Why would my Doctor Prescribe Vitamin D2?

by Rita
(New York)

If OTC vitamin D3 is better to restore Vitamin D deficiency, why would my doctor prescribe Vitamin D 50,000 IU twice a week? My level is 7 ng/ml, I am an SLE patient. I am 79 years old.

Is My Prescription Vitamin D2 or Vitamin D3?

by Mike
(Ft. Worth, Texas)

I have been tested and have a Total Vitamin D, 25-OH of 16 mg/ml. I am a 60yr old male, worked in doors for 30yrs and have had little sunlight. How bad could this be? My Doctor just started me on VITAMIN D (VYE-ta-min D) Manufacturer: Pliva. = VITAMIN D 50000IU CAPSULES.

I've been trying to find out if this is D2 or D3 or what. I have read that D3 is better for you and was wondering if there is a prescription dose for it?

Thanks
Mike

doc gave my mom D2 prescription

by Helen
(Micanopy, FL)

I don't know what my mom's vitamin D levels REALLY are as this is the same doc that tested my dad inaccurately, but since doc gave her a script for 1.25 mgs ( I think that's 50,000 iu's),it must REALLY be EXTRA low!

She is 84 and has a bad memory and mood problems. We can't get her to get retested like my dad is doing, so I want to give her D3. What dosage would you recommend that would do her any good? I've read so much about D deficiency and dementia and believe she could get some relief if the dosage is high enough.

Thanks again,
Helen

Prescription Vitamin D Versus D3

by Kendra
(North Carolina)

I am a 32 year old female and I see an Arthritis Doctor for what he has said is Symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis and recently he did a complete blood work up including the Vitamin D25 panel and my Vitamin D Level came back as 11.


He prescribed Ergocalciferol 50,000 Units 3 times per week for 6 weeks... and I read your article about the Prescription Vitamin D versus the over-the-counter Vitamin D3 Supplements and, like another poster, when I take the pill it seems like the next day my bone and muscle pain is a lot better but by the 2nd day it starts to come back....

After reading your article I want to switch to the OTC Vitamin D3 but I am not sure of what the dosage would be. Like I said I am 32 years old, I had a hysterectomy but both ovaries were left intact (not sure if this makes a difference I just want to give you as much info as possible).

I am 5ft 10", and I weight 172 lbs... Can you give me the proper dosage get my vitamin d levels back up to where they should be, the length of time I should take this dosage, and what the maintenance dose would be??

Thank you in advance for your time!!

Kendra

Should I fill my prescription for Vitamin D

by Joni Goldman
(Huntingburg, IN)

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 4 years old, I am now 32. In the past few years I have become increasingly more fatigued and started having all kinds of health problems. In the last year I was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, asthma, slight COPD, fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, etc.

I was almost positive I had thyroid problems because it covered all of my symptoms and it runs in my family but after waiting 9 months to see an endocrinologist, they say my thyroid levels are only slightly low and nothing to worry about but that my vitamin D level is low at 9 and they called in a prescription for me to take Vitamin D 50,000 IU once a week.

I have read that the over the counter supplement is better. So my questions are: Is 9 a very low level? And should I take the prescription or get it over the counter and if so how much would I take of the OTC Form?

Taking prescription vitamin D

by Fran
(kent, ohio)

My doctor put me on prescription vitamin D. I have been checking this out and most articles say that this prescription does not contain the vitamin D that I actually need. I read that I need vitamin D3, but my pharmacy says my prescription is for Vitamin D 50,000 IU (1 per month) Should I be taking D3 at 10,000 per day instead? I am female ,age 63 and live in N. Ohio

Thanks
Fran

Prescription Vitamin D/Multivitamin

by Kathy
(Bloomer, WI, USA)

I was just told to take a prescription for Vitamin D of 50000 units onec a week (I have MS) and also take a multivitamin that has 1000 IU. Is this an issue? Does it matter that I still take the multivitamin?

Vitamin D Prescriptions

by Amy
(Washington, DC)

Just Received Prescription for Vitamin D Deficiency

by Robert
(New York)

My Vitamin D Level is at 4 L which is extremely low by what I`ve read here.My Doctor prescribed 50,000 Units once a week.That seems like a high dose.Can that hurt me in anyway taking that much at a time?

________________

Answer:

Hi Robert,

On the page that you just read, it's likely you read that a 'normal' daily maintenance dose of Vitamin D is around 5000 IU's per day OR MORE for an adult.

And if you think about it, Vitamin D 50,000 IU per week is only 7000 IU's per day, so it's really not that much more than a maintenance dose. So, if you go to the Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment page, you'll see that 50,000 IU's per week is 'standard' and will in no way harm you.

You can take EXTREMELY large doses all at once and it is simply 'time released' because it is a fat-soluble vitamin. In fact, for children with rickets and for the elderly in nursing homes, a 'standard' dose is to give 600,000 IU's all at once, just once a YEAR in order to PREVENT low Vitamin D Levels like yours!!

And there have been studies giving adult men close to One and a Half MILLLION Iu's over an 8 week period with no ill effects.

I only have 2 comments about your 'regimen' though. It's likely that 50,000 IU's per week is going to take a REALLY long time to get your levels up and if your doctor is not familiar with Vitamin D (which most are not), then he's going to recheck your level in a couple of months and you both are going to panic that your level is around 15 or 18 and think that you are not absorbing the Vitamin D.

When in fact, your doctor is just simply giving you a really small dose for such a low level. Some doctors choose to use the option of giving 100,000 IU's a week for the first month of therapy for such low levels because of this reason.

Also, your doctor has given you a prescription for Vitamin D which is NOT recommended. Prescription Vitamin D is Vitamin D2 and researchers recommend a formulation called Vitamin D3 instead. You can read about the difference on this page about Prescription Vitamin D.


When you switch to Vitamin D3, you can purchase large dose 5000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplements here and help to support this site.





Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System

How Much D3 When D2 Was Prescribed?

I am a nursing mother with a vitamin d level of 13. My doc prescribed me D2 (100,000 iu a week). He said D3 doesn't come in that high of units. Can I take my own D3? If so, what kind do you suggest. Do I need to supplement my baby until my levels come up? Thanks!!