p/s/a: Vitamin D supplements can take you from depressed zombie to functioning human being in one week.
Anecdote time!
A therapist suggested a few months ago that I get my Vitamin D level checked — citing low levels as a possible cause of low, somewhat depressive moods. I finally got around to doing that. Last week I got the test results; it turns out it’s a bit below the normal range. So my doctor advised I should take 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. I’m not sure it’s working, but I have generally felt both more cheerful and more productive since.
But don’t start taking it without actually testing first. Hypervitaminosis D doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
But don’t start taking it without actually testing first. Hypervitaminosis D doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
As the article points out, even a conservative estimate is that the upper limit is probably ~10k IU (and if you look at the earlier sections, it’s safe to inject as much as 600k IU). 1k IU is going to be safe for everyone who isn’t already popping 9k IU...
But don’t start taking it without actually testing first. Hypervitaminosis D doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
It feels uncomfortable to be advising Less Caution but in the case of vitamin D supplementation most people who don’t supplement vitamin D already and who don’t spend their lives naked in the sun would be well served just adding daily vitamin D3 to their schedule. The safety risk is negligible and for most people the value of information over assuming based on priors and just supplementing is low.
You need to take more than 4000 IU/day (probably for quite some time) to have any hope of toxicity. I knew a man who accidentally took 50,000 IU daily for one week (meant to be weekly per his prescription) and suffered no ill effects. Some people may even require doses above 4000 IU/day to get their Vitamin D levels up to target.
I take 10,000 a day. (20,000 is when I start feeling side effects.) It’s done wonders for my general mood and energy levels. WARNING: Ramp up and proceed with caution.
Anecdote time!
A therapist suggested a few months ago that I get my Vitamin D level checked — citing low levels as a possible cause of low, somewhat depressive moods. I finally got around to doing that. Last week I got the test results; it turns out it’s a bit below the normal range. So my doctor advised I should take 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. I’m not sure it’s working, but I have generally felt both more cheerful and more productive since.
But don’t start taking it without actually testing first. Hypervitaminosis D doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
As the article points out, even a conservative estimate is that the upper limit is probably ~10k IU (and if you look at the earlier sections, it’s safe to inject as much as 600k IU). 1k IU is going to be safe for everyone who isn’t already popping 9k IU...
It feels uncomfortable to be advising Less Caution but in the case of vitamin D supplementation most people who don’t supplement vitamin D already and who don’t spend their lives naked in the sun would be well served just adding daily vitamin D3 to their schedule. The safety risk is negligible and for most people the value of information over assuming based on priors and just supplementing is low.
Also, it always helps taking a pill you believe in! Choose a big one, too.
Omega 3 capsules are perfect!
Don’t reflect on it!
Oh, I don’t get my placebo thrills out of tablets any more. I find intramuscular injections far more effective!
Omega-3: the gateway supplement.
You need to take more than 4000 IU/day (probably for quite some time) to have any hope of toxicity. I knew a man who accidentally took 50,000 IU daily for one week (meant to be weekly per his prescription) and suffered no ill effects. Some people may even require doses above 4000 IU/day to get their Vitamin D levels up to target.
I take 10,000 a day. (20,000 is when I start feeling side effects.) It’s done wonders for my general mood and energy levels. WARNING: Ramp up and proceed with caution.
Have you done any blood-work showing 10k IU to put your blood levels in the appropriate ranges?
Nuh.
How fast did the negative effects appear when you were taking 20k/day? What were they?
And how fast did you notice positive effects as you changed dosage?
Serious negative effects are supposed to take months to appear, even at 100k/day.
Negative effect: The metallic taste one, that day; I backed right off. Positve effects: within a few days.
Did you ramp up? That is, did you try 5k for weeks before trying 10k? Did you get any blood tests?