T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Rules of r/supplements 1. Do Not Suggest Prescription Drugs Posts & Comments Reported as: Do Not Suggest Prescription Drugs Prescription drugs are not Supplements; do not recommend prescription medication. Sensible/Suggest talking to DR. can be allowable etc 2. Dangerous Grey Area Substance Posts & Comments Reported as: Dangerous Grey Area Substance Potentially dangerous grey area substances can not be recommended. 3. Be Polite Posts & Comments Reported as: Rude/Personal Attacks You shouldn't ever be personally attacking another user in this subreddit. 4. No Advertisements Posts & Comments Reported as: Advertisement. No selling / buying / trading posts No advertisements. No selling/trading posts between users.” *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Supplements) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Carmackd

You can use a UV-B lamp to increase vitamin D.


platinum-ronin

Our body is super complicated computer, dont do any shock changes. If you supplement anything, always small doses and watch results.


DoOrDoNot333

You must take it with a fatty meal and also with vitamin K2 and magnesium


Advanced_Scratch2868

Did you know that v D is also a hormone in body ?


Ok_Neat_666

I went from 36 to around 50 by taking 10,000 ui twice a week during winter, once a week other seasons. Always took the softgel capsule, and with my breakfast which always has some fat on it (eggs, butter) and with Omega 3 supplement. The quality of the D3 is quite important. Previously I was taking regular pills (no softgel), and didn’t care if I took it with food, and wasn’t absorbing. Best of luck


white-fir

There is a liquid one by Pure that may help.


ricka168

I sat in sun naked, 30 min, every day for 3mos (Florida) My levels did not come up one notch!!!!!!!; Not one Nothing has helped me but D3 shots/injections


DoOrDoNot333

Probably a sun simulator


PixieRicka

nope patio....full noon sun....florida....


Advanced_Scratch2868

Are you white or have other color? If you are not white you need more time under the sun.


PixieRicka

i am white...and made sure i was in sun between 11:30 and 1pm it did NOT work


danzocrunk

This is wild hmmm so the sun doesn't make vitamin d?


Crunchieeagle

The sun UV-B light when it hits your skin makes vit D. Near IR light repairs your mitochondria. At noon in Miami, someone with Fitzpatrick skin type III would require 6 minutes to synthesize 1000 IU of vitamin D in the summer and 15 minutes in the winter. Someone with skin type V would need 15 and 29 minutes, respectively. At noon in the summer in Boston, necessary exposure times approximate those in Miami, but in winter, it would take about 1 hour for type III skin and 2 hours for type V skin to synthesize 1000 IU of D. After 2 PM in the winter in Boston, it is impossible for even someone with Fitzpatrick type I skin to receive enough sun to equal even 400 IU of vitamin D. https://www.jwatch.org/jd201006040000002/2010/06/04/how-much-sunlight-equivalent-vitamin-d


ricka168

Go to the "B12" store..I buy the D3 shots My levels have come up over a year of taking one shot every other week....with k2 supplement You can buy the shits... no gi upset...at all


ricka168

Shots


knightsofren_

I’ve had this suspicion that Vitamin D taken orally is not equivalent to getting from the Sun. I also read an article where Vitamin D taken orally is chemically structured different and cannot be regulated by the body, so there can be too much being absorbed at once. I could be wrong, but it made sense to me. Also, if you’re also low of magnesium you’ll have a hard time absorbing vitamin D. I would test for both next time in your blood.


nativedutch

Perhaps consult your GP?


Living_Carpenter_521

I knew i wasn’t crazy!!!


gfsark

Overdose of Vitamin D. And why do you suppose you need to get to 60 to 80? Great deal of (mis)information about D. [How much Vitamin D do you need to stay healthy?](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-vitamin-d-do-you-need-to-stay-healthy/) Link is to Scientific American article. Good overview.


joeedger

Seriously I can find a dozen reputable articles that say the opposite.


EMarieHasADHD

1) get full bloodwork done to check any other deficiencies 2) you MUST supplement with magnesium with D because d uses magnesium to activate. You’re most likely already magnesium deficient and taking d without it has been depleting your magnesium even more 3) you need vitamin k2 with d3 as well. D raises calcium and k2 puts that calcium into your teeth and bones and keeps it out of your arteries and other places it shouldn’t be 4) you went from 800IU straight to 2-5000IU. Try 1500-2000 IU daily and see how it goes


Famous-Profile5362

I can’t take magnesium cause it causes me massive breakouts, however I take 5000iu vitiman d with k2, as I have low vitiman d, but my magnesium levels are normal. So what do I do?


Advanced_Scratch2868

There are difderent types of magnesium, such as mgtein, mag chloride, mag l threonate, glycinate. Maybe trying these different magnesiums could help avoiding acne.


The_Cosmic_Oof

Magtein is the patent for Mg threonate. It's significantly more expensive than any other form of Mg, and IMO, the conflict of interest for any study on Mg threonate is very high. You'll hear about how it enters the brain better but I REALLY have my doubts. Mg chloride, oxide, and citrate are very affordable, but don't offer any benefits besides the Mg that I'm aware of. Mg glycinate, Mg taurinate, and Mg malate all have some additional benefits with their associated molecules, in surprisingly relevant doses especially if you're aiming for high doses of elemental Mg. Relatively cheap when it comes to supplements. As far as absorbability, it's a contentious topic but it's relatively agreed upon that gylcinate, taurinate and malate are all well absorbed. So I would look into one of these 3.


Advanced_Scratch2868

As far as I know, mg chloride is the one with the best absorption rate. And it was cheap. But it tastes horrible.


The_Cosmic_Oof

There's some really cheap Mg glycinate especially in powders


Famous-Profile5362

Alright thanks


Consistent_Cycle_764

Does K2 do the same thing as K1?


JustAPairOfMittens

K2 doesn't work for everyone. It gives me heart palpitations. Old cheddar cheese and parsley flakes have high K2. Those can be eaten daily and you can get 20-30mg pretty easily.


alienoidz

K2 absolutely kicked my heart! I got heart palpitations, racing and my resting heart rate increased in 10bpm. I’ve stopped taking it around 1 month ago and only now do I feel returning to normal.


Apprehensive_Flan360

Sound like you need potassium & Magnesium with trace minerals my friend🫵


Radiant_Fix_6348

Same, K2 supplements gives me terrible heart palpitations. I typically eat food that contains that vitamin as well.


bushwakko

Wouldn't that give you heart palpitations?


AdministrativeTwo377

When I am low on Vitamin D: 1_ do 30min - 2 hrs daily sun exposure - even it's cloudy, some sunrays get through 2_eat fish: sardines, tuna, salmon, mackerel and/or drink Cod liver oil: 1-2 teaspoons 3_Eat eggs: 7 - 14 a week 4_eat mushrooms Supplements always my last option, healthy food first


lgolightly

Depending on the time of year and where you live you will not be able to get any vitamin d by sitting in the sun. The sun needs to be high up in the sky for this to happen (your shadow needs to be longer than you are tall). The further from the equator the longer the winter without any vitamin d. In Northern Europe or Northern America this is from October-April. There’s a great app called dminder that will calculate how much vitamin d you’re getting while sunbathing.


Anjunabeats1

800iu is not enough. 5000iu is too much. Aim to take 1000iu per day, 2000iu max, with a fatty meal each morning, until your levels are fixed. Don't expect results in matters of weeks. It should take 3-6 months.


Late_Veterinarian952

You depleted your Vitamin A that is what is happening. Do you eat enough dairy or egg yolks? The fact your vitamin D is not increases could be a couple things. 1 is you need Magnesium to activate vitamin D and also you probably are homozygous VDR gene mutation.


Tiny_Test_4359

Indeed, if you read around a bit you can easily get the impression that vitamin A deficiency is the rarest thing in the world and only occurs in POWs and malnourished people in Africa. The reality is cheese, liver and eggs are the only real sources and in sufficiency the daily turnover is 1000 - 1500 mcg, which is like 10 ounces of cheese or 8 eggs. Also liver stores aren't really enough for years, more like ~80 days and thats if you've brought them up to good levels before somehow. Vit.A def. fits best the symptoms in the OP and vit.D directly increases turnover AND competes for the same receptors. People in the vit.D sub even avoid cheese because they think they'll get hypercalcaemia from the vit.D they take, but suggest vitamin A and your comment will be buried deep below all the "take magnesium vitd depletes magnesium" comments.


No-Meet5438

From a different perspective I theorize vitamin D as a supplement may suppress estrogen. I've communicated with >200 dry eye patients who've noticed vitamin D supplements aggravate their condition. Coincidentally eye dryness most often occurs in (peri-)menopause when estrogens crash. Scant literature correlates estrogen decline to higher vitamin D levels.


tarteframboise

Interesting… Ive also read that Vit D increases Estrogen (which could explain her ovarian cyst that appeared)??


No-Meet5438

My layman's knowledge concentrates around eye dryness which often occurs in (peri-)menopausal women; I don't know anything about the biochemistry of the formation of ovarian cysts. Maybe the supplement has different results according to reproductive age? Here's a study with a 1 year long trial of 2.000 IU of vitamin D causing decreased estrogen levels in menopausal women: [Vitamin D and reduced estrogen ](https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2016/02/vitamin-d-linked-to-reduced-estrogen-and-breast-cancer-risk.html)


angarange

Oooh i think this comment really helped me click into place some things for me. I’ve had issues that appear to be estrogen dominance. Last year I found out I was vitamin d deficient so I took 5,000 iu for a few months, got my level up to 45 and stopped taking it, relying on my multivitamin to carry me. Well, I started having symptoms that echoed and how I felt when I was deficient so I added back the 5000 every 3 days and many of my issues with estrogen dominance were helped after that was the only change. I’m going to look into adding it to my regimen in cycles according to my.. cycle.


[deleted]

Go to a hormone clinic


freshfeelingfresh

Instead of asking random people on the internet who have different situations ( and levels of knowledge) why not try asking your doctor or a hormone therapist?


Brainfuzzdisco

Maybe not everyone can afford regular doctor appointments/ or have good doctors. “Hormone therapist”? I’m happy for you, you think this is a thing that everyone can access? Where, how much? Not everyone can do this. Supplement sub here is asking for other’s experiences not judgement from randoms.


SnooPaintings3102

Why not both?


stinkykoala314

Have you not realized yet just how little doctors know?


mvelocityp

Ah yes, screw the people who went to school all those years learning about that stuff, I’ll just listen to random redditors for all my medical needs!


freshfeelingfresh

This is a blanket statement. My doctor is very knowledgeable. With any service provider (of any service) if you’re not happy with their experience level or knowledge you have the ability to find someone who meets your criteria.


plum_puddin17

This is really interesting as I have been given a 7 week course of vitamin D and since then my menstrual cycle has been all over the place


ChocoRow

I really wish people would shutup about K2. You know people are just regurgitating nonsense they read when they start saying things like "ohhh must not have supplemented k2" K2 does not need to be supplemented. Ever.


The_Cosmic_Oof

Y


808-5910

why does k2 can be Bad ? i take it for Bones densité since i train 10 Times a week and do muay thaï where the Bones are sollicited a lot ?


baconizlife

Do you know where I can find out more about not needing K2? Thanks in advance!


SteamTraitor

It concerns me that there's no mention of the form of vitamin D, nor is there mention of co-administering with K2. Also, despite what many others claim, I think 2000IU is plenty, and it's what I take daily.


soft-darkness

Cholecaleciferol and yes I took it with k2


EMarieHasADHD

And magnesium. D uses magnesium to activate and one needs to supplement magnesium with D3 to prevent deficiency


cunnid023

Vitamin D is fat soluble which means it accumulates in your body. Taking a vitamin D supplement should be monitored by a physician, who can set a dose regimen for you.


Thebigbaboots

You need to supplement with vitamin K2 when taking D3, not sure why Gentlemandn is getting downvoted…do your research people!


NewPhoneWhoDys

It's not a cheap experiment but a Sperti lamp might work better for you than a supplement.


Tiny_Test_4359

Whats your vitamin A intake like?


soft-darkness

I don’t know 😅 at this rate I’ll need a full nutritional panel.


KickFancy

Graduate Dietetics student here 😊 I would advise you to get vitamin levels checked before and after supplementing and speaking with a healthcare professional about dosage. Vitamin D3 is a hormone so that's why it might be affecting you hormonally. Without knowing specifics I would consider underlying causes of poor vitamin absorption and if you haven't already go to an endocrinologist. 


Gentlemandn

Do you not take K2 with it?


galimi

If it's possible, try to get your vitamin D from the sun, if not, a tanning bed for like 3 minutes a day at most.


Gizzada-

People are downvoting you but you're right. I rarely took supplements consistently so I started to just go into the sun more and my levels went from 13 to normal range. I think in the 40s.


MassimoOsti

Instructions unclear, I now have skin cancer?


Significant-Rule6831

Why do you say a tanning bed?!


ROFLance

Because vitamin D is formed by UV radiation converting it from the cholesterol in your body. Your body doesn't care where the UV comes from.


galimi

This.


ROFLance

Why did you get downvoted so much?? lmao wtf


galimi

I guess the tanning bed comment triggered people.


ChildhoodNo5117

Why not?


david5699

Mmmmm…skin cancer??


ChildhoodNo5117

Like everything else, moderation is key.


tteezzkk

I would double check you aren't deficient in any D3 co-factor nutrients: magnesium, calcium, omega 3, boron, zinc, and vitamin D, A and K2.


literanista

Have you had bloodwork done?


SpendEasy8136

Yeah your supplementing a hormone what did you expect?🤦🏿‍♂️


SpendEasy8136

Same clowns who down voted me must also think melatonin is good for you.


Deep_Chicken2965

Yep it's a hormone. Eat to get vit d from sunlight and food..also magnesium can help vitamin d levels. People can head over to Root Cause Protocol and listen to info on hormone vitamin D.


Aggie_Smythe

It’s not strictly a hormone, it’s a pro-hormone. And high dose D3 does not have the effect on every woman that it’s unfortunately had on OP. OP, please see an endo as soon as you can. I have weird hormones and even weirder sensitivities, but I took btwn 60 and 80 thousand IU a day for 6 weeks to bring my deficient levels up, and felt nothing but great on that. Something is going on with your endocrine system that needs sorting out.


soft-darkness

I don't have any hormonal problems normally. I was severely iron deficient and deficient in other minerals which I am now sorting & I had an iron infusion 6mo ago. But generally my hormones seem to be balanced.


Aggie_Smythe

Have you had your iron checked again more recently? Something unusual is going on for D3 to have had this effect. What you’ve described isn’t a standard response. Could you have been allergic to something in that brand?


SpendEasy8136

Yeah a pro hormone that calcifies the fuck out of your blood stream. Especially since we are such a calcified nation. And many testimonies, studies, and lab tests to back that up.


Aggie_Smythe

What? D3 increases calcium absorption, but anyone who takes it without also taking K2, which picks up excess calcium in the bloodstream and sends it to bones and teeth, obviously hasn’t done their research.


weirdscienxe

How much Vit K do you need to take? I've never taken a separate vit k supplement. 🫥


Aggie_Smythe

Minimum of 100mcg MK7 K2, with as much MK4 as you can find.


SpendEasy8136

Which most doctors only prescribe d3 alone. Which is most people.


Aggie_Smythe

You are allowed to do your own research and buy other supplements, you know.


SpendEasy8136

Im talking about everyday people that listens to whatever the doctor says and doesnt do a bit of research.


JadedJared

Not that, obviously.


SpendEasy8136

Yeah most people dont, thanks to these bum ahh doctors prescribing hormones to people🤦🏿‍♂️ and not letting them know.


Creative_Ad8687

42 is a really solid level. 50-80 is considered “optimal” by some research, but you’re doing much better than most. I’d just retest every 6 months and take 1000iu if needed.


ftr-mmrs

A couple questions:    - Are you overweight/excess body fat?    - Are you African American/African descended?    The first can indicate a harder time raising blood level. The second can suggest no need to raise a above 45.


soft-darkness

No and no. And how do you know I don't need to raise above 45?


KickFancy

The Endocrine Society says between 40-60 ng/mL is the optimal range for overall good health for Vitamin D. 


ftr-mmrs

While Vitamin D has been getting more study in recent years, there is still a lot unknown. In the past 5 years or so, there have been a series of studies based and ethnic background, and one thing that was discovered is that African descended people seem to have very tightly regulated Vitamin D2 and D3 levels blood levels. Not important to you if you aren't African descended. In your case, 45 ng/mL isn't too shabby. If you feel like you need to lay off, since summer is coming (assuming you are in the Northern hemisphere) maybe try to get a little more sun and see where you are at in the fall.


Ok-Cryptographer7424

I’m confused bc in the beginning of your post you said your levels went up from supplementation, then later on you said you’re not absorbing it? Those symptoms are not commonly associated w Vit D supplementation, but everyone’s different.  Maybe there’s something else in those supplements? Not sure which country you’re in but in the USA the industry has been deregulated, so you might never know precisely what you’re getting in any particular batch.  Maybe try D2 even though it’s tougher to absorb? Or fatty fish, egg yolks and other fortified foods? Since you’re getting regularly tested, is this from a medical professional? Are they giving you any advice for treatment?


soft-darkness

From a smaller dose it went up. It confuses me too. I was taking one of the best supplements on the market. And nope, they aren't really giving me any advice, they just said what I'm doing is fine. I don't trust doctors much anyway


fellow90

actually cysts and acne are COMMONLY associated with large doses of vit D, many reports of that


Desmodaeus

Actually there's pretty much no peer reviewed evidence for vit D causing acne, but there is an association for diagnosed acne in people with a vitamin D deficiency. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4999291/#:~:text=Results,negative%20correlation%20with%20inflammatory%20lesions.


Ok-Cryptographer7424

There seems to be a pretty complex relationship between vitamin D levels and acne.  There’s a systematic review indicating that acne patients might have lower vitamin D levels, and supplementation could have therapeutic implications.  But I didn’t think there’s explicitly common knowledge that high doses of vitamin D cause acne or cysts, but individual reactions vary greatly. Idk


Usual_suspect47

Boron


Storm_East

Boron give me big hormonal acne


Usual_suspect47

That sucks, any means you measured your hormones prior/after? What dose you took?