Vitamin D

[purple64]

Just a quick question when do you take your Vitamin D? When I was first prescribed a high dose I had to take it of an evening with my main meal. I still take my maintenance dose of an evening with my magnesium but I am wondering whether to take it earlier so that I might feel better during the day?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

As long as you take it with some dietary fat then you can take it any time. I use a softgel containing just D3 and extra virgin olive oil, and I use K2 olive oil based liquid drops, so the oil aids absorption. I take them with a full fat yogurt so there is no danger of them completing for fat to be absorbed. So if your supplements are oil based then there's not much problem, but if they don't contain oil you must ensure there's fat in the meal when you take them.

[purple64 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for your reply. I take vitabiotics🤔 1000 mg will read the label to see if they contain any oils. Where do you get the soft gel from? Might have to look at taking K2 as well. So it sounds like I could have it with a cheese sandwich or something similar.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to purple64]

Vitabiotics D3 doesn't contain any oil, it's a tablet.

I use Doctor's Best and their ingredients are Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol), Extra virgin olive oil, softgel capsule (gelatin, vegetable glycerin, purified water), no nasties or unnecessary excipients.

A few places sell them, Dolphin Fitness, Ebay, Amazon, BigVits. I find Dolphin Fitness is usually cheapest.

K2 is important because D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc. A nice softgel (just 2 ingredients again, including oil) is Healthy Origins MK7,

amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-MK-7-N...

I used to use that but now I've changed to this liquid, 3 drops is all that's needed and it works out cheaper

amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-K2-Liq...

A cheese sandwich would be fine.

[purple64 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for the information. It's funny how I assumed D3 was all the same. Not until you ask questions and start looking into it do you realise there are so many different types out there. Must be a big industry 😀. Will have a look at the links didn't realise that the K2 etc diverted the calcium 😤 so much to learn.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Has vitamin D been retested?

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s) if so you may find vitamin D mouth spray is better

What are recent TSH, FT4 and FT3 test results and ranges

[purple64 in reply to SlowDragon]

I have graves and initially it was low so the hospital put me on 50,000 mg a week for 6 weeks. When it was retested I was told a maintenance dose of 25pug or 1000mg daily was sufficient and last time it was tested I was told it was " normal " whatever that means 😂.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to purple64]

You are legally entitled to printed copies of ALL your blood test results and ranges.

UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.

In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet

Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.

Keeping good record of your results results and ranges for TSH, FT3 and FT4, plus exactly which thyroid antibodies tested

Also helpful if had folate, ferritin and B12 tested.

Add results and ranges if you have them

Vitamin D, Aiming to improve to at least 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better . Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is good as avoids poor gut function

. It's trial and error what dose each person needs as a maintenance level.

Retesting ideally twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Likely to need higher dose in winter than summer

Local CCG guidelines

clinox.info/clinical-suppor...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

gov.uk/government/news/phe-...

As you have Graves have you tried strictly gluten free diet?

Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first

amymyersmd.com/2017/02/3-im...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

scdlifestyle.com/2014/08/th...

[purple64 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for all the information. I have a feeling that my last test came back at 79🤔. Will look at the print out or hospital letter. Just wondering why coeliac? Is it linked to thyroid?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to purple64]

All autoimmune disease is thought to perhaps start in the gut. Leaky gut....literally holes in gut wall

If we have one autoimmune disease, others are more likely

Coeliac is also autoimmune

Most autoimmune thyroid patients aren't coeliac But vast numbers do find gluten is a problem and going strictly gluten free can help

Only way to know for certain is to try strictly gluten free diet, for say 3-6 months

m.youtube.com/watch?v=bbfYc...(Not working as expected?)

[purple64 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you

[knitwitty in reply to SlowDragon]

I took oral vitamin D tablets for 6 months and the levels hardly moved so I changed to the Better you VitD + K2 oral spray and my levels have increased substantially so I would recommend the oral spray every time.

I have Hashi's

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to knitwitty]

Gut function is so often poor with Hashimoto's or Graves.

Mouth spray seems to work well for many of us