Is d3 the same as vit.d???

[4evathrowed]

Is vit d 50,000 units the same as d3.?
I was prescribed 50,000 units of vitamin d is that the same as d3 cause on the bottle it just say's d.I bought d3-5000 iu is it better which should I take.I am deficient my level is 21 and I heard 50-80 was optimal.

[crazym]

d3 is what you want, if the doctor prescribed vit d then it will also be d3, that is the form that is useful for raising your levels.

[sarguy]

There are times when the script will be for D2. I recall hearing that the FDA (for all the good they do) approved D2 as a source of vitamin D, but not D3.

There are two forms of vitamin D (which, as far as we're concerned is a prohormone that must be hydroxylated in the liver and kidney to become active Calcitriol).

D2, aka Ergocalciferol, which is derived from fungal sources and (IIRC) less bio-available according to at least one article I'm aware of. D2 is not naturally found in humans and, again going from memory, is converted into D3 at less than a 1:1 rate.

D3, cholecalciferol, is the more common OTC variety and is the variety that is supposedly preferred by some health care professionals.

From personal experience, the Rx for vitamin D I got was D2, and it was more spendy than purchasing 5000 IU caplets of D3 OTC from the same pharmacy. As always, get your labs checked.

[DragonRider]

Is vit d 50,000 units the same as d3.?
I was prescribed 50,000 units of vitamin d is that the same as d3 cause on the bottle it just say's d.I bought d3-5000 iu is it better which should I take.I am deficient my level is 21 and I heard 50-80 was optimal.

I would bet good money that the prescription is D2.

[MM11]

When they check vitd they can test for d2d3 which is what your talking about or there is vitd 25-oh. I am on my phone but in short the supplement you have is just fine. If I remember when I am at a computer I will elaborate further If no one else has.

[4evathrowed]

Vitamin D (25-OH)TOT 21 ng/ml range 32-100 LOW.Could my low vitamin d cause me to be depressed foggy headed tired and lethargic all the time.I also wake tired and have headaches all day no libido and very low semen volume.It all started this winter I had energy before the winter and could walk 10 miles a day easily.Now I can barely walk 2 miles without feeling tired.I doubt it's SAD cause I would of been started feeling better since it's spring.

[MM11]

Yes being vitd deficient can cause the symptoms you listed. Still on my phone but the 25-oh is a total compared to d2 or d3 which is more specific. I looked into it more at work today. I still plan to elaborate further but typing on my phone is lame.

[4evathrowed]

Yes being vitd deficient can cause the symptoms you listed. Still on my phone but the 25-oh is a total compared to d2 or d3 which is more specific. I looked into it more at work today. I still plan to elaborate further but typing on my phone is lame.

How long does it take for the vitamin d deficient symptoms to go away.I already took 4 pills.I'm supposed to take 50,000 iu vitamin d pills twice a week I also recently bought 5000 iu vit d3 to take in between.

[MM11]

I'm sorry I am in no position to give medical advice. Thats something you should talk to your doctor about. But the supplement your using should be fine.

[jin]

well, your skin will produce 20000iu D in 20 minutes of full sun, no trouble...
problem with supps is that if you dose these, then there is no turnin it off - stuff is in there.
if you have enough, your skin production shuts down.
you can OD - but symptoms take a long time to surface, months in fact.
so, you can take as much as you wanna.

i bet that your script if for D3.
no reason to prescribe D2.

dragonrider, i will take that bet !!!!

anyways easy enough to check.

i take 5-6000iu D3 daily through the winter.
stop in the summer when i can get some sun 2x a week.
if i am gonna miss that for whatever reason,
and have been sun-deficient otherwise,
i will go back on the supps in the summer too...

but, an hour a week of good sun is plenty, if you get out at the highest times.
use astaxanthin to protect your skin from sunburn.
stuff is amazing, man.
burning is almost impossible on this stuff...

[RPHMark]

The only rx product is D2, which is not as well absorbed. But, be careful adding to the 100,000 units/week as you can overdose vit D. It is a fat soluble vitamin, unlike most others, and is stored rather than being excreted easily like B vits.