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My Vitamin D is at 12, PCP prescribed 50,000 units.

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Posted 2/8/2014 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
I was just wondering if anybody has had some good results with the prescription Vit D. my doctor ordered it 1-tab a week, When I did a search most of what I find is the bad reactions and how it didn't help. I do know that the over the counter and the prescription Vit D are totally different because of the way they are absorbed, The prescription Vit D has a much better absorbtion rate.. Thanks for any help. Randy
Posted 2/8/2014 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Randy,

I would guess you are spot on - there are differences in the exact form of Vitamin D used, how it is formulated and so on.

When mine was terribly low, I had a compounded one made up by my pharmacist that I think was 60,000 IU at one tab/fortnight initially, then one tab/month to maintain. It worked well for me - my levels increased quite quickly and I'm now maintaining within a normal range.

My understanding is that side effects are remarkably rare unless you have an underlying disease affecting something like calcium metabolism- from memory a 'normal' person needs to be taking more than 4000 IU/day over a prolonged period to be at any real risk. Taking high doses for short periods under medical supervision shouldn't be an issue ... But of course I'm not a doctor - only speaking from discussions with my own endocrinologist and pharmacist.

Laura
Posted 2/8/2014 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Beware of taking high dose vitamin D for a long time! I posted about a study in Medscape that indicated doses over 10,000 a day leads to toxicity.

So, how much do you really need? You can calculate that. The new value you want to be at is between 50 and 80. The study said that you need 100 units (on top of what you are already getting in vitamins and calcium) for every 1 you are low. For me at 17, that meant 50 - 17 = 33 x 100 = 3300 units needed, or 80 - 17 = 63 x 100 = 6300 IU.

On days I don't get any sun I take 4000 units. On days I do go out I take 2000 units. Sunshine is the best way to get your D! That's why northern people who go to the beach in winter feel better when they come home.

My hubby used to have brown spots on his legs from bruises that stayed for years and years (heme or iron from blood in the bruises). I begged him to take just 2000 units, not even every day, and the spots disappeared in a few weeks.
Posted 2/8/2014 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on the 50,000 iu/week for a while. My physician has rx'd it for several weeks at a time, then I get labs, and then to OTC 2,000 iu/day.

When things fall low again, it's back to the rx. My levels were severely depleted, and they did boost back up, so in my experience,....it worked just dandy, and I didn't experience any sort of "negative" side-effect.



M.
Posted 2/8/2014 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
My Vitamin D was low a few years ago, and my dr then put me on 50,000 IU once a week. I asked my current dr to check it, and it was low. She put me on 50,000IU for 6 weeks, and then a dose of 1000IU as a dose everyday to make sure it stays where it's supposed to. I haven't had any side effects at all.

love and hugs
Loretta
Posted 2/9/2014 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
I'm on 50,000 iu's twice a month. No side effects, just make sure toget your levels checked regularily. Does help a little with the pain.
Posted 2/9/2014 10:15 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks alot, This makes me feel better hearing it from you guy's ...Randy
Posted 2/9/2014 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Randy --

Just wanted to add in that I'm another w/ no issues w/ the supplements -- although I still have a really hard time keeping my numbers up (and I'm in "sunny" California)........

I was at a "4" for a very long time........... on my last lab work - I was at a 10. I think the highest I've been is in the low 20's.

I'm a believer that the Vit D Deficiency contributes to many chronic pain issues.

Hope the supplements raise your numbers and that you don't have any reactions,

Keep us posted --Tina
Posted 2/10/2014 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Does it seem odd that so many CPers have issues with Vit D deficiency?

Normally folks who live in regions where its dark more then light for prolonged periods have the most problems but I don't know anyone here thats living in Alaska!

Is it our inactivity levels? Our tendency to be "shut-ins "? Something we're ingesting interfering with metabolism or absorption? Opiates? Neuropathy meds? Something we pretty much have in common?

Just the people posting on this thread seem like an unusual number to me. Do any of your doctors say why? Any clues to how you got depleted? Interesting and the answer may be even more so!
Posted 2/10/2014 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie, I was wondering the same thing.

I wasn't sure of the cause of mine, nor was my doctor. At first, I attributed it to being a shut-in,-- that and I dislike the sun and heat, so I tend to retreat in the day and come out at night.

Then I looked at the timing of when my D deficiency was dx'd and it coincided with my first surgery, so I wondered if it was that.

All around the same time, as more and more things were snowballing, I was hearing about how brittle my bones were, my arthritis, the degeneration....blah-beddy-blah....

It's interesting though. I wonder if it's more common even outside CP because of the internet. People don't "have" to go outside and get out as much as when we were growing up. Dunno. But it's quite interesting to see just how many of us are on supplements for this.



M.
Posted 2/10/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
I would also like a ratio of men to women that are low in D's...as maybe it could be that women in general need more D because we can bear the children...This would make a good topic for a medical student to look into...
Posted 2/10/2014 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
Your right Char! It would make an excellent paper for one of their finals and I would love to see the results!

I will have to think about this some more and in the meantime I know we get a good deal of students who lurk and use the forums as reference and statistics so maybe one will take it on!
Posted 2/13/2014 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
I too have low vitamin D & take a supplement every night. It has helped me so much this winter! I normally have a extreme winter blues & tiredness which I have had none of this year!!!

When I first started taking it I took it in the morning w/my multi vitamin & couldn't tell a differences. My dr told me to take it at night because it gets absorbed better then & that has made the biggest difference.

I did ask my dr why it seems like so many people have low levels nowadays & she said that it has just became in the last few years that they test for it in your standard blood work. I thought it was odd that so many women I know have low levels also!

As long as it makes me feel better whats one more pill to the million I take daily now!! lol
Posted 2/13/2014 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have also had trouble with D levels. Two years ago I was at a 4 - I did 2 weeks of 50,000 iu's twice a week (prescription type), then about 6 months of 50,000 iu's just once a week. On top of that I took 4,000 iu's a day of the D3 you get OTC. I think this got me up into the mid thirties, still a bit on the low side.

We retested at the year mark and I was I think in the teens - we did the same routine again. Right now I am waiting for labs to come back. PMD told me last year she thinks that I will have to do this every year, and I have no other deficiencies.

The only side effect I had was better energy during the six months that I was taking the script. I wish I could take it all them time!
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