Re: ALL OK » SLS | Psycho-Babble

Even though I wouldn't rule out the possibility that increasing your vitamin D3 dose might lead to a reduction in the symptoms of your bipolar depression, I haven't come across any evidence that would specifically support the idea that taking much more than 5,000 IU would be superior to your current 5,000-IU dose. Of the studies I'm aware of that have found antidepressant benefits from vitamin D3 supplementation, one (Khoraminya et al., 2013) found that just 1,500 IU of vitamin D3 with fluoxetine daily was superior to fluoxetine alone after just six weeks, a second (Gloth et al., 1999) found that a single 100,000-IU dose of vitamin D significantly reduced depressive symptoms in patients with seasonal affective disorder one month after they received their dose of the vitamin, and a third (Jorde et al. 2008) found that individuals with depression and obesity responded significantly more favorably to both 20,000 IU and 40,000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly (which would amount to daily respective amounts of 2,857 IU and 5,714 IU) compared to placebo as far as depressive symptoms were concerned in a yearlong trial. So, based on the research that I've come across, it doesn't seem that daily doses of vitamin D3 that are much larger than 5,000 IU have been studied for their antidepressant effects. Jorde et al. (2008) did use what would probably be the equivalent of a 5,714-IU daily dose in their yearlong trial and found it to be significantly more effective in reducing depressive symptoms than placebo, but they also found half as much vitamin D3 to be superior to placebo. It might not be a bad idea to consider trying 5,800 IU of vitamin D3 daily to give yourself the maximum amount of the vitamin that Jorde et al. (2008) gave to their participants, but I tend to have my doubts as to whether an extra 800 IU would make a significant difference.

Other than the dose of vitamin D3 that you're taking, you might want to consider the possibility that staying on vitamin D3 for longer might produce benefits that you're not currently experiencing. When evaluating the effects of 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily on biochemical responses and well being of older adults, Vieth et al. (2004) found that the vitamin seemed to produce the greatest biochemical responses after six months of supplementation. Consistent with this, the results of a study by Mocanu and Vieth (2014) seem to indicate that vitamin D levels may continue to rise with daily vitamin D3 supplementation for longer than what was previously believed. For the study, Mocanu and Vieth (2014) gave participants in a nursing home bread fortified with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 on a daily basis for a year. Vitamin D levels in the participants rose from a baseline mean value of 28.5 +/- 10.8 nmol/L to 127.3 +/- 37.8 nmol/L following the yearlong supplementation period. A year after the end of the supplementation period, mean vitamin D levels only dropped to 64.9 +/- 24.8 nmol/L. It wasn't until the follow-up period three years after the end of the supplementation period when vitamin D levels in the participants dropped to around their baseline level, ending up at a level of 28.0 +/- 15.0 nmol/L. So, if the data that I just presented are to be believed, it might be the case that as you continue to supplement with vitamin D3 for longer, your vitamin D levels will continue to rise. Of course, it can't be guaranteed that doing this would lead to eventual clinical improvement, even if your vitamin D levels do keep rising. I most certainly hope that you will see this "clinical improvement" someday, though, whether it's from supplementing with vitamin D3, from supplementing with vitamin D3 along with doing other things, or by just doing other things.

Gloth, F.M. 3rd, Alam, W., & Hollis, B. (1999). Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 3, 5-7. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10888476/

Jorde, R., Sneve, M., Figenschau, Y., Svartberg, J., & Waterloo, K. (2008). Effects of vitamin D supplementation on symptoms of depression in overweight and obese subjects: Randomized double blind trial. Journal of Internal Medicine, 264, 599-609. Article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02008.x/full

Khoraminya, N., Tehrani-Doost, M., Jazayeri, S., Hosseini, A., & Djazayery, A. (2013). Therapeutic effects of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy to fluoxetine in patients with major depressive disorder. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47, 271-275. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23093054/

Mocanu, V., & Vieth, R. (2013). Three-year follow-up of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and bone mineral density in nursing home residents who had received 12 months of daily bread fortification with 125 ug of vitamin D3. Nutrition Journal, 12, 137. Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874673/

Vieth, R., Kimball, S., Hu, A., & Walfish, P.G. (2004). Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients. Nutrition Journal, 3, 8. Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC506781/

"Maybe someday
We'll figure all this out
We'll put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to just feel better now"

- Rob Thomas

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