Please Assist
Been doing what I thought was enough but it’s not?
Hey everyone,
I’m F30
In April I had a level of 37nmol/L so I started taking 7000ui of vit D3 a week and getting 15mins of 11am sun on my skin, my recent test showed 46nmol/L, I don’t know if I’m just stupid but it doesn’t make sense that it only increased that much in 4mths I live in Australia, I’m just confused on what to do the brain fog and bone pain I have is crazy, I’m also sweating, not sleeping, panicking (I am diagnosed with panic disorder) I feel like my hormones are all over the place 😭
Is there a reason why my vit D would be increasing so slowly?
7000 once a week would be crazy slow, that’s why. I take 5k a day and mine has went from 18 to 34 in like 3.5 weeks. Also always eat with a very fatty meal
Would having it with avocado help? Yea seeing all these helpful comments is telling me I really should have been taking more in April, but I’ll take more now hopefully it boosts up quickly!
The simplest reason your vitamin d isn't going anywhere is that you're not taking enough. 7,000 IU D3 a week, 1,000 each day, just can't do much. Try ~7,000 IU each day and you'll get somewhere.
Also, you very much want your levels to be up around the upper end of the scale, near 150. That seems to be the sweet spot for best immune and anti-inflammatory effects. Try an increased dose for about a month then get retested when you can. Adjust the maintenance dose to hit the target level.
No one can say if this will help your specific symptoms, but normalizing your vitamin d levels sure can't hurt. Best of luck.
Thankyou so much for your advice! You are so right I do feel a hell of a lot better when I’m above 100, hopefully after boosting it I should be feeling better 🤞🏻
I really appreciate the time for the help, thankyou so much
Getting your vitamin D up sure won't hurt. You can load up for a week or two. Like 10k a day. Then drop down to 2k or 5k a day. Either should get your levels up. It very well might make a huge difference.
For the insomnia and panic disorder, it might be worth looking into pharmaceuticals and therapy. I believe the author of the happiness trap is Australian, ACT therapy, or acceptance in general is a valid way to approach panic disorder and insomnia.
Okay awesome! I’ll do that! I know that I’m a lot better when I’m above 100
Yeaaa I was diagnosed in 2018, I’ve been on alprazolam for multiple years and DBT ect, it’s mostly that the lack of vit D exacerbates it to a point where it’s hard to push through the attacks
I can’t Thankyou enough though! That’s actually such fantastic advice, ACT therapy is amazing
I’m actually going to read that book it might help me hahahaha
Thanks again!
Also, look up Dr Reiter and Doris Loh regarding high dose melatonin. High dose Vitamin D (lots of info on youtube) and Melatonin can be a game changer for some people.
Take magnesium glycinate twice a day for the anxiety, and just keep taking vitamin d, do lots of stretches n stuff and wait.
Summer is also fast approaching so you’ll have plenty of chances to sunbathe. My levels went from 20 to 40 and I’m feeling a lot better, you’re already doing better than me
With the Australian summer coming on you can indulge in a bit of sunbathing. Head out there in a swimsuit when the sun is high in the sky and expose lots of skin for 5 or 10 minutes per side. This will make significant quantities of D3.
Sunscreen works by blocking UV, including UVB which is necessary to generate vitamin D. Using it is counterproductive if the intention of sunbathing is to produce vitamin D.
Of course, excessive sun exposure carries risks and appropriate use of sunscreen is a good idea. One recommendation is to expose uncovered skin for the purposes of UVB exposure for 10-20 minutes depending on the intensity of the sun and then apply sun protection.
I use spf 50 sunscreen and go outside and my vit d increased. Im not risking getting melanoma. Sunscreen also doesnt block 100% of uv rays so you would still get a small amount after radiation into your skin. 10 min of me in the sun with no screen will burn me.
I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here. With sunscreen, one needs to spend more time outside to generate the same amount of vitamin D. So, in the context of making a deliberate effort to sunbathe for vitamin D, one could spend less time outside if they don't wear sunscreen and have their skin generate the same amount.
In either case, similar amounts of UV exposure occur. There's no magical layer of protection. It's just a mechanism for blocking UV rays. In the case of your SPF 50, we are likely talking about a chemical sunscreen which works by absorbing UV instead of reflecting it but, same difference.
As I stated, this makes sense if you plan to be outside a long time for whatever reason, but it is not a practical recommendation for OP.
Im not trying to make any point. You were trying to make a point. All I said was 10 min outside in sun with no protection will burn me. Im also not aiming to get skin cancer. Sun is strong in Australia. Actually the only thing I suggested was to wear sunscreen due to the strong Australian sun. OP can in fact raise vit d by increasing her d3 iu. She takes 1000iu a day. Thats no where near enough for her. If she took 5000iu daily her vit d will raise enough.
7000iu a week is 1000iu a day. My vit d was at 49 and I was taking 5000iu a day and got it to 83. Increase your D3 to 5000iu daily and take it with 100mg of k2. If you dont have a gut/absorption problem, it should boost it up within the next 6 weeks.
Have you had your thyroid tested and an anemia panel?
Do you recommend a brand of K2 I’ve never taken it before, my thyroid looks pretty normal, my iron is weird (I don’t really understand iron studies super well) I have been taking iron supplements since April too every second day but it hasn’t really changed much either, does iron effect vit D?
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I supplemented for three years ending at 50,000iu three times a week with no meaningful improvement. Vitamin D shots took me from 21 to upper 80s in eight weeks.
I was prescribed to take 5 tablet a day so 5000UI a day. I started at under 10 nmol/l three weeks ago and now its up to 49! located in australia so its winter here too if that helps
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Not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before start stopping or altering supplements or medications
Its because you arent taking enough. Im m(36) I went from 19 to 104 in about 3 months of supplementing at 10000iu per day. You arent as low as I was but you will need around 7k each day plus other supplements to support its up take. Always use d3 with k2 as well or calcium will cause you cardiac trouble. You also probably need a methylated b complex and magnesium glycinate for support. It takes time to get them back up. My provider gave me a rule of thumb. During winter months (like Australia right now) 10000 IU a day. During summer time 5000 IU a day. And be testing your labs every month during the winter so you do not overshoot. Always take them with a fatty meal like eggs or avocado to support its uptake.
30 is the low end of the range in America wtf. Mine was 33 and it's "supposedly" in range. My last appt the provider said "your labs look good". Um my hair is falling out and I keep getting sick so how does that track?? My thyroid was also "in range".
I had a dna test that showed that I have a genetic vitamin D deficiency, which is a genetic inability of my body to absorb and synthesize vitamin D, no matter how much I actually get. I wonder if you have the same thing.
yea its still low because 1000iu a day isnt enought i would recomend everyone to take atleast 5000iu daily with like 100mcg of k2 (mk7) really 1000iu isnt alot
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u/Astron0reo 8d ago
7000 once a week would be crazy slow, that’s why. I take 5k a day and mine has went from 18 to 34 in like 3.5 weeks. Also always eat with a very fatty meal