# Vitamin D Daily Intake - Who's Right?



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I've been chasing my tail the last hour or so trying to determine who is right when it comes to Vitamin D Daily Intake. The Institute of Medicine report recommends 600IU and no more than 4000IU per day while many doctors, including my own, recommend anywhere from 5000IU to 15,000IU per day. If ten minutes of sun exposure gives you approx. 10,000IU what is the difference between that and taking D3 internally? And then you have to consider your complexion. And how much D3 is actually absorbed by your system? And how much is stored? And you can only find that out by two different blood tests, don't cha know?

Then you find Grassroots Health (which seems to be a large panel of scientists) stating that *9600IU/day would be required to get 97.5% of the population above 40 ng/ml*, which I take is some sort of baseline. And are their results accounting for participants in northern US in late winter or winter hermits like myself?

Do you have a trusted source for things such as this or do you spend hours running around in circles and finally, in the end, just flip a quarter?


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## rxkeith (Apr 13, 2009)

dr joel fuhrman recommends taking 5000 units daily. he is a pretty knowledgeable and trusted source of ours. some people may require larger dose up to 50000 units one to 3 times weekly, but that dose is prescription only. 5000 units is what we have here at home. i have not spent any time fretting about what dose, and what variables, north, south whatever.


keith


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

I like the web site doctoryourself.com for information though they promote vegetarianism and I don't think that's healthy.

From what I read its pretty hard to know how much D3 to take. Its not even for certain how much is too much and it probably depends on the individual. More people are probably at a great risk of deficiency than toxicity.


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## Huntinfamily (Aug 14, 2010)

My Doctor told me in the summer to take 5000 IU and in the winter to take up to 9000.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

I read from another study that long-term 10,000IU daily is considered safe and "the median lethal dose of vitamin D is 21 mg (8,40,000 IU) /kg and, which in overdose, affects all major organ systems."

I guess long-term 5000IU and 10,000IU seems pretty safe then. I just don't understand why IOM recommendation is so low. Job security, perhaps?


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## GeorgiaGirl (Jun 1, 2009)

I had been taking 10,000 IU daily and had my D level up to 91. I felt great and figured that was high enough so I stopped taking them for a couple of months. My last blood test showed my D level had dropped back into the 50's. I have started taking my usual dose of 10,000 IU again. I sure don't want it dropping low again. Although 50 is not considered low, I do like to keep it higher. When I first had it checked several years ago, it was 8 
They said that was "dangerously low."


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Anyone else have this issue? Every time I try to take a Vit D supplement I become very gloomy and depressed the next few days.

I can't figure out why this happens as everything I have read says it should have the opposite affect.

I live in the North with very little sunlight so I can pretty much assume that I am VERY deficient.

I ate some canned sardines yesterday and the package says 1000 mg Vit D per serving. So far I still feel great. I am wondering if the synthetic supplements are causing the bad mood.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Haven, there's a lot of individual variation in the human species. It could even be the BRAND, not that it's in a supplemental form. I'm outside half of all day light hours, but get skin cancer so am covered up. Had to take 4,000units/day for 2 years to get it up over the minimum, and had been taking 1,ooo/day for years. I too rely upon sardines! But am re-thinking canned salmon after the fiasco in Japanese waters....


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

ldc said:


> Haven, there's a lot of individual variation in the human species. *It could even be the BRAND*, not that it's in a supplemental form. I'm outside half of all day light hours, but get skin cancer so am covered up. Had to take 4,000units/day for 2 years to get it up over the minimum, and had been taking 1,ooo/day for years. I too rely upon sardines! But am re-thinking canned salmon after the fiasco in Japanese waters....


That's the first thing I thought when I first read it. I have two different brands in front of me and they both use different ingredients other than the _D3 Cholecalciferol_. Haven, you might want to note the ingredients on what you currently use and try to find something different and see if that helps you feel better.


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## Rick (May 10, 2002)

How about taking 2000 units daily for 3 weeks and getting your level tested.

We take 4000 daily in winter. I would expect to get the runs if it was too much.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

Our family doctor recommended that the D3 either be in an emulsified state (liquid) or that it have some vitamin K2 in it to help with utilization.


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## Rick (May 10, 2002)

Here is some info on how vitamin D can help with Fibromyalgia, and general Vit D info. 

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2011/01/25/vitamin-d-for-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htm

Vitamin D is one of the most frequently recommended supplements for people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and with good reason. But is your supplement doing enough for you?
Vitamin D is responsible for a host of functions in your body -- bone health, cellular replication, insulin production, immune function, heart heath ... the list goes on and on. Deficiencies are linked to all kinds of symptoms and illnesses, including chronic pain, muscle weakness, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and autoimmunity. It also makes you need up to twice as much of an opiate pain killer.
Now get this -- at least one study has shown that about 25% of us with these conditions are deficient. Odds are good that many more of us aren't technically deficient, but in the lower end of the "normal" range.
For years now, I've been taking 1,250 I.U. of vitamin D every day. I also make sure to get at least a little sunlight on a regular basis and I try to eat vitamin d-rich foods. But get this -- my levels are consistently in that low end. Some researchers believe we have problems properly absorbing nutrients, and I have to think there's something to that.
A lot of doctors refuse to treat people who are on the low end, but technically not deficient, when it comes to lots of things (vitamins, hormones, etc.) Fortunately, my doctor isn't one of them. My fibromyalgia symptoms are pretty well controlled, yet while several types of pain have diminished, I still have a huge amount of muscle pain. She looked back at my test results and saw that my vitamin D tended to be barely in range and had me tested again. The nurse later called to tell me that the "acceptable" range is 30-100, and I came in at 39. The doctor had told me she's seeing muscle pain drop off in a lot of patients when she gets them up to about 60 or 70.
I've just started a prescription mega-dose of vitamin D -- 50,000 I.U. twice a week for 6 weeks, then 2,000 daily after that, along with periodic re-checks. After just 2 doses, I have to say, I'm feeling better overall. My head is clearer, I'm sleeping better, waking up easier, and yes, my muscle pain isn't nearly as bad as it was a few days ago.
_*Update: 5 Months Later*_
I wrote this blog back in August 2010, and it's now January 2011. After I finished off the prescription supplement, I had my vitamin D level checked and it was up in the 60s. I felt a lot better and started taking 5,000 I.U. a day in an over-the-counter supplement. A 3-month follow-up test revealed that my level is holding steady there.
In spite of having been on crutches for a few weeks because of a knee injury, and sleeping on the couch to keep my leg elevated, I've only been having minor muscle pain. The last time I was on crutches, I had a lot more arm, shoulder and back pain, and it stuck around for a lot longer. I have to believe it's the vitamin D. I think this is the lowest level of muscle pain I've had in 30 years.
That said, I certainly don't advocate upping your own supplementation to extreme levels! There's a reason these mega-doses are by prescription only -- too much vitamin D is potentially toxic. What I _do_ suggest is asking your doctor to check your levels, treat a deficiency, and, if you're on the low end of normal, talk about options.
So what if you're on the lower end and your doctor won't treat you? Some people may decide to up their supplements, and if that's what you do, please be careful! Know the side effects of too much and keep a close eye on yourself. Even if your doctor doesn't agree with what you're doing, TELL HIM/HER ABOUT IT and ask to be rechecked a couple of months down the road. Decisions about your health care are yours to make, but keeping your doctor informed can help you avoid potentially serious problems.


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

I can testify to the great benefits of Vitamin D. During the summer I don't take any because I am outside for hours on end. That is probably why I feel my best in the spring and summer. Once the days start getting shorter then I start supplementing with Vitamin D. Usually by midwinter I am taking 8000 IUs per day.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I take at least 8000 a day, and many days more depending on if we are out in public where germs are lurking.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I get a good tan in the summer, but for some reason my vitamin d level stays extremely low. It took a shot of vitamin d and then supplementing at 20,000 iu/day to get it up to 55, which is still a little on the low side. I am shooting for 90+.

Your body should maintain a fairly large storage of vitamin d, so when our vitamin d is low, you have to take enough to both raise it and refill storage. I believe it is when your vitamin d storage has been deleted that people start having so many health problems, because at that point the sun may not be enough.

The best thing to do is test, test, test. You should be able to get tested for about $60 if you have to pay out of pocket.


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