I take 1000 IU of D3 daily, my D level was 154 (should be > 75!) - this based on Canadian measurements (if they differ from the USA... I'm not sure what 'measurement' is used).

I've taken that much D3 for 3 years now, my doctor was very pleased with my overall results. I had a full work up done for vitamins, minerals, etc a couple months ago.

Everyone's different, I was never shown to be deficient in any area, so it's definitely worth getting tested, so you aren't ingesting more pills etc unnecessarily.

Canadian is divided by 2.496= 61.70 US units. ng/ml

A good reading.

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/sc...ical_data.html
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/news-...d-level-units/

Within the range of 50-80ng/ml US.

I get alot of sun in summer. And take 5000IU D3 during the rest of the year, and tested at 43.

I've increased to 10,000 IU every other day with 5,000 on the alternate days. Will get retested in Oct.

Not everyone responds to oral D3 and not everyone can make D3 from the sun depending on age, or use of statin drugs etc.

So testing is the only way to get a good idea of what is going on.

What brand and type of D3 do you use? There are so many diff. kinds and brands. Which have you all found the most effective for you?

Thanks

I used to use NOW brand. I bought on iherb.com

But Puritan's Pride now carries it and I use that one. Very inexpensive when you take advantage of the buy one get two free sale they have once a year. It is going on right now. Typically it is in late spring and early summer.

I get my B12 there now too, and my ribose. Sometimes other things depending. If you order once from them, they email you specials. Like free shipping for a short time. I just bought a bunch of B12 at 1/2 off that way. I tend to buy a few months ahead, and their exp dates are good, so you can do that economically.

Vitamin D3 is very inexpensive and is often commonly in local stores too at not too inflated prices. But the best deals of course are on the net. I have found our local WalMart has excellent Supplement section with low prices and quality.

I get all my supplements at Puritan's Pride. You cannot beat their sales and their shipping is inexpensive, too.

I just take Life brand (Shopper's Drug Mart for the Canucks ) D3 @ 1000 UI. Nothing fancy, but it works for me!

I try to get most of my vit/minerals through food. It's not always easy but I try. I try to each plenty of superfoods (spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, fish, etc.). But after studying my diet, I found that I consistently have a lower intake of some vitamins/nutrients. Potassium and vitamin E are my pitfalls. All the others vary.

I am going to ask my dr to do some blood tests on me to make sure I am not deficient and if so, supplement accordingly. Some times supplementing with something you have plenty of can cause problems too. However, certain medications can deplete vitamins and/or effect the absorption too. So even though we are eating the right amount, we can still be deficient based on medications we take. I am on Neurontin and it depletes vit/minerals (I can't remember which ones - I think B12 and magnesium). As you all know, magnesium is my new "kick." Many MSers are deficient in magnesium as well. I do much on the days that I use magnesium cream than on other days. Using it has been a such a blessing to me. (Thanks mrsD for all the information you have shared regarding this.)

There are plenty of articles on PubMed about antioxidants and MS. One article even mentions vitamin E (the one I consistently lack in my diet). I thought that was interesting and will be discussing that with my dr. too.

I take certain supplements which work to help symptoms, or almost eliminate some.

With 800-1000 mg of Magnesium, prescribed a quarter century ago by a neuro, I have no jerks or spasms in my back or lower legs. Without, I have these spasms and jerks all night. When I went to the ER for an intestinal block, they kept me overnight, and I was without magnesium. i jerked and spasmed all night. They had no source of magnesium.

With 250 mg of non-flush niacin, I have eliminated the blind episodes I had. I used to get essentially blind for ten minutes (the first two times it was totally blind). I would recover after ten minutes but that wasn't fast enough for any doctor to observe it. Now
I may have a non-pain migraine once in a while, but no blindness. A chemist told me it opens the vessels.

I now have to be sure to take Calcium too for the leg jerks. I have taken that even before magnesium, but as I age I find I will get the jerks if I have forgotten the Calcium,
even though I take the magnesium. I take the two separately.

At one point I was having almost-jerks in my legs even with magnesium, and the chemist I know ( a friend) recommended 100 mg of B1. With this, I didn't even have the almost-jerks. As I age, will there be more things I need to stop it?

In my first bout of a-fib, five years ago, I was found to have low potassium. Taking 20 MEQ with my low dose propanalol mostly regulates that. Even in the hospital with my first bout of a-fib, which lasted hours until they got the potassium report back, I normalized soon after the potassium and did not have to be cardio-converted.

I take Lutein Eyes for eyes to avoid macular degeneration, which both parents had when they were 15 and 10 years younger than I am now. I do not have it.

My D3 level went up when I took D, but I have no proof that it helped anything. I was
very low at 15. It went up to 85% of normal, whatever that is (the doctor just gave me
the percentage). I avoid as much sun as possible due to having Porphyria. My sun avoidance didn't help my skin cancer until recently--no cancers now for 3 years. I used to have two a year--but I don't know if that could be related to having more D3, if D3 helps the skin? I only take 600-800 mg of D3 per day, fearing I might stir the Porphyria, because it reacts to hormones, and D is a hormone.

I used to have ridged nails, but since taking a gelatine product, only one tsp a day, that
has gone away and nails do not break.

I take a few more things, like a low dose Multiple Vitamin without Iron, but I don't have any proof that this does any good. The others have all been demonstrated to bring improvement.

In the US the lab ranges show 30 at "normal".... 85% of 30 is 25.

I think it would be helpful for you to get the number result, from your doctor's office, so you can know for sure where you are.

When Vit D is low-- calcium/magnesium balance gets out of whack.

The new research shows that normal range should be 50-80ng/ml.

Most of the lab ranges reported for B12 and Vit D have not been adjusted to reflect the new data.

Also, the rise in skin cancer that is so disturbing today, is slowly being examined and is thought to be a lack of Vit D at the root of it all. Vit D seems to be a scavenger for cancer cells. Having good levels, seems to prevent other cancers too, in the studies coming out.

Mrs. D, I will ask for retesting on my Vitamin D level. I have not had a test for several years. With D being a hormone, isn't there the possibility of overdose?

I surely need more magnesium than is normal. Perhaps it is the D problem.