Vitamin D Deficiency - Prescribed 50,000 UI/week

[HyperT77]

Has anyone been prescribed a high dose of Vitamin D?  

I have Graves Disease.  Still go to the Endocrinologist every 2 months to have blood levels checked.  She has recently diagnosed me as having a Vitamin D deficiency (level was at 16) and prescribed 50,000 IU of Vitamin D to be taken once a week for three months.  She'll then recheck levels.

My question is - isn't that an awfully high dose?  Can I take a 400 Vitamin D2 daily and bring it up?  This is all new to me, never have heard of this deficiency.  My Endo is great and follows up with me regularly and says that the Graves Disease, at the moment, is in total remission.  

Thanks for any comments!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

This is a common prescription for a low vitamin D like you report.  Side effects are uncommon.  Too much vit D can lead to high blood calcium and kidney problems, but this is a standard dose (ie, 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol - Vit D-2 - once a week).  Would look at celiac sprue antibodies, blood calcium and possibly PTH levels as well.

[ChitChatNine]

Hi, I'm the CL on Thyroid Disorders and suggested Hyper777 copy her post a from the Thyroid Disorders Community and  repost here to ask Dr. Lupo about the dosage being high, etc.

The members responses are basically telling their dosage and if they've had a side effect as we await Dr. Lupo's response, then I'm certain the post will followup/continue on the Thyroid Disorders Community.

C~
Co-CL Thyroid

[val1198]

I would think it would be nice to defer to Dr. Lupo before joining in.  This is afterall, his forum, not the open forum.

[bugsbny452]

I am vitamin D deficient and take 70,000 international units every week.  I have been taking this amount for 2 years.  I had a very bad case of hyperparathyroid.  One gland was larger than a golf ball and had grown down inside my thyroid, killing one side of the thyroid.  I had been having difficulty with the tumors for so many years that my kidneys were failing, my liver and spleen were affected, and my heart began to beat so fast that I had to take beta blockers (160 bpm) for that and
i developed very wild and erratic blood pressure.  I hope your doctor keeps a close eye on your parathyroid levels, as well as your calcium.  

[hyper_hypo]

I have been on 50,000 IU of D twice a week for 4 weeks now.  I have to be on that amount for another 4 weeks then down to once a week for 8 weeks.  I have not noticed any net difference one way or the other

[kitcurious]

Sorry for the typo, it's early- I read the insert thoroughly

[kitcurious]

I had no readily noticeable bad reaction. I did read the rx insert throughly and would have noted any immediate side effects and called the doctor. You know, I have not noticed any substantial change in the way I feel at all either.  Maybe a little less achy. Apparently, low Vitamin D ( you probably already know that it's actually a hormone, not a vitamin) levels can contribute to/cause a lot of problems. If it's the standard of medical care I tend to accept it, but I understand your reservations.

[HyperT77]

Thanks for your reply.  Did you have any side effects when first taking the Vitamin D?

[kitcurious]

Hi. Not a doctor, just a Hashitoxicosis patint. I was given the 50,000 IU dose. The first course did not raise my Vitamin D sufficiently (my Calcidiol was "0" to start and I do not see how that was possible-I go outside each day and do not use sunscreen) and I had another course of the 50K assigned.
It did raise the Vitamin D a bit, but I felt no different. I thought it was a mighty high dose myself, but I am still here.
The second time around I was told to take it once every two weeks instead of once a week.
My Vitamin D is still too low, but now I am on 'only" 2000 a day.