Vitamin D Helps Relieve Pain

Are you SURE you are to take 50,000 IU each week??? That seems like an awful lot. Can you overdose on that many Vitamin D's? I take 1-1000 IU daily plus I get some in a multivitamin and with my Citracal.

PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: DOCTORS PRESCRIBE 50,000 IU/WEEK TO CORRECT VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY. AS LONG AS VITAMIN D LEVELS ARE MONITORED, THIS IS NOT UNREASONABLE FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS NOT A DOSE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE ON THEIR OWN, UNSUPERVISED.

For years I have had a problem with my legs and feet. They hurt sooo much especially in the morning or anytime I have been off my feet for a while. I have had to lean on something until I would get my weight fully on my legs and feet, then I could walk. I am slightly overweight but not terribly so. The first steps in the morning were excruciating.

I had been taking 2000 units of vitamin D3 a day but after reading this, I bumped it up to 10,000 a day and within the very first few days have seen an improvement. I still feel crampy in my feet when I take my first steps but it doesn't hurt near as much. I have been living on Tylenol and Ib's but haven't needed them since increasing the D3. I will back the amounts of Vitamin D3 down to no more than 50,000 a week but right now it feels so good to not hurt as much. When I go back to my doctor I will discuss it further with him...

Yes. Normal levels should be 30+...ultimately 50. To get to these levels for most people you'd need to take between 2000-5000 vitamin D per day. Most people are Vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D does get rid of leg pain. However, the only vitamin D to take
is vitamin D 3. It is absorbed by the body much greater and will do more good in a shorter period of time. I started suffering extreme leg pain five months ago and went to bed for almost two weeks. After a lot of tests, the doctor didn't know what to do with me. I started taking 10,000 IU units of D 3 daily and all the pain was gone in two months. It has now been three additional months and the pain has not returned. I still get in the sun, and take 3,000 IU per day.

An MRI found that I have a herniated disk and a pinched nerve. Walking is a little unstable at times, but the pain has never returned. D 3 YES!

I took D3 for 2 months and suffered horrible leg pain, to the point where I couldn't even lift my legs at all. I went through every medication to see if one was the culprit, but it wasn't until I stopped the D3 that the problem stopped. what could have caused this? I thought D3 was supposed to be good for you!

I thought I recalled from biology studies years ago that Vitamins A, D, E, and K were fat soluble and that they were stored in the body in fat and not excreted. A doctor recently told me that the body uses what D it needs and the rest is eliminated. How is a layperson supposed to figure out if this could be a problem or not?

I added 1000 units of D to my repertoire several months ago, just because of hearing so much hype. Since then,I've noticed that the excruciating leg/foot cramps I've suffered with at night have disappeared. I didn't make the connection, but surely this is it. I know several people who are D-ficient (ha) and one who did get bumped up to 50,000IU weekly. It's odd that docs have to be asked to check this. Thanks for great info!

When you say D should be 30 and up....30 what? Are you speaking of 30 ng/mL?
I supplement with D3(1000 units per day) My test results show me at 18 ng/mL for D3
and at less than 4 ng/mL for D4.......

This is not the 30 mentioned above....do I need more?

From above...30 nanograms per milliliter.

Many of the leading osteoporosis experts in the nation that I've heard from like levels closer to 50 or 60 ng/mL. If your levels are below say 20 ng/mL MD's will prescribe 50,000 units of D2 (eq 17,000 mg of D3) per week until levels come up. Anything under 30 ng/ml today is considered deficient. Most people are deficient in vitamin D.....even those that live in California for example.

I'm 46 year old male and take 2400 mg per day and my levels were recently 38 ng/mL and I live in the NW and am very active and outdoors a lot.

I thought Vitamin D in excess is harmful or toxic to our bodies, how would you know if it toxic or harmful? I have extreme pain in my knees and back, however, hesitate to take too much Vitamin D. I feel torn between the lesser of two evils.

I am taking 50.000 units twice a week. My legs feel heavy from this. I have asked the Dr. about this. I am wondering if it's not too much. When I first took this I had knee pain that disappeared. I was told I had rickets. There is another long name for that, it's called osteomalacia. But vit. D has helped for pain. Good luck to you all.

I am currently in treatment for Vit D deficiency (50,000 IU once per week for four weeks). I've noticed some confusing results so far. My back pain is GONE. Completely relieved. But my leg and foot pain is actually worse. I asked my Dr. about this because it actually feels like the large bones in my legs are healing (like pain after a break). My Dr. said he wasn't sure why the pain would be worse but we both wondered if the bone's process of rebuilding (after becoming soft) may be the reason for the pain.

Overall, I am feeling better and I am willing to continue in hopes that I will eventually be pain free. I will update in a few months. I do feel stronger and less fragile. Does anyone else have any comment about the possibility that the bone building again may actually be painful?

I just receive my cholesterol report back and we did some tests for thyroid and vitamin D. I got an abnormal back and a prescription for 50,000 units 2x week. Is twice a week normal?

PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: MOST DOCTORS PRESCRIBE THAT DOSE FOR ONCE WEEKLY. IF YOUR DOCTOR IS MONITORING CLOSELY, THOUGH, YOU MIGHT BE OK WITH THAT DOSE FOR A SHORT TIME.

I just got prescribed 50,000 units at twice a week as well. I think it's rather higher but the doc upped it from once a week saying it should get my level up faster. I'll see. My legs and feet hurt too.....hmmmm

Thanks, it's nice to know I'm not alone taking it 2x week. I'll start tomorrow so we'll see. I'm a little scared because medicine and my stomach don't get along. Would anyone know if the deficiency causes my charley horse?

In a long and interesting article about Vitamin D titled 'The Miracle of Vitamin D' by Krispin Sullivan I found the following.

'A paradoxical transient and non-complicating hypercalciuria (more calcium in the urine) may occur when the program is first initiated. This resolves quickly when adequate calcium and other minerals are consumed. Two other temporary side effects may occur during the first several months of treatment. One is daytime sleepiness after calcium is taken. This usually resolves itself after about one week. The other condition is the reappearance of pain and discomfort at the site of old injuries, a sign of injury remodeling or proper healing, which may take some time to clear up.'

About 5 weeks ago I began to take 6,000 IUs of D3 a day and for the first week I felt incredibly sleep. I also noticed that I had pain in some old injuries but, touch wood, that pain has now subsided.

More importantly, an incredibly painful and sore to touch sternum that I have had for more years than I can remember is now considerably less painful - it was painful to touch before but now I can touch it freely and I hope that the remaining soreness will go in the coming months.

For the past 15 years I have not gone out in the sun without covering myself in sun factor 50 so can only imagine that I have been D3 deficient for many years.

I was given 50,000 units once a week for 12 weeks for being vitamin D Deficient. I also suffer from terrible anxiety and was told Vitamin D would help with that too. Has anyone else had anxiety improve from taking vitamin D? I'm afraid to take meds due to the anxiety so not sure if I should take it. Thanks for any responses.

My Dr. also put me on 50,000 units once a week for 10 weeks. My toes and bottom of the foot feet numb. They hurt so bad and I have to work 12 hr shift. I been wearing toes pad to help. My feet are so red. Will it get any better with vitamin D and how long will it take?

We just had a big article about Vit. D in our newspaper. It claims all sort of great things but so far I haven't experienced any of it. I still have back and leg pain and when I take it that day my legs feel heavy and I don't feel good.

I keep hearing Vit D3 is better so why don't doctors' prescribe that? Can't wait for another test and hopefully can get off.

Have just been prescribed vitamin D 50,000 umis (once a week) after a blood test came back lacking. I see no reference to D3 on the prescription. Is this what a pharmacy would give you by default?

I know that medicare "says" that they will not reimburse for vitamins, but does anyone know since it is prescribed, if they would in this case? I know niacin can be purchased over the counter or by prescription.

Understand it is considered generic. What might I pay for this if I purchased without insurance?

My Dr. prescribed me D3... but only 1000 IU's daily? My level was 20. From what I understand D3 is supposed to be twice as effective as D2. I would call the pharmacy and ask but I bet it's the D2. Also, my insurance did pay for it.

I was tested by myendocrinologist, and my Vit D level was 2.5. Not 25...2.5. I have had a recent foot fracture, and healing has been slow. I am a thyroid cancer survivor, and bone density loss is common with people taking thyroid replacement. He is very conservative, and recommended 3,000 IU daily to start. My mother, who tested at a level of 22 was placed on 50,000IU PER DAY. Her doctor said that toxicity has not been seen in cases taking less than 100,000 IU per day. He also said that he would never recommend that treatment for anyone not being monitored closely.

I asked to up my dose, and my PCP agreed to 10,000 IU per day for my weight. Within 2 weeks I feel fantastic, more energetic, back pain almost gone... but I have foot pain that is so bad that I am on vacation now and am missing out on most of the fun. Not just pain where the old fracture is, but on both sides, constant, even when sleeping. My question is... my doctor did not know the answer to this... is there any correlation between vitamin d supplementation and gout? Because as a nurse, this sure seems like a gout flare up! I have never had it, and nobody in my family has.