Vitamin D thoughts

[Sparklyjenson]

Hi,

I was reading someone else’s post and some of the information surprised me.

“Maintenance therapy of vitamin D equivalent to 800–2000 IU daily (up to a maximum of 4000 IU daily for certain conditions such as malabsorption following specialist advice), given either daily or intermittently at a higher equivalent dose.....

The Vit D Society and Grassroots Health recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L, with a recent blog post on Grassroots Health mentioning a study which recommends over 125nmol/L”

My questions….

I’ve been taking 4000iu per day for the last 4 years (following a low result) without knowing it was a high dose. My recent blood test showed my result as 100nmol (range 50-200). I don’t feel well when I don’t take it so is it ok to assume I need this level and not worry about whether I have absorption issues or not.

If I took 2 pills by accident could it cause extreme abdominal pain? I got taken to hospital via ambulance in November with excruciating pain and given morphine. Nobody could work out what the problem was but I think I took 2 vit d pills accidentally (I forgot I had taken the first one). I did ask them if that could cause a problem but the paramedics said no. Maybe they assumed it wouldn’t be such a big dose. I’ve had renal ultrasound and pelvic ultrasound and mri and no material issues found.

[Sparklyjenson]

Worth noting my calcium levels were not high. 2.24 calcium (range 2.1 to 2.55)

[DippyDame]

I had a similar trip to A&E last July....tests etc all clear.Sent home with painkillers

Have you had UTIs?

I have had chronic UTIs

Mine appears to have been Embedded UTI....diagnosed by new GP...now prescribed long term low dose antibiotics ( 2 types, alternating monthly

I take 800IUs vit D daily ( prescribed) so I doubt it would cause you a problem

Hope you are OK.

[Sparklyjenson in reply to DippyDame]

Hi dippydame. I haven’t suffered from UTIs for about 10 years (after I got great advice from a gp to never use any soap or shower gel or anything apart from water when washing down there - plus no bath products).

Thankfully my stomach pain disappeared after a month. I still don’t know what caused it and I am a bit worried that it might return (hence clutching at straws like too much vit D!). It felt like I was in Labour - I even asked the paramedics for an epidural :-). It came from nowhere and then just went again. I will probably never know what happened and looking on the bright side, at least it’s gone.

I hope your low dose antibiotics are working out. UTIs are miserable.

[DippyDame in reply to Sparklyjenson]

Glad you feel better.

You may find this interesting...but hopefully won't need to follow up!

chronicutiaustralia.org.au/...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Sparklyjenson

I’ve been taking 4000iu per day for the last 4 years (following a low result) without knowing it was a high dose. My recent blood test showed my result as 100nmol (range 50-200). I don’t feel well when I don’t take it so is it ok to assume I need this level and not worry about whether I have absorption issues or not.

If that is the dose you need to keep your Vit D at a reasonable level then that's what you need. We're all individual. I need 5,000iu D3 daily winter and summer to keep mine at the recommended level and when last tested calcium was 2.3 in 2018. But it's always advised to test Vit D twice a year when supplementing to see whether your dose needs adjusting, recommended times I have seen stated are end of March and October/November.

[Sparklyjenson in reply to SeasideSusie]

That’s helpful to know. Thank you. It makes sense to test twice a year. I didn’t test for 4 years so I need to be a bit more ‘on it’!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Sparklyjenson]

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 viavitamindtest.org.uk

[eeng]

I take 10,000iu once a week and never get the slightest abdominal pain. It sounds as though it was one of life's coincidences.

[Sparklyjenson]

That makes me feel better that I didn’t cause it myself. Thanks!