Vitamin D 3 supplements

[Patti D]

Turn on the news tonight and all you hear is Vitamin D is being taken in excess. I don’t know about everyone else but my doctor insisted I up my D to 5000 iu per day because of having a chronic illness. My lab work showed a deficiency in summer and seeing how I spend a great deal of time outdoors in the summer that was unusual. They are saying on the news that 600 to 1000 is enough based on these new studies . So what is everyone doing and how much does everyone take currently if any? I have to say this is the one supplement that I can truly say makes me feel better.

Your thoughts?
Patti

[Joe RA]

Hi: Patti Do you have low total cholesterol ? if you do that could be why you body does not convert the sun exposure into vitamin D. In reading THE Cholesterol Myth studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency has been detected in patients with very low total cholesterol. Our body’s need cholesterol, every cell in it has it, 80 to 85% of it is made in the liver and the rest is from food we eat. my total cholesterol was as high as 465 and no lower then 290 since the last 25 years and my triglycerides in the thousands, this is the truth. A total cholesterol lower then 150 is not good. I can go on and on about this but not now. google: the benefits of cholesterol for more info. hope this helps …Joe RA

[Eileen]

I saw this too, Patti, and I had a hard time keeping a straight facing while seeing this on the news.

My vit. D level was dangerously low when I started out. One dr. put me on 50,000 IU’s once a week, the prescription one. Tested again quite some time later, a tad higher but still very low. Then on 2,000 IU’s per day and the 50,000 IU once a week. Just got re-tested again last month. Levels are normal, so off the 50,000 IU but continuing on the 2,000 a day. My dr. said she will continue to monitor my level. I’m at the age of the extra bonus we women face, the dwingling of hormones, so she really wants to keep a good check on it. I got within the normal range after about 18 months or so.

Best advice, get labs drawn a couple of times a yr. then you’ll know how the body is absorbing it.

Eileen

[lynnie_sydney]

Patti – am re-posting something I posted a while back re this. Lynnie

my AP Doc and Naturopath say the low Vit D issue is very common in patients with rheumatic conditions, but that there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. I have been prescribed a good magnesium complex to take ( I take 1/2 a tablet) and a calcium (115mg) with boron (1mg) and Vit D3 (1.25mcg) tablet. I take just 1/4 tablet of this daily. Generally, it is thought that magnesium to calcium intake ratio is best at 2:1 or 3:1. On this very small amount of good supplementation, my Vit D levels have risen from 54 to 79 (my lab uses 51 – 140 as normal range) in a year.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Kim]

Hey Patti,

I can only speak from my personal experience and that is that I feel it’s important for me to supplement with extra D3 (10,000/day). When I was on Marshall Protocol for 6 months and intentionally avoided all forms of Vit D, I felt the worst I’ve ever felt in my whole life. Once I started getting Vit D again I immediately started feeling better. Supplementing helps, but not as good as sun exposure as far as that sense of well-being that I get. Two of my doctors have said to use tanning parlors in the winter to help with my osteoporosis. Personally, I’d rather go to Florida! 😀

Take care…..kim

[Donna RA]

I saw that too, and glad you started this post, thanks. I now take 10,000 IU daily, and my cholesterol levels are too low, which I did not understand had anything to do with low D levels, until Joe’s repsonse, so thanks Joe for that information. My D3 levels are finally starting to increase, even though I’ve been supplementing up to 15,000 IU daily for a long time. My Doc had me change the brand I was using, and dropped it to 10,000 IU, for which I am grateful, since it finally seems to be increasing my D3 level.

Joe, if you can point out more information about the D3 and low cholesterol, I’d appreciate it,

Thanks,
Donna RA and Lyme

[Joe RA]

Hi: Donna You will learn a whole lot more about cholesterol and vitamin D at http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/vitamin-d.html and you will see why I take cod liver oil and lots of raw milk. Best to you, Joe

[nspiker]

Hi Patti,

My Vitamin D levels, like most of us, were very low when I began treatment. My traditional rheumatologist prescribed the once-a-week 50,000 IU’s. Just like you and Kim, I definitely notice the difference when taking Vit. D. It perks me up and my energy is better and I feel good.

My Vit. D levels are on the low side of normal now, but I continue to take Biotech 50,000 IU’s about twice a week. I also give it to my family if they are beginning to feel sick.

nancy

[mschmidt]

Hi Patti 😀

I can only speak from my experience as well. When I was really sick, my Vitamin D levels were in the 20’s, despite my beautiful hyper-pigmented SD/Minocin tan. 😆 I’ve supplemented with 10,000 IU’s daily now for almost a year, and I’m in the optimal range. It did take me about 6 months to get there. And, I did experiment with washing off of Vitamin D for 6 weeks to see if it made a difference, and I have to say, it made a HUGE difference–especially with joint pain. So, I’m not giving that supplement up!

I did read about the low cholesterol connection but, I’m not one of those people–my total cholesterol is on the higher side, with the HDL being high. One of my doctors wanted to put me on something to lower it but, I’ve read several studies showing that if you break down the numbers (LDL, HDL, & Triglycerides) and don’t have a high LDL (bad) cholesterol or high triglyceride level, it’s unnecessary to be on meds to try to lower it. Not sure which book I read (Maybe The China Study?) that mentioned that groups of people from different countries were studied with very high total cholesterol levels, and they not only lived longer but, didn’t have heart disease, stroke, etc. (Most had mostly plant-based diets) They concluded that it was far more dangerous to have LOW cholesterol levels. I found that fascinating, particularly when most doctors want to prescribe cholesterol lowering meds if you are even “borderline” high. As long as my ratios are good, and my HDL is the higher number, I’m not going to take anything.

So nice to see your smiling face again!! Hope you are doing well.

Maria

[chrysalis]

@Patti D wrote:

Turn on the news tonight and all you hear is Vitamin D is being taken in excess. I don’t know about everyone else but my doctor insisted I up my D to 5000 iu per day because of having a chronic illness. My lab work showed a deficiency in summer and seeing how I spend a great deal of time outdoors in the summer that was unusual. They are saying on the news that 600 to 1000 is enough based on these new studies . So what is everyone doing and how much does everyone take currently if any? I have to say this is the one supplement that I can truly say makes me feel better.

Your thoughts?
Patti

Hi Patti after being diagnosed with RA my nutitional specialist looked at why I was not absorbing vitamin d, one of the main anti-inflammatories, using hair analysis he found that I did not have enough boron in my system which is needed for absorption of vitaminD, this also causes the body to overcompensate with other minerals going out of balance. This is another way of looking at things. He also prescribed high doses of vitaminD. Thought this was worth mentioning. Regards crhysalis

[Patti D]

Thank you all for your response.
Looks like I will continue to take my 5000IU per day as it really makes me feel better. No one here seems to worried about the new studies indicating we are taking too much vitamin D and I don’t think I will worry either. 😀

Joe I have not had my cholesterol checked in quite a while but last time it was 180 so that would not put me in the low category.
Happy days!
Patti

[Lizz]

Hi- Patti – so great to hear from you, you always cheer me up! Does anybody know – can I take D along with iron? Or do I need to space them out? Thanks ! Lizz

[Eva Holloway]

Patti,
my husband is an outdoor person and when he had his last blood test they found his Vit D level was about 20 so the doctor told him to up it to 2000 , I had been giving him 1000 per day. He doesn’t have any auto immune issues, so I was surprised that his level was so low. He has been retested and his level has come up. He also uses Cal-Mag with boron, that is what I have been using for years. Dr.K makes me also use Calm Magnesium she said that will help with the absorbing of the cal-mag and Vit D
Eva 🙂

Eva Holloway

[PhilC]

@Patti D wrote:

Thank you all for your response.
Looks like I will continue to take my 5000IU per day as it really makes me feel better. No one here seems to worried about the new studies indicating we are taking too much vitamin D and I don’t think I will worry either. 😀

Hi Patti,

As long as you are taking that much vitamin under a physician’s supervision, I wouldn’t worry. What I am concerned about is that there are probably people out there taking large doses of vitamin D who are not doing so under medical supervision. The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin D is 4,000 IU/day. It is not a good idea to take more than that unless one is doing so under a doctor’s supervision.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[Patti D]

Well Phil
I wa s under a doctors care but right now I am looking as my doctor just retired thanks to Obamacare. Now will my new doctor that I am still looking for recommend this. Who knows. I bought the vitamin D in the 5000 IU gelcap form. Now I am worried again that may be too much. Does taking too much Vit D make it difficult for the liver to process?

Actually Maria, if you are getting this thread could you pm me the doctor who you told me about when we met up in chi-town?
Wow. You take a ton of D and I agree. It sure does make a difference.
Lizz,
Hi to you too 😀 Such nice words from your post. You made my day girl 😀 😀 Someone else may be better suited to anwser your question. So sorry I am of no help 😕

Patti

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