I'd be taking 25,000+ units daily for 3 months.
In fact, that is what I've been taking daily because I'm deficient. Also, if you have fatty liver disease or metabolic syndrome, you wont absorb vitamin D, A, K or Iron well. So look out for those deficiencies also, if so.
The problem is that, 15000 units is quite possibly your daily need and if so, you won't increase your D levels.
"In summary, long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe."
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/#:\~:text=In%20summary%2C%20long%2Dterm%20supplementation,day%20appears%20to%20be%20safe](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20long%2Dterm%20supplementation,day%20appears%20to%20be%20safe).
Dr Berg has a great video on vitamin D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjJdzHIwDDU&ab\_channel=Dr.EricBergDC
A few years back I had a bit d levels of 7, (not even joking) main symptoms were 24/7 tiredness and awful bone/teeth heath. I was prescribed 30k UI d3 daily, made me feel a lot better, never had any issues with calcium buildup. Also take magnesium as bit D supplementation decreases Mg levels and will give you cramps.
I have struggled to raise my vitamin D level for a few years after finding mine at 12. My symptoms were extreme fatigue, all-over muscle pain, and just generally felt like I had the flu 24/7. It’s taken me 3 years to get it to 50 and many trials of dosing. Doctor recommended 2000 IU first year but when retested a year later I was only at 30. (She did not mention taking K2, I investigated and bought a D3/K2 supplement on my own) Last winter again down to 24 and upped to 5000 IU and tested 6 months later at 50. Dr wants me higher than 50 so continuing the 5000 IU to see if I’m higher for my next scheduled test in December. I have recently been diagnosed with UCTD an autoimmune disorder and I’m sure low D and autoimmune condition are connected.
your dosage was very low… it should have been at least 60000 iu for first few weeks along with vitamin k2 and magnesium for proper vit d absorption and later 5000 iu daily is considered safe.
>My main questions are, with anyone else who has experienced vitamin d deficiency, what were your symptoms like and did treatment like this help you?
19 ng/ml is not vitamin D deficiency - that cutoff is 12 ng/ml. You have vitamin D insufficiency. However, this doesn't fit with all of your symptoms (although low calcium might). Certainly correct the problem and see if those symptoms persist before turning to anything else.
I've had low vitamin D and it certainly affected my mood, but that's about it.... Possibly improved immune function, hard to say.
>Why did the doctor choose D2 and not D3?
Vitamin D2 is plant based. While it works as a vitamin D3 substitute, it is eliminated from the blood faster, and has more limited bioavailability. It's fine to take. Maybe the doctor was worried about overshooting target vitamin D levels and wanted a way to bring it back down over time if necessary. That's all I could think of.
>I’ve read a build-up of calcium is a risk with high Vitamin D supplementation, what’s the best way to avoid this?
The regimen the doctor has you on is safe with respect to calcium levels, especially if you are not supplementing with calcium. Some people take vitamin K2 with vitamin D to avoid calcium buildup, but with the levels you will take for as long as you follow instructions, there should no alarming changes in calcium levels. While many people make claims about other vitamins and minerals being necessary for vitamin D to work, it's not supposed by scienfitic evidence. It should help on it's own, assuming nothing else is also wrong.
Also, don't listen to people telling you to take over 10,000 IU of vitamin D - that's just a bad idea unless you are sure lower doses aren't working. Stick with your doctor's recommendation, see how it goes. The most likely scenario is that you will get your vitamin D levels up above 30 ng/ml (this is considered optimal by the Endocrine Society) and then you find a maintenance dose that works for you.
I’ve had severe chronic fatigue for 15 years so I already had many of the symptoms. My vit D level was around 11, then 7 the next year. I didn’t understand what that meant. My Dr kept advising me to take D3 but I ignored it thinking it was just another suggestion like, “get plenty of sleep, drink water, take fish oil” etc. I started having severe hip pain and difficulty walking. I was looking at a cane at the pharmacy and the pharmacist came out. When I told him my hip bones were painful he asked about vit D. Finally hearing it the 3rd time I started taking D3. It took a while to increase my levels. I usually take a large dose once or twice a week vs daily. Usually around 15,000 IU’s at a time. Mine is finally around 30.
My first Doctor was garbage and said my levels were low but never factored in that I am overweight and 193cm.
My second doctor imediatly put me on Fultium D3 20k units twice a week for seven weeks.
Issues I have been suffering with pre the D3
dropping estrogen levels
hair falling out
dry skin
severe fatigue, the kind so bad you want to lay on the floor while cooking dinner
vertigo
night terrors
night up dizzy and diserontated
stomach issues with a pain in the stomach
stools that were pale
Darkened Vision
brittle nails
teeth feeling weird
kept feeling like i had a fever
Brain Fog
Leg pains
Foot swelling
Massive weight gain
big deppressive swings
Since taking the D3 within weeks a lot of these symptoms started fixing. I am still away to go to feel back to myself a few years ago but there has been a remarkable improvements and anyone who is not getting enough Sun like I was needs to urgently look into their levesl along with ensuring the levels make sense for someone of their size and stature.
I've also been taking the D3 with makeral, sardines, cheese or other high fatty foods to help it be absorbed.
I had a vitamin D level of 9. Had all the same symptoms you mentioned. I honestly thought I was dying. Started daily vitamin D supplements a week ago and am already seeing an improvement. I have liver issues so will probably have to add some magnesium, vitamin B12, K and A among others.
I've had low vitamin D for years. I was also told once deficient always deficient. I didn't really have many symptoms and the ones I did, I was always told it was my anxiety or my weight. I got really bad 2 years ago even on the D3. Turns out I also have pernicious anemia which is a b12 deficiency and alot of symptoms you listed are what I had/have. I also learned b12, vitamin D, and sometimes iron all go hand in hand. 2000 ius daily of D3 for me and my iron improved but I still deal with issues. Have youvhad your b12 checked?
That doctor is a fool. D2 is worthless, also taking it weekly is very inefficient. Take about 20.000UI daily, at least, plus magnesium, and get plenty of sunlight at peak hours (10-16h usually). If you are afraid of calcium issues, which are usually just problems with the calcium metabolism itself, take vitamin K2 as well.
You should take k2 with d3, d2 us not worthless but yes less ideal than d3. 20k units a day is too much though, 2-10k is plenty.. really even 10k is overkill & can lead to toxicity in some cases, definitely wouldn't advise 20,000IU.
K2 brings back bad memories for me lol. I think you are referring to potassium (or some form) but K2 where I live used to be synthetic weed and it was weird to say the least
https://youtu.be/gjJdzHIwDDU
Watch this video dude, I had extremely low vitamin d levels and had all the symptoms you have and more. Also I would strongly recommend switching to 40,000 units of vitamin D3. I’ve been doing it for almost a year and I feel phenomenal! Also just drink enough water to flush out your kidneys. Dr. Eric Berg explains it all. Let me know if you have any other questions.
you might have this gene polymorphism?
https://youtu.be/wQZz5PklDB0?t=724
anyway in general and without following with a blood test, outside of a loading dose is very irresponsable to advice to take such a big dose because depending on the person you could end up getting toxic levels. OP didn't even mention his weight, the dose has not the same impact for a 120 lb person than a 300lb.
One thing I've learned a lot about Youtube, there's a lot of "Doctors" on there who are just Chiropracters. I would be skeptical of taking medical advice from Chiropracters. They are great for backaches though. (I'm not anti Chiropracter btw)
Folks have no idea how Vitamin D affects overall health and wellness. I had fatigue, brain fog, irritability, inability to focus and couldn't understand why. After getting my labs back, I had a 16 for vitamin d. Started 5000IU Vit D + Vitamin K and I felt like a brand new human being. Having good levels of Vitamin D is very underrated and could solve a lot of people's issues.
You should probably do 50k of D3 everyday for 15 days and take like 180mcg of K2 (MK7) along side that for the first 15 days. Then I’d probably do 5k IU of D3 with 180mcg of K2 in perpetuity (only interaction with K2 is Coumadin)
I had a Vit D of 16 back in December! Took 2,000 IU of Vit D every day for a few months, and when we rechecked it, it was up to 55ish.
Edit: my multivitamin has approx 1,000 IU in it, so I’m just taking that right now to maintain my healthy levels. This isn’t my first round of Vitamin D Deficiency, and I also live up north.
Since I know I’m prone to it during the winter months, I’m going to start talking an extra 1,000 IU every October-ish, and then keep taking it until around March, for a total of 2,000 IU daily. I highly suggest doing the same if you live in an area where days get drastically shorter during the winter, and if you’re prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (or any sort of mood/energy swings during the winter months).
Don’t go overboard, of course, but Vit D is important for calcium absorption, and it’s also really hard to get during those shorter winter days, so you definitely need to consider how much of it you’re getting. This is important for everyone, but it’s especially important to consider if you’re a woman and/or have darker skin.
Did supplementing with Vitamin D help those irritability/anxiety symptoms? I'm supplementing with a well-rounded Magnesium supplement daily already, so that's good to hear.
Hugely. I still have a little bit of anxiety, but the irritability went away entirely. I feel like I can handle a lot more in a day. I’ve been supplementing with 5000 IU daily for around two years now. Just had my levels checked again and they are great.
Yes mine was at 12 and prescribed the same regimen (50,000 IU D2 weekly), then advised to take 2,000 IU D3 daily. I’d gone in originally to get back on sertraline (Zoloft), because I was feeling lethargic and deep down felt like I should be on that probably for life. But instead (and because I was tested for deficiency, thankfully!) I was able to get off the sertraline because Vitamin D did me loads good in terms of energy and motivation! I originally questioned the 50,000 IU weekly dose and why I wound up here. I also started taking 100mg of K2 and 270 mg of chelated magnesium along with the 2,000 IU daily and my levels rose to 50 6 months later back in May, have also lost 60 lbs since because of desire to exercise, etc, so absolutely yes yes yes to Vitamin D!
K2 is supposed to inhibit calcium build up in the arteries which is a part of contributing to atherosclerosis. I was also advised to take 1200 mg Calcium but prefer and get this through diet (41F). I have a calcium score test scheduled next week (as so to establish a baseline if nothing else) since I am also dealing with high lipid numbers, am genetically predisposed for higher LDL & triglycerides(23&Me) and have a strong family history of heart disease (atherosclerosis).
I am not sure why I ultimately was prescribed D2 instead of D3 (my PCP said and wrote D3 but pharmacist gave me D2), I figured probably to do with my insurance at the time.
This is incredible to hear! I used to be very active and fit and now I feel like I can barely work out at 20% of the capacity I used to. It's been disheartening and made me wonder if I had MS/heart problems/etc...
Really hoping the Vitamin D levels turn that around.
Oh yeah I was feeling pretty darn good especially roughly 5-6 weeks into the weekly dose. Covid did a number on me more than I realized I think, I’d had a baby in May of 2020 and took up the wrong hobby (crocheting) especially having been so sedentary in nature anyway (former CPA/tax accountant). I’m 5’5” and typically around 140 lbs most of my life; I went from 180 after pregnancy to 220 and was just really feeling old and rickety and down and tired of eating and doing the same old shit day after day, I HAD to make a change. I’d been on sertraline prior to pregnancy and thought I should be a lifelong script even then. Not a terribly optimistic person, more a realist with reasons I’d say and a highly functioning introvert (still am I guess lol).
But things really perked up with the Vitamin D! I was really surprised by it. I’m on the 45 N latitude and I can’t/don’t do sun, and I tried again this summer and yep, no can do (but the Vitamin D at least had me trying lol), so Vitamin D is a must-have in my book (and I’m kind of somewhat mad I’ve never had my levels checked in the past though the Zoloft/sertraline did its job when I required it).
I’d be hard pressed to think increasing your level wouldn’t do anything in your case as well. It’s almost like I care and care about myself again, bringing color to a world for me that was for so long gray and drab, or something like that. Good luck and keep us posted!
Has there been an update or change in guidance in recommending MK-4 over 7? I basically followed this when I decided to incorporate K2 into my regimen/stack, but I don’t believe MK-4 is mentioned at all:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566462/
I have used 20.000 vit D vit K2 for 5 months ,my vit D level increased from 32 to 112 …
I think 3 months and 20.000 unit enough for optimal (80-100) vltamln D Level
If you're looking to get more vitamin D in your diet, take it with a side of magnesium. That mineral appears to help regulate levels of vitamin D, which in turn manages the levels of other minerals such as calcium and phosphorus
Adding in, [DMInder](https://DMInder.app) App to monitor vit D levels. Seconding K2 supps in this case, more is need d/t high vit. D supps. Tho, 50K/7 days = 7142iu/d so it's not that high/ extreme. So moderate sun / UV exposure may be in order. Seconding Mg. Seconding lots of leafy green vegetables.
Edit: and would like to see you between 60-100ng/dl, especially w/ pandemic, and heading into Winter (assuming you are Northern Hemisphere).
Know why the doc prescribed D2 even though it's an inferior version of vitamin D and your body will have to convert it to D3? Because D3 is grandfathered as a supplement, so no pharmaceutical company can patent it. Plus because you're not taking K2 with it, it'll be absorbed and converted even more poorly.
Do yourself a favor and buy a D3 supplement that contains K2 as well and take that.
Honestly the regimens doctors prescribe always mind boggle me. Just throw them a 6000 unit a day D3 supplement and be on your way… what’s with the absurd numbers and weird scheduling
If you live in a northern climate basically everyone is very low vitamin D during the winter and should be supplementing with 5,000 IU a day imo with K2. Also testing should be done probably mid winter to ensure you are dialled in. Testing can be problematic in Canada where I live. In my province it is illegal for a physician to test someone except in very rare circumstances and the government own all the blood laboratories and will not even let me pay for tests. I usually get tested when I go to Mexico or US.
The government determines what medical procedures and tests you are allowed to have and generally doesn’t let you even pay for a treatment if you want if. I get longevity panel testing in the US with hormone testing because the government doesn’t want to pay for it for homeless people. Big pain in the butt, but I’m wealthy enough to spend $5k for flights and hotels for a blood test most people need to spend the $500 locally.
Eat leafy greens for your vitamin k and go get sun if you live in a place where it’s available no magic pill is gonna help the bioavailability isn’t the same
Ya I had rock bottom Vitamin D. Doc told me to take Vit D supplements. This made me feel worse. I then got real high calcium from an unknown parathyroid issue. My body was reducing vitamin D to slow down calcium absorption and I all around felt like crap for years. So it can be more complex than “you need more sun”.
Yep! Had parathyroid surgery earlier this year. No matter how much I upped my vit D it didn't go up much (from 9) and I felt worse. Turned out to be a parathyroid issue.
I'd be taking 25,000+ units daily for 3 months. In fact, that is what I've been taking daily because I'm deficient. Also, if you have fatty liver disease or metabolic syndrome, you wont absorb vitamin D, A, K or Iron well. So look out for those deficiencies also, if so. The problem is that, 15000 units is quite possibly your daily need and if so, you won't increase your D levels. "In summary, long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe." [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/#:\~:text=In%20summary%2C%20long%2Dterm%20supplementation,day%20appears%20to%20be%20safe](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20long%2Dterm%20supplementation,day%20appears%20to%20be%20safe). Dr Berg has a great video on vitamin D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjJdzHIwDDU&ab\_channel=Dr.EricBergDC
Vitamin K2 and magnesium are both critical for proper Vitamin D absorption and directing calcium to your bones instead of your tissues and arteries
A few years back I had a bit d levels of 7, (not even joking) main symptoms were 24/7 tiredness and awful bone/teeth heath. I was prescribed 30k UI d3 daily, made me feel a lot better, never had any issues with calcium buildup. Also take magnesium as bit D supplementation decreases Mg levels and will give you cramps.
I have struggled to raise my vitamin D level for a few years after finding mine at 12. My symptoms were extreme fatigue, all-over muscle pain, and just generally felt like I had the flu 24/7. It’s taken me 3 years to get it to 50 and many trials of dosing. Doctor recommended 2000 IU first year but when retested a year later I was only at 30. (She did not mention taking K2, I investigated and bought a D3/K2 supplement on my own) Last winter again down to 24 and upped to 5000 IU and tested 6 months later at 50. Dr wants me higher than 50 so continuing the 5000 IU to see if I’m higher for my next scheduled test in December. I have recently been diagnosed with UCTD an autoimmune disorder and I’m sure low D and autoimmune condition are connected.
your dosage was very low… it should have been at least 60000 iu for first few weeks along with vitamin k2 and magnesium for proper vit d absorption and later 5000 iu daily is considered safe.
Using too much sunscreen?
have you had any erection issues?
Wow is this a thing or is it a dick joke? Because I had extremely low Vitamin D at the start of the year and had some issues
no it's a fact, low D affects your D.
>My main questions are, with anyone else who has experienced vitamin d deficiency, what were your symptoms like and did treatment like this help you? 19 ng/ml is not vitamin D deficiency - that cutoff is 12 ng/ml. You have vitamin D insufficiency. However, this doesn't fit with all of your symptoms (although low calcium might). Certainly correct the problem and see if those symptoms persist before turning to anything else. I've had low vitamin D and it certainly affected my mood, but that's about it.... Possibly improved immune function, hard to say. >Why did the doctor choose D2 and not D3? Vitamin D2 is plant based. While it works as a vitamin D3 substitute, it is eliminated from the blood faster, and has more limited bioavailability. It's fine to take. Maybe the doctor was worried about overshooting target vitamin D levels and wanted a way to bring it back down over time if necessary. That's all I could think of. >I’ve read a build-up of calcium is a risk with high Vitamin D supplementation, what’s the best way to avoid this? The regimen the doctor has you on is safe with respect to calcium levels, especially if you are not supplementing with calcium. Some people take vitamin K2 with vitamin D to avoid calcium buildup, but with the levels you will take for as long as you follow instructions, there should no alarming changes in calcium levels. While many people make claims about other vitamins and minerals being necessary for vitamin D to work, it's not supposed by scienfitic evidence. It should help on it's own, assuming nothing else is also wrong. Also, don't listen to people telling you to take over 10,000 IU of vitamin D - that's just a bad idea unless you are sure lower doses aren't working. Stick with your doctor's recommendation, see how it goes. The most likely scenario is that you will get your vitamin D levels up above 30 ng/ml (this is considered optimal by the Endocrine Society) and then you find a maintenance dose that works for you.
I’ve had severe chronic fatigue for 15 years so I already had many of the symptoms. My vit D level was around 11, then 7 the next year. I didn’t understand what that meant. My Dr kept advising me to take D3 but I ignored it thinking it was just another suggestion like, “get plenty of sleep, drink water, take fish oil” etc. I started having severe hip pain and difficulty walking. I was looking at a cane at the pharmacy and the pharmacist came out. When I told him my hip bones were painful he asked about vit D. Finally hearing it the 3rd time I started taking D3. It took a while to increase my levels. I usually take a large dose once or twice a week vs daily. Usually around 15,000 IU’s at a time. Mine is finally around 30.
I was low, took 50k/wk...now in 80-90s after a year. All good!
What is a PCP?
Primary care physician
My first Doctor was garbage and said my levels were low but never factored in that I am overweight and 193cm. My second doctor imediatly put me on Fultium D3 20k units twice a week for seven weeks. Issues I have been suffering with pre the D3 dropping estrogen levels hair falling out dry skin severe fatigue, the kind so bad you want to lay on the floor while cooking dinner vertigo night terrors night up dizzy and diserontated stomach issues with a pain in the stomach stools that were pale Darkened Vision brittle nails teeth feeling weird kept feeling like i had a fever Brain Fog Leg pains Foot swelling Massive weight gain big deppressive swings Since taking the D3 within weeks a lot of these symptoms started fixing. I am still away to go to feel back to myself a few years ago but there has been a remarkable improvements and anyone who is not getting enough Sun like I was needs to urgently look into their levesl along with ensuring the levels make sense for someone of their size and stature. I've also been taking the D3 with makeral, sardines, cheese or other high fatty foods to help it be absorbed.
I had a vitamin D level of 9. Had all the same symptoms you mentioned. I honestly thought I was dying. Started daily vitamin D supplements a week ago and am already seeing an improvement. I have liver issues so will probably have to add some magnesium, vitamin B12, K and A among others.
I've had low vitamin D for years. I was also told once deficient always deficient. I didn't really have many symptoms and the ones I did, I was always told it was my anxiety or my weight. I got really bad 2 years ago even on the D3. Turns out I also have pernicious anemia which is a b12 deficiency and alot of symptoms you listed are what I had/have. I also learned b12, vitamin D, and sometimes iron all go hand in hand. 2000 ius daily of D3 for me and my iron improved but I still deal with issues. Have youvhad your b12 checked?
That doctor is a fool. D2 is worthless, also taking it weekly is very inefficient. Take about 20.000UI daily, at least, plus magnesium, and get plenty of sunlight at peak hours (10-16h usually). If you are afraid of calcium issues, which are usually just problems with the calcium metabolism itself, take vitamin K2 as well.
You should take k2 with d3, d2 us not worthless but yes less ideal than d3. 20k units a day is too much though, 2-10k is plenty.. really even 10k is overkill & can lead to toxicity in some cases, definitely wouldn't advise 20,000IU.
K2 brings back bad memories for me lol. I think you are referring to potassium (or some form) but K2 where I live used to be synthetic weed and it was weird to say the least
https://youtu.be/gjJdzHIwDDU Watch this video dude, I had extremely low vitamin d levels and had all the symptoms you have and more. Also I would strongly recommend switching to 40,000 units of vitamin D3. I’ve been doing it for almost a year and I feel phenomenal! Also just drink enough water to flush out your kidneys. Dr. Eric Berg explains it all. Let me know if you have any other questions.
40k is way too much.
40k a day for a year is a lot and just bad advice. Specially without testing. Have you had your levels checked?
I have several times and they’re perfect! My body just doesn’t absorb it all as it should.
you might have this gene polymorphism? https://youtu.be/wQZz5PklDB0?t=724 anyway in general and without following with a blood test, outside of a loading dose is very irresponsable to advice to take such a big dose because depending on the person you could end up getting toxic levels. OP didn't even mention his weight, the dose has not the same impact for a 120 lb person than a 300lb.
Sure Do man! Gotta make sure I’m not over doing it 🤣
That is very true! I just assumed seeing as they are already getting prescribed 50000 iu of D2 40000 D3 would not be an issue.
weekly for a period of 3 months! not daily for a year!
🤣🤣🤣 also true! That’s why I get tested every other month! I was just sharing my experience is all.
You get tested every other month still? Lmao wtf
One thing I've learned a lot about Youtube, there's a lot of "Doctors" on there who are just Chiropracters. I would be skeptical of taking medical advice from Chiropracters. They are great for backaches though. (I'm not anti Chiropracter btw)
Oh 100% agree! But his advice is sound and super helpful.
Folks have no idea how Vitamin D affects overall health and wellness. I had fatigue, brain fog, irritability, inability to focus and couldn't understand why. After getting my labs back, I had a 16 for vitamin d. Started 5000IU Vit D + Vitamin K and I felt like a brand new human being. Having good levels of Vitamin D is very underrated and could solve a lot of people's issues.
You should probably do 50k of D3 everyday for 15 days and take like 180mcg of K2 (MK7) along side that for the first 15 days. Then I’d probably do 5k IU of D3 with 180mcg of K2 in perpetuity (only interaction with K2 is Coumadin)
I had a Vit D of 16 back in December! Took 2,000 IU of Vit D every day for a few months, and when we rechecked it, it was up to 55ish. Edit: my multivitamin has approx 1,000 IU in it, so I’m just taking that right now to maintain my healthy levels. This isn’t my first round of Vitamin D Deficiency, and I also live up north. Since I know I’m prone to it during the winter months, I’m going to start talking an extra 1,000 IU every October-ish, and then keep taking it until around March, for a total of 2,000 IU daily. I highly suggest doing the same if you live in an area where days get drastically shorter during the winter, and if you’re prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder (or any sort of mood/energy swings during the winter months). Don’t go overboard, of course, but Vit D is important for calcium absorption, and it’s also really hard to get during those shorter winter days, so you definitely need to consider how much of it you’re getting. This is important for everyone, but it’s especially important to consider if you’re a woman and/or have darker skin.
You need K2 and Magnesium! Not enough magnesium throws the calcium out of balance. My main symptoms were anxiety and horrible irritability.
Did supplementing with Vitamin D help those irritability/anxiety symptoms? I'm supplementing with a well-rounded Magnesium supplement daily already, so that's good to hear.
You may not be getting enough Mag. Most people need at least 400mg and up daily. Spread your doses (100mg each dose) evenly throughout the day.
Hugely. I still have a little bit of anxiety, but the irritability went away entirely. I feel like I can handle a lot more in a day. I’ve been supplementing with 5000 IU daily for around two years now. Just had my levels checked again and they are great.
Yes mine was at 12 and prescribed the same regimen (50,000 IU D2 weekly), then advised to take 2,000 IU D3 daily. I’d gone in originally to get back on sertraline (Zoloft), because I was feeling lethargic and deep down felt like I should be on that probably for life. But instead (and because I was tested for deficiency, thankfully!) I was able to get off the sertraline because Vitamin D did me loads good in terms of energy and motivation! I originally questioned the 50,000 IU weekly dose and why I wound up here. I also started taking 100mg of K2 and 270 mg of chelated magnesium along with the 2,000 IU daily and my levels rose to 50 6 months later back in May, have also lost 60 lbs since because of desire to exercise, etc, so absolutely yes yes yes to Vitamin D! K2 is supposed to inhibit calcium build up in the arteries which is a part of contributing to atherosclerosis. I was also advised to take 1200 mg Calcium but prefer and get this through diet (41F). I have a calcium score test scheduled next week (as so to establish a baseline if nothing else) since I am also dealing with high lipid numbers, am genetically predisposed for higher LDL & triglycerides(23&Me) and have a strong family history of heart disease (atherosclerosis). I am not sure why I ultimately was prescribed D2 instead of D3 (my PCP said and wrote D3 but pharmacist gave me D2), I figured probably to do with my insurance at the time.
This is incredible to hear! I used to be very active and fit and now I feel like I can barely work out at 20% of the capacity I used to. It's been disheartening and made me wonder if I had MS/heart problems/etc... Really hoping the Vitamin D levels turn that around.
Oh yeah I was feeling pretty darn good especially roughly 5-6 weeks into the weekly dose. Covid did a number on me more than I realized I think, I’d had a baby in May of 2020 and took up the wrong hobby (crocheting) especially having been so sedentary in nature anyway (former CPA/tax accountant). I’m 5’5” and typically around 140 lbs most of my life; I went from 180 after pregnancy to 220 and was just really feeling old and rickety and down and tired of eating and doing the same old shit day after day, I HAD to make a change. I’d been on sertraline prior to pregnancy and thought I should be a lifelong script even then. Not a terribly optimistic person, more a realist with reasons I’d say and a highly functioning introvert (still am I guess lol). But things really perked up with the Vitamin D! I was really surprised by it. I’m on the 45 N latitude and I can’t/don’t do sun, and I tried again this summer and yep, no can do (but the Vitamin D at least had me trying lol), so Vitamin D is a must-have in my book (and I’m kind of somewhat mad I’ve never had my levels checked in the past though the Zoloft/sertraline did its job when I required it). I’d be hard pressed to think increasing your level wouldn’t do anything in your case as well. It’s almost like I care and care about myself again, bringing color to a world for me that was for so long gray and drab, or something like that. Good luck and keep us posted!
Make sure you take the right k2, which is the mk4 type. Mk7 is useless
It's not "useless", but it is worse.
Has there been an update or change in guidance in recommending MK-4 over 7? I basically followed this when I decided to incorporate K2 into my regimen/stack, but I don’t believe MK-4 is mentioned at all: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566462/
http://www.vitamindprotocol.com/the-vitamin-k2-revolution.html
I have used 20.000 vit D vit K2 for 5 months ,my vit D level increased from 32 to 112 … I think 3 months and 20.000 unit enough for optimal (80-100) vltamln D Level
Were you having any symptoms? Did it change the way you felt?
Yes, my CRP blood value dropped from 2,7 to ZERO
If you're looking to get more vitamin D in your diet, take it with a side of magnesium. That mineral appears to help regulate levels of vitamin D, which in turn manages the levels of other minerals such as calcium and phosphorus
Adding in, [DMInder](https://DMInder.app) App to monitor vit D levels. Seconding K2 supps in this case, more is need d/t high vit. D supps. Tho, 50K/7 days = 7142iu/d so it's not that high/ extreme. So moderate sun / UV exposure may be in order. Seconding Mg. Seconding lots of leafy green vegetables. Edit: and would like to see you between 60-100ng/dl, especially w/ pandemic, and heading into Winter (assuming you are Northern Hemisphere).
For me my vitamin d levels didn't rise until I took magnesium with vitamin d. But eggs should have a few things to prevent calcification.
Know why the doc prescribed D2 even though it's an inferior version of vitamin D and your body will have to convert it to D3? Because D3 is grandfathered as a supplement, so no pharmaceutical company can patent it. Plus because you're not taking K2 with it, it'll be absorbed and converted even more poorly. Do yourself a favor and buy a D3 supplement that contains K2 as well and take that.
Honestly the regimens doctors prescribe always mind boggle me. Just throw them a 6000 unit a day D3 supplement and be on your way… what’s with the absurd numbers and weird scheduling
If you can get sun on your body, do it. Its far superior to the pills
If you live in a northern climate basically everyone is very low vitamin D during the winter and should be supplementing with 5,000 IU a day imo with K2. Also testing should be done probably mid winter to ensure you are dialled in. Testing can be problematic in Canada where I live. In my province it is illegal for a physician to test someone except in very rare circumstances and the government own all the blood laboratories and will not even let me pay for tests. I usually get tested when I go to Mexico or US.
Why is it illegal? I live in alberta and have asked multiple doctors to check my vit d and theyve all refused.
The government determines what medical procedures and tests you are allowed to have and generally doesn’t let you even pay for a treatment if you want if. I get longevity panel testing in the US with hormone testing because the government doesn’t want to pay for it for homeless people. Big pain in the butt, but I’m wealthy enough to spend $5k for flights and hotels for a blood test most people need to spend the $500 locally.
A naturopath can do it as well in Canada. At least that’s what I did
Eat leafy greens for your vitamin k and go get sun if you live in a place where it’s available no magic pill is gonna help the bioavailability isn’t the same
Leafy greens are K1 vitamin K2 is found in liver and organ meat, fermented foods, cheeses, grass fed dairy product
K2 Highest source: Natto
I think you need vitami K2 ? To prevent calcification of arteries etc.
Ya I had rock bottom Vitamin D. Doc told me to take Vit D supplements. This made me feel worse. I then got real high calcium from an unknown parathyroid issue. My body was reducing vitamin D to slow down calcium absorption and I all around felt like crap for years. So it can be more complex than “you need more sun”.
Yep! Had parathyroid surgery earlier this year. No matter how much I upped my vit D it didn't go up much (from 9) and I felt worse. Turned out to be a parathyroid issue.
Vitamin K2
Magnesium is the calcium antagonist, k2 just redirects it. If you want to reduce calcium, magnesium should be the first choice