Vitamn D supplements - how much to take

[KatyMac]

I have diagnosed Vitamin D deficiency & the version the GP gave me upset my tummy. So he asked me to find some that agreed with me & work out what dose helps me - I have found a reasonable one (a spray) which seems to be working - but I'm not sure what dose

Currently I'm on 3000 IU a day but I've seen 20,000 twice a week as a recommended dose - which I could do by doubling up, so morning & night - but I didn't understand the twice a week thing rather than the everyday thing

If you supplement how much do you take?

Bump

I take 5000IU a day when I remember. Have never had levels checked. This is a useful site:
www.vitamindcouncil.org/

A pharmacist should be able yo advise you. I have osteoporosis & take a Vit D & calcium high dose tablet twice a day. It's absorbed better splitting the dose am & pm..
I am in Australia so I'm not familiar with UK brands now. I did have a highly strength tablet that I took once a month. I don't see that Dr anymore now. The tablet had to be made at a compounding pharmacy so I do t know if that option is available in the UK.

I am not sure about IU. Mine have ug (u = greek letter mu, ie micrograms). One IU is supposed to be 0.025ug

5-10ug per day is ok for every day, 25ug/day to get levels back up to normal. I take a cheap sainsbury's 25ug.

If your levels are seriously low, the doctor should be able to give you an injection. One gp I saw seemed a bit disappointed mine wasn't that low

How much you need to make your levels replete will depend on your starting point. However, I could get no real help from the NHS when my level was 10 ie 40 points below the beginning of the range, and I found 5,00ius a day raised the level pretty quickly and now, like a previous poster, I take 5,000iu when I remember.

If you’re in the UK, Google vitamin D protocol plus your area and see what comes up. That should give you good up to date guidance.

I had an injection at one point, but it was D2, not D3 and my already perilous level actually went down!

Good question, but don't know the answer I'm afraid. I'm on 20,000iu three times a week, but it's a pain trying to remember. I have reminders on my phone, but a daily dose would be easier to fit into a routine IYSWIM.

I am going to check with GP at next appointment.

I'm thinking maybe 3000 every morning and an extra 3000 every other day would be closest to 5000 a day

Pharmacist Suggested RDA which is tiny & even the GP agreed was too low - the GP just suggested messing around with amounts until I was happy

I wasn't that low at 27 so I guess I can be a bit generous for a while to get me up to normal levels - the GP said they wouldn't retest for at least a year, so I won't know if it's working

I think its pretty hard to overdose in vitD, so you can safely experiment a bit. The vit D council website (above) lists a lab that will test your levels privately.

Off to buy some more

DH has decided he needs some too, he might be might as he is Jamaican

When my vit D was low my GP prescribed me Pro D 20,000, I was told to take one a day for 14 days then one a month.

Thanks

I was diagnosed with a severe Vit D deficiency a while back. My level was 10 and i was prescribed 10,000iu a day for a month, then 5000iu a day for 2 weeks after that. Then 2000iu for ages. When I eventually had my levels retested about 12-18mo later - my level was 117!

When I was diagnosed, the factory had burnt down(?) so I was told to buy some from holland and barrett which gave me no side effects.

Anyway, I now take 3000iu a day (if I remember). I think 3000-5000iu daily/every other day is a safe enough amount to keep your levels optimal. I believe the biggest risk is kidney stones, but you'd have to be taking a ridiculous + prolonged dose for that.

I would definitely suggest that you DH takes some. Many white people are deficient, so I would bet money that his levels are pretty low too.

Waffle Waffle. Sorry :)

My vitamin D level was deficient at 21 so my GP prescribed 2 weeks of 20,000iu daily and then 3 months of 800iu. After completing the 3 months course I had my blood retested and my vitamin D level went up to 63. I'm now taking 1,000iu as maintenance.

The protocol I am looking at says 1,000iu once the level is over 75.

I take 5,000iu when I remember (so effectively about three times a week) and like to keep my level over 100.

I am a different person from when it was 10!