Vitamin D doses

[Justfor_]

youtube.com/watch?v=E3_t-EQ...(Not working as expected?)

I can attest to the long stretch of time it takes for D3 supplementation to plateau.

More than one year for me, maybe two, on 40.000 IU per week to get at 50 ng/ml D3 (25-OH).

And I live in sunny Greece. Can't think what would have been if I lived in the North.

[cujoe]

Justfor_ Back when I was diagnosed with my blood cancer circa 2006 my Vit D was 37. After seeing repeated studies correlating low Vit D status and multiple cancers, I starting supplementing in the 5K IU range daily. I peaked out at 86 in 2019 and tested December last @ 73. I now use a liquid form so that I can adjust my daily dosage based on both yearly season and daily sun exposure.

With the range at 30-100, my target has been to stay in the upper 1/3 of the range. I started testing annually when COVID came on the scene, as many sources indicated a correlation of low Vit D status and worse COVID outcomes. The refusal of the CDC or any other major governmental agencies to endorse Vit D supplementation was hard to believe, especially since most of the American adult population tests low for Vit D. Since the hormone Vit D is essential for countless metabolic functions, it seemed a no-brained that some level of supplementation was advisable even before the advent of the COVID Pandemic.

It also seem a disservice to the cancer patient population that most are never tested for Vit D status when diagnosed or periodically during treatment. (For PCa, i feel the same way about basic sexual hormone testing.) My Vit D status has never been a concern by either of my oncologists, which seems either a lack of focus or understanding or their part. It is also the reason I have gradually embraced the importance of patient advocacy in both developing and fully understanding your disease and determining best treatment options for all cancer patients.

Two other things worth noting. First, one of my sisters was once low on Vit D and had to get injections to get her levels up into the recommended range. (She is a cancer survivor and I do not know if that was done by her MO or her primary care doc, altho' my guess would be the PCP.) She is now able to stay above 50 using oral supplements. That supports your experience that it takes a long time to boost Vit D levels for some people using oral supplementation alone.

The second is referenced to the source of the linked video, Dr. John Campbell. I found his YouTube channel based on his excellent analysis on the statistics of COVID.* He is an excellent communicator and has a real skill for dissecting research. I seem to also remember that he was one of the proponents of supplementing with Vit D (based on the correlation mentioned above), along with ionic zinc (= combo of quercetin + zinc) for enhanced immune function. He is constantly maligned (unjustified, IMO) for not fully-embracing the mainstream discourse on Covid and other health-related issues. It is only via the challenges to the now- curated mainstream information flow that we develop our individual analytical skills. He recently had a video where he discussed the difference between relative and absolute risk and why relative risk is frequently used to mislead efficacy for all types of research.

Since you live in Greece, Μείνετε ασφαλείς και καλά,

Ciao - K9 terror

* ( worldometers.info/coronavirus/ is the best source, IMO)

[pca2004 in reply to cujoe]

Cujoe,

Many years ago, when LEF had a 5,000 IU dose (& most did not), they matched purchasers with blood tests results & were horrified. Many were in the 'insufficiency' range.

The result was a new 7,000 IU product in an oil base, with instructions to take with the fatiest meal of the day.

***

Dr. Myers once noted that the only patients who had D at a good level, were those using a LEF product.

***

I think that high-dose prescription D is still the problematic D2 version.

***

Note that while men with PCa quite often have good levels of the 25-D reservoir, they do little to ensure adequate access to active hormonal 1,25-D.

Best, -Patrick

[cujoe in reply to pca2004]

Patrick - All good points and all duly noted. (Maybe the use of D2 when my sis was getting injections is the reason it took so long for her serum level to rise?)

For several years I have been using liquid formulations of both DHA/EPA and Vit-D, mixing/adjusting dosages as needed, and taking them together.

Ciao - Kaptin cujoe

[Lewellen]

I'm very happy to see Dr Campbell represented on this forum. I discovered him very early on in the covid times and have pretty much stuck with him since then. He may not always be right but he is never untrustworthy. And as soon as he realizes he made a mistake he's back on camera telling you exactly why. One of his best used mottos is "follow the science."His championing of vitamin D ran throughout the course of covid. I'm surprised that I hadn't bumped into its connection with cancer before.