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vitamin d deficiency

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Posted 1/18/2012 6:32 PM (GMT -5)
  1. I got my results back from the vitamin d test and it was quite low, the range for this test should be 30-100 and i am 25.  I already do take vitamin d - 400IC i think it is. I am hoping because of this deficiency is why i am having issues of being so tired (the main problem), ringing in the ear, allergies, sinus infections, backaches etc.  So my question is what kind of vitamin d should I be taking and how much?
Posted 1/18/2012 7:08 PM (GMT -5)
Wow your better than mine. Mine was 14 not even a month ago and I was told to take 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 every week. I am taking double that...maybe even a little more. 10,000 wouldn't be sufficient from what people in the forum told me. For every 10,000 you take your number will go up 10. I'm getting bloodwork in three months and I will see where I'm at then.
Posted 1/18/2012 7:13 PM (GMT -5)
Do you Feel any better by taking it?
Posted 1/18/2012 7:17 PM (GMT -5)
I would suggest you start with at least 3000 or 4000 IU daily.

I use the 1000 IU dosage from Costco (2 in the morning, 2 at night).but whatever one you decide on, make sure it's D3 (Cholecalciferol).

Do you take calcium and magnesium as well? if not, you can consider the GNC brand that nas Cal/Mag/ vitamin D and top it off with the Costco or other brand.

The increase in vitamin D helped my husband with severe body pain and fatigue.

I got the OK from both my GI and GP to take 5000 IU daily.  Wonder if that's part of the reason I've been good with not getting colds, etc like I did in the past (regardless of my great hand-washing).  Regardless...you should be on it anyway...I think most everyone should.
q
Posted 1/18/2012 7:21 PM (GMT -5)
Nope i dont take calcium or magnesium. I am lactose intolerant. Does taking that much vitamin d cause constipation, etc??? or side effects? My Gi told me to contact my GP because he knows nothing about vitamin d deficiency.
Posted 1/18/2012 7:25 PM (GMT -5)
interesting. No, not constipation at all that I've ever noticed. For a UCer...constipation could relate to a probable flare or IBS.

Are you male or female? I should know by now..lol.

I would just start the vitamin D and tell your GI....for sure don't take less than 3000 IU.

q
Posted 1/18/2012 7:50 PM (GMT -5)
Making a note to up my Vitamin d3 to double what I was taking. So far I don't feel any different. I also don't take calcium or magnesium. I know I need to be taking calcium but whats the magnesium for?

I actually found a 2000 IU bottle at Costco :)

Thanks Quincy I've learned so much from you.
Posted 1/18/2012 8:07 PM (GMT -5)
I am female. 38 years old.
Posted 1/18/2012 8:13 PM (GMT -5)
msm...Ah, for sure then you need cal/mag (they work together) and the D3 for absorption.
GNC's price is the best...and the reason I use their Cal/Mag/D is that the calcium is not only one kind..it's all.


I'm lactose intolerant...no problems with it at all.



Sheri..I didn't know about the 10,000/10 increase. Thanks for that info. In Manitoba, it takes over 6 months+ to get results of Vitamin D. Mine is still lower, and that's after taking it for a few years. I just upped it last year to 5000 IU. I'll probably get it tested again this Spring...for sure won't get the results in the fall..sigh..lol.


q
Posted 1/18/2012 8:23 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you, I will have to look into it. The last few few weeks have been trial and error with all these vitamins. Its scarey on the side effects.
Posted 1/18/2012 8:29 PM (GMT -5)
For every 10,000 you take your number will go up 10.

10,000 IU each day or 10,000 IU each week? I believe the rule of thumb is for every 1,000 IU taken each day will raise your level 10 points. So that is 7,000 IU per week.

Due to absorption issues, esp with IBD, your mileage may vary.
Posted 1/18/2012 8:30 PM (GMT -5)
I was at 26 but I'm a Swede living in MN, of course I'm low! My GI had me taking 50,000 twice a week.
Posted 1/18/2012 8:40 PM (GMT -5)
I am Wisconsin..
Posted 1/18/2012 9:07 PM (GMT -5)
I thought someone told me before 10,000 IU a week to raise it 10. I may have to see if I can find the thread.
Posted 1/18/2012 9:12 PM (GMT -5)
Babeinthewoods you were right. In fact your the one who said 1,000 IU a day will bring it up 10 points. How the heck I got 10,000 a week I don't know. My brain must have been on overload. Thanks again for the CORRECT info :)
Posted 1/18/2012 9:21 PM (GMT -5)
You should try Carlson’s D Drops they come in 2000 IU or 4000 IU. It should last the whole year, 365 drops. People with digestive problems could buy Liquid Emulsion Vitamin D by Life Extension 2000 IU it is better absorbed and you will see results. But life extension d vitamin might cause a bit of a laxative effect that depends on the person.
Posted 1/18/2012 9:37 PM (GMT -5)
I take vitamin D caplets that are 1000 iu each. I take one in the morning and one at night. When I started taking this my D3 was 29. It took a few months to get to 35; now I'm at 40 and holding steady. I'm happy with that level.
Posted 1/18/2012 11:04 PM (GMT -5)
High dose vitamin d can cause a magnesium deficiency because it is one of the co-minerals needed by the body. Not sure how it all fits together, but I was told that some people don't feel better or feel worse when they start supplementing d3 because the extra d caused a magnesium deficiency.

I was told that to best process d3 I should also be supplementing or getting enough through diet of calcium, magnesium, vitamin k and boron. That they all help each other.
Posted 1/19/2012 6:22 AM (GMT -5)
deepblue sea  You should try Carlson’s D Drops they come in 2000 IU or 4000 IU. It should last the whole year, 365 drops. People with digestive problems could buy Liquid Emulsion Vitamin D by Life Extension 2000 IU it is better absorbed and you will see results. But life extension d vitamin might cause a bit of a laxative effect that depends on the person.

I just recently started the Carlson drops after seeing information about vit D and IBD at WebMD.  Also, supposed to be good for your mood during the summer when you don't get much sun. 

Posted 1/19/2012 7:18 AM (GMT -5)
Hi msm-

I, too, was low on Vit D and had been taking about 2000 IU D3 daily. Test earlier this month was 34 so I have increased the D3 to 4000 IUs daily.

Another thing I had to watch was my iron level. When I was bleeding (either from UC or hemorrhoids) I was very tired. GI said to increase iron but gave me no info regarding what type. After trying fast release and slow-release pills, I found that the easiest on my body was taking a multi-vitamin with iron (currently taking Alive!) and eating iron-rich foods like raisins.

I have learned to always ask the lab to send ME a copy of any test results.
Hope this is helpful. :-)
Posted 1/19/2012 7:52 AM (GMT -5)
msm,

Gad you got tested and found out.

Quincy is right: D3, with the other minerals.

But D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it must be taken with fat of some kind (salmon, butter, etc... in your meal) in order for it to be bio-available.

Also, taking Vitamin K2 will make it work better, as it's synergistic.

Posted 1/19/2012 8:46 AM (GMT -5)
According to some results on the www.grassrootshealth.net site:
  • 9600 IU/day would be required to get 97.5% of population above 40ng/ml
  • Rule of thumb changes: Per 1000 IU/day, 10 ng/ml rise starting at 10 ng/ml; only 8 ng/ml rise starting at 30 ng/ml; only 5 ng/ml rise starting at 50 ng/ml

I was doing 10000 IU three times a week over the summer (and getting lots of sun) and I still dropped below my target of 60 ng/ml. I have now bumped my intake up to 10000 IU five times a week. I have been getting a test every six months so I will see how things are going in April.

I think the most beneficial impact that I got from Vitamin D has been a more positive outlook to life, especially in the dead of winter.
Posted 1/19/2012 8:36 PM (GMT -5)
Well I went go GNC and bought Vitamin D-3 2000 by itself and then also bought a combo with calcium and magnesium 600 mg/300 mg. I'll start taking 2 vitamin 2 so that would be 4000 a day and then just one of the calcium/magnesium combo and see what happens.

Quincy i was going to buy the combo with all 3 but I would have had to take almost 10 pills a day to equal at least 4000 ic a day because each servicing said 2 pills so I did the 2 seperate pills.
Posted 1/20/2012 1:38 AM (GMT -5)
I take 2 - 4 daily of the cal/mag/D and top the rest off with the Costco D3.

Whatever works...I don't take the Cal/mag ones for the D..just that it works together. But I have to add it into the total.

q
Posted 1/20/2012 6:33 AM (GMT -5)
Finally had mine re tested last week. Went from 28 to 60. I had to take 10,000 averaging about every other day for a year to get to that.
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