Hello all,

I have been following the magical vitamin regimen since October. I found that 10,000 mg daily of D3 was not cutting it, so I doubled up to 20,000 daily to help things along. This brought me to the pain free zone. I began to worry about taking this high of a dose regularly, so I scaled back to 15,000 daily a few weeks ago. My shadows and headaches are now returning.

My question is, does anyone else take a dose as high as 20,000 daily? If so, have you had any side effects? I have noticed that my eyes are more dry and irritated since starting the vitamins.

Thanks for any info!

Hi Danielle
Most of us take what you're taking with a 50,000 loading dose once a week on top. D can be toxic and you need to be just below toxicity to remain pain free, but you can take truck loads before you reach that level. You need to watch yor calcium too. Ask your doc for a blood test called OH(25)D. This test is very important to make sure you don't go too far. (Get calcium tested too). But when you get the results don't let them tell you "it's normal". Ask for the actual numbers. Then go to Batch's post titled "123 days pain free". There is a chart showing all you need to know. It's a very long thread, so if you flick through quickly the chart is green and pink, so easy to spot.

I don't seem to have any side effects so I can't say if your eye problems are related. I would check with your doc as it may or may not be a seperate issue.
Maz.

Hi Danielle and welcome,
I think at this stage of the game it would be better to
stay on the 15,000iu of vitamin D3 and one loading of
50,000iu taken once a week and check in with your
doctor for a 25 (OH ) D blood test to see where your
level sits. You need a serum concentration of between
60-80 ng/ml for the chance of the regime working for
you.

Hoppy.

Hey Danielle,

I'd go back up to 20,000 IU/day to stay pain free...  I had to take an average of 40,000 IU/day through March and April in order to stay PF due to the high pollen count...  I'm back down to 15,000 IU/day. 

There are plenty of studies that show extended periods (6 months to a year) at 40,000 IU/vitamin D3 are safe and unlikely to result in vitamin D3 intoxication (too much serum calcium).

That said, it's wise to see your PCP for the lab tests for 25(OH)D and serum calcium...  While your 25(OH)D may go as high as 150 to 190 ng/mL, your serum calcium should stay within the normal reference range...

You can also double up on Omega-3 Fish Oil and be sure you're taking at least 400 mg/day magnesium...

Take care and please keep us posted

V/R, Batch

Thank you all for the sound advice. I think I will go back up to taking 20,000 IUs daily, and be sure to get bloodwork done in the near future. Good point about allergy season - I too suffer from seasonal allergies. The air quality here in SD is also particularly poor right now due to Santa Ana winds kicking up dust and pollen, plus smoke from the recent fires lingering around.

Danielle,

If you don't experience pain free response after a couple days at 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3, double the dose to 40,000 IU/day for a week then drop back to 20,000 IU/day for another couple weeks... Then try 15,000 IU/day as a maintenance dose of vitamin D3.

Make sure you start the 3-month course of vitamin B 50.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Are these doses taken all at once or are they spread out over the day? Should all 20,000 IU be taken at one time? or if giving the bumper dose of 40,000 should that be taken all at once as well??

Thanks much
Coach Bill.

Coach_Bill,

Good question...  It's usually best to take vitamin D3 and the rest of this regimen all at once with the largest meal of the day with the most fats.  This helps increase vitamin D3 absorption and reduces the incidence of upset tummy due to the Omega-3 fish oil, magnesium or other cofactors...

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Thanks Batch.

Been stuck in a 7 month cycle, double my longest yet. And the big "C" word has been thrown out there.
I did 2 days at 50,000 IU last Monday and Tuesday. Monday though the evening there was no change at all and I took my normal 4 hits. But Tuesday I kept pounding the D3 and I was pain free all day and only got one nitetime hit, instead of the norm. On Wednesday did 20,000 in the morning and had my apt with the new nero. I like her, She used her ears. But she put me on big pred taper, lithium, and then gave me a optical nerve block. Anyway... Over the weekend I did not take the D3 due mainly to taking 8 frickin pills a day. But on Sunday night I started getting some shadows and started up again at 25000. I'm just on so many different things right now I'm just not sure what is doing what, So I start the taper down to 40mg pred tomorrow, and that will still keep it at bay for the 7 days im at that level, But we all know what comes when we drop to 20mg pred. And I want to make sure its in my system well when that time comes.

Thanks Again
Coach Bill

Coach_Bill,

In all the hassle, did you manage to ask your neurologist for the lab test for 25(OH)D?  It's likely you could have ended your cycle just by increasing your intake of vitamin D3.

I normally maintain a 25(OH)D serum concentration around 80 ng/mL taking 10,000 IU/day vitamin D3...  However, during the spring high pollen period (March - May), my 25(OH)D serum concentration dropped to 60 and CH symptoms returned... I needed to average 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 with a two week period taking 40,000 IU/day to stay CH pain free.

Corticosteroids will slow vitamin D3 metabolism so I would continue taking 15,000 to 20,000 IU/day vitamin D3 along with the rest of the anti-inflammatory regimen through the pred taper and after...  Make sure you're taking at least 400 mg/day magnesium...

When your CH symptoms reside, talk with your neurologist about coming off all the other prescription CH meds.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch