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Vitamin D 50,000 iu Daily

LRFL
5 Recommendations

I just found my D levels are very low (23) My doctor prescribed 50,000 iu of Vitamin D daily for 3 months and then I will be tested again. I questioned her to make sure she said daily, every where I looked that is a weekly dosage. She said is something new they are doing to bring the D up fast. I started 2 days ago, so far so good. My question is - are any of you taking that much vitam D ? and if so, how well are you tolerating the dosage?, how often you test your blood ? and do you have any results? Thanks, LRFL

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Exercise Cancer Nexium Osteopenia Hernia Osteoporosis Cortisol Hiatal hernia Stress Premarin Boniva Confusion Allergies Fractures Coumadin Fosamax Skin cancer Synthroid Actonel Pain Insomnia

96 replies

radio_star

To put your mind at ease right up front--yes, I took 50,000 IU daily for 3 months. And it did exactly what it wsa susposed to do. Here's my experience.

I started with a level of 23 and my endochronologist put me on 50,000 IU three times a week. My level went to 28 after 3 mos treatement (still way too low). He upped it to 50,000 IU daily for the next 3 mos. At the end of that period, my Vit D level was 87, slightly above where it should be (toxic level is somewhere over 100, I forget exactly where--120 or 140 maybe; desirable is 40-80). So now he has placed me on 50,000 3 times a week and I am maintaining at around 75.

I might add that I live in Oklahoma where there is lots of sun in summer months and I work outside in my yard almost daily. So you see, some of us certainly have no problem tolerating the super high dosages of D.

I have a friend who went on 2000 IU daily and in 3 mos pulled her D up from 11 to 56--a totally different experience from mine. My question is: how can your doctor be certain that you are not one who will react in the way she did in which case the 50,000 might be much too high a dosage for you? You might want to mention these two histories to her.

Best of luck to you. Isn't it a shame that so little checking was done on Vitamin D in the past? Who knows how long I had the deficiency before it was detected due to a diagnosis of severe osteoporosis with T-scores of spine -3.6 and wrist -4.0.

SequoiaHealth

Hi By LRFL:
Reactions to vitamin D are rare. You have been tested and are under the supervision of a doctor. Still remeber your best vitamin D comes from daily sun exposure to your skin like your body was designed to do. Supplements are second best.

Year round vitamin D3 levels in the 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L) is your goal.

I suggest to all my clients that they use Dr. Cannell’s site and recommendations for vitamin D. They are top notch www.vitamindcouncil.org.

Hope this helps.

Woody McMahon

millie123

Well, I'm anxiously watching this thread and wish the very best results for you :).

LRFL

Thank you so much for your replies, I do live in Florida and I spent time under the sun without protection therefore I was surprised by the results of my test. I will watch for reactions during the next 3 months, "Radio star" is right, we don't really know if I am one of those who will have fast reaction. My endocrinologist did not test for D levels, I asked my GP to test. I was 5 years on osteo medications without much results (every thing gained the first 2 years was lost on yr 3-4) but on my last year I started doing weights and I went from osteoporosis to oteopenia on my spine -- I now hope the D, weight lifting program, and diet keeps me healthy. I am no longer taking the meds Thank you again for your replies I feel a lot better about the dosage

LRFL

Thank you so much for the information and the great website link

ladyblue3344

Hi...I was put on Vit D 50,000 units for one month every day...it did the trick for me so I am now on once a week...I wonder if you should be tested after a month just to be sure?
Just a thought...good luck to you susie

huessysignoret

Woody -- my Vitamin D experience is this: first test, too low. Put on 50,000 IU once a week for eight weeks, then 50,000 IU once every other week indefinitely. After the first eight weeks, I tested where I should be. Since then, I've changed doctors. I asked new doc if I should continue taking 50,000 IU once every two weeks, and he said yes. Do you agree? One more piece of information: I'm very fair-skinned, burn very easily, had several severe sunburns as a child, and so always wear sunscreen on my face and hands. It's a balancing act, but I'm not interested in getting skin cancer any more than I am in fracturing a bone. I just don't tolerate direct sunlight very well -- as long as my Vit D level stays around 75, am I okay?

SantaFe

LRFL:
Am i correct in reading that you were able to raise your spine's BMD quite significantly just from doing more weightbearing exercises?
I am highly interested in this because I only have a problem in my spine -2.6, my hips and jaw are normal---I am suspecting this is because all my weightbearing exercise has in my hips and not in my spine--I have been unconsciously leaning forward to protect my back when I walk or hike (2 herniated discs) and have not done much weightbearing exercise for the back over the years to avoid sciatic pain, but lots for the hips. So I think I am a good candidate for BMD increase in the spine if I can find the right exercises---which is hard with disc probs.

Could you share what specific spine exercises you used and the amounts of time you spent on them?
How low were your spine T scores when you started?
Warmly thankful and so glad for your sucess,
Santa Fe

SequoiaHealth

Hi huessysignoret:
It only takes a few minutes a day of expose to provide large amounts of vitmain D. Dr. Cannell talks about it on his site.
Woody

SaraMeeks

It sure looks more and more, to me, that Vitamin D levels may be, if not the most important thing for many people, certainly right up there. (And we've always been told not to take too much--here we are taking much too little.) Anyway, I think it's important for everyone to have levels checked and then treated if necessary.
Regarding sun exposure. I've read that, as we age, we assimilate less Vitamin D due to changes in our skin. So, supplements might be necessary wherever we live. Then, also, there is the cancer risk with both sun and, now, I hear with some sun blockers.
SanteFe: Your question on weightbearing exercise. First of all, you should understand there is a difference between weightbearing and weight training. It sounds as though LRFL did weight training, not weight bearing. Weight-bearing exercise is bearing body weight through the skeleton--walking, jogging, dancing, being on your feet. Gym machines are more or less weight bearing, bicycling and swimming are non-weightbearing.
Weight training is lifting weights or working out on machines. Free weights are best as you add elements of stability training, balance, coordination and flexibility that are not available on machines.
If you are walking bent forward, you probably have tightness in the muscles in the front of your hips and thighs. There are specific exercises to correct this but you would need to see an exercise/medical professional for specific assessment and prescription of exercise. Correcting this would add more weight-bearing force to your spine when you walk.
Hope this is helpful.
Woody--I'm going to check out the vitamin site. I take something called D Drops because it's easy--a drop in my juice daily does it for me and I was able to correct D levels with 2,000 IU's daily.

millie123

I will say this. The info at the bottom of my lab tests says that a level of 32 is "optimal." Yet mine was about 32 all the time. My endocrinologist said he would like to see the levels up to the high forties. After 3 months 50,000 weekly treatment, my levels were 87, and he took me off the Vitamin D, except for the 800 units included in my calcium supplement. The last blood test had me back down in the 30s again. My gp credits the vitamin D with the sudden remodeling of my bones. It is next to impossible to get an appointment with the endocrinologist. I suspect that I need much more "D" than I'm getting, but I'm afraid to self-medicate. The Vitamin D council certainly advocates maintaining that level in the 50s. Guess I'll go back to my gp and ask if he will help and advise and coordinate to keep those levels steady. Suggestions from any of you?

LRFL

SantaFe, my spine t-scores are as follows
year t-score
2004 -2.6
2005 -2.6 vs base .6% vs previous yr .6%
2006 -2.4 vs base 3.6% vs previous yr 3.0%
2007 -2.5 vs base 2.1% vs previus yr -1.4%
2008 -2.6 vs. base .7% vs previous yr -1.4%
2009 -2.3 vs. base 4.1% vs previous yr 3.4%
I took Actonel on year one switched to Boniva on 2005 as you can see I did well on meds the first two years but the following 2007 and 2008 the gains were gone. During all those years I was doing weightbearing walking 3 - 5 miles per day. -- On 2008 I started a weight lifting program (machines as well as free weights). - I did not have spine problems, or fractures and I started off with a trainer who has experience training disable and seniors. I trained with him for 4 months 3 times a week while continuing my weightbearing workout. After 4 months I continue on my own 5 days a week one hour weight training and 20 minutes weightbearing - I did this for 3 months before my last scan (total of 7 months) This time i had a gained of 3.4% vs previous year. I made then a decision to stop the medication and continue with the training program I am now added the vitamin D - I am looking forward to next year scan, I really hope the gains continue without the Boniva but you never know -- My recommendation is make sure you train with an experienced trainer first. I wish you the best LRFL

SantaFe

Sara and LRFL:

Thank you both for the great information. I am impressed with the apparent progress LRFL had by just adding weight TRAINING to the spine.
I will take both of your advice and this week try to find a professional trainer who is knowledgable and experienced in osteo.
Also getting my Vitamin D rechecked---we are SO lucky in Santa Fe to have a lab called The People's Plan, where you can just go down and order whatever tests you want without a doctor's order. Saves big $$$ and time.
This has been so informative, helpful, and motivating for me. THANK YOU, THANK YOU
warmly, Santa Fe

huessysignoret

Thanks, Woody, for the info about only a few minutes a day providing adequate Vitamin D, but then look at Sara Meeks reply, indicating that as we grow older, we apparently don't absorb Vitamin D as well because of changes in our skin. When I was first tested, and my Vit D was way low, I had been in the sun for well over 15 minutes a day for years. I'm beginning to understand what people meant when they said "growing old is not for sissies."

SequoiaHealth

Hi huessysignoret:
You can go to Dr. Holick's site as well. http://www.uvadvantage.org/
He is a vitamin D researcher. It takes 50% sun exposure not just face, arms and hands to be therapeutic. 15 minutes a day is not enough to create skin cancer problems.

Woody

petplant

Hi Radio-star,
I agree with one of your last statements - it's a shame that Vitamin D isn't tested BEFORE osteoporosis begins.
I read that low levels might contribute to High Blood Pressure as well.

huessysignoret

Woody -- I wasn't worried about skin cancer from 15 minutes a day, just commenting that it wasn't enough to get my Vit D level up to where it should have been. But 50% skin exposure, at my age??? My bathing beauty days are behind me, and even if they weren't, once the temperature drops off in the fall, that's a lotta skin with all its little hairs standing straight up. Joking aside, though, I thank you for and will look at the good doctor's site, and I hope the other readers will, too.

Seerwise

The Vitamin D prescribed by most physicians is Vitamin D2 made from non-animal sources.
1) D2 is not what humans make from Sunlight, it is D3; 2)The prescription Vitamin is much more expensive than D3 obtained in any health food store; 3) the D2 comes in a 50,000 IU once a week form whereas the D3 I use comes in 2000 IU capsules; 4) The D2 will show your blood level of Vitamin D is O.K. but it masks the level of D3 which is what is more useful to humans.
You need to check what level of D3 your body needs. After a blood test showed my D level was way below normal, I took 4 capsules, i.e. 8000 units daily for a couple of months and then the blood test showed I was slightly above normal.
I went down to an average of 5000 IU D3 daily--two capsules alternating with 3 capsules to get the average of 5000. From that point on all my blood tests have shown a normal Vitamin D level. So the dose needs to be individualized based on what your body needs.

huessysignoret

DEAR SEERWISE -- I was interrupted by the phone as I was trying to read and reply to your message. My reply ended up being garbled. Thanks to you, I discovered I am indeed taking D2. My pharmacist has D3. But now I can't find the posting by the person who said you couldn't get D3 by prescription, nor the person who suggested a source for D3. Can you help me out again?

huessysignoret

MORE NEWS ABOUT D3 -- My pharmacist found a place on the web where he could order 50,000IU D3, and although the FDA hasn't approved it, and insurance won't cover it, he will sell it, AS A PRESCRIPTION, for $16 a year. Now that's a deal! I also learned, to my horror, that the majority of doctors in my town apparently are unaware that people should be getting D3 rather than D2, and are still prescribing D2. Only a handful of local doctors are knowledgeable enough to "prescribe" D3. That's frightening. How could the medical profession be so dim??

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