I'm trying to research vit d after test result and getting confused by the amounts to take. I tried drops last time it was low, but ended up feeling worse, and after having a few weeks of feeling like mouth ulcers from throat downwards/ sick/ tired, apparently due to iron supplements to get ferritin up,( but not wholly convinced,) am worried as to what type/how much vit d to add into the mix!
I've read you need k2, which I didn't take last time around and I supplement magnesium oil, though am looking to try an oral form.
I have to get these levels up before I can try thyroid treatment, but am feeling extremely tired and unwell at mo, so research time each day is limited, so any help gratefully received thank you.
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Jo5454
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A Vit D level of 28nmol/L is just 3 points above Vit D deficiency, in fact the goal post was moved a couple of years ago and it was <30 for deficiency, now it is <25.
If that was my result I would be following the NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary for Vit D deficiency even though you are 3 points above the level:
"Treat for vitamin D deficiency if serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels are less than 25 nmol/L.
For the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the recommended treatment is based on fixed loading doses of vitamin D (up to a total of about 300,000 international units [IU]) given either as weekly or daily split doses, followed by lifelong maintenance treatment of about 800 IU a day. Higher doses of up to 2000 IU a day, occasionally up to 4000 IU a day, may be used for certain groups of people, for example those with malabsorption disorders.
* Several treatment regimens are available, including 50,000 IU once a week for 6 weeks (300,000 IU in total), 20,000 IU twice a week for 7 weeks (280,000 IU in total), or 4000 IU daily for 10 weeks (280,000 IU in total)."
I would choose the 50,000iu weekly for 6 weeks but I would spread it out and take daily rather than once a week, that works out at 7,142iu D3 daily. You wont get a supplement with a dose of 7,000iu so maybe get some 5,000iu and alternate 10,000/5000iu to give the nearest amount.
I would retest after 6 weeks then post the new level on here and I can then work out what your follow on dose should be.
You can do a home fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
I tried drops last time it was low, but ended up feeling worse
What brand was this? Was it pure or did it have excipients?
I did very well on Doctor's Best D3 softgels when I was Vit D deficient with a level of 15nmol/L. Doctor's Best contains just 2 ingredients - D3 and extra virgin olive oil.
K2-MK7 in it's purest form would be an oil based liquid such as Vitabay Organics:
Will contact vitabay as have a latex allergy and need to check the dropper, fingers crossed!. Just seen the healthy origins has beeswax, have to avoid hone/bee products due to it also, but thanks for the trying! Will keep looking...thank you
Thanks again for all the above info and recommendations. I will try the Doctors Best d3 soft gels, ordering next
Will give Vitabay few days to reply, as it sounds ideal and as you say pure, but I sometimes get long waits for latex questions and desperate to get started, so as back up saw Doctors Best also does a k2, in 45 Mcg and 100mcg, from natto, MK-7, menaQ?
I've read you need 45mcg k2 per 1000iu? Can I ask your opinion please in what you did? I usually eat liver once a week, which has k2 in which my help?
From what I have read, 90-100mcg K2-MK7 is enough for up to 10,000iu D3 and my supplement contains 100mcg so I am happy with that.
There are two types of K2 which are MK4 and MK7.
MK4 is from animal foods - this is what is in liver (also high-fat dairy products from grass-fed cows, egg yolks, as well as liver and other organ meats) and the amount varies depending on the animal's diet - and MK4 leaves the body quickly so would need to be supplemented a few times per day.
MK7 is from fermented foods such as sauerkraut or natto and stays in the body longer so supplementing once a day is sufficient. Best way to get MK7 is from a supplement (often made from natto) and taking a once daily supplement is enough.
So it's MK7 that is suggested as a supplement. Eating liver once a week will not be sufficient.
Thanks again...I've had a reply from Vitabay, no latex, so that's really handy, and great customer service from them and they sa 3 drops is 100ug, so that's great thank you, it would taken me ages to source that. Is that the one you take?
I probably phrased it wrong, I just thought it may be helping to be obtaining some from liver, but always intended to supplement too, at least that way you get some of both types.
Had also been resourcing some sauerkrate to help sort stomach issues, again sent out questions to some raw sauerkrate manufacturers about latex gloves, have found one so far, but that's my next thing to buy and try. Didn't know it contains k2 so that's great to read and an added bonus!
I've ordered the d3 you recommended, no worries if it's lanolin, it could've been coincidental before, well I'll soon find out. To be honest I'm feeling very unwell anyway, so unless I get a higher temp as well, it'll be hard to tell, so got to be worth a try!
Thank you again, I really appreciate your time and such quick replies, it has got me out of a real muddle and helped no end...
I used to use the Vitabay K2-mk7 but I'm using a different one at the moment. They also do a Vit D in liquid drops form, I used that as well at one time.
Thanks, Ah right, Some articles say take the d and k2 apart, others say together, so can I ask your opinion again please, that's my last question on vit d! Thanks for your help...
Some articles say take the d and k2 apart, others say together
This is all to do with the fact that both Vit D and Vit K2 are fat soluble so need fat to be absorbed. When taken together they can compete for fat for absorption.
If the supplements are not oil based (eg capsules or tablets) then they have no fat included in the supplement so need to be taken with some dietary fat, and this is when they should be taken at different times of the day.
If you take both as oil based supplements (eg softgels or oil based liquid) then the oil provides some fat so could be taken together, but personally I would also take them with some extra fat as well, such as a full fat yogurt or some cheese maybe, to ensure there's enough fat for both to be absorbed well.
Ah I see, that makes sense. I'm not on dairy at mo, which I don't like missing out on, but keep getting temperatures ad sinus/ear infections when I retry it. Have tried goats milk but same with that too. Having said that I'm still have blocked up nose most of time, and still get sinus/ear infections every summer, so it's not the dairy causing the entire problem...so they'll both be oil based, but I also take flaxseed oil each day so could take them with that, or if not add olive oil in...
Thank you, they forget to retest in last bloods so I did the NHS pinprick test, so haven't asked but seeing as that was the exact result or time and I was given adcal which I couldn't take due to an ingredient and knowing about calcium I don't know if it's worth asking dr again?
Thanks Slowdragon, I did wonder but there's a couple of ingredients in there I can't have, plus it was lanolin derived drops I had before when I felt worse, so maybe a different source may be better this time? Thank you anyway...
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