How much Vitamin D do you take? - Fertility Network UK

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How much Vitamin D do you take?

PaulaDag profile image
25 Replies

Hi All,

I was worried Vitamin D deficiency could have been causing my miscarriages so i bought some to take in addition to my prenatal as a precaution. The acupuncturist said to buy/take 5000 IU per day which seemed high but I bought Solgar 4000 IU tablets. I then worried it might be too high and checked with my GP who said 800 IU should enough. Just wondering how much everyone else takes during IVF/FET?

I've now got 4000 IU and 1000 IU tablets and unsure which is best to use. Any opinions? Don't want to jeopardise a cycle with over doing supplements.

I've since got my Vit D checked and it came back as 50 nmol/L which is borderline insufficient judging by the range on the results below, yet my GP said he's not concerned.

The following thresholds are recommended:-

<25 nmol/L Severe deficiency treat with high strength Vitamin D loading dose.

25-50 nmol/L Insufficiency supplements recommended

>50 nmol/L Adequate but provide lifestyle advice and consider supplements particularly in high risk groups.

Any advice appreciated.

xx

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PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag
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25 Replies

Hi Paula

I posted this question a while back on the thyroid group and got the following link to calculate my levels.

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

The group also suggest u take vitk alongside vid d if u take high doses xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to

Hi Mimisami

This is really useful, thank you. I'll get some Vit K as well then,

xx

Livinginhope2019 profile image
Livinginhope2019

My clinic have me taking 4 drops of 10000 ui daily xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Livinginhope2019

Do you mind me asking which brand of drops you take? xx

Livinginhope2019 profile image
Livinginhope2019 in reply to PaulaDag

My clinic prescribed it in Spain so I got two bottles while I was there. I think the brand is Italfarmaco. That’s all I can see on the label xx

Jumpppy profile image
Jumpppy

50 sounds really good, all infertility research says you want above 30 as below 30 pregnancy rates are lower. It takes a while to correct if you are deficient. I am on 2x2500 tablets + prenatal. I was at 21 when they recommended and it took me 9mos to get to 27 - wasn't the 30 they wanted, but it was OK. 50 would be a dream.

Purpledoggy profile image
Purpledoggy in reply to Jumpppy

Curious - are you in the UK? 30 ng/mL is the cut off in the US and 30 nmol/L is considered vitamin deficient in the UK. xx

Jumpppy profile image
Jumpppy in reply to Purpledoggy

In US. 30 is still deficient, but the issue for infertility treatment is impact on implantation/pregnancy not deficiency, per research the impact is seen where vitamin D is under 30. My RE said nearly everyone has a deficiency, but they are primarily concerned when undef 30. Otherwise vit D in prenatal is sufficient.

Purpledoggy profile image
Purpledoggy in reply to Jumpppy

Ah k-the vit D in the post is in nmol not ng. Her level is 20ng/mL in US units. Xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Purpledoggy

Yeah thats correct Purpledoggy - my result was 50 nmol which seems to calculate to 20 ng/ml so I must be pretty low. I wonder why my GP was not concerned especially when the results sheet they sent shows "25-50 nmol/L Insufficiency supplements recommended".

I better take the high dosage then xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Jumpppy

Hi Jumppy,

Thanks, I think I'll take the 5000 IU tablet per day in that case plus my prenatal.

I was looking on the link above and it says to multiple ng/ml by 2.5 to get the correct nmol/L amount so like Purpledoggy mentions if mine is 50 nmol/L this seems to be 20 ng/ml which is lowish i think.

xx

Jumpppy profile image
Jumpppy in reply to PaulaDag

Gotcha - then yes around where mine was. Just as a warning took 9mos to get up to 28 (still low) + stopped wearing sunscreen in makeup etc. I take 2 × 2500 chewable (twice daily) + 600 in PNV. They told me to continue high dose through end of pregnancy (or forever ;) )

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Jumpppy

Thanks Jumpppy. I’ll start dosing up on Vit D ;). So strange that my local gp said he wasn’t concerned, he knows of my miscarriages and everything. Fertility clinic just say what’s in prenatal should be fine. Not good really xx

Lisichka profile image
Lisichka

Your levels sound really good so I would take the 5,000

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Lisichka

Will do thanks xx

Sparklylife profile image
Sparklylife

When my levels were checked I was severely deficient, so I was taking a high loading dose for a while, but now my levels are “ok” I was told, so I take 2000 IU and there is a small amount in my fertilcare tablets.

My fertility clinic recommends that everyone is in at least 1000IU, but depending on own levels it says.

Hopefully you can get some answers. I would ask my own clinic if I were you to clarify it for you ☺️

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Sparklylife

Thanks, I'll check with my fertility clinic also as GP didn't seem concerned xx

Purpledoggy profile image
Purpledoggy

It depends on which study/source you read as to what the optimal level is. A study in the Lancet (top medical journal) found >75nmol/L was sufficient to improve pregnancy rates and decrease risk of early pregnancy loss so that is what I am aiming for (thelancet.com/journals/land....

I was on 2,800IU a day when I had my vitamin D checked (2,000 + pregnacare) and mine was 62nmol/L. I have therefore upped it to 4,800IU as my level was checked coming out of our glorious summer and of course we're in winter now. The amount of vitamin D we are told to take in this country is stupidly low and slight vitamin D deficiency is really common. I have had severe seasonal insomnia previously that turned out to be responsive to vitamin D. 800IU a day is probably enough if you get loads of sunshine/travel to hot climates a lot, but for someone with fair skin who avoids the sun and wears factor 50 when outside (hi!), 800IU is a tiny tickle that's way off. My clinic told me to make sure I was on 10ug (400IU) vitamin D a day to avoid deficiency and I just thought 'bitch, please'. xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Purpledoggy

Thanks for this, its really helpful. It seems I should aim to reach 75 nmol/L as well then. My GP also said 800 IU should be plenty but it contradicted what the acupuncturist (5000 IU) said i was too worried to take the 4000 IU tablets I'd purchased :).

My clinic also don't seem to get it as when i called they said the amount in your prenatal should be fine...hmm. It so confusing at times isn't it.

So glad I've you you all on this forum. I'd be lost without it

xx

Purpledoggy profile image
Purpledoggy in reply to PaulaDag

In general, I am loathe to go with what complementary healthcare practitioners say (or indeed people on a fertility forum ;) ) over what a fertility doc or other medical professional say. But I do feel on the vitamin D issue specifically, what is recommended for most people just doesn't cut the mustard, especially when there is plenty of (good quality) research that says we need more than what the NHS recommends. If you are concerned about taking a higher dose of supplementation, you could always recheck after taking 1 or 2x1,000 a day for a month. If you aren't familiar with them, Medichecks do loads of blood tests from finger prick samples at home so you could have it rechecked that way. xx

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Purpledoggy

Thanks, just ordered my Vit D test from Medicheck, didn't know they existed xxx

Paola12 profile image
Paola12

Take 4000 ui with k2mk7 after fatty food and you will be fine :)

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Paola12

Thanks. What is K2mk7? xx

Hk12 profile image
Hk12

I’ve seen an endocrinologist when I was in my week6 and she has recommended me 1000IU (she said anything between 1000-2000 is what she usually prescribes during pregnancy). I’ve been taking it and since got c 70 for my Vitamin D which my endocrinologist was happy with

PaulaDag profile image
PaulaDag in reply to Hk12

Thanks for reply. I'll aim for the 70s then xx

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