It's hard to say, with all the other stuff going on in my life right now. I've felt pretty lousy since my Dad died in March, and I'm not sure how much is stress and how much is a physical reaction to some "bad" foods I ate as a result of that stress. So, overall, I'm feeling pretty lousy these days, in spite of my increased vitamin D levels.

I think my immune system against viruses has improved. As I said, both my sons had a 48 hour stomach virus a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't get it. Usually I'm pretty susceptible to viruses.
Another thing is bone density. I hope I can reverse the osteopenia.

Quoted from Mayflowers

I think my immune system against viruses has improved. As I said, both my sons had a 48 hour stomach virus a couple of weeks ago, and I didn't get it. Usually I'm pretty susceptible to viruses.
Another thing is bone density. I hope I can reverse the osteopenia.

Same here...I forgot about the osteopenia, mine was secondary to gluten...grrrrr....other than my food issues, I haven't had a cold, flu, virus, nothing, and that in spite of a persistent low white cell count too...

Quoted from ruthiegirl

It's hard to say, with all the other stuff going on in my life right now. I've felt pretty lousy since my Dad died in March, and I'm not sure how much is stress and how much is a physical reaction to some "bad" foods I ate as a result of that stress. So, overall, I'm feeling pretty lousy these days, in spite of my increased vitamin D levels.

Feel better Ruthie...eat ghee, that makes me feel great!! I think I'm addicted...

Really sorry about your Dad...

Are most people deficient in Vit D? How much sun does a body need to get in order to maintain their levels? Is Vit D3 found in many foods?

Also, I'm thinking of trying to get my levels checked, but I don't have health insurance (hence no primary doctor). What do I ask for when setting up an appt?

Here is a link with some information that might help:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-to-get-your-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-supplementation/

Quoted from 14428

Here is a link with some information that might help:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-to-get-your-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-supplementation/

Thanks for the link!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16850115

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=7227

I can tell when I need to "up" my D because fibromyalgia symptoms return.  Even though my D
level is higher than most...I still feel it's too low.

Drea,  I just go there and ask the doctor to check my vitamin D levels. If he laughs at you just say you want to know for your own information.   They draw blood at my primary office. They have their own lab there but send out tests like D levels.

Quoted from Chloe

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16850115

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?id=7227

I can tell when I need to "up" my D because fibromyalgia symptoms return.  Even though my D
level is higher than most...I still feel it's too low.

Still taking 5,000?

hormesis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Yx-CpYrM0

might be worth looking into as well.......a term Dr D used
helps some form of absorption

how much is too much and how little is too little.......that is the question

Quoted from Mayflowers

Still taking 5,000?

About that.....some days a little more....but I average 5,000 most days.  I muscle test to see if
I need more.  (I know...not everyone is into muscle testing, but this is how I determine which
supplements I need).

Quoted from Chloe

About that.....some days a little more....but I average 5,000 most days.  I muscle test to see if
I need more.  (I know...not everyone is into muscle testing, but this is how I determine which
supplements I need).

Can you explain how you muscle test, I am interested...

Quoted from Chloe

I can tell when I need to "up" my D because fibromyalgia symptoms return.  Even though my D level is higher than most...I still feel it's too low.

I'm so glad I read this just now! My fibro symptoms have returned, and I wasn't sure why. Last night and this morning, I was truly in pain- that all over muscle soreness that I haven't really experienced in a good long while.

I've been blaming it on the stress of my Dad's death, but maybe it's the vitamin D. When I had my last recheck, my doctor told me my levels were too high and needed to be brought down (and nowhere could I find the info that 83 was still within a safe range) so I stopped taking any D for about a week and then I restarted it at much lower levels. I know this was around the time my Dad died because I remember thinking "OK, I'll resume the D when shiva (the weeklong period of most intense mourning) ends."

I just took 10,000 iu of D3, instead of the 5,000 iu I'd been taking 5-6 days a week. I think I'll resume the 10,000 a  day and stick with that level indefintiely.

WOW. 10,000 IU a day. The latest bottle of D3 I bought is only 1000 IU, and I've been taking 2-3 caps per day. When this bottle is finished, I'll look for something with a higher dose per capsule. I do have some liquid D3 that is 5000 per dropperful, but I don't like just putting it on my tongue, and forget to add it to my meals.

For people with fibromyalgia (as Ruthie and I have), it appears that we feel better when our D level
is high... I was feeling rather rotten for the past week and upped my D to 10,000 iu today.  Will stay with it for another week to see if I bounce back.  The typical fibromyalgia trigger points start to ache
when I'm not getting enough D.  Also if I don't spray enough magnesium oil on my body in the
morning, I start getting achy and my mood changes.

Some people might do fine on lower doses of D but those with fibromyalgia really need to be taking
optimum doses.

I'd been forgetting to do the mag oil last week too. It's often a choice between doing the mag oil in the morning or getting another half hour of sleep. I did it Sunday morning, sunday night, Monday morning, and this morning, but I'd neglected it for about a week prior to that.

I'd cut back on the D in the mistaken beleif that my levels were too high and needed to come down a little. I see now that I was mistaken, and that I need to take way more than 5,000 iu per day to prevent problems. I think I'll keep on taking 10,000 iu per day (two 5,000 iu capsules) all year long in spite of what my doctor keeps saying.

Quoted from ruthiegirl

I'd been forgetting to do the mag oil last week too. It's often a choice between doing the mag oil in the morning or getting another half hour of sleep. I did it Sunday morning, sunday night, Monday morning, and this morning, but I'd neglected it for about a week prior to that.

I'd cut back on the D in the mistaken beleif that my levels were too high and needed to come down a little. I see now that I was mistaken, and that I need to take way more than 5,000 iu per day to prevent problems. I think I'll keep on taking 10,000 iu per day (two 5,000 iu capsules) all year long in spite of what my doctor keeps saying.

Ruthie, when I get up to go to the bathroom around 7 pm even if I'm not ready to get up for
the day, I go into the bathroom, spray 8 pumps into my hand and rub it on one leg...do
the same for the other leg and do the same for each arm...Takes about 30 seconds and then
i go back to bed for another 45 minutes or more.   Then, I can shower because my magnesium been absorbed by then.

But then I get that salty magnesium stuff into my sheets, which makes my bed less comfortable and I'll have trouble falling asleep at night. I have a lot of issues with going to sleep, and keeping my bed comfortable can mean the difference between falling asleep the first time I go to bed, or not falling asleep, and getting up to read for a few hours,

Quoted from ruthiegirl

But then I get that salty magnesium stuff into my sheets, which makes my bed less comfortable and I'll have trouble falling asleep at night. I have a lot of issues with going to sleep, and keeping my bed comfortable can mean the difference between falling asleep the first time I go to bed, or not falling asleep, and getting up to read for a few hours,

OK....how about your wrap a plain top sheet around your body after spraying yourself, then lie back down in bed -- protecting your bed sheet.

Quoted from Chloe

OK....how about your wrap a plain top sheet around your body after spraying yourself, then lie back down in bed -- protecting your bed sheet.

I spray at night.  If I did that in the morning, I would never be able to go back to sleep.  I noticed that it stings a little when I spray the magnesium oil and sometimes I will itch for a bit.  I do use the swansons magnesium oil.  Either of you feel like that when you put the oil on?

Quoted from Kim

I spray at night.  If I did that in the morning, I would never be able to go back to sleep.  I noticed that it stings a little when I spray the magnesium oil and sometimes I will itch for a bit.  I do use the swansons magnesium oil.  Either of you feel like that when you put the oil on?

Do you use it at night because it relaxes you so much?  I don't feel tired from spraying it.
32 sprays when I wake up.

I find the spray itches in various places on my body.  Like behind my legs....but not in front of
them....on my torso but not on my arms.   And if I stop using it for a few days, when I go back
to it, I itch all over.  I use the Swanson's mag oil too.  Cheapest and oil comes from the same location as the more expensive brands.  The Zechstein sea bed.

This is interesting...the relationship of D to magnesium

http://evitamind.com/taking-magnesium-with-vitamin-d/

How much mag. do you get from 32 sprays?

I just spray it on and massage it in.  I can't say I have ever paid attention to how many sprays I use.  I pretty much itch just about everywhere I spray.

I have a hard time going back to sleep if something really wakes me up, that is it for sleeping.  I have chronic fatigue and fibro too.

Quoted from Victoria

How much mag. do you get from 32 sprays?

8 sprays provides 960mg of Magnesium Chloride (about 100mg of pure elemental
Magnesium)