Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2 dosages

by Dot

My Vitamin D blood level is 20 ng/ml. My doctor prescribed 50,000 iu three times a week for 16 weeks. According to what I'm reading, this is Vitamin D2. If I wanted to take Vitamin D3 instead, what would be the equivalent dosage?


Thank you, D.

Comments for Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2 dosages

Click here to add your own comments

Equivalent dosages
by: Kerri Knox, RN-The Immune Health Queen!

Hi Dot,

As far as I know, there is no 'official' equivalency to the two. Most resources actually recommend about 50,000 IU's per week with 100,000 IU's per week as pretty aggressive.


150,000 IU's per week is safe for short periods of time since your doctor is watching your levels.




More About Vitamin D



And we know that there have been ZERO incidences of toxicity in doses 10,000 IU's per day and lower in adults- even for long periods of time. So, while there are individual studies with amounts given higher than that for varying amounts of time with virtually no toxicity, I can't advise you on doses higher than that.


But you can feel VERY comfortable taking 10,000 IU's of Vitamin D3 per day. That is the equivalent of 70,000 IU's per week- still higher than the majority of researchers recommend for vitamin D deficiency treatment. This dose will DEFINITELY be an effective dose to bring up your levels over that 16 week period.


Now, the problem might be that you are going to have trouble finding a Vitamin D3 Supplement that will give you a high enough dose without having you taking 10 pills everyday.


So, take a look at these excellent Longevity Plus Vitamin D3 Supplements that provide 5000 IU's per capsule.



Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Health Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Easy Immune Health.com
50,000 IUs of D 3
by: Della

I went to google and typed in 50,000 IUs of Vit D 3 and many sites came up. It seems that it runs between $30.00 and $39.14 for a hundred caps.

Della
vit d 50,000units
by: Anonymous

I have been taking prescrition vit d 50,000 units daily for 20 years for hypo parathyroid.I am turning 65 in a year and getting worried because Medicare is refusing to pay for any form of vitamins.

My question is what non prescription vit d should be good to be equal to prescription vit d 50,000 units.
Large Dose Vitamin D
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Anonymous,

The dosages should be very similar if not the same. You may even need slightly less than you would for prescription Vitamin D, but you should get a couple of levels the first couple of months after starting it just to make sure.

If you would like an inexpensive high dose vitamin d that will last you a while, you can go to my Emerson Ecologics Sign In Page for 15% off of your order of RX Vitamins LIQUI D3 that has 2000 IU's a drop and there is a total of close to 2 million IU's. Get 3 or 4 bottles should last you a good long time and will save on shipping and certainly will save you money over almost anything in the stores and prevent you from having to take any pills since it's in liquid form.

Here's what you do:

1) Go to Emerson Ecologics Sign In Page

2) Put in the password kerrik

3) Create an account

4) On the FIRST page of products, look for a product called LIQUI D3 and order

5) Order anything else that you like and get 15% off of your entire order.


Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune System Queen
Functional Medicine Practitioner
Immune System
Vit D level Not Rising
by: Cynthia

My docs (one a GP, one an endrocrinologist)have me on Vit D2, 50K IU per week. This has been going on for about 9 months as my blood work well over a year ago showed my level to be 16...with 9 months of the 50K Vit D2 supplement, it's only risen to 18.

I've taken additional calcium for the last 3 months trying to help my absorption. What do you think? I'm somewhat worried because I've been getting real bad headaches, which of course could be from other sources (allergies, Zetia or Pravastatin), but I need to start trying to sort out the root of the headaches and I thought the Vit D2 might be a good start.
Thanks so much.

Cynthia
Lots of things..
by: Kerri Knox, RN- The Immune Queen!

Hi Cynthia,

Oh my, you have things backwards. First of all, Vitamin D increases calcium absorption, but the reverse is NOT true. Calcium does NOT improve or help vitamin d absorption in any way.

Next, GET OFF THE PRESCRIPTION VITAMIN D!!! Please read my page on Prescription Vitamin D to see why.


Next, depending upon how large you are, 50,000 IU's per week may just be a maintenance dose for you. The 'average' person needs between 3800 to 5000 IU's a day to MAINTAIN their levels. If you are overweight, you may need much more than that and it sounds like you may have found your perfect dose to maintain your blood levels.

Next, your headaches and (possible) malabsorption are likely due to MAGNESIUM depletion. Please see my page on Magnesium and Vitamin D to see why that may be your entire problem.



Kerri Knox RN Immune Health Queen

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

 


PS: If you found this website helpful, please consider using the
Easy Immune Health Product Store the next time you purchase your supplements online. Your support allows me to keep this site running and educating as many people as possible. Thank you!

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Question About Vitamin D3 vs Vitamin D2?.
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

 

Search this Site
Custom Search

 


Vitamin D Fact Sheet
Free Vitamin D Fact Sheet by Getting
My Newsletter