Yet another reason to have vitamin d tested

[tatt]

A trial on 163 heart failure patients found supplements of the vitamin, which is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight, improved their hearts' ability to pump blood around the body.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35959556

Of course that doesnt say it does anything for people with normal hearts but the controls were also people with heart failure, maybe they'll test it on normal hearts next.

 

[Cort]

A trial on 163 heart failure patients found supplements of the vitamin, which is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight, improved their hearts' ability to pump blood around the body.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35959556

Of course that doesnt say it does anything for people with normal hearts but the controls were also people with heart failure, maybe they'll test it on normal hearts next.

Has anyone had their Vitamin D tested and found it low?

 

[Who Me?]

Mine had always been really low. Even with supplementation it had been at about 50%. I'm not sure how it is now

Dr ty Vincent is a huge advocate of D3. He did a 1/2 lecture that is ok YouTube about it. I can't find it right now.

 

[Cort]

When you find it I'll put it in our media section.

I've heard of people who get lots of sunshine - I get lots of sunshine - and still have low Vit D levels.

Nancy Klimas says, I think, that everyone should supplement regardless.

I wonder how long it takes for your Vitamin D levels to get to normal and if there is a preferred type of Vit. D?

 

[Remy]

Dr Gominak is also a big proponent of Vit D...but she has found an "optimal" range of between 60-80 ng/mL. Both above and below that, she finds people have more health and sleep problems. She suggests getting 25-OH Vit D measured several times over the course of a year to find out what level of supplementation it takes to get into that range as it is different for everyone.

http://drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hormone.html

I was taking 10K IU/day per Dr Ty Vincent for the first part of this year and all of a sudden I couldn't sleep anymore. I'm not sure if it was related entirely to the D but since having a 2 month washout, I'm now sleeping much better again. So, in my experience, I think it really can get too high with supplementation.

 

[Remy]

I wonder how long it takes for your Vitamin D levels to get to normal and if there is a preferred type of Vit. D?

I think it's different for everyone based on where they start and how much they make.

Vit D3 is always the preferred type. And it's cheap for once!

 

[Remy]

Mine had always been really low. Even with supplementation it had been at about 50%. I'm not sure how it is now

Dr ty Vincent is a huge advocate of D3. He did a 1/2 lecture that is ok YouTube about it. I can't find it right now.

 

[Who Me?]

I've been taking 10,000 iu for years just to get it at the 50%.

 

[Remy]

You also have terrible sleep problems. Wonder if there is a connection?

 

[KME]

Mine was 100 in August (which was the upper limit of normal at that lab) and down to 50 in March (considered borderline at a different lab). Both on no supplements, just diet and sun. Am now on a supplement and will definitely make sure to always be on a supplement for the whole of winter in future. Or eat sardines every day.

 

[Who Me?]

You also have terrible sleep problems. Wonder if there is a connection?

Ive had terrible sleep problems back to when I was a kid. It would be interesting to stop but I need D for LDI.

 

[ShyestofFlies]

I supplement with 5,000 iu a day. I'm still borderline after months of taking it, so my doc told me to stay on it. She recomended 4,000 a day but I've been on 5,000 since it's way easier to find and better to pop just one pill that 4. Didn't notice any difference in any of my symptoms though, but when my mom was low she had bad bone pain.

 

[lisaadele]

I was supplementing 3000 iu a day and my D levels were high, 140. I then read a summary of a Danish study (sorry no link) that suggested being too high was associated with health problems as well as being too low. They identified a sweet spot as well around 75 although their study I don't think linked to sleep issues.

Anyhow, this past fall/winter I didn't supplement at all with D and recently had blood work that showed it was only down to 100. And that is with half a year with pretty much no sunshine for me. A cold dreary winter...

Our labs here (Canada) give a reference range of 75 -250 nmol/L for 25-Hydroxy D.

 

[Upgrayedd]

When I was first sick years ago, it was very low, in the 20's. A rheumatologist gave me an Rx for 50,000iu (yes 50K) once a week for 4 weeks. I've since found out that the Rx version is synthetic D2, not the 'natural' D3 in OTC supplements.

I've been supplementing for years, usually at about 5,000IU a day, especially in winter. I presently take a LEF supplement that has 5,000IU D3, along with vitamin K and iodine. My Vitamin D was tested last month around 50. Cant wait for the sun to start shining more in NY so I can raise it naturally...

 

[IrisRV]

Has anyone had their Vitamin D tested and found it low?

Yep, low and very difficult to raise. I have to take high doses just to stay barely in range. My daughter is in the same situation.

Interestingly, the time I felt best during this whole damned illness was when the manufacturer accidently put 10,000 times the listed D-3 in the calcium supplement I was taking for 6 months or more. The recall notice advised us to get tested immediately. My vitamin D was substantially above range at that time, but not to the toxic level. Within 6 months of not taking supplementary vitamin D, I was below range again.

Maybe I need to move back to Colorado and get more of that lovely sun.

ETA: Okay, maybe not that high. Some of you folks have taken quite a bit more than I do. My doc doesn't have the nerve to recommend more than 5000 IU. I'm going to ask for a new test at my next appt and up my dose more if I have to to get into the 60-80 range.

My ME/CFS specialist suggested a liquid D-3 sublingually. I think that was just in case I have an absorption issue. It does seem to do a better job of raising my D levels than swallowing pills.

 

[Remy]

I just had mine tested last week and it's down to 40 again. I need to start it back up obviously but I'm just now sleeping better and the deep muscle aches are finally totally gone from my 10K IU/day experiment. I still am feeling wary. Maybe I'll just move somewhere nice.

 

[GG]

Has anyone had their Vitamin D tested and found it low?

Yes, and my old health care providers often mention it! I'm talking about 20 years ago, I've been supplementing with 5 to 12,000 IUs for years now

GG

 

[tatt]

Mine was officially "insufficient" - not emergency low but not enough. One problem is that American measures and European measures are different so you need to know if it's nmol/L or ng/ML that is being measured. I've been taking 50ug (2000iu) al winter and my levels are probably now - just been testsed and it's a lot better anyway. Levels considered "bad" also vary see e.g. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ and compare that with what Dr Gominak says about levels necessary for good sleep.

BTW the reason I notice studies like this is because I actually started to feel better after supplementing. It's not a cure, the effect is fairly subtle and gradual if you take normal levels of supplements.

As vitamin D is fat soluble it may be best to use oil based supplements or eat fat with them. And of course in sunny weather getting outdoors is better than a supplement, there is no risk of toxity from sun exposure, only sunburn!