too much vitimin D for a long time

It's likely that your Vitamin D levels will be checked whenever you have your annual physical or at least every couple of years. Those results will give you a better idea of whether or not 5000 IU is too much, just right, or not enough for you. Vitamin D is so very important for many chemical reactions in the body and in cancer prevention, so you really want to give your doctor's recommendation a chance for at least a year before you revisit the dosage again. Don't play with the dosage on your own; you need this.

Hi, although I share your concern somewhat, I've read that Vit. D toxicity is quite difficult to reach. I would taek Chris' advice and just make sure your Vit D levels are monitored regularly. In my opinion, 5000 units isn't that much. I am Vit D deficient as well and I am only in my 20s. From what I understand, I would need to take Vit D supplements forever as well. So far, I've been taking 2000 units a day for more than a year now after initially taking 50000 units a week for three months. Depending on my annual physical results that are coming up in 2 weeks, my dosage may or may not change. My physician told me that most women have this deficiency even with lots of sun exposure. It seems like a common occurence for most women which is why I think your doctor kind of brushed you off (although that doesn't make it right).

Best,
Rebecca

Most, if not all, cancer patients are deficient in vitamin D.  It is so common in cancer patients that both my medical oncologist and my gynecologic oncologist have started testing for it.  We, as a society, are deficient.  We don't eat animals that were raised like they used to be, spending years with the sun on their backs, and therefore the meat is not as high in vitamin D as it was 100 years ago.  We also wash our skin daily, unlike our ancestors, and the act of using soap on the skin short circuits the process by which our bodies produce vitamin D from sun exposure.  Finally, there is a link between magnesium and vitamin D levels.  So, if you continue to wash with soap and eat meat low in vitamin D, you have to supplement somehow.  I used to take 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily in the summer and 10,000 in the winter and my levels were right where my natuopath wanted them.  I don't know whether it is due to having my magnesium level where it needs to be, or whether it is because I no longer wash with soap, but rather lube up with coconut oil before jumping in the shower, but it seems I only need between 2,000 and 4, 000IU now to keep my level where it needs to be.  I also eat locally raised meet that is only grass fed, so the animals are exposed to more sunlight than commercially raised ones.  If your aim is to help with osteoporisis, vitamin K2 is necessary in addition to the vitamin D.  

Hope this helps relieve some of your concerns.

Great info, Tethys!

I could not get my levels up on OTC tablets.  I was told that "they" don't know why some folks have a hard time aborbing tablets, but I was one of them and I should try liquid.  I bought liquid (drops)  and it worked.  Then my local pharmacy stopped carrying liquid.  So I ordered a spray online that I saw on an infomercial and it is no longer made.  It worked great, tho.  Then I found liquid at Whole Foods and was happy as a clam.  My levels plummeted.  Onc said try another brand and that patients were having good success at whatever Amazon carries.  I ordered that and my levels went up to 100!  Each drop is 2000 IUs and I was taking 4 drops.  I think that was probably too much.   I've reduced that to 2 drops per day (4000 Ius) and will have my levels checked in April.  This is what I'm currently using with good success https://www.amazon.com/Servings-Physician-Formulated-Seeking-Health/dp/B003800UXG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1480283762&sr=8-1&keywords=optimal+vitamin+d3+liquid.  And I will be using something for the rest of my life as well.  They seem to take this vitamin D thing seriously.  I was very deficient and had been for years, but I could never remember to take the supplement.  Then I was diagnosed and now I do! 

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

I found the above website invaluable. Be sure to get the Vit D3 (lanolin from sheep's wool)and not the prescription D2 (vegan, which is formulated from fungus in a lab). Doctors can't prescribe D3 because it is a supplement where D2 is a pharmaceutical. I won't go into the D3 versus D2 but it is fairly well known that D3 is the way to go. My PCP suggested I take VitD to get my D up from 38 which is low end of the accepted range. Because of my osteoporosis (I will not take any of the bisphosphonates, etc) he wanted my number up. So I started on 50,000 IUs per week taking approximately 7,000 per day instead of the one pill weekly. In two months my D was up to 57. My PCP said I could stop but, sorry I know better living in the northeast, I will never get the required natural sunlight needed to maintain proper levels so I decided to, after much research continue with 5000 IUs per day. Well, since the cancer diagnosis and ongoing chemo treatments my MO asked me to reduce the 5000 per day to 1000. Not happy about that, doesn't make much sense to me so I will be discussing this again with her. Be sure to take with magnesium, find the level your body will tolerate, I believe 400mg is basic recommended daily amount but I have gone as high as 600mg which was just a little too much (can send you to the bathroom) so dialed it back to 500mg and that worked for me. The research is out there, don't be afraid of the D. Not all PCP's really know about D, mine didn't, when I asked him the source of the D he prescribed he said he didn't know which put me on the path to find out what was best.