Vit D Levels - Frustrated!

When I first had my D level checked I was taking 1200 IU. of Vit D.  It was 34.9.  Then, I upped it to 2000 IUs.  It was then 42.9.  I had it check again while still taking 2000 IUs.  It dropped to either 32.9 or 34.9.  I see my onc next month.  I'm going to ask her to do a D level and explain why.  My pcp has been doing it for me.  I've now started taking 3000 IUs.  You can take even higher.  It is not toxic at high levels.  My onc said that if her patients had levels in the 30's that she put them on the prescription D that has 50,000 IUs.  This is not the same D that we are taking.  We are taking D3.  I assume you're taking D3.  I can't wait to see if my D levels climb once again since I'm taking 3000 IUs.  I may even up it to 4000. 

Good luck.

Shirley

I,too, just found out 2 months ago that I am deficient in Vitamin D. My PCP has me now taking 1200 IU a day of Vit D3 along with calcium. She also told me to drink 3 glasses of milk a day.I have to have it re-checked this month. I don't know what my level was but I will find out. My onc said to continue to let my PCP take care of this as he feels she takes good care of me. Thanks for the info you are all sharing. I will let u know what my level is.

Candie, are you being careful with the 3 glasses of milk, day? I hope that you are making sure it is hormone and lactose free. From what I have read, I think that my excessive use of diary contributed to my bc.. I just do not think we can get the Vit d we need from food. I read that our bodies have a hard time absorbing it after menopause. Hence, I am taking the 5000 iu a day. My last blood test for D2 was 45, so I am still trying to get it higher.

Hi Bayyy,

     Have you talked with your primary care doctor?  You might need to be put on megadoses for a short period.  After that, you might need more than 5,000 IU a day.  Are you taking D3 or D2?  Vitamin D3 is metabolized more quickly and efficiently by the body.  

    I was put on 50,000 IU a day for two weeks, and then 50,000 weekly for four more weeks.  My levels came up to nearly 30 from that--I was pretty much at zero--and now I've been taking 5 to 6,000 IU a day.  I have my levels checked again next week.  My PCP said we'll talk then about whether what I'm taking is sufficient or whether I need to up my daily dose.  It's my understanding that some people just don't absorb and metabolize it as quickly and easily as others--we may be two of those people!

Gayle

Didn't I read that getting 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day with just your head and arms exposed gets you over 50,000 IU's?  Wouldn't that be better than taking pill form? Are all of you getting sunlight exposure outside daily?

Thanks for the speedy reply--didn't give my foggy brain a chance to forget this thread! lol It might be a good idea then to try a few weeks of the mega D2 and then go right back to the D3--sounds like you had some success for the short term.

I also take the 1000IUs. I was just listening to a health program that reported a study that confirmed that up to 10,000 IUs are safe if blood levels are low. I doubt I'd do that without a dr supervising but nice to know.

And yes, I want to get to 55-60 range also to confer the proper protection

I use sunscreen only on my face and neck and I'm always in a tank top and shorts or bathing suit. I am in the sun for at least 2 hours a day since Spring. So, for me anyway, real sunlight is not enough.

I'm waiting for my D levels to come back from the lab. I'll be curious...I was good at supplementing D3 for a while, but I have dropped off recently. But I do get a good bit of sunshine on a regular basis.

Anne

A year ago- before I knew I had bc- I had my Vit D level checked- it was 20. I work inside with no windows and always feel I don't get enough natural light. I din't appreciate that low level at the time and was not very good about taking those calcium/vit D chalky pills. When my gyn found out I had bc- I sent her all my lab work from my pcp- she saw the low level of D and put me on prescription strength D. It is 1.25mg Vit D. It is a gel cap that I only take 1ce per week. It doesn't say if it is D2 or D3.  After 2 doses it went up to 38- I'm glad to see this post. I'll make sure to have it checked again.

 Here is an excerpt I read about Vitamin D I thought was interesting:

Sun Supplies 10,000 Units Of Vitamin D

The single most important fact anyone needs to know about vitamin D is how much nature supplies if we behave naturally, e.g., go into the sun. Humans make at least 10,000 units of vitamin D within 30 minutes of full body exposure to the sun (minimal erythemal dose). Vitamin D production in the skin occurs within minutes and is already maximized before your skin turns pink.

Fear of the fatal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, keeps many people out of the sun. The problem with the theory is that the incidence of melanoma continues to increase dramatically although many people have been completely avoiding the sun for years. We are not saying sunburns are safe, they are not. We are saying that brief full body sun exposure (minimal erythemal doses) may slightly increase your risk of skin cancer but it is a much smarter thing to do than dying of vitamin D deficiency.

I too am taking a Vitamin D3 supplement 1000 iu.  But I have also been doing a lot of walking in the sun this summer.  Maybe I have been overdoing it a bit?  I haven't had vitamin D levels in my blood checked.

Hm...well, I think it's more likely that people today live longer and thus, the increase is cancers, maybe. Like you, it's just my opinion.  I know that of parents and 5 kids, 2 of us girls have had pre-cancerous skin lesions removed, my brother had basal ( I think it was) extensively removed over the last several years and my mother had the same I think removed years ago. 

We did as kids have sunblock type of stuff (coppertone) so we didn't burn. Rarely did, but as teens I did in sports. I remember it well, baking in suntan oil! Oh my! We were nutty!  Still rarely use sunscreen, but my sister does. And yes, I don't like the chemicals, am just careful now, NOT to get burned, but I usually tan instead, so....I enjoy the early morning, late afternoon time and being in michigan, I don't get the exposure either as those in the southern states do either.

I know I read somewhere that the increase in skin cancers may also be linked to the depeletion in the ozone layer that lets in more UV rays. And I agree with you Flalady that what we put inside, effects what is happening outside. I have been outside a lot this summer, in the full sun, riding my bike, walking and gardening in short sleeves. While I have Italian ancestry, so I do not burn easily, my skin is looking great. I think this is because I am taking a lot of omega 3 and I always take vit. E before I go out. I never use a sun screen and no longer need to use much lotion because my skin is really staying soft and hydrated. I hate the sun in my eyes, so I always wear a visor, but I am still heartened by the fact that my skin shows little sign of the amount of sun I get. I am tanned of course, but not deeply. I had no redness at all this summer, even on those 2 hour bike rides out on the prairie.

I also think we need to look at the fact, that in the old days, when outside, women always protected their skin with long sleeves and dresses and parasols. So it would make sense that the incidence in those days was low.

Everyday, we read more and more about the incidence of disease and the lack of Vit D. I think doctors should make a vit. D test part of annual physicals for everyone. My doctors never even thought to check it until I asked them to do so. I am getting it checked again in a couple of weeks after 6 months on a supplement. I will let you all know if it has changed.

Althea, having your blood tested for 25(OH)D is the only way currently to get the level. Many people get sun exposure--and you're in a great spot for being able to make Vitamin D for much of the year--but we each are individual in how much we'll make from sun exposure and how much we need.

Unless someone has liver or kidney disease, 2,000 iu a day is likely to be very safe. Our bodies will stop making Vitamin D in the sun if we have enough already--and if all we get is 2,000 iu a day, I think most of us would test as deficient.

 http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/6/2130

Low Vitamin D Status despite Abundant Sun Exposure
N. Binkley, R. Novotny, D. Krueger, T. Kawahara, Y. G. Daida, G. Lensmeyer, B. W. Hollis and M. K. Drezner

Context: Lack of sun exposure is widely accepted as the primary cause of epidemic low vitamin D status worldwide. However, some individuals with seemingly adequate UV exposure have been reported to have low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration, results that might have been confounded by imprecision of the assays used.

Objective: The aim was to document the 25(OH)D status of healthy individuals with habitually high sun exposure.

Setting: This study was conducted in a convenience sample of adults in Honolulu, Hawaii (latitude 21°).

Participants: The study population consisted of 93 adults (30 women and 63 men) with a mean (SEM) age and body mass index of 24.0 yr (0.7) and 23.6 kg/m2 (0.4), respectively. Their self-reported sun exposure was 28.9 (1.5) h/wk, yielding a calculated sun exposure index of 11.1 (0.7).

Main Outcome Measures: Serum 25(OH)D concentration was measured using a precise HPLC assay. Low vitamin D status was defined as a circulating 25(OH)D concentration less than 30 ng/ml.

Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 31.6 ng/ml. Using a cutpoint of 30 ng/ml, 51% of this population had low vitamin D status. The highest 25(OH)D concentration was 62 ng/ml.

Conclusions: These data suggest that variable responsiveness to UVB radiation is evident among individuals, causing some to have low vitamin D status despite abundant sun exposure. In addition, because the maximal 25(OH)D concentration produced by natural UV exposure appears to be approximately 60 ng/ml, it seems prudent to use this value as an upper limit when prescribing vitamin D supplementation.

Glad I found this forum. Thought i was being diligent by taking 5000 D3 a day and getting some sun too. I will definitely have my levels checked.

FYI...I dissolve my Vitamin D pills into a big mug of green tea and drink. So many scientific results for green tea acting as an enhancer for chemo, vitamins etc. I drink it anyhow and thought a good way to keep easier on my digestive tract.

Good point. I think that maybe I'll just take when drinking my tea.

With your high altitude, I doubt you get enough even with 300 days of sun, do you?  Or is it higher? I have no idea....waiting till I have to see a doc for another reason b/f I talk to one about this.  I'm just tired of docs and not going to see one for just this, but am concerned!