If you are vitamin D deficient, what have you been prescribed?

[whowantsadog]

I've recently found out that my vitamin D levels are so low that it's not possible to get a reading on them (apparently below 30 doesn't register?) However, when I've collected my prescription they seem a much lower dosage on prescription than what I bought last week in Sainsbury's, and on googling it seems people are taking doses of around 5000iu for similar deficiencies. Do I need to double up? (Picture shows prescription on left and over the counter on the right).

I'm also hoping that you're going to tell me that getting your vit D levels back up transformed your life, helped you drop 2 stone and stopped you feeling 90 years old?

I haven't heard about below 30 not getting a reading. Above 30 is what's desirable, 20-30 is ok. Mine was hugely deficient (less than 20, I think I was 12). I now take a good vitamin (will check the doseage) and yes I feel loads better. The bone crushing exhaustion has gone!

I have also recently been told I am low on vitamin d. Was a bit surprised as I think I get outside quite a bit but I guess the English winter doesn't provide enough sunshine.

My GP didn't prescribe me anything, simply told me to go and buy them myself so I chose Tesco's own 25ug. I can't say I'm any less tired ( is this one of the symptoms?) as I have been completely floored the last 2 weeks with this coughing bug that has been going around.
Has played havoc with my pelvic floor but that's another thread altogether!

Is your prescription for 1 tablet a day?

I had Pro D3 prescribed before but it was the 800 IU I think
My new prescription is for Adcal D3 which is Vit D plus calcium - 200 IU of Vit D - taking 4 tablets a day = 800 IU vit D

Really not sure why you were told results under 30 could not be recognised.
Mine was 3 when I was given extra as 15 drops liquid daily and a daily tablet of 500% the normal dose. It is now up to 15 and slowly rising

I had a course of loading doses, cannot remember now, it was D3 and I now take a maintenance dose of 10,000 units per week.

my level was 18. dont know what it is now, this was a few years ago

nothing
I was told to get a supplement from a health food store...

My level was 12 and I was prescribed 20,000iu once a day for 2 weeks, then once a week.

Thank you all, I did wonder about the sub-30 not registering as I know from reading around that people get super low readings.

Anyway, yes, the prescription is for 1 a day of the 400iu tablets above. Maybe I'll take both? That would boost me up to 1400iu per day, which seems conservative compared to what the vitamin D council recommend here: www.vitamindcouncil.org/i-tested-my-vitamin-d-level-what-do-my-results-mean/

(Just want to check am not missing something or getting my measurements mixed up and likely to OD on vitamin D?!)

I'm severly deficient (8,06 ng/ml - 20 nmol/L) and I've been prescribed 3200 IU for 90 days. Probably a bit low but after 3 months it's meant to be retested and reviewed.
Isn't 400 IU just a normal dose that everyone should be taking? (according to NHS guidelines) Surely nowhere near enough for deficiency?

I was diagnosed in the bad old days, so my level was 10 and I was prescribed 400iu in Calcichew, which was full of aspartame and other nasties.

I now take 5,000 iu a day, which keeps my levels around the 100 mark. I can honestly say that sorting out my vitamin D deficiency has made me feel a great deal better and reduced pain levels almost to nothing.

My Vit D was 27 and I was prescribed 28,000units weekly for 12 weeks by an endocrinologist with a maintenance dose of 2,000 a day thereafter.

I will be spending short amounts of time in the sun without sunscreen as soon as it arrives.

Medication definitely helped my chronic pain.

Hope you feel better soon.

Oh, I was prescribed calciferol. HTH.

There are two different units of measurement. The recommended minimum vitamin D level is at least 20 ng/mL or 50 nmol/L. But that's the bare minimum - double that to feel good!
In my area the NHS guidelines are 60,000 IU of D3 per week. You should take vitamin k too.

Solgar tablets (10,000 IU) are reasonable on Amazon. Dont mess about with small doses - 400 or even 1400 won't touch the sides!

i take solgar liquid D3 2500iu. Tried capsules/tablets but noticed the most benefit from the liquid D3.

400 iu is 10 micro grams

This is the recommended daily amount to maintain normal levels in people whose levels are normal. It is considered low these days.

I was told to buy 25 micrograms/1000iu for a level of 38. I take or year round and double it in the winter or I hurt.

Derail, if you don't mind - but how do you get tested? Is this something the GP will do if you just request it?

Thank you, I'll look into the liquid. If you take 2500iu, how long would you take a daily dose that high? I don't feel like I can go back and ask the Doctor if he's already prescribed 400iu.

Serial - I initially went to the Drs because I've been vegan for a couple of years but also absolutely shattered, lacking motivation and a bit dizzy at times, and I wanted to check it wasn't low B12 or iron because of my diet. He said he'd test for everything, diabetes, thyroid etc. Everything else was all tip top. It's worth an ask if you feel awful.

Sorry Jellybaby - just seen your post, that's what worries me, that 1400 won't touch the sides! Off to amazon...

I've just been diagnosed as Vitamin D deficient and my GP has me on a loading dose of 20,000iu, twice a week for 7 weeks. Seems like the treatment varies depending on area, levels and your GP! 😧

My level was 16. My bones hurt. I'm coming to the end of a month's prescription of one capsule a day of 10,000 IU.

I have a blood test booked for next week to see how well that has worked, but the GP seemed vague about what maintenance dose I'll need. She said 'just buy the supermarket ones '. Umm.

There's not much sun where I live, and I have actinic keratosis anyway ( sun damage ) on face and hands.
April-October are the months when the North of the UK gets sun at the right level to provide vit D apparently.

The reason it is so variable is because there isn't clear cut evidence on what dose is required. If you are actually deficient (levels below around 30) you will need a large dose to get levels up. My local area recommends a treatment course of around 300,000 units. There are lots of ways you can do this - 40,000 twice a week for 7 weeks, 3200 daily for 12 weeks etc. Each area will have its own local guidelines. Once you've been treated there's usually no need to retest if you no longer have symptoms and you can take either a GP prescribed or over the counter maintenance dose. If you don't have symptoms of deficiency (muscle pains, tiredness) there is no point testing but it is recommended that everyone in the U.K. take an over the counter vit D supplement in the winter as we are not likely to get enough sunshine to synthesise our own supply (esp people of black or Asian origin). Hope that helps (I am a pharmacist in a GP surgery by the way and this vitamin D issue is a hot topic right now)

Ive been diagnosed with this today, was told to go to the pharmacy and buy some tablets with 800iu, he said that my level (38) was low but showed me on his computer that NHS recommends lifestyle changes and a top up dose for my level, im not vegan and he said I appeared fit and healthy so he'd just start taking the tablets and hopefully ill feel better in a few weeks. I was talking to my friend who is a pharmacist and she said quite a few people in our area have been diagnosed with vit d deficiency.

It depends what test they use some don't register below thirty. Below 25 is severely deficient, below 50 deficient, below 75 adequate, above that optimal by our standards. The tablets we use for deficient are fultium d3 two tablets twice a day (400iu per tablet) perhaps your GP is unclear on the prescription. Suggest levels checked every six months takes awhile to come back to normal

My level was 18 and was prescribed 20,000IU to be taken three times a week for about 6 weeks. Specialist wanted levels rechecked but GP surgery said they could only do so 12 months later so not sure what my level went up to.

Thanks, who. I am shattered generally with a 3 week old DS, but if I don't pull out of it in a few years months I shall look into it further.