Vitamin D FAQ :)

[ArmsOfLove]

Originally Posted by belaruska

what does it say? i may be able to help just based on the name of the product

Vitamin D 50000IU capsules

It's a prescription bottle and the capsules can't have anything on them

dark green oil filled capsules

[Proverbs31]

Originally Posted by ArmsOfLove

there is new evidence that D2 can cause your bones to not just get "hard" but get "dense" and turn to stone.

I'm trying to find out how you can know if you're taking D2 or D3 if it doesn't specifically say.

yikes. creepy. another thing I hadn't heard. Is there a link on that? I'd like to read more.

anything OTC should say if it's D2 (ergocalciferol) or D3 (cholecalciferol). You want D3. If your prescription doesn't say, I'd call the pharmacist until you find out which it is.

[ArmsOfLove]

My mother was telling me about it. I would bet Dr. Mercola had something about it

---------- Post added at 04:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 PM ----------

You know, my mother often gets things like this hugely wrong which is why I brought it up. I cant' find anything on it. I'd love it if others would help me look

I think she misunderstood something and is freaking herself out.

[DancingWithElves]

Crystal, sadly I am 99% sure that it is ergocalciferol.

american journal of clinical nutrition:

The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement1,2

Lisa A Houghton and Reinhold Vieth 1 From the School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada (LAH); the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (RV); and the Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada (RV)

Supplemental vitamin D is available in 2 distinct forms: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Pharmacopoeias have officially regarded these 2 forms as equivalent and interchangeable, yet this presumption of equivalence is based on studies of rickets prevention in infants conducted 70 y ago. The emergence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D as a measure of vitamin D status provides an objective, quantitative measure of the biological response to vitamin D administration. As a result, vitamin D3 has proven to be the more potent form of vitamin D in all primate species, including humans. Despite an emerging body of evidence suggesting several plausible explanations for the greater bioefficacy of vitamin D3, the form of vitamin D used in major preparations of prescriptions in North America is vitamin D2. The case that vitamin D2 should no longer be considered equivalent to vitamin D3 is based on differences in their efficacy at raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, diminished binding of vitamin D2 metabolites to vitamin D binding protein in plasma, and a nonphysiologic metabolism and shorter shelf life of vitamin D2. Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, should not be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification.

i found a few other studies showing that d2 works for shorter periods of time, is at least 2 if not 3 times less potent, has failed to prevent fractures as compared with d3, etc. etc.
no solid medical info on petrification though.

---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 PM ----------

h ttp://www.pharmer.org/images/domestic/ergocalciferol-vitamin-d2-pa-140

broken with two spaces after 'h', is this your little green pill?

[DancingWithElves]

oh, it just hit me, Crystal: i wonder if your mama is talking about meds like boniva and acotnel they come up in vitD convos often b/c they are used for osteoporosis as well. and yes, i did hear the whole creating an artificial matrix within the bone, so on so forth. it is well outside my area of expertise and interest at this time, so i never looked into it further than reading a snippet here or there.

[ArmsOfLove]

Originally Posted by belaruska

oh, it just hit me, Crystal: i wonder if your mama is talking about meds like boniva and acotnel they come up in vitD convos often b/c they are used for osteoporosis as well. and yes, i did hear the whole creating an artificial matrix within the bone, so on so forth. it is well outside my area of expertise and interest at this time, so i never looked into it further than reading a snippet here or there.

that makes sense I'll ask her about that. She did say it was in an online message board discussion so who knows

I don't think my meds have any numbers on them, but I'll try to check in the morning. Thank you

[cobluegirl]

here is some more info.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...k-as-well.aspx

[butterflyqueen71]

I just found out I am Vit D deficient. I got a call from the nurse last week that my levels were 11.3. They put me on a little green, oil filled pill...50,000 IUs once a week.

I've been reading up on it, and had no idea there was such a thing as being vit D deficient. But I am AA, so I see that dark skin is a factor in being deficient. I'll have to check out that scale!

So...my question is, what are the symptoms of being Vit D deficient? I've been reading about it and alot of the literature has a lot to say about bones, and some say things about mood swings, depression, fatigue...I've had those symptoms, more intense PMS symptoms (yup!) but I was also severely iron deficient (doing better now!) so I'm sure all that is linked to how icky I was feeling for a long time.

I guess my question is, will I be able to feel a difference now that I'm taking this? I have already felt SOOOO much better after getting 2 units of blood for the iron. But I knew I wasn't 100% and still needed to be "tweaked". I'm wondering if the Vit D thing was it? (I didn't have the Vit D test until after the transfusion...different doctor. I had no idea they were even going to test my D levels, I didn't even know you could! I guess that says alot about my new doctor! )

[cobluegirl]

Crystal is/was severely deficient..she has a few post about it around her

[DancingWithElves]

Originally Posted by butterflyqueen71

I just found out I am Vit D deficient. I got a call from the nurse last week that my levels were 11.3. They put me on a little green, oil filled pill...50,000 IUs once a week.

I've been reading up on it, and had no idea there was such a thing as being vit D deficient. But I am AA, so I see that dark skin is a factor in being deficient. I'll have to check out that scale!

So...my question is, what are the symptoms of being Vit D deficient? I've been reading about it and alot of the literature has a lot to say about bones, and some say things about mood swings, depression, fatigue...I've had those symptoms, more intense PMS symptoms (yup!) but I was also severely iron deficient (doing better now!) so I'm sure all that is linked to how icky I was feeling for a long time.

I guess my question is, will I be able to feel a difference now that I'm taking this? I have already felt SOOOO much better after getting 2 units of blood for the iron. But I knew I wasn't 100% and still needed to be "tweaked". I'm wondering if the Vit D thing was it? (I didn't have the Vit D test until after the transfusion...different doctor. I had no idea they were even going to test my D levels, I didn't even know you could! I guess that says alot about my new doctor! )

you may not experience any symptoms per se but my guess is that you would be able to in hindsight once you are supplemented.
as i told Crystal, what you are taking is D2, not D3, latter being preferable.
my greatest concern is what this deficiency is doing to you over time:increasing the risk of many many cancers and general morbidity (likelihood of becoming ill)
so, i'm glad to hear you are doing some reading. we are coming to understand that vit. D levels are essential for maintaining and restoring health.

[Niphredil]

Very helpful post, Irene, thank you.

If it's any help to anyone, Vitacost has a great sale on D3 drops right now - http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Vitamin-...-fl-oz-2000-IU Easily hidden in my kids nightly cal/mag dosage.

[cobluegirl]

What are the symptoms of Vit D deficiency??

[SamRose]

Originally Posted by cobluegirl

What are the symptoms of Vit D deficiency??

In my DD2 it was asymmetrical bowing in her tiny little baby legs. Bow legs Rnt uncommon for early walking babies or toddlers, but the asymmetry is wut raised a red flag for us.
(thankfully, her legs straightened out very quickly after 2 mons of D3 supplementation, and Ud never know she had an issue as a baby )

[DancingWithElves]

sadly, i do not believe that vitamins have good obvious deficiency symptoms: by the time you can tell, there is an *illness* (you know, scurvy, rickets, chicken blindness, all the ones with cool names )

[butterflyqueen71]

My doctor told me that Vit D deficiency can contribute to muscle weakness, fatigue, mood swings, depression. But, I was severely anemic too, (and still am but not as severe) so I couldn't tell you if my symptoms were more due to the anemia. I'm sure there is an overlap. I know that before my blood transfusion, I felt way "off", and I knew I needed "major tweaking". But I didn't know what. After the transfusion, I feel TONS better, but I knew I still was not 100%. That was when the Vit. D deficiency was discovered, and that I'm not nearly as anemic as before, but still anemic. My mood swings and depression virtually disappeared overnight.

I expect that in about 2 months, after building both my iron stores and the Vit. D, I'll just feel even better. I'm paying closer attention to how I "feel" and honestly I feel like everyday, I get better and better, not just physically but mentally and emotionally too.