'left in an excited state for a periods of greater than four hours' I rarely remembered to take even my minimal daily dose.

This thread has been highly educational and has made me rethink my commitment to pursuing a proper therapeutic dose. Thank-you all for your comments and for the informative links.

[Guest]

Hi Folks- Just got a call from my doc about my Vit. D test. Shockingly it rose from 20.3 to 46.8 in 6 weeks. I DID NOT use the 50,000 IU pills he prescribed instead I took about 3,000-4,000 IU's per day. I am surprised that it rose that much in 6 weeks but will continue to take about 2,000 -3,000 IU's per day. The nurse that called wasn't very informed on the issue- when I asked how often I should have these levels checked to make sure my level doesn't fall again she said she didn't know!!
I guess once again I will have to take this medical issue in my own hands and call at least every 6 mos. to see if I could get another follow-up test. Glad that I didn't take the 50,000 IU's since it gave me GERD and other side effects, my remedy was actually just as effective!!--- Grumpygirl

[bobkat13]

This is only anecdotal information on my part, OK? But I spent several months being quite concerned about my health and worrying that I just might have multiple sclerosis. I've had just about every test possible to rule out ms. One of the symptoms that troubled me was what I call "walking drunk" and doctors call ataxia.

Now, I'm sure that OSA at an altitude of 5400-6000 feet for a period of five months last year didn't help. If my O2 sat levels were down to 85% at sea level then they were probably worse at altitude. But one of the things I discovered through all the testing was that my D was low (20.3). And I also read, during lots of online research, that low D can cause some neurological problems. Can't remember details, so don't ask.

I started taking D3 in mid February (2000 i.u. per day) on the recommendation of my neurologist. More research online led me to up my daily dose to 3000 i.u. about mid March. Well lo and behold: there hasn't been any more walking drunk for at least a month or two now. Coincidence? I think not.

All I'm sayin'...........................

[grumpygirl]

bobkat13- Have you had your D level checked again since you started on the 3,000IU's a day? I'd be curious to know if it has risen significantly like mine did. I too have had some what I call "weaving" walking behavior for quite a while myself and noticed just the other day that it does not seem as bad as it once was-but I'm hoping that with more time on the Vit. D at 3,000 IU's it will improve even more. It is amazing to me how many things Vit. D can affect. Little did we know.......

[DoriC]

Any side effects at all?

[grumpygirl]

The majority of side effects I was experiencing happened when I was taking the 50,000 IU's or doses above 4,000 IU's per day. I had some facial flushing, sweating, restlessness(anxiety for lack of a better word) and trouble falling asleep and my GERD was much worse at the 50,000 IU dose. At 3,000 IU's the only side effect I am still having is the restlessness but it is not nearly as bad as at the higher dose. Hope this answers your question. Have a great day- "Grumpygirl"

[bobkat13]

grumpygirl, I see my PCP next Tuesday and will get D levels checked then. I agree with you - who woulda thunk that a vitamin could be so important!!??

I'm not having any side effects either. Interesting that your ataxia moved away, too.......

[BeanMeScot]

My doctor had me start taking vitamin D when I saw her 3 months ago. I just got back my labs from my visit in June. It showed my D level was normal, but just barely. 30-80 is normal. Mine was 31. That's AFTER taking 1000mg a day supplement for 3 months (in addition to what was in my calcium and multi vitamin). So I would say mine was a bit deficient before starting the supplements.

I also started taking a supplement called Go Greens. You put it in bottled water. Each serving is 3 servings of fruits and veggies. My cholesterol went down markedly after using it for about a month before I did the cholesterol test. I was surprised. A guy at work said his cholesterol went down 60 points but he was also making dietary changes. I didn't make any dietary changes because I had done that a long time ago. My triglicerides, for example, went down 32 points. That's pretty significant!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013O ... d_i=507846