Quoted from Mayflowers

Took my Army son to the doctor last Saturday to make sure he was ok and I asked the doctor to check his vitamin D levels..so the doctor looks at me and laughs! He said why? He's a kid! He's fine! I said please just do it anyway. So he reluctantly agreed..   Oh, guess what? My son's level is 27 .... So what was that doctor laughing at?  He should know better than to question me...

You're a very smart mom to have insisted your son get tested....Most everyone is deficient in
vitamin D.  What did the doctor say after he saw your son's low level of D?

Quoted from Chloe

You're a very smart mom to have insisted your son get tested....Most everyone is deficient in vitamin D.  What did the doctor say after he saw your son's low level of D?

Thanks Chloe..He said to put him on 1-2000 a day over the counter...

My oldest son's vitamin D level just came back today.. 17      That kid worries me. He's a very picky eater..  I've been giving him 5,000 ius since he got sick every day. He drinks a lot of milk..I wonder if that caused the malabsorption...?  I can't get him off cow's milk.. but it's beneficial for a B.. Except I think he's a Nomad

What did the doctor who laughed at you when you wanted him to test it say?  

Quoted from Mayflowers

My oldest son's vitamin D level just came back today.. 17      That kid worries me. He's a very picky eater..  I've been giving him 5,000 ius since he got sick every day. He drinks a lot of milk..I wonder if that caused the malabsorption...?  I can't get him off cow's milk.. but it's beneficial for a B.. Except I think he's a Nomad

Try switching him to cream, heavy cream, whipping cream, by different names. Nomads may do better with it.
You can add water.

Quoted from Jane

What did the doctor who laughed at you when you wanted him to test it say?  

No, the doctor laughed at me with Niki who's D level is 27 and below normal as well... (They have no idea who they're dealing with)

Quoted from san j

Try switching him to cream, heavy cream, whipping cream, by different names. Nomads may do better with it.
You can add water.

I can try.. he loves cream, and whipped cream.. He's lost a lot of weight. He looks like a 6'3" string bean.  

Quoted from Mayflowers

I can try.. he loves cream, and whipped cream.. He's lost a lot of weight. He looks like a 6'3" string bean.  

1. Did you try the cream with him? Tasty, huh?
2. Nomads don't necessarily gain weight with cream. I think it's because the "fill" factor is strong. You know, you don't feel as hungry afterward, it's so rich. You use less. You eat less.

I was doing some reading on vitamin D.  Vitamin D2 is the vegetarian version and D3 is the animal derived version.  I didn't know that..     

I got my results from my vitamin D re-test today.

On November 17th, my total vitamin D level was 34. This was after a couple of years of taking 4,000-5,000 iu daily. So, the doctor tells me to start taking 2,000 iu daily.   When I reminded her that this was my level WITH taking 5,000 a day, she told me to take 10,000 iu daily and get re-checked in 3 months.

I started taking 10,000 iu per day after speaking to the doctor's office. When DD1 got sick in January, I upped my dosage to 20,000 per day for a while, then to 15,000. Now I take 2 or 3 pills (5,000 iu each) per day. I'm not really consistent on the amount, but I've been sure that it's at least 10,000 iu each day.

I went for another vitamin D test last Thursday (2/24) and got the results today. My levels are up to 83!! The doctor's instructions are now to drop down to 1,000 iu per day, and retest in 3 months.

According to the Vitamin D Council, my levels are actually a bit too high. On this page, they state that healthy levels are between 50 and 80 ng/mL

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml

Should I try to get my vitamin D level to drop a bit? Should I stop taking it for a week or so then restart? How much should I take when I start back up? I'm afraid that if I drop down to 1,000 iu per day for 3 months, I'll be deficient again. I was deficient after taking 5,000 iu daily for years.

I'm not having much luck communicating with my doctor via telephone, as she doesn't make her own calls. I have to speak through the (secretary? receptionist? nurse?) who makes the calls- she'll tell me something crazy (like take 2,000 iu per day to correct a deficiency I developed while taking 5,000 iu per day) and then I tell her my concerns, she talks to the dr and then calls me back the next day. I'm wondering if I should make an appointment to see her again so I can discuss this properly, or if I should try and figure this out on my own.

Ruthie, are you using D3?

Quoted from Mayflowers

My oldest son's vitamin D level just came back today.. 17      That kid worries me. He's a very picky eater..  I've been giving him 5,000 ius since he got sick every day. He drinks a lot of milk..I wonder if that caused the malabsorption...?  I can't get him off cow's milk.. but it's beneficial for a B.. Except I think he's a Nomad

Is your oldest son a non-secretor?

Yes, I'm using D3,and I always have.

I already decided not to take any today, but I'm not sure what to do after that. I'm thinking of not taking any at all for a few days, maybe a whole week.

Then I need to decide how much I should take each day once I resume. 5,000 iu per day is  the level I was taking for years when I developed the deficiency. I can't imagine I'd ever go under that. 10,000 iu per day is what the doctor thinks I've been taking all this time, although in reality I've been taking more. I'm thinking that maybe going back to what she recomended in the first place will keep me at a healthy level.

Or I could make an appointment with her so I can actually discuss this with her face to face, and explain that I took more than recomended, share my concerns about taking too little, and get her educated opinion without going through the receptionist. But I honestly don't know how much she knows about nutrition and vitamin supplements- will her opinion be any better than what I can get on this forum?

I have followed this post from the beginning and was hesitant to add a different perspective not wanting to start a debate. Recently, my ND started telling all of her patients to stop taking extra Vitamin D. She explained several reasons that I can't duplicate but she also gave all of her patients the following which I found online. I know there is a lot of info to the contrary but there is also some thought provoking data inline with the following artice. In the end, we all have to do what we feel is right, but it is always good to see all sides before making decisions. If anyone is interested:

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Vitamin_D_Overdose

I am no longer adding D3 to my daily vitamins. And just as a FYI, my ND will be attending Dr. D's conference in May and she has studied under him. Obviously, not all professionals will agree on everything.

One of the things my ND said that stuck with me was our body cannot get rid of excess vitamin D. It has to be utilized and will take a very long time to get rid of excess. It is stored in fat cells at toxic levels and makes people sick. She feels what we get in a daily vitamin is plently and is critical of the methods used in testing actual levels.

the form of vit D is key

the chemical one should be avoided at all costs

http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP066

Quoted from Wholefoodie

I have followed this post from the beginning and was hesitant to add a different perspective not wanting to start a debate. Recently, my ND started telling all of her patients to stop taking extra Vitamin D. She explained several reasons that I can't duplicate but she also gave all of her patients the following which I found online. I know there is a lot of info to the contrary but there is also some thought provoking data inline with the following artice. In the end, we all have to do what we feel is right, but it is always good to see all sides before making decisions. If anyone is interested:

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Vitamin_D_Overdose

I am no longer adding D3 to my daily vitamins. And just as a FYI, my ND will be attending Dr. D's conference in May and she has studied under him. Obviously, not all professionals will agree on everything.

One of the things my ND said that stuck with me was our body cannot get rid of excess vitamin D. It has to be utilized and will take a very long time to get rid of excess. It is stored in fat cells at toxic levels and makes people sick. She feels what we get in a daily vitamin is plently and is critical of the methods used in testing actual levels.

simply NOT true...
Danes f ex only meet the LOW reccomendation by 2/3 RDIin food...
and only tiny amounts of the newer higher advice.
My daughter took 100 %  RDI and still got a low test( and lots of tiredness and sickness.

I live in an area where only June/July and maybe September provide enough from sun
and I would have to eat at least 600-800 gram salmon pr week ! to get enough( low RDI)

for me it is the form of D that matters- and getting enough vitam A as well.

Arghh! I had a long post half typed up when DS came home from school and I paused to take care of him. He had a tantrum (when I refused to get him food after he cursed at me) and, as part of that tantrum, he turned off the computer and my half- typed post is gone forever.

To try and recap what I'd spent time typing up earlier:

I do appreciate your input WholeFoodie, and I don't think you should ever be afraid to say something when others on the thread are saying the opposite. I took a look at your link and found that it didn't have the information I'm specifically looking for. There's lots of talk about what doses of vitamin D might cause toxicity, and whether or not supplementation is needed at all, but there seems to be ZERO information out there about what blood levels of vitamin D are associated with toxicity symptoms. Is the upper limit of 80 ng/mL set as a "safety zone" so that nobody ever reaches the actual toxic levels of 90 or 100 or 200 or 500, or am I in danger right now because I'm over 80? Is that level set because there's no more benefit over that level, or because it's actually unsafe?

The fact remains that blood tests showed a vitamin D deficiency even when I had been taking 5,000 iu/day for several years. I don't think it's practical for me to "not supplement." I'm light skinned and don't use sunscreen regularly, but I also cover most of my body for religious reasons, and generally prefer to stay in the air-conditioning during the heat of the day in the summertime. I certainly can't get enough vitamin D from sunlight in the winter this far north, but I doubt I'll get enough even in the summertime.

I could still use some input. I stopped taking any vitamin D for a week, and now I'm not sure if I should take 5,000 per day or 10,000 per day (or maybe alternate for an average of 7,500 per day?)

I want to have steady, healthy levels of D in my system. I don't want my levels to bounce around as I take too much, then too little, etc. I won't be  retested for another 3 months, and I don't want to become deficient again during that time.

Hi ruthie,
Wow VWD on getting your levels back up!!  My lab report said that normal is 32-100. So relax.
You're not OD'ing.  I have Osteopenia at a level of 25.  I want my levels up in the 70-80's myself.
You can try taking 5,000 ius a week for 3 months and re test. You'll just have to  use trial and error to see how your levels do. It's the brand of vitamin D. The brand you were taking was obviously not a high grade. So now that you take the higher grade, the level shot up. I figured when you said you were taking 10,000 every day that it would go up.  I'm taking 5,000 ius a day sometimes I'll take 10,000. Not often.  

Quoted from Victoria

Is your oldest son a non-secretor?

I don't know I have to have them tested. Seems like a waste when he won't follow the B diet.  

I usually take 5000IUs a day plus there's a little in the Cal-Mag-Zinc I take.  When I was sick sometimes I double up.    My endocrinologist had me on the 50,000 last spring when levels were still low.  This is such an interesting topic.  I'm hoping that we get some good answers soon.

Vitamin D and magnesium. Important. est 80% of US deficient in magnesium- supplementing D can make worse longer term without correcting... http://drcarolyndean.com/2013/03/dean-overview-and-magnesium-basics/

Vitamin D and magnesium. Important. est 80% of US deficient in magnesium- supplementing D can make worse longer term without correcting... http://drcarolyndean.com/2013/03/dean-overview-and-magnesium-basics/

Quoted Text

SECOND QUESTION: This involved my short presentation about being cautious using high doses of Vitamin D. This angered people who said I was dead wrong because they had benefited from high dose Vitamin D. But far more people agreed that they had been harmed by too much Vitamin D. The ratio was 5 against Vitamin D to 1 for Vitamin D. Judging from the mood of the people who berated me for my cautious advice, I would say their irritability is probably due to magnesium deficiency.

Basically Vitamin D is a hormone with a feedback mechanism to let you know if you have enough calcium. Because we are so calcified with supplements and fortified foods, our Vitamin D levels in general are low. This has been interpreted as a deficiency and not as a reaction to calcium. Also Vitamin D requires magnesium to transform it from the storage form to the active form. So when you take Vitamin D in high doses you overuse your magnesium and you hold on to more calcium which also knocks out your magnesium. People who are already magnesium deficient can get hit very hard. The 20% of people who can metabolize Vitamin D without ill effects do well on it. To determine which you are is difficult. So, what you do is monitor you 25-OH Vitamin D levels, work up to about 800mg of magnesium and slowly build up your Vitamin D using 1,000-2,000 IU daily.

Interesting connection there, AK.  

Thought this might be a good place to share this:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315105200.htm