Posted by Ktemene on August 15, 2005, at 23:32:05
In reply to Re: Was Told To Take Vita D Supplement by Dr » Ktemene, posted by Phillipa on August 15, 2005, at 18:55:44
> Hey Thanks! The Dr. drew blood but the biochemist said it was for CBC and electrolytes. Could he have gotten this info from the 24hour urine? I just bought 70mg tabs of D from GNC. How much do you think I should take? I am very depressed and anxious. Fondly, Phillipa
Hi Phillipa,
I think that a blood test is how levels of Vitamin D are checked. The article I copied in my last post quotes a doctor who thinks that 4,000 IU's per day is safe and he recommends that level of supplementation for depressed patients who are low in Vitamin D. Other doctors think the 2,000 IU's per day should be the upper limit. Other doctors put the upper limit at 800 IU's per day. There is a big debate in the U.S. medical community going on about the optimum Vitamin D level right now. Of course it is also true that in the U.K. it is common for doctors to give patients in nursing homes (who are rarely exposed to direct sunlight) 100,000 IU's of Vitamin D in a single dose. But even so, the doctors who think that 800 IU's of Vitamin D should be the upper limit do have a case to make: Vitamin D can increase the body's absorption of calcium, and this can be bad. But finding the right level of Vitamin D supplementation for you is something that you and your doctor should do together. The most important thing to bear in mind is that there is a clear association between Vitamin D deficiency and depression (and lots of other medical problems). But the good news is that it is easy and very safe to correct a Vitamin D deficiency if you work with your doctor to find the proper level of supplementation and have your Vitamin D levels checked regularly. I have copied below a few abstracts that it might be useful for you to discuss with your doctor.
And by the way I agree with Pfinstegg that low levels of calcium and magnesium can contribute to anxiety as well. It seems that most people in the U.S. get less than the recommended level of magnesium, and low levels of magnesium can cause more stress and lead to yet lower levels of magnesium in a vicious cycle.
Ktemene
poster:Ktemene
thread:541769
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050812/msgs/542262.html