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Q. My pain clinic doctor put me on 50,000 units vitamin D twice a day. That’s 100,000 units a day, and it seems like a lot. The pharmacy called to verify the prescription. Is this dose safe?
A. That is an extremely high dose of vitamin D. It may put you at risk of toxicity. Please check back with your doctor or get a second opinion.
IT should have been 50,000 IU once a week. When that dose is prescribed, you do not take ANY calcium supplements.
A family friend has had 7 back surgeries. Her specialist is quite famous in his field of medicine. THAT doctor prescribes a dose that TOTALS in a WEEK no more than 48,000 IU/wk. with occasional calcium in VERY low amounts.
I take Vitamin D but my doctor gave me 50000 units ONCE a week...My pharmacist says that since the report came out about Vitamin D (and I don't know where the report came from), that the doctors have been writing prescriptions for it all the time. I don't know about anything other than I sure feel a lot better!
My son was found lacking in vitamin D, and was put on 50k units twice a week for 4 weeks, and then 2000 units a day. Twice a day does seem excessive...are you quite certain it was not twice a week?
I was discovered to have a very low level of vitamin D (as in I would have rickets if I were a child). My doctor prescribed 50,000 iu to be taken once a week for eight weeks. Perhaps the pharmacist did not read the prescription carefully.
50,000IU of Vit D has been given lately but on a weekly basis just for several months to bring a very low level up to an optimal one (50-70). Depending on circumstances, it may only move 5 pts a month at that rate. Many are not in tune to correct doses. 4-5,000 is said to maintain your present level. sw,RN
What is the reason for not taking calcium supplements? I'm also taking a once a week high dose of vitamin D but was not told to stop taking the daily calcium supplements.
My doctor has me on 15,000 IU's daily and on 1900 mg. of calcium daily. Isn't this excessive? I also would like to know the reason for not taking calcium.
My doctor put me on 12000 IU daily (1200 IU per 10kg body mass) 18 months ago. Seems to be working. Initially I was concerned about the dosage - so googled and found that actual toxicity hasn't been reported below 40k/day for sustained periods; for cancer patients 50k/daily for short term seems tolerable. YMMV - check with your doctor!
My doctor put me on 50,000 IU once a week, I have been on that for 6 weeks now. I also was told to take 2000 IU daily. What are the negative effects of being out in the sun while taking this much since you get Vitamin D from that source as well? I worry about the toxicity of this. Is it very harmful if out in the sun while taking this much?
Thanks
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: IF YOU ARE OUT IN THE SUN FOR 15 OR 20 MINUTES A DAY, YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT NEED TO TAKE THE 2,000 IU DAILY DOSE. YOU ALSO PROBABLY DO NOT NEED BOTH 50,000 IU/WEEK AND 2,000 IU/DAY. ASK YOUR DOCTOR WHICH IS BETTER FOR YOU.
I am taking 50,000 units of vitamin d weekly for 8 weeks because my level was 18. I am 62 years old with a history of breast cancer and osteoarthritis. I take Evista but do not know if I should be taking calcium while taking this high dose of D. Please advise. thanks so much.
I have been taking 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week since May 19 and have had severe diarrhea. I have been to the E.R. 3 times. Dehydration! Also I am so weak. I decided to stop the vitamin D and actually ate a few bits of chicken and mashed potatoes yesterday and today without diarrhea. I was eating applesauce, vanilla yogurt and rice. Bananas gave me diarrhea. I should be able to tell in a few more days if the vitamin D caused the diarrhea. I was losing almost 1 pound every 3 days recently.
Vitamin D is only available from the sunlight from fall to spring if you live south of Atlanta. The rest of us need to get our 25 Hydroxy D3 levels up to 50-80 ng/ml from supplements or those tanning beds that are adjusted to produce UVB (and not tan). This is not easy if you are obese, dark skinned, old or have a host of underlying conditions including chronic pain.
Vitamin D toxicity is almost absent in the literature unless the person has underlying scleroderma, lymphoma, hyperparathyroidism or abnormal calcium metabolism. There are no valid cases of toxicity with blood levels under 200 without abnormal conditions. In one recorded case, a Florida lawyer was taking a million iu a day due to an industrial production accident and his blood levels were over 500. After a month of the diuretic Lasix and sunscreen, his signs of toxicosis were reversed although his blood level was around 300.
Obese patients for instance may be unable to make or absorb enough Vitamin D. I was taking 10,000 iu for six months, and my blood level was only in the 30s. At my weight, 40,000 iu daily may be necessary just to maintain levels. Others can load with high levels for a few months and drop to a maintenance dosage of 5000-10,000 iu, If you are taking large doses your doctor should monitor with a blood test.
Pain and disease deplete Vitamin D since it is used by the body —metabolically cleared— both to maintain wellness and to treat disease. Although I would certainly check with the doctor, a daily dose of 50,000 iu for the patient is well within current treatment protocols according to the best Vitamin D researchers and it is possible that the twice a day dose is in response to an inability to absorb enough with his condition.
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PROPER DOSE OF VITAMIN D VARIES FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER. PLEASE WORK WITH YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO GET THE DOSE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
Incidentally if you are interested, Grassroots Health and the University of California at San Diego have a series of YouTube videos available that explain the new science around Vitamin D as well as a chart that summarizes how cancer, MS, fractures, cardiovascular disease, Type 1 diabetes and other conditions can be substantially wiped out at different blood levels of Vitamin D. http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ You can also find information including all kinds of research links at www.VitaminDcouncil.org.
Grassroots Health recently issued a Vitamin D Scientist's Call to Action Statement (PDF format) signed by some of the best vitamin D scientists in the world. They want blood levels to increase to 50 ng/mL within five years to eradicate many diseases that we had not thought linked to Vitamin D when the recommended amount was set.