Low vitamin D levels

[expressoplease]

My doctor informed today my vitamin D levels are low and prescribed me 800iu of vit D to take daily. After doing some research online this dose seems rather measly and suggestions of at least 5000iu appears more appropriate.
Does anyone have experience in how to raise levels back to a normal range. My symptoms are just generally awful - bone pain, insomnia, hair loss with lots of neurological symptoms. Other results were fine apart from borderline iron deficency.

I had very low vitamin d levels-the doctor prescribed me two doses of v high liquid vit d-essentially you can buy the same thing on amazon-as I now use that to keep topped up as Adcal didn't agree with me. Maybe have a couple of large doses and then maintain on a lower dose.

Do you have any idea what the dose of the liquid vit d was?

I don't because I don't still have the bottle-I was told to drink it all in one go although its normally just a drop a day I think. Sorry.

800iu is a drop in the ocean. A quick Google will show you the protocols that are out there for different areas of the UK. Alternatively, have a look at this link:

www.imperialendo.com/for-doctors/vitamin-d-guidelines

I had little or no help from the NHS to raise my levels and did it in the end by taking 5,000iu a day in a gelcap which I bought online. I now take 5,00iu three times a week to maintain my level.

Provided your calcium levels are not too high, vitamin D is very safe to take in surprisingly large amounts.

Thanks very much for the link - I'm off to purchase a bottle of megadose tomorrow lol. I wasn't convinced the 800iu was going to create any miricles.

I'm on 1,000iu a day - the first week I was on some enormous amount (20,000iu I think) and then this is my maintenance dose for the foreseeable. So 800iu seems a bit stingy.

DD who is 4 is on 3,000iu a day - prescription was ordered by her endocrinologist, but the DoH advice is that all children should be on Vit D.

They're more clued up in Scotland, especially because a lack of it is thought to increase the risk of getting MS.

The biggest pain is that they are always running out of the stuff - seems to be a different manufacturer every time and sometimes I have to go back every 2 weeks when they're having it made up just for her.

When I was getting mine from gp it took two weeks to arrive as it was ordered from France-bizarre!

I have a Wholefood store nearby which has a great selection of supplements. I bought the 5000iu capsules today but the assistant was telling me the spray is better absorbed. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?

If you spray it into your mouth then possibly yes. If it's transdermal then, based on my experience of transdermal iron, I would be sceptical.

what were your levels expresso? Mine was around 26. I have been taking 5000u a day for a month or so. I believe the quickest way to raise levels is sun exposure, any supplementation takes ages

Topsi, my doctor just said the Vit D came back low but I forgot to ask by how much. My mother has ms so I will be making an effort to be extra vigilant in takings the tablets.