You have to test your vitamin D!

[xeliex]

I know some people have already posted their advice to test vitamin D. I am adding my voice to that.

I had been taking 5000 iu vitamin D daily for about a year. I hadn't been feeling too hot so checked my vitamin D and it was 21 ng/mL - barely normal and high risk according to some studies.

I started taking 15,000 iu daily and in 2-3 weeks, it went up to 75 ng/mL.

Most of my symptoms diminished but not entirely. The heart palpitations are 90% improved. Tremors / clonus / muscle twitching / shaking when stretching are 50% improved.

PTH came back normal but borderline high at 63 pg/mL.
Calcium 9.8 g/dL and ionized calcium 5.2 mg/dL.
Phosphorus 3 mg/dL.

Any ideas why PTH is not suppressed? Do you think with time it will go down now that the vitamin D is repleted?

 

[Mito]

Does your diet include good amounts of calcium and magnesium?

 

[Beastmode]

I know some people have already posted their advice to test vitamin D. I am adding my voice to that.

I had been taking 5000 iu vitamin D daily for about a year. I hadn't been feeling too hot so checked my vitamin D and it was 21 ng/mL - barely normal and high risk according to some studies.

I started taking 15,000 iu daily and in 2-3 weeks, it went up to 75 ng/mL.

Most of my symptoms diminished but not entirely. The heart palpitations are 90% improved. Tremors / clonus / muscle twitching / shaking when stretching are 50% improved.

PTH came back normal but borderline high at 63 pg/mL.
Calcium 9.8 g/dL and ionized calcium 5.2 mg/dL.
Phosphorus 3 mg/dL.

Any ideas why PTH is not suppressed? Do you think with time it will go down now that the vitamin D is repleted?

Besides what @Mito said, overall stress levels can impact PTH. Testing #'s are useful, but what is your overall level of stress?

I know quite a few people who eat a lot of calcium and take vitamin d and don't have low PTH levels. I have an email from Peat, not sure if I can find it, that mentions the above, but also said something about liver function being poor.

 

[xeliex]

Interesting replies, thank you. Yes, try to find the Peat email if you can. I do supplement with magnesium but not regularly. My diet tends to have about 1000mg of calcium and I supplement with 500-1000mg. Stress is fair. I am taking 1 grain thyroid daily. Obese with hard time losing weight.

 

[youngsinatra]

I'd include daily magnesium supplementation, because it helps in the utilization of calcium. It also modulates PTH, but I am not sure what the mechanism is behind that.
Do you also take K2?

 

[Angel45]

Was PTH normal before vit D supplementation

 

[xeliex]

I'd include daily magnesium supplementation, because it helps in the utilization of calcium. It also modulates PTH, but I am not sure what the mechanism is behind that.
Do you also take K2?

Thank you, yes, I do take K2. When I took K2 in the past without calcium and vitamin D, it gave me trouble.

 

[xeliex]

Was PTH normal before vit D supplementation

I never had it tested before. I'd assume it was a lot higher and that its continuing to go down now that vitamin D has been repleted.

 

[Peatness]

Nanospeed |

nanospeed.ca

 

[Vins7]

Is it necessary taking K2 if I'm going to take D3 supplement?

 

[stressless]

so checked my vitamin D and it was 21 ng/mL - barely normal and high risk according to some studies.

I started taking 15,000 iu daily and in 2-3 weeks, it went up to 75 ng/mL.

How do you test your vitamin D levels?

 

[xeliex]

How do you test your vitamin D levels?

2 methods. Everywell home test and at Quest Diagnostic Lab. I request the draw for requestatest.

 

[Yucca]

Was 96 ng/mL for me in march, with 10000iu 6 days/7 taken the winter before (natural sun exposure in summer, no supp). Test also your calcium levels, as you must take K2 with, to avoid calcifications at such doses. Mine were perfectly normal with 200mcg only of K2.

 

[xeliex]

Was 96 ng/mL for me in march, with 10000iu 6 days/7 taken the winter before (natural sun exposure in summer, no supp). Test also your calcium levels, as you must take K2 with, to avoid calcifications at such doses. Mine were perfectly normal with 200mcg only of K2.

Thanks Yucca. I cannot seem to tolerate K2 at all. It always induces heart palpitations after few days. I am trying to keep eating pastured eggs and certain cheeses and liver for K2.

 

[xeliex]

Is it necessary taking K2 if I'm going to take D3 supplement?

This seems to be what most suggest, but I don't think there is data on that.

 

[Yucca]

K2 is only used to avoid calcifications if high vit D doses (more than 4-5000iu/d) are taken on the long term. If you take no more than 4000iu/d, K2 is not needed, but some have to take more to get optimal levels (between 60-80ng). Sun exposure in summer is always better, anyway (without sunscreen)

 

[Mauritio]

I know some people have already posted their advice to test vitamin D. I am adding my voice to that.

I had been taking 5000 iu vitamin D daily for about a year. I hadn't been feeling too hot so checked my vitamin D and it was 21 ng/mL - barely normal and high risk according to some studies.

I started taking 15,000 iu daily and in 2-3 weeks, it went up to 75 ng/mL.

Most of my symptoms diminished but not entirely. The heart palpitations are 90% improved. Tremors / clonus / muscle twitching / shaking when stretching are 50% improved.

PTH came back normal but borderline high at 63 pg/mL.
Calcium 9.8 g/dL and ionized calcium 5.2 mg/dL.
Phosphorus 3 mg/dL.

Any ideas why PTH is not suppressed? Do you think with time it will go down now that the vitamin D is repleted?

Interesting, especially the improvement of all those symptoms. Goes well with peat saying vitamin D levels are parallel to thyroid.

I see a trend in many people that doses bigger than 5k IU/day are needed to raise vitamin D level.

 

[Perry Staltic]

I had been taking 5000 iu vitamin D daily for about a year. I hadn't been feeling too hot so checked my vitamin D and it was 21 ng/mL - barely normal and high risk according to some studies.

Obese with hard time losing weight.

Good for heavier people to know. More lbs means more vit D is needed.

 

[stressless]

2 methods. Everywell home test and at Quest Diagnostic Lab. I request the draw for requestatest.

Thank you!!

 

[rayban]

You can't know if you have a real deficit if you don't measure the active metabolite 1,25