Low Vitamin D - Help me, you fools! :)

[MidwestBeast]

I'm only 26, but I know a lot of this information exists and people who are familiar with this stuff hang out in the anti-aging subforum. I just had vitamin D tested and it showed up as 23.8 (low) in a ref range of 30-80. I know that it's supposed to be kept very high within that normal range, too. I have Hashimoto's and so this is certainly one more reason for my sense of urgency in correcting this.

My question to you is this: how should I dose vitamin D to bring this up?

I believe there are prescriptions for high IU dosages of D3, correct? I guess what I'm curious of is if I should request one, as I assume doing this OTC will get kind of pricey. However, I'm also curious of half-life, if the doses should be broken up, with or without food, any other vitamins/minerals that hinder absorption, etc.

I plan to do some research of my own on this, this evening, but I'm out the door right now and rather than waste time, I'd love some assistance on what to do next. Thanks (and reps for those who attempt to help!)!

[FL3X MAGNUM]

In for repz.
Drink lots of milk.

[kingjameskjf]

Get your pigmentless body into the sun, especially your hands and face. No more vitamin D deficiency+bronze blake=win!

[EasyEJL]

first, stop having sex with animals.

even at 20,000 iu a day you are looking at a couple bucks a month tops.

[FL3X MAGNUM]

Bump

[kingjameskjf]

Here's a helpful little guide I found for ya:

There are many causes that can lead to vitamin D deficiency. Since vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins it is not good idea to have lower vitamin D levels through longer periods of time. Even if in most cases vitamin D deficiency is not serious, it should be timely taken care of. These most cases of vitamin D deficiency are usually treated with higher doses of vitamin D supplements.
Following things are main causes for vitamin D deficiency:

• Low cholesterol level, as cholesterol is needed for the skin to convert sunlight into vitamin D.
• Intake of certain medications.
• Very large or obese body, as a larger body simply requires more vitamin D.
• Magnesium deficiency, as magnesium is needed for vitamin D to be converted into its active form.
• Low fat diets; in order to absorb vitamin D the body needs to have fat (vitamin D is fat-soluble).
• Older age, as the skin converts less vitamin D from sunlight.
• Living in the far North or far South.
• Very dark skin, as the dark skin can block ultraviolet rays to reach the cells responsible for making vitamin D in the skin.

Additionally there are further serious causes provoking vitamin D deficiency. One of these causes is fat malabsorption, meaning the body can not absorb fat. People diagnosed with health conditions, particularly with digestion problems are likely to have problems with vitamin D absorption.
If your liver is too toxic, meaning your liver can not efficiently eliminate the accumulated toxins, it will not be able to efficiently convert vitamin D to its active form.
Just because there is so many possible causes, most of the people have low vitamin D levels. This produce state of vitamin D deficiency, which means that your body is not getting sufficient amounts of vitamin D from foods, direct sunlight and/or vitamin D supplements. Many people are certain they are getting enough vitamin D from sun, food and multivitamin supplements, but the truth is they do not.

[lboston]

Sams club has it cheap! You from Ky? Should be one nearby.

[lboston]

Sams club has it cheap! You from Ky? Should be one nearby.

[daft205]

4000-5000 iu daily would probably set you straight my man. I don't believe dosing is critical, I usually dose in the morning(when using it) a full dose, but I suppose multiple dosings would work as well. A year or two ago I had a vitamin d test done and like yours it was also pretty low (low 30's if I recall), I started dosing 5000 iu a day, went tanning a few times, and got retested like six weeks later and my levels were in the upper range( like 60-70 range I believe)- and subsequently my hormonal panel was also improved. I used a liquid form that came with a dropper and was super easy to use as well as super cheap.

[kingjameskjf]

I GOT IT! Midwestbeard, the answer is right in front of you and all over you...literally. Now it's no secret that you are hairier than a woolly mammoth yeti cross-breed degenerate. All of that beautiful fur may be keeping you warm but it's also blocking out all the vitamin D from the number one source, sunlight. It's time to shed that winter coat my friend and bask in the light!

[jaymode]

My doctor prescribed 50,000IU once per week. Been on it for around 3 months, while also getting 6-8000 IU daily from a T-Booster for one of those months. That brought my levels from ~40 to 80 on bloodwork done in the last week, which is where my doctor wants me to be.

[kingjameskjf]

I got a sun tan lotion and a tanning bed. Well, that's not entirely true. The local establishment, which I graced with my nude body, has the tanning beds.

[MidwestBeast]

Thank you for all of the responses, guys. I greatly appreciate it.

There are a handful of things going on. I actually don't have the thick coat that you seem to think, James lol. I trim up, so it's all short hair. However, this past summer, aside from the 2 weeks in HI, I was out of the sun most of the time because of the weight gain. Due to that, I'd also stopped tanning and haven't in quite some time.

That being said, I plan to start tanning again, but I'd also like to supplement vitamin D, because even though the normal range is very wide, it's optimal to be at a very high vitamin D level (at least in my case). As far as that list of things goes, James, I'm actually not doing anything that would put me at a deficiency.

jaymode - that sounds like what I'd like to do. My biggest question, still, is if there are any benefits to dosing it: multiple times per day, with or without anything specific. I also want to know if there is a threshold (e.g. how vitamin C isn't advised to be taken in doses over 500mg or how the body can only absorb certain amounts of vitamins or minerals at a given time). Does anyone have info on that?

I do have some D3 stashed away and I'll probably start dosing that, along with tanning, but I certainly want my levels up at least at 70, if not higher, and dosing a scrip value would be preferable if there's no downside to dosing that way (or if it isn't ridiculously priced versus some NOW D3 or something).

[jaymode]

4 Pills of the 50000IU Vitamin D3 costs me around $17 from my pharmacy. I always take it after a meal since it is fat soluble

[stxnas]

I read the title of the thread, and immediately thought, "who is this A-Hole?"



It looks like you have most of it figured out now.

[MidwestBeast]

4 Pills of the 50000IU Vitamin D3 costs me around $17 from my pharmacy. I always take it after a meal since it is fat soluble

It looks like 180,000IU cost $5 versus 200,000IU for $17 (granted, it would depend on what my insurance covered -- I'll have to look into that).

http://www.nutraplanet.com/product/n...-softgels.html

The drawback, obviously, would be eating pills like crazy versus just one a week lol.

[MidwestBeast]

500,000IU for $6 from Swanson. I think I know what I'm doing.

[breezy11]

I would try and take it with your largest meal of the day or at least with fats to improve absorption.

[jaymode]

Yea my insurance doesn't cover the d3 and I thought it would be cheaper to take in supplement form, which you just proved.

[MidwestBeast]

I ended up going with a 250 count bottle of 5,000IU for $14 shipped.

Thank you to everyone who posted in here for your help (and a big thank you to mr. cooper69 for giving me some assistance via PM).

I really appreciate it.