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Cholecalciferol

I have been on steroids for over forty years so my bone density is low anyway and they have  just informed me i have a low vitamin d level.the hospital i am under has prescribed cholecalciferol 20000 iuonce a week for 12 weeks and then 1000 iu daily.i spoke to my gp about this and he refused me a prescription for the large dose.i then spoke to the chemist and they said that it was a prscription dose and you cant buy it over the counter, i then spoke to a friend who works in holland and barret and she said it is just another name for vitamin d3 but it is a high dose.both the gp and the chemist acted dumb over the name chol********* so i was left not knowing wether it was a specialist dose or how to get hold of it.i have since called my hospital who are looking into it.i have purchased a basic vitamin d tablet which says 10 ug is the same ad 400iu so do i have to take 50 of these or is there a larger dose tablet.
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1756321 tn?1547095325
The scientific name for vitamin D3 is cholecalciferol.  You do not need a prescription to buy vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is also available in supermarkets, pharmacies, health food stores, and online websites. The upper tolerable limit of vitamin D is 4000IU daily. There are vitamin D3 supplements that contains 1000IU per capsule.

If you do take higher doses of vitamin D you must take into account magnesium. Vitamin D "uses up" magnesium to convert to active vitamin D in the blood. Magnesium is the most important co factor for vitamin D absorption. Vitamin D is also essential for calcium absorption.

You can convert µg (also means mcg or microgram) to IU (international units).  IU is the most commonly seen unit of measurement for vitamin D supplementation however.

Vitamin D:

International Units and micrograms

40 I.U. = 1 mcg
400 I.U. = 10 mcg
1000 I.U. = 25 mcg
50,000 I.U = 1250 mcg or 1.25 mg (milligram)
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1756321 tn?1547095325
The upper tolerable limit of vitamin D may be 4000IU, but this information is from the US vitamin D council:

"Vitamin D Council recommended amounts

Based on the body's indicated daily vitamin D usage, Vitamin D Council recommends the following amounts of supplemental vitamin D3 per day in the absence of proper sun exposure. Due to the variable response discussed above, these are only estimated amounts.

Healthy children under the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU.
Healthy children over the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU per every 25 lbs of body weight.
Healthy adults and adolescents – at least 5,000 IU.
Pregnant and lactating mothers - at least 6,000 IU.

Additionally, children and adults with chronic health conditions such as autism, MS, cancer, heart disease, or obesity may need as much as double these amounts."

As you live in London i had a quick google search to see if there were higher IU doses per capsule and found this from The vitamin D company:

"1. Vitamin D3 5000 IU--200 Micro Tablets (6+months supply)
This 5000IU formulation is suggested for the elderly, obese, pregnant women, those with dark skins and those with medical conditions where maintaining an optimal level is important. These tiny tablets are easy to swallow or can be crunched up in the mouth as they disintegrate easily and are virtually tasteless. Suitable for vegetarians.

Cost: £18.50+5.00P&P=£23.50 Discounted price:  £15.50 FREE P&P No additional charges during check out!
£15.50 Inc"
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