I have only in the last year picked up on the need to build beyond the most basic levels of vit D - my blood test in March 2023 showed a level of 50 which is not seen as problematic but insufficient for optimal health.
I have read the advice here which seems very sound and there is a lot of support from the research for getting your range up to around 100.
Recent post from here:
"But with Hashimoto’s, improving to around 80nmol or 100nmol by self supplementing may be better" SlowDragon
You tube - UK doctor who studies relevant research:
The question then is how do you titrate this up and I have increased to 5,000 units a day from 1,000 originally as this was nothing like enough to increase the levels. I also take 100 units of k2.
Some channels on you tube take the view that a little sun each day will prove more than enough - there is a ton of research that explains why this is not correct either without labouring all the details. Again we can discuss this further if of interest.
Given how cheap D supplements are, this seems a no brainer and am interested in anyone here who has moved up from say 50 to near 100 and how that has helped their hypo symptons. Thanks
From two separate links as context:
1.“In the UK, the SACoN’s advice on vitamin D supplementation is the most conservative in the world,” he says. “They work off the amount of vitamin D you’d need in your bloodstream just to avoid rickets. Other countries consider it very negative and say we should be aiming not just to prevent rickets but for an optimal level. In America one body says we should be getting double the UK’s suggested amount, another says triple. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is defined against different guidelines around the world so it can be tricky.”
2.A vitamin D insufficiency (mildly low levels of vitamin D) usually doesn't cause symptoms. So, your provider may order a test if you have a high risk for developing a deficiency because you:
Are older than 65. As you age, your skin is less able to make vitamin D from sunlight.
Rarely expose your skin to sunshine because you stay indoors, cover up outside, use sunscreen, or live where there is little sunlight
Have dark skin, which makes less vitamin D from sunlight
Have had weight loss surgery
Have obesity
Have a condition that makes it difficult to absorb nutrients in food, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease
Have kidney or liver disease that affects your ability to change vitamin D into a form your body can use
Take certain medicines that affect your vitamin D levels
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Danielj1
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Hi Danny. I found the Vitamin D Council or Grapevine the best sources of info for addressing Vit D levels and help with titration. Dr Paul Campbell not long ago knew little and was advocating buying cheap vitamins from supermarkets. This is erroneous because poor quality vitamins means low absorption. Vitamins are classified into grades Ato D. . Grade A being the highest and most absorbable and grade D unlikely you will absorb.
In the UK doctors are no longer trained in vitamins so are clueless. It was dropped from basic training several years ago. But they also only treat vit D deficiency to a minimum level not optimal. Seems to be increasingly the case in medicine here.... Lol.
Thanks waveylines, will look at vit D council information.
I say well done to the doctor on you tube for raising the issue more widely and updating his knowledge base so he giving really up to date and accurate advice now - I do think this has morphed over the past years from basic D to D2 and then D3 and then D3 plus K2 then D3 plus K2 mark7 then plus magnesium.
It is a rapidly evolving field and I personally have found it very hard to keep up - hence me posting to get some more discussion - happy to admit my knowledge gaps too here
There's a graph somewhere that shows how much to Vit D to supplement depending on your levels. I think it was presented by either SeasideSusie or humanbean ?
I'm glad you've picked up on the K2 mk 7 but I don't think this available in the cheaper supplements.
Just having an initial scan from your helpful link :
The Vitamin D Council, under the guidance of Dr. John Cannell, previously proposed a distinctive Vitamin D intake recommendation, which was significantly higher than those issued by many other health institutions. The Council recommended adults consume up to 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily, which was based on their extensive review of scientific research suggesting that higher levels may be beneficial for optimal health
Honestly you are best to test your Vit D every six months and treat according to reach around the 100 mark. After that it's a maintenance dose to keep it there. That dose will vary some people need a smallish top up like me ( 1000mcg Vit D per day) other needs a higher daily dose. These days I test my level annually because am stable. Hope this helps.
Originally I was diagnosed with Vit D deficiency with a level of just 3! One of my major bones broke due to lack of vit D, meaning I then wasnt absorbing the plentiful calcium that I ate. So for my loading doses I had to go to the hospital where they gave 100,000iu D3 in one go per month for three months. After that they plonked me on the basic 800iu per day and discharge me. I then found out about Vit D from the Websites I mentioned and supplemented as needed following blood tests. .This all happened because I have an extreme form of Vitiligo so can't tolerate any direct sun. I asked GP if there were any implications for me avoiding the sun. She said no that fine. Well it wasn't!!
And so the above unfurled after a while. Also GP said my broken leg was an infection from am insect bite initially even though there was no bite sight to be found. When antibiotics didn't work she said... Yes you guessed.... It's an anomaly.
It took another GP to suspect it was broken after three weeks of it being broken. An xray revealed the full glory of the break & was sent to a&e where the consultant for a&e didn't believe it was broken despite the x ray and sent me home to wait for three weeks for appointment with the bone clinic. (they refused to even strap it it up so had no support not even a walking stick!) The bone consultant went mental when he saw I had no plaster cast....and I'd been walking on it. He was furious with a&e. Finally someone who knew about broken bones!! It then had to be xrayed again because it might need rebreaking and setting.... Luckily it hadn't moved so it was put in a cast, then later on a boot.
I figured if a GP can't diagnose a major break in a leg bone what can they diagnose and moved GP practise after that. And so a long tail of missed diagnosis wrong diagnosis poor treatment carried on unfurling. It never stops.... Like a GP recently post op telling me my surgical wound was healing nicely because the fresh dressing I'd put on looked clean!! I said don't you want to look at the actual wound, the dressing is a new one? Oh no said she paling no need I can 'see' its fine and then told the hospital I was healing nicely. 🙄
I learnt to do my own research and cross check what any GP said and learnt that having knowledge gave me power to challenge the nonsense often peddled. So please don't take their incompetence as reflection on you it's not.... It's them.
Hi. I supplemented with 4000iu D3 with K2. I also exposed myself to sun very chance I got. Mine raised to above 100 within a couple or so months, to the point my GP said to stop supplementing. I have not as I want to get to around 140. Vitamin D toxicity is thought to occur above 200 ish. However, as you are finding out, there are so many different views on this.
I buy a good vitamin D with K2 mixed in olive oil from Amazon. There are a few to choose from, the fat in the oil increases absorption .
It raised my level quite quickly despite me having a genetic problem making & storing vit D. I found my levels were lowish after spending many weeks in the sun in Southern France in a heatwave. Medichecks test showed I need to supplement year round.
Hi Danielj1
Thank you for putting up your story and question on titrating Vit D.
Can't give you personal experience on titrating.
However, can make a few related comments.
Recent blood tests show declining Vit D from 12 months ago and I have none of the risk factors: dark skin, no sun exposure, obesity, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, or celiac disease, over 65yrs, etc.
But I do have recent non-lifestyle/non-genetically-caused kidney disease, NAFLD and pre-diabetes, all associated with/caused by failing thyroid.
Thyroid medi for eight months has improved my cholesterol readings but not the Vit D; had hoped it would.
Just started twice daily 1000IU Vit D. Hopefully, this will do. (I'm wary of introducing K2, magnesium in case of cross reactions/intolerances.)
Hopefully, I can report back results in 6-12months.
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