Vitamin D Deficiency - How to tackle

 20,000 IU per week for 8 weeks and retest

Can I buy this myself or would I have to do it under the supervision of a doctor? Also does liquid VitD work better? Thanks!

in the UK only between 11am and 3pm from May to Septemb. 

Is 11 to 3pm safe? I've read a lot that that is the dangerous time. It's very confusing as there is a lot of conflicting information. Also, most information assumes the reader has white skin, so I am not sure it it even applies to me (As I have brown [Indian] skin). For example, I think white skinned people absorb more vitD  at a quicker  pace.

My husband dislikes his current liquid vit D - it's a spray and half it seems to run down the outside of the bottle. The original stuff he had was a full 25,000 IU dose in one bottle, to be dropped onto a slice of bread and eaten. Seemed to work OK. He also didn't object to the tiny H&B tablets of 1000 IU - he's awful at swallowing pills!

Exactly - people have been told not to go out in the midday sun and to cover up, use high factor sunscreen. Factor 8 sunscreen reduces the amount of vit D made by about 90%. A light suntan on white skin is equivalent to Factor 12. And above all - as you so rightly say, it DOESN'T apply to you if you have darker skin - that is one of the highest "risk factors" for very low vit D levels and in the UK a very high proportion of all ethnic communities are vit D deficient.

For white people you can theoretically make enough vit D in the skin in 10-15 mins a day in the sun without clothes or sunscreen/makeup covering their face, shoulders and arms. That should be short enough time not to burn but you can do it in two shorter session. So yes, it is safe - it is BURNING that isn't safe and you can burn on a cloudy day or before or after those times. But you have your "built-in suntan" so would need much longer - and possibly wear clothes that interfere too? And as you age you make less and less - if you made enough at age 20, by age 60 you are making about a quarter of that.

I can't tell you that you should do so, but I would buy tablets and take that sort of dose - but you mustn't take that sort of dose over long periods. Up to 10,000 IU per day is safe over a short period of time, weeks, not months - what you shouldn't do is get to a blood level of above about 150. That is when it gets more of a risk than being deficient.

My white blood cells and neutrophils are always low (for well over a decade) but my thyroid is okay. I will ask my doctor about more tests, but he usually says no!

I am surprised that your doctor has not looked into why your white blood cells and neutrophils are low. As they fight fungal and bacterial infections.

Before you decide to mega dose your vitamin d through supplements. Just be aware that taking supplemental vitamin d may do more harm than good in some individuals. It desensitize the VDR receptors and it's the VDR receptors that are mainly responsible for gene activation.

Obtaining vitamin d from sunlight does not desensitize or reduce the VDR numbers. Vitamin d can also be immunosuppressive, which may not be optimal for people battling chronic infections. It can throw your hormonal balance out of whack.

Pills and supplements are not harmless, and usually have unforseen, seemingly unlinked consequences.

UVB rays is the best utilized source of vitamin d in your body and more effective than any oral vitamin D. Why you are still low could be something as simple as increasing your magnesuim. Vitamin d needs magnesuim for conversion.

I personally do not take vitamin d supplements because it made me feel ten times worse and felt my body was way out of whack. I been just taking magnesuim and going out in the sun 30 min two times a day around 10:30am and 1:00pm.

I will get my levels checked soon to see if I was able to increase my levels through sun and diet like mother nature intended.

"UVB rays is the best utilized source of vitamin d in your body and more effective than any oral vitamin D. "

Yes, that is true. But older people do not necessarily make vit D in skin. Nor do ethnicities with dark skin colour - so if they live in northern clines, they need supplements.

People that have lived in those regions 15,000 years ago did it without taking vitamin d supplements. Older people do make vitamin d just not as much as younger people. They have to spend more time in the sun as do darker skin people.

It is realy irresponsible and dangerous to advice people to take vitamin d supplements knowing that it can cause more harm than good. It might have worked for you but might have dire consequences for someone else.

Low vitamin d means your body is telling you that there is too much calcium in the blood and there is not enough magnesuim to convert this storage vitamin d to active vitamin d, because it requires magnesuim to do so.

Taking high levels of vitamin d supplements will put a severe strain on your body, increase the level of calcium and deplete magnesuim. Magnesuim and calcium ratio is out of balance and taking vitamin d supplements is extremely dangerous to make this imbalance more worse.

With sufficient amount of magnesuim the body will be able to absorb enough natural vitamin d from the sun as humans have absorbed it for thousands of years.

Don't talk rubbish - there is plenty of documentation showing taking vit D supplements has no detrimental effect at the sort of doses/times we are talking about - and I have also said the vit D level must be checked after a couple of months and not allowed to rise above about 150. 

Low vitamin D is NOT always a sign of calcium/magnesium imbalance and it is a common finding in autoimmune disorders. Whether it is cause or effect is not clear. However, replenishing vit D is a first step in a differential diagnosis of several conditions as low vit D causes the same sort of symptoms. And low vit D due to a parathyroid tumour is pretty rare.

Ethnicities with dark skin colour did not historically live in northern latitudes - therein lies the problem in the 21st century. Nor do we have any idea what vit D levels were like 15,000 yearss ago - but I assume you also disapprove of the use of all medications including antibiotics since the human race survived then too? 

Don't be so foolish, ignorant and closed minded--- The medical culture would have you believe that a negative reaction to vitamin d is IMPOSSIBLE. They are WRONG.

Much of vitamin d supplementation research is useless as it doesn't investigate both 25-D and 1,25-D levels and tends to cover only a short run, during which vitamin d provides short term relief with a decrease in toxins, cytokines and overall inflammation because it shuts down the immune system. As it shuts down the immune system, vitamin d makes people sicker in the long run as the immune system doesn't do its job anymore.

You can't supplement sunlight. Taking supplement vitamin d is like wanting to loose weight and trying to hire someone else to exercise for you.

I'm trying to bring awareness and have people do their own research before deciding to supplement vitamin d. As for you, you are giving wreckless advice and if someone doesn't agree with you, we are talking rubbish.

People should be educated to go in the sun and eat a diverse range of food, instead waste billions on supplements, assisted by poorly regulated by rich and powerful vitamin industry.

Before you decide to suppmement. You should only supplement with vitamin d if your magnesium RBC is higher than 5 and 1,25 (OH) is below 22, then and only then do you need vitamin d.

Pills made in a lab? Or sunshine? You decide.

I do - it is pills as well. I spend a lot of time out in the sun, in northern Italy so we have plenty of it. So does my husband, Nevertheless, like a large proportion of the population, our vit D levels were extremely low. 

A "diverse range of food" does not help with vit D deficiency since there is no vit D in any plant foods at all. Only oily fish, egg yolk and some mushrooms have significant amounts of vit D. 

I am not giving reckless advice - but you are a pot calling the kettle black. 

I am bringing awareness so people can make an inform decision that is right for their health. To take caution before jumping on the bandwagon.

Since we are all unique and react differently to supplementation, I suggest everyone to do a blood test regularly. This is vital in making sure you are dosing appropriately for your particular needs.

Do not blindly follow the bulletproof supplementation guide.

Unlike you, I am not advising people to take mega doses of vitamin d. I am advising them to get tested by their doctor to know why they are low on vitamin d to begin with in order to eliminate other causes and to make sure it is safe to supplement vitamin d by testing not only storage vitamin d but active hormone d.

Chronically ill people are not deficient in vitamin d, they often have low 25-D but high 1,25 D.

I have no idea what medical system you are in - but I comment in a real world. Most people know they are deficient and are usually asking how to replenish their vit D. I did not just generically say "take loads of vit D" - I said "this is what is recommended but check after a few weeks". 

Most of us meet GPs who refuse to do vit D at all - and by no means everyone is in a position to insist their doctor does vast reams of testing. 

But you are obviously so fixated on your view of the world I am wasting my breath.

Most people know they are deficient but don't know why. Getting a vitamin d test of the storage and active form to get a clearer picture of what's going on in the body is not vast reams of testing.

Testing for other illness that links to vitamin d deficiency in the body is basic testing and smart to do.

I am not a doctor nor do I pretend to be one and tell people to blindly follow supplementation protocal to replenish their vitamin d. There is a reason why some doctors don't do vitamin d at all. They know something you don't.

Everyone has a right to request testing from their doctor and advocate for themselves to resolve their illness and not have to endure unnecessary pain and suffering.

I live in the real world, as for you, you live in a bubble. Stay in your bubble and continue to be ignorant.

Anything man made that comes in a pill are not harmless. They come with risks and consequences. At least acknowledge that. These are not my fixated views but research from doctors and researchers.

I am just a messenger making sure people see the other side of this hormone vitamin D. They can decide for themselves and do whatever they want, at least they have been informed.

No need to get worked up and get defensive. Everything has two sides, at least know both.

I am surprised that your doctor has not looked into why your white blood cells and neutrophils are low. As they fight fungal and bacterial infections.

He sent me to a hematologist who couldn't find anything (although he only did a blood test). At the time I was taking medicine for a brain tumor, so they thought was causing it. It's been a good 4 years since I've stopped taking that medicine, but the white blood levels are still the same. My GP just says that I must be natrually low. If I push the matter, he says that I might be depressed (even though I am not) and that could be causing it to be low.   

It looks like it has been a long journey for you dealing with your health issues. Unfortunately not all doctors will go above and beyond to give a peace of mind for their patients.

We are left to work with what options we have and maybe along the way something will come up that has been overlooked and possibly start to get answers.

I noticed that you have a history with tumors and that concerned me to suggest you get your parathyroid hormone tested, which can indicate you might have a tumor in your parathyroid. It can explain why you are low on vitamin d even though you supplement and go in the sun. It's a simple blood test. Parathyroid is not common but good to rule out. I just had mine done, waiting on results.

A woman I know urge me to get tested because she has the same symptoms as I do and it turned out to be her parathyroid all along. While the doctors focused on her thyroid, it wasn't until three years later doctors finally checked her parathyroid because it is rare. Now her symptoms have been resolved.

I hope you eventually find the answers to your health issues. I wish you the best. I will keep you in my prayers.