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Avatar universal

Researcher/Jim

My vitamin D level is low. I have been taking 1,000 mg. of vit. D a month since I found out. I avoided the sun the year I was on tx. I'm a lacto vegetarian. I have not been drinking milk. I think that is the cause of the osteoporosis in upper back and right neck. You can't utilize your calcium if you lack vit. D.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for all your information. I will do that.
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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for all your information. I will do that.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
D2 converts to D3 only in the skin in the presence of ultraviolet radiation/sunlight, not anymore a recommended way to get your dose of D3. Thus D2 supplementation is now considered inappropriate/ineffective .
I would take only D3, possibly 3000 iU for a while and then TEST LEVELS then adjust.
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Avatar universal
My computer was in the shop yesterday. It's better now. I did find Vit. D3 from lanolin - sheeps wool. So I'm taking that. A veggie friend of mine who teaches Science in High School wrote me that D2 can convert to D3. I upped my dose of Vit. D to 3,000 IU per day. Should I take more than 1,000 IU of D3 also? Thanks for all your information and suggestions.
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131817 tn?1209529311
Great to hear from you here!  I was prescribed Vit. D by my rhematologist.  Since tx I have autoimune blood disorder, on blood thinners for life and now dx with Fibromyalgia.  Yuck.  Had to stop earlier than planned on tx at 47 weeks. Thanks to you, I know my fibrosis is not over a 1/2, but hate that I have these lasting effects from tx. Hope we can talk soon.  

Hugs and Peace for the New Year!
Linda
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You should try to obtain the actual 25 Hydroxy Vit D level results from your docs records, they will guide you in your supplemenation. Retesting will be necessary.
You might be able to get the Vit D3 in veggie caps. Dont know if the Vit D3 offered is synthetic, it should not matter.Natures synthetic catalytic chemistry is way way superior to our chemical labs, and the end result is exactly the same chemical compound anyway.
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Avatar universal
I'm a little slow with this brain fog. Yes, it was I.U. on the vitamin D not mg. I never got a copy of the labs and the primary care doctor put it in her computer so I don't know any of the actual levels the first or the second test. I was told first it wasn't there and second it was low.
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Avatar universal
Can you get the vitamin D3 in a synthetic form? I'm a strict vegetarian. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
One more little thing:

Considering the importance of Vit D3 for immune function, it would seem prudent that patients undergoing tx should check and regulate their levels towards proper before start.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, the newsletter seems to be off by about a thousandfold.

The new US recommended blood levels for 25 -Hydroxy Vitamin D are 32-100 ng/ml (NOT  ng/liter)
Maybe the nutrition newsletter confuses it with the levels of Vitamin D, 1,25 Dihydroxy, whose levels are normal from 16 to 56 ng/Liter ( not ml this time) which is about a thousandfold difference.

This form of VitaminD3 (test) should NOT be determined, because it is not reflective of the bodys functional Vit D3 status ( this metabolite of Vit D3 reflects Vit Ds kidney processing rather than relevant body levels, only the level of 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D is reflective of those). The 1,25 dihydroxy can confuse you and your doc, because a wrong sense of normality can be created, so BEWARE.

Please check the newsletter for this detail, it will give you a sense of its reliability. Also, again, quite a few people will not reach the desired range with a mere 1000 iU of VitaminD3 (Cholecalciferol), the per person requirements to stay in range vary greatly.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your Bottom line explaination.  My multi-vitamin only says vit D so I guess I need to switch where I buy at & go to a GNC store to try to find the Vit D3 & maybe should buy the calcium plus D from there also & when I go bk to Dr in May to try to remember to ask about that 25-hydroxyvitamin D test for my blood work
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315996 tn?1429054229

Here is what the latest Nutrition Action Newsletter says in their "bottom line" for Vitamin D(which by the way agrees totally with HR):

The Bottom Line
"Shoot for total of 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D3(cholecalciferol) from your multivitamin plus an extra vitamin D supplement combined. Vitamin D2(ergocaldiferol) is only about half as potent.
   If you want to know your blood vitamin D level, make sure your doctor tests 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The levels should be at least 75 nmo/L (or 30 nb/L) and ideally 90 to 100 nmol/L (36 to 40 ng/L)."

My understanding that D3 is from animal sources and D2 isn't. Again, just a humble fan of this forum and nutrition.
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Avatar universal
Okay, now I am totally confused with this conversation, help me out alittle please.  I do have osteo in hips & spine, I still have to take the prednisone for the AIH, I do take Evista for bones plus twice daily I take calcium 600 plus 400 D.  What is Vit D3 & where do you get it? And how do you know if your body is low in it?  All my blood work came back fine??
And please explain to me what the "antifibrotic regimen is for those who are post SVR?  Due to the daily intake of prednisone do I need to do more?  Dr didn't tell me to?
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Avatar universal
My vitamin D level before supplementing was zero, when tx was done. I will increase my intake per your recommendation. Can you get that vit. D3 from a vegetarian source or synthetic? I do not take fish or eggs either. Soon I will be a lacto vegetarian for 43 years.

Jim: I retired from State office job at 33 weeks. Not treatment. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks for your suggestions.

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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Vit D3 action is a no brainer. The testing is the key, you dont want to walk in the dark with something that important. The test is 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D. There was a truly dramatic shift in the "normal healthy range'  very recently based on convincing research, that broke the old recommendations. Use the labcorp test they are up to date with the new range.

If you are not in the new mid range or slightly above new midrange  ( see above to grandma) you supplement until you are, as a cardiac preventative ( one of many of course, sigh). Reasonable retesting is the key, since requirements seem to vary wildly. Some need 5000 iU a day to keep in proper range, others dont.

Re the "antifibrotic" regimen for post SVRs ; It holds a good chance to supress many post SVR immune issues as well."  More later on this issue, it is by necessity, very complex.

Oxymatrine does not have enough research behind it to form a solid opinion yet as antifibrotic. It might work well or it might not.

Happy holidays to you as well
Helpful - 0
315094 tn?1201390050
   They think that inadequate vit D is causing a whole range of problems, muscle aches, fatigue, you name it (there was a great article about this in scientific american, you could probably find it in archives).  So maybe when you get your body at a better range with the D, you'll feel like a thousand bucks!
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Avatar universal
You seemed to agree with Gauf's regimen in another thread, after suggesting some Green Tea Extract:

Gauf: I am now taking Curcumin, Resveratrol, and Sylmarin antiinflammatories. I also take PPC, N-A-C/vit C, T-M-G, Taurine, a prebiotic and probiotic, ALA, EPA, DHA, cq10, vit e, multi vit no iron. "
---------------------------------
1. You have brought up Oxymatrine in the past, how come no mention, or do you only suggest Oxymatrine when taken in conjunction with Interferon?

2. For someone like myself -- 1.5 years post treatment and stage 2 three months post treatment via Fibroscan -- do you recommend that same regimen, or if not, how would you modify it? Also, what doses make sense.

Happy Holidays,

-- Jim

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Avatar universal
Grandma,

After reading your post over on the other side, I now see that you did complete 51 weeks, although your profile says "retired after 33 weeks".

In any event, wondering where the 51 weeks came from? I'm assuming it was based on the Drusano model (15 plus 36)? Still, I figured your doctor (Dr. G?) would have suggested 72 weeks given your slow response. Was this discussed?

HR,

Yes, that's probably what the articles I read were about, and since I now have to be more sensitive to sun exposure, I probably should look into oral supplementation. Is there a particular test to take and what levels suggest supplementation is necessary, or do you recommend it in any event as a cardiac preventative?

-- Jim
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The proper Vit D level is much more important than previously recognized. It is also negatively impacting immune responses when low and might well be a factor in the many components that lead to a persons lack of achieving SVR.

Vit D3 is now considered less a vitamin and more as a hormone with a nuclear receptor and numerous critical functions depending on a proper level.
It is one of the easy things to fix, since it can simply be measured and corrected by oral route, no sunlight required.

It is also now being recognized as very important for cardiovascular health and endothelial function, so anybody interested in fighting atherosclerotic disease should pay close attention to it, in particular since this is the easiest riisk factor to correct.
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Avatar universal
I do remember Vitamin D being in the news lately, but really don't know much about what is required, especially in your case. Regardless, you were smart to stay out of the sun during treatment, and continue that caution post treatment until you're confident your body can tolerate it. So sorry again for your relapse, but I have a feeling you expected it being a late responder and having to stop treatment at 33 weeks. In any event, from  the  few posts I 've read of yours since, you seem to be handling the situation very well which shows a lot of inner strength. Forgot most of your stats, but I do hope you find the right path moving forward. You mentioned the NY Herbalist -- forgot his name -- and I believe he's also cited in Dr. Gish's and Misha's Cohen's book. The key here, as I see it, is to keep monitoring both liver enzymes and fibrosis on a regular basis to make sure that whatever measures you take are working.

All the best,

-- Jim
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163305 tn?1333668571
After recently breaking my nose and arm, I began looking into possible causes ( My family doesn't break! including my 80+ mom who has fallen out of bed). I found out that one possible sx of tx is osteoporosis. It makes sense if you think how tx messes with our blood, making for sore bones.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Best to report what the actual Vit D level was  before supplementation. How easy is it for you to get retested? With than info one could try to optimize your supplementation intensity until your next test.Who recommended the 1000 iU  ( it is not mg!!!) to you? You might need 5000 iU for a while until in the new!!! mid normal range  ( = approx 60nanogram per milliliter = ng/ml)
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