Hya.
so I got a phone call from my GPs practice the other day too ask me me to book in for a blood test to see if my dose of Vitamin D is correct, how can they know as I’m not taking it for a vitamin D deficiency?
so I booked the appointment and later messaged my GP asking if I still needed this blood test. She said yes because I been taking it for a while, I’ve been today, but still don’t know why, any ideas.
hello
i take 4000 iu but my doctor doesn’t know this because they prescribed some that were huge (like suppositories) so i bought some soft gels from amazon.
i have regular blood tests so if anything was badly wrong it would be seen.
sometimes it seems as though they just have to make it difficult.
If your GP knows you are taking a high dose of Vitamin D, they probably want to check you’ve not got too much in your system. I had mine tested after I’d been on 5000iu for years and the level was absolutely fine. They’re just looking after you!
Sue
yes sue is right because a dose that is too high can lead to kidney stones.
but since i have my bloods done every 3 months i’m confident that all is well.
In addition to the above, I would recommend that you read the Barts blog on the subject. It may look daunting but it makes sense. It is written by Gavin Giovannoni, a very respected expert on MS.
http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2017/08/clinicspeak-researchspeak-what-dose-of.html
He recommends that we should aim for a blood plasma level of Vitamin D3 between 100 nmol/L and 250 nmol/L. He believes we can tolerate high levels of Vitamin D supplementation, up to 10,000iu daily but to avoid Calcium supplements.
The blood test will provide you with a number (nmol/L) for your Vitamin D3 level and then you will be able to see how it compares to the range recommended above. It will provide you with some data to discuss with your GP; it may also be worth raising the issue of Calcium at the same time to see if a further blood test to find your Calcium level may be worthwhile.
Best wishes
Update.
i just a phone call from my GP, get this… My vitimim D level is in its boots! How is this possible? I take my medication religiously and take 4 X 800 iu a day. (Colecalciferol)
what the blinking hell is stopping my absorption?
Have any of you been told to take it in a very specific way? Maybe before food or something I’ve not done.
I’m very confused!
What does your GP suggest?
ask your pharmacist because they know a lot about how meds interact.
I was taking 5ooo iu daily for 4 years after being advised this dose by my MS consultant.
Beginning of this year I was taken into hospital with kidney stones, whilst there the urologist looking at my notes was amazed that I was taking such a high dose of D3.
In his opinion too much Vit D3 can lead to kidney stones, something to do with how your body uses up the Vit D3 ?
He did try explaining but I was in too much pain to take any notice.
After leaving the hospital I rang my MS specialist nurse who advised to drop to 2000 iu daily, which I did.
At a follow up appointment with the urologist I explained that I had dropped the dose and he was still not happy with that amount.
My GP also has raised eyebrows about high doses of Vit D3.
However, I’ve also been seeing an haematologist regarding issue with high iron levels, when he read my notes and saw the dose of Vit D he said as long as you take Vit K2 ( must be MK7 version) with the Vit D3 the high doses of Vit D3 will be absorbed correctly !
Also when taking Vit D and Vit K2 they should be taken with food as they are both fat soluble.
The problem is that some consultants and GP’s do not have enough experience in the field of supplements.
My GP openly admitted that she though it was a bit too much of a dose, yet if my MS consultant advised a dose of 5000 iu she wouldn’t argue with it because he (consultant) “must think its ok” !
And then you get the urologist consultant blaming the kidney stones on the high dose of D3 .
Followed by the haematologist saying high doses are fine as long as you take Vit K2 with the it !
For good measures my MS consultant still insists on getting my D3 levels up to African levels.
Not sure what African levels are, and cant remember what my last count was but it was well above the normal range, and he was happy with this.
It took me a very long time to get my levels up, even at 5000 iu, which I now put down to not taking the D3 with food, for at least 3 years I was just taking it with a glass of water, my MS consultant never advised how to take it, just take it !!!
That’s really interesting and useful information Jactac. I’ve always taken my dose of D3, as advised by my neurologist, with water! No advice other than ‘take a high (5,000iu) dose’.
I will start taking it with K2 and food.
Sue
I’ve always taken my meds after my evening meal, but I might ask about vit K, I’ve found out that a lot of my symptoms could also be attributed to a vit D deficiency and think I need to book a Drs appointment specifically to talk about medication, I can only hope she doesn’t get distracted with all my other health problems!
My GP and consultant advised me regarding vit D (as I am a fresh air follower anyway) to get out in the sun whilst knowing the downside, the vit D was most important. I am outside when well enough in all weathers but as soon as the sun is out I am out. I also go out in the winter with coats on but sit and read in the sun and spend as much time as possible outside. I am also careful not to use face creams that have UV protection as I was told that this stops the sunshine promoting the vit D absorption. If you cover up your skin too much it will not do its sun=vit D thing.
I am the last in the autumn to put a jumper on even though I am always cold and first to be gardening when it has snowed but the sun rays are poking through. The Doctors could not stress enough how important the fresh air/sunshine was to general health and recovery. I also take some vit D tablets once a week, eat three pieces of fish a week and eat greens loads, spinach, fennel leaves and sorrel out of the garden and parsley every morning. Then I take my other tablets, oils etc. and by lunch time figure I am ready for a cake because that must have some vit D in it right?
Yeah, both Vit D and K2 are fat soluble, and work as a pair.
K2(mk7) is the best version to supplement with, and its cheap !
I’ve searched loads of sites and found one in particular that is cheaper than anywhere else, PM me for site if your interested.
The site below has some info on both Vit D & Vit K2 , it mentions how too much D causes calcification in tissue such as kidneys (as my urologist mentioned) but Vit K2 helps to utilise the Vit D to where it’s needed .
Even if you dont fancy trying Vit K2, just remember that Vit D3 is fat soluble, so if your struggling to increase or maintain your D3 levels it could be that you should be taking it with food for better absorption, and not just with water.
But in the long term it’s safer to take your Vit D3 alongside Vit K2 (mk7) .
From experience I can truly say that kidney stones are just NOT funny !
Vitamin K2 aids absorption of vitamin D3. I was advised to take both.
Update number 2 if your interested.
Ok GP has changed my Vitamin D from 3200iu daily to 40,000iu weekly for 7 weeks she obviously wants to blast my system with it, the pharmacist rang her because the prescription was unusual!
I did ask about vitamin k but was told to see my GP.
40,000iu wow thats a biggy !
What I find frustrating is that many GP’s, consultants, so called specialists ect might be great at knowing things within their own field but when it comes to things like supplementing they just say take this or that but in reality many many vitamins need a partnership vitamin(s) to work correctly, for instance Vit D needs Vit K to be absorbed and used correctly.
My own neuro told me to take D3 years ago with no mention of Vit K.
4 years later and I tell him about my kidney stones and what the urologist and haematologist had said about ALSO taking VIT K alongside the Vit D, he just shrugged his shoulders and said it wasnt his field but keep taking the 5000iu Vit D.
However, after also chatting with my MS specialist nurse, I was told I should drop to 2000iu "just in case " !!!
My GP also admits she’s “heard” that people with MS should take Vit D, but as far as the dosage goes she was just going along with what the neuro advised, again when I asked about Vit K she wasnt sure but added if the urologist thinks the high dose Vit D might be a factor regarding the kidney stones it might be a good idea to also take Vit K, because both the urologist and haematologist advised it .
The haematologist was fairly adamant that anyone supplementing their Vit D should always add Vit K into the mix, particularly the Mk7 version, and the urologist was not surprised in the least that I had developed kidney stones as too much “left over” Vit D can cause crystallisation in tissue, such as kidneys.
This is where the Vit K comes into action, basically, (in a nut shell) sweeping the Vit D up and using it correctly.