question about Vit. D

Vitamins A, D, K, and E are what's known as fat soluble vitamins meaning that they are stored in body fat when your take in more than is used by your body during the course of a day. They are the vitamins you have to be careful about taking too much of because they can have toxic effects when you do take too much of them. Other vitamins are less of an issue because your body excretes whatever isn't used, although that makes taking supplements in the larger doses that they're sold in often a waste of money. 

As regards vitamin D in particular, how much time we spend in the sun influences our levels as well as what we get from foods like milk that are fortified with it. It only takes 10 minutes a day without sunblock during the summer to get enough daily vitamin D, but you could stand outside naked all day in the winter in the northeast and still not get enough, so supplementation and periodic testing of vitamin D levels is important for most of us. If your doctor recommended taking 5,000 IU/day you probably need it and it's safe to take. I'm taking 5,000/day and my level was on the low side of normal just last month.

I take 5,000 units a day and have for several years - even before cancer.  I'm the sunscreen queen because I burn so badly and never go out into the sun without it on.  When we've traveled to Florida, I always wear long sleeves, a hat and slather on the sunscreen along with using a parasol.  I get tested once a year but so far, the 5000 units a day has worked.

Love,

Eldri

I have had low Vitamin D in the past and got it up to low normal.  I upped my dosage to 5000 just before I was diagnosed, and I'm now in the high normal range, 71.  I heard somewhere that chemo can deplete Vitamin D, but with 5,000 daily I was at 58 at the end of chemo.

Scotgirl said:

I also take 5000 IUs daily

Because I have osteoporosis my GP wanted my Vitamin D levels up since I was at the low end of the scale with a reading of 38.7. He prescribed the pharmaceutical version "D2" because the docs can't prescribe D3 because it is only available as a supplement over the counter. D3 (as cholecalciferol either from lanolin obtained from sheep's wool believe it or not or fish oil) is the one you want. There are many reputable sites but I can suggest the vitamindcouncil.org. I started with 50,000 IUs per week in November 2015 and was retested March 2016 (by my request, have to be proactive and not always wait on the docs). Level came up to 57.2. Doc said I could stop (not on your life) since I live in the northeast, I will never be able to get the amount of D I need so I reduced it to 5000 IUs daily. Read up where you can but know that magnesium is necessary if you are taking D, very important. Just go slow with the magnesium until you find what works for you.

Speaking of Magnesium, a safe way for us to bring low levels up is to take the time to soak in a tub with Epsom Salts in it. About 2 cups in a tub of water for 12-20 minutes 2-3 times per week should do the trick. The magnesium gets absorbed through the skin and there's no way you'd absorb too much. They even make scented Epsom Salts for getting the aroma therapy experience while you soak. Vanilla takes me to my happy place. It makes the water feel very soft. No risk of taking too much and causing diarrhea like you might with an oral supplement this way, either. It's so nice that there's a therapy that pampers us a bit for once, eh? One word of warning: if you have neuropathy, try this as a footbath first to see how it feels in case that irritates that issue for you.