Quoted from ruthiegirl

4,ooo-5,000 iu per day. I had 1,000 iu capsules and took 4 or 5  a day, not really being careful to keep track of exactly how much.

for how long?

If your capsules of D3 are not working, you could try the sublingual D3.  At the moment, I'm taking 5000 IU/day, 5 days a week, and it brought my levels up to 70.

You need to take it with a meal including fat for it to be effective too.  I hadn't realized that.  Now I'm taking it with my breakfast.  I was taking it before bed with my cal-mag-zinc.  I take my thyroid meds in the morning first thing and there has to be 4 hours between that and the calcium.  Sometimes I think there aren't enough hours in the day for all the stuff I take.

I've been taking the 4,000 iu or so a day for about a year, and I've been taking it with or right after breakfast.

Though, when I stop to think about it, I might have skipped some days, or taken only 3,000iu some days.

I think I'll stick with the oral D3 I just bought and see how my numbers look in 3 months when I get the blood test re-done. My only question right now is whether I should take 10,000 iu per day as my doctor ordered, or if I should take a higher amount for a few days, to bring my levels up more quickly, before settling into 10,000 iu per day.

Anybody with vitamin D concerns or low levels on any vitamin D test should really see an endocrinologist.  All other doctors don't know as much about it as they think they do, and for me that was dangerous.

I'm getting my D levels checked by a doctor every 3 months. If they still aren't going up, I'm seeing an Endo.  

Ruthie at least your levels are higher than mine.  Mine are 31 !    I also read that we are supposed to take the D with the largest meal of the day for best absorption.

Quoted from shoulderblade

As far as I know 400 I.U. is the recomended daily dose, 2000 I.U is the conventional maximum daily dose and anything higher is supposed to be taken only with a Dr.'s recomendation and supervision.

Bruce, 400 ius is old school. All of the doctors now say minimum of 1,000 ius a day even for children.

Quoted from Jane

31 is still low, isn't it?  Mine were in the high 30s and my endo told me to take 10,000 IUs while I was sick and then 5000 IUs after that.  I asked the pharmacist at the compounding pharmacy that I go to recommend a brand - don't remember the name offhand - hadn't seen it before.  I was taking the Whole Foods brand 1000s but it has soy oil in it and on 2000 IUs a day plus what's in my Cal Mag Zinc, I wasn't getting enough.  I also wasn't taking it with food which I'm now doing.  

I and Chloe agree it's still too low. My doctor thinks it's normal..   (a grasshopper)  I'm trying to get my levels up to at least 90.

I think I'll stick with what I'm doing until my next re-check. If the numbers are still low in 3 months, I'll ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.

We just need brands of D that we can absorb. That's the only problem. I'll find out next month if I'm absorbing Now brand.

Been taking 10,000 IUs for the last 3 months.. never felt better.  Here's some interesting peer-reviewed articles (abstracts) regarding the safety of high does of D:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19918922

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19729890

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19101755

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18802363

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18525006

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20136906

Idaho + winter + school = no sunshine :/

Thanks Eric. The last link doesn't mention how much D is to be taken though...
I hope you get your levels tested.. Vitamin D is fat soluable and it's not a good idea to just randomly take 10,000 ius without knowing your levels..   

BTW Ruthie, the 50,000 ius is D2. You are correct. It did raise my levels but not by much..and that was in the summer..

Quoted from Mayflowers

Bruce, 400 ius is old school. All of the doctors now say minimum of 1,000 ius a day even for children.

True, but no one changes the RDA, do they? It seems that once you abandon the base level you are left on your own to come up with a solution that you can convince yourself makes sense. It does seem that RDA standards, once in effect, take on a permanent quality that resists alteration by any further research but there is really no other general standard aside from someones opinion or the results of your own research.

The base level of 400 ius is clearly wrong. The doctors said that because they didn't know and decided on a nice round figure.  We make 10-30 thousand ius in one sun bath..in the summer..

Possibly. Thing is that knowing something is wrong is not much help in finding what is right.

Take Vitamin C. Last time I heard the RDA was 60 mg./day but if you go to a Drug Store you can't find anything containing less than 250 mg. The base figure seems to be wrong but who decieded that 4X+ that level was right? The consumer, the Vitamin maker, Vitamin promoters, health gurus...??

The whole system lacks credible authority.

check how much D actually is in Dr D s D......
serves as a guide
http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP066

Quoted from Lola

check how much D actually is in Dr D s D......
serves as a guide
http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP066

My apology, almost void of credible authority. Generally letting go of old benchmarks leaves you adrift in a sea of speculation.

I got my results for the Vitamin D test back (D3). In January it was 56 nmol/L (equivalent of 22ng/ml), now it is 50 nmol/L (equivalent of 20 mg/ml)  . So it has gone down - I am not happy.

Curious, what have you done different since your previous test?

Quoted from Curious

I got my results for the Vitamin D test back (D3). In January it was 56 nmol/L (equivalent of 22ng/ml), now it is 50 nmol/L (equivalent of 20 mg/ml)  . So it has gone down - I am not happy.

Are you taking the same vitamin D? The same dosage? Seems like your body isn't absorbing it.

I'm going to try Dr. D's vitamin D as soon as I have $25 ...

I received a health report in the regular mail, touting the effects and importance of Strontium, that it is clearly more effective for building healthy bones than calcium and D combined...hmm.  It helps weak bones become stronger and less able to fracture!  So I thought. I wonder if Dr. D has this... And....behold...
it's in his Phyto D formula!    The man has been there done that..! Impressive...most impressive...

So, I'm like, Why doesn't Dr. D have it in his multi mineral formulas as well..??  Because it competes with calcium for absorption and calcium always wins!  So you have to NOT take the Phyto D with your calcium but far away from it.
Yep, he's been there...done that.

Oh, and it's on sale..$19.99 (would be nice if they could keep it at that price.   When I get paid next week I have to get some before the free shipping is over!

And another thing! Dr. D advocates 4,0000 ius a day of D. His phyto D formula is 2,000 ius, 1 cap twice a day! I

I don't think that Strontium is in anything he recommended that I take.  I looked and it's not there.   I don't believe they sell any of his fabulous supplements at the UB.  

I am getting ready to place an order for a few things and I think I will add that too!  Great find Mayflowers, you da bomb baby.

Quoted from Frosty

I am getting ready to place an order for a few things and I think I will add that too!  Great find Mayflowers, you da bomb baby.

Hey we osteo's have to stick together!

Quoted from Victoria

Curious, what have you done different since your previous test?

Victoria, I am not sure what I have done differently. I have taken D3 drops by BioCeuticals (recommended by my naturopath) after the low reading in January. I took 3 drops once a day (that should have given me 3000 IU). Then I went on holidays for 6 weeks and the drops ran out. I got lots of sunshine in the first 3 weeks of holidays and less in the second 3 weeks. Since I have been back (middle of August) I have not taken any supplements.

I got the drops again yesterday and decided to take 3 drops twice a day. That should give me 6000IU.

I am suprised that the reading this time was lower than the reading in January, but I can't explain it.