all things vitamin D

bibliotekaren · Post by **bibliotekaren** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:00 am

Hi Peek,

I actually did peruse, umm, about 90% of the Vitamin D threads. Didn't see this mentioned.

However, since my question is a bit more on the less substantive side, I think I'll just go ahead take my Vit D in whatever form and plan to thrive and prosper.

Thanks for your response.

Donna

Post by **NHE** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:34 pm

bibliotekaren wrote:However, since my question is a bit more on the less substantive side, I think I'll just go ahead take my Vit D in whatever form and plan to thrive and prosper.

Here's one thing to consider, you will want to make sure that you are taking the D3 form of the vitamin and not the D2 form. The D3 form is the natural form produced and utilized by the body.

NHE

Post by **jimmylegs** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:00 pm

second

bibliotekaren · Post by **bibliotekaren** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:44 am

NHE and JL,

Thanks for the reminder on the D2 vs. D3. My favorite natural multi has D2. While it's not a concern since it's not my main source of Vitamin D, it makes me wonder about some of the other things -- the mineral forms.

It makes my head spin -- one thing at a time.

Thanks for the input.

Donna

Post by **NHE** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:41 pm

Hi Bibliotekaren,
I found this article to be an informative review on vitamin d3. By the way, the full article is available for free.

NHE

bibliotekaren · Post by **bibliotekaren** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:45 pm

NHE,

Nice, a peer-reviewed journal article that's free. This will give me a bit to chew on -- thanks!

Donna

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:36 am

Hi
of those of you who take high doses of Vit D3 - greater than 2,000 IU, do you regularly test your levels?

Finally I have got my Vit D3 up to 134 nmol/L after years of insufficiency and I'm hoping it might have a good effect on the MS. Many thanks to Jimmylegs in her help on this - thanks JL! More importantly my 17 month old son's D3 levels were 75nmol/L earlier in the year after supplementing for 6 months, so hopefully he will have less of a risk of MS.

I have seen the recent articles that say 4,000IU was given to PWMS over a long period, along with 1,200mg calcium.

Just wondering how frequently do you check your 25(0H) nmol/L levels?

Post by **jimmylegs** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:41 am

hi ww, you are welcome!

to answer your question, i can't say i test d3 regularly, but i do test it sporadically depending on the situation. for instance when i'm going to megadose, i have usually had an unsatisfactory baseline test. after i megadose, i do a follow-up test. it is very important to do this.

from the current state of the research, i consider the range for immune system health to be 100-250nmol/L.

early on, i had a test result 72. i megadosed for 10 days and got up to 149.

recently - after spending the winter taking 25,000/IU every one to two weeks, so probably just under 2000 - 4000 IU/d - i had a test result of only 103.

i decided i would be happier at 150 so i did about 8 days of megadosing (50,000IU/d), thinking it would be similar to the first experience and boost me into the 150 range.

instead this time my d3 shot up from 103 to 271. it appears that some of my other deficiencies, having been identified and corrected since my first mega D3 experience, have had a dramatic effect my body's d3 absorption.

monitoring is worth it - especially when a few thousand IU a day doesn't cut it and you take megadose short cuts!!

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:34 am

Thanks JL, useful info.
I have never megadosed like you, just gradually done 5000IU for the winter until about April, then 2000IU since. That's interesting you went up to 271! - gosh that's high! - did you have to do anything to bring it down, or did you just leave off the supplements for a while?

I agree about getting the other vits/minerals correct and it increasing the absorbtion - I made negligable progress until I got the cal/mag/zinc sorted too and the timing info you gave me about splitting the vit d dose helped I think, taking mag at one time with d, then calcium and mag later too.

Think I'll go twice a year to keep an eye on things.

Post by **jimmylegs** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:48 am

heya ww, i just stopped supplementing since the high result. actually, since about a week before the blood was taken - around june 12th i think? i was waiting for my results before starting up again.

i'm going aug 10 for follow-up bloodwork. i think the zinc might have had a lot to do with the sudden skyrocketing. d3 receptors have "zinc fingers" - maybe the body only builds so many of them when zinc levels are low??

ww i'm curious - how long were you having trouble before adding the cal/mag/zinc? once you started it, how long did it take for your d3 levels to come up?

twice a year sounds about right for monitoring. glad to hear that the levels have normalized/optimized!

JL

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:33 am

Yes you might be right about the zinc.

I had been trying to raise Vit D for a year but I think I was only taking 1-2000 IU so probably not enough. Last winter I got the other vits/mins sorted out as per your information, and increased dose to 5000 IU from about November to April and then it normalised.
Yay!

Going for a bone density scan this week too because it looks as if I might have had low calcium/vit D for a few years....got a low result in 2005 but never followed it up. Good luck on Aug 10th.

Post by **jimmylegs** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:39 am

awesome ww!

since the d3/cal/mag/zinc are all beneficial for bones too, i wonder how much time will be needed to see improvement (given that you've been low for a few years now)? i hope, with all the supplementing, that you get a better bone density result this time - let me know

potentially useful link:
Other Nutrients and Bone Health At A Glance
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bo ... rients.asp

take care

JL

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:32 pm

Thanks JL that link is very informative.

Forgot to say that I encouraged another MS-friend who is not as "into" the research as I am to go for her D3 levels too. She was sceptical she would be deficient but her results came back at 49nmol/L too - identical to my levels last year. She is now also supplementing to get her levels up. So 2 people are in your debt.

Post by **jimmylegs** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:57 am

great to hear that she's aware and working on it now!

Wonderfulworld · Post by **Wonderfulworld** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:16 am

Hi JL
you said to let you know about th bone density - it's normal. I am delighted. It wasn't actually bone density that I had tested previously, just calcium levels in my blood and they were low. I had so many risk factors for osteoporosis yet I have escaped!

By the way I had to stop cal/mag/d3/zinc and my multivit for a few days prior to the Dexa scan. I have been in discomfort since, with cramping and cricks in my neck and shoulders, keeping me awake at night. So I think the cal/mag is really helping my tight muscles.

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