Vitamin D I'm I getting enough? : Hi everyone... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

140,948 members166,084 posts

Vitamin D I'm I getting enough?

birkie profile image
7 Replies

Hi everyone ♥️

My last blood work in late Oct this year showed a vitamin D level of 29 pmol/L.. Range... 25.00....150.00 pmol/L... Its been low for sometime, as its been around 29 the lowest being 26 nothing has ever been done regarding supplementation. I have been diagnosed with ostiopien so vitamin D has been given but it says 800u..does anyone think this is sufficient to up my vitamin D level ❤️

Thank you ♥️♥️

Written by
birkie profile image
birkie
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
7 Replies
humanbean profile image
humanbean

No, 800 iU isn't enough to raise your level.

To find out what dose you should be taking this link is well worth knowing about :

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

It is a vitamin D calculator. If I enter your weight as 140 lbs (10 stone) then it gives the following info (but obviously you should enter the correct figures) :

-----------------------------------------

All suggested intake amounts are based on a weight of 140 lbs

Maintenance Dose

To achieve the desired serum level within approximately 3 months, a supplementation amount of

4,000 IU* (100 mcg) per day (this includes your current intake amount)

will be sufficient for 50% of people to achieve the desired serum level of 100 nmol/L

or

6,000 IU* (150 mcg) per day (this includes your current intake amount)

will be sufficient for 90% of people to achieve the desired serum level of 100 nmol/L.

Loading Dose

To quickly achieve the desired serum level within days†, a dose of

25,000 IU (625 mcg) per day can be taken for 7 days, followed by the above maintenance dose.

*Values rounded to the nearest 1,000 IU and are capped at a maximum of 10,000 IU/day.

†This calculation is based on published data by van Groningen et al., Eur J Endocrinol., 2010

Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies have documented the well-established safety of single 'loading' doses of vitamin D to get levels up quickly (1-26). Loading doses ranging from 100,000 IU to 600,000 IU have been shown to rapidly increase vitamin D levels, but fail to sustain levels longer than 2-3 months. Larger doses induce more rapid breakdown of vitamin D (1-2). Therefore, the customized loading dose has been divided into doses of 25,000 IU over a number of days to achieve the initial increase in vitamin D levels. The maintenance dose is your custom daily dose recommended to achieve and sustain the desired levels of vitamin D.

-------------------------------

Hope that helps. You also need to take magnesium and vitamin K2 along with vitamin D3 (never take vitamin D2).

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

No you’re not

GP should prescribe 1600iu everyday for 6 months - but likely to need more than that so better off self supplementing

Vitamin D

GP will often only prescribe to bring levels to 50nmol.

Some areas will prescribe to bring levels to 75nmol

leedsformulary.nhs.uk/docs/...

GP should advise on self supplementing if over 50nmol, but under 75nmol (but they rarely do)

mm.wirral.nhs.uk/document_u...

NHS Guidelines on dose vitamin D required

ouh.nhs.uk/osteoporosis/use...

But with thyroid disease, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/218...

vitamindsociety.org/pdf/Vit...

Once you Improve level, very likely you will need on going maintenance dose to keep it there.

Test twice yearly via vitamindtest.org.uk

Vitamin D mouth spray by Better You is very effective as it avoids poor gut function. There’s a version made that also contains vitamin K2 Mk7

amazon.co.uk/BetterYou-Dlux...

It’s trial and error what dose we need, when on replacement thyroid hormones we frequently need higher dose than average

Calculator for working out dose you may need to bring level to 40ng/ml = 100nmol

grassrootshealth.net/projec...

Government recommends everyone supplement October to April

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

Taking too much vitamin D is not a good idea

chriskresser.com/vitamin-d-...

With your Vit D, it's important to take cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7

Magnesium best taken in the afternoon or evening, but must be four hours away from levothyroxine

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Vitamin K2 mk7

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

birkie profile image
birkie in reply toSlowDragon

Ho thank you so much slowdragon ❤️I'm seeing my gp today I will mention it.. I've been on vit D for nearly 2 months I don't feel any different,apart from the fact my knees and ankles have swollen are hot to touch itchy and red and very painful 😩.. Also another bug bare.. They can't get my T3 LACTOSE free Again second time, it annoys me lady at chemist rang last week to tell me although my prescription has come in from gp they cannot get my meds, they left this task up to me to contact my surgery I did another prescription was sent to another chemist with the same phone call I again had to inform my gp.. And just now the other chemist has rang with same info no T3 LACTOSE free.. And again I'm going to have to inform my gp.. Gezzz its bad enough having a thyroid condition without having to run about trying to get my meds.... 😠😠😠

Thank slowdragon ❤️❤️

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply tobirkie

Small independent pharmacies are often more helpful

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

birkie

Below 30 used to be classed as Deficiency and you would have been prescribed loading doses.

The NHS have now moved the goal posts and below 25 is now classed as Deficiency and 29 would come into the Insufficient category.

In your position I would follow the protocol for Deficiency and do my own loading doses. The NHS protocol for Deficiency is:

NICE treatment summary for Vit D deficiency: cks.nice.org.uk/vitamin-d-d...

(click on Management > Scenario:Management)

"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)."

It also says:

"Treat for vitamin D insufficiency if serum 25(OH)D levels are in the range of 25–50 nmol/L and the person:

* Has a fragility fracture, documented osteoporosis, or high fracture risk.

* Is being treated with an antiresorptive drug for bone disease.

* Has symptoms suggestive of vitamin D deficiency.

* Is at increased risk of developing vitamin D deficiency in the future, for example because of reduced sunlight exposure.

* Has raised parathyroid hormone levels.

* Is taking an antiepileptic drug or an oral corticosteroid, or is on long-term treatment with other drugs known to cause vitamin D deficiency, such as colestyramine.

* Has a malabsorption disorder (for example Crohn's disease) or other condition known to cause vitamin D deficiency, such as chronic kidney disease."

If you don't want to do the loading doses then I'd take no less than 5,000iu D3 daily and retest in 3 months. Once you've reached the level recommended by the Vit D Council/Vit D Society/Grassroots Health - 100-150nmol/L - then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:

vitamindtest.org.uk/

There are important cofactors needed when taking D3 as recommended by the Vit D Council.

D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and Vit 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.

D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking D3 as tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray.

Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.

Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking magnesium as tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

drjockers.com/best-magnesiu...

afibbers.org/magnesium.html

birkie profile image
birkie in reply toSeasideSusie

Hi thanks seasidesusie ❤️I had a raised parathyroid level and calcium level this year.. Hence the bone density scan, but nothing more has come of these tests, I'm at my doctors today because both my knees are swollen hot itchy and red, also my ankles to... I'm on T3 10mg split I'm due to have my full thyroid bloods Don in 2 wks I'm requesting all vitamins and minerals to be done also.. I've never felt hypo at all I always feel hyper😩 this is getting me down as I thought after my thyroidectomy I'd loose the hyper feeling's 😭

Thanks again❤️

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply tobirkie

Important to take vitamin K2 to direct extra calcium into bones rather than blood

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Taking vitamin D 2 months on results,

Hello everyone ❤️ Just quick run down, did bloods endo noticed several results in my records of...
birkie profile image

Vitamin D advice please.

Hi. I apologise to the people who replied to me but it seems I've accidentally somehow deleted my...

Help With Vitamin D, Ferritin, Folate

Laboratory Procedures = 60 nmol/L Total 25-OH = Total Vitamin D level >50 nmol/L Ferritin = 29 ug/L...
lucky10 profile image

Vitamin D levels and Covid-19

In email received from Grassrootshealth.org Our paper, Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation...
vocalEK profile image

Vitamin D levels

Hi, after much going back to my previous GP practice several times to acquire my Vitamin D levels...
Angel222 profile image

Moderation team

See all
PurpleNails profile image
PurpleNailsAdministrator
SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator
RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.