No dosage guidance for Vit D deficiency

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hi,

I was recently diagnosed with a VitD level of 20. My GP gave me the results over the phone and told me to 'go to the chemist and get some supplements' .. I did a bit of research and it appears i should be on approx 50,000 units per week for 6 weeks. I have bought D3 tablets, 1000iu strength and I'm taking 7 a day. Is this sufficient?

What do I do then? How soon should I be looking for a retest?

I'm also taking magnesium citrate.

How long to when I feel normal? I had gone to my GP thinking my thyroid had become underractive as I suffered with post partum hypothyroidism after the births of two of my children but it was happily normal. The VitD thing was a surprise as I'd never considered it. I work nights so I'm going to have to rely on supplementation going forward.

Thanks in advance

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

Prev
  • Posted

    Good evening all, I've just discovered that I have vitamin D deficiency, (my level was down to 33) after complaining to my GP about unrelenting tiredness, low mood, aches & pains. All I've read so far describes my every symptom to a tee. I've been prescribed Colecalciferol 2000u x3 every week for 10 weeks. In my shocked (I'm hardly ever I'll), tired, depressed,achy state I forgot to ask, do I take the three together or do I space them out throughout the day. Grateful for any advice. 
    • Posted

      I am not sure what you are saying your daily dosage is, if you have been told to take it twice a day take it in the morning and evening after food, if once a day take it the same time each day. What does it say on the packet? It is a good idea to take some sort of fat such as yogurt with the tablet though. Check with your doctor re doses. Also read the printed data sheet in the packet with the tablets. 33 is not too low a level for vit D. It normally takes at least three months to get up to normal though. They say that a large number of people are vit D deficient. Mine was 26 when I was tested. My GP did not seem terribly worried! 
    • Posted

      Thanks for the reply Ptolemy, I'd written the wrong dose. I'm supposed to take 3 tablets weekly 60000u in total. The reason for my question was because the instructions were a bit vague "three tablets each week for 10 weeks". Sadly there was no data sheet for any clues. I'll have to get back to my GP for further clarification. 
    • Posted

      Yes, I did a double take at your 2000 IU.

      The usual instructions are that you can take your 60,000IU either as a single dose once a week or as 20,000IU on 3 days, presumably with a day between, say Mon, Wed and Fri. I imagine it is because some people might get an upset stomach taking all 3 tablets at the same time - there aren't really any side effects but you never know.

      As ptolemy says, take the tablets with something with a bit of fat - it is needed to transport the vit D into the cells. A bit of carrot cake would be ideal 

    • Posted

      Thank you EileenH, this is exactly what I wanted to know, I think I'll bite the bullet & go for the 60,000u in one go & see how I get on.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.