Her Alopecia Womens Hair Loss Forums

To Undefeatable,

Vitamin D is stored in the body. I trust that at 50,000 I.U. per week you have frequent labs to monitor your vitamin D levels?

I question a protocol of 50,000 of vitamin D "to prevent osteoporosis" and suspect your physician has another reason for this level of supplementation.

Sorry I have been away from the boards for a while. Yes, I have frequent tests and am under the care of an endocrinologist. I am indeed on the supplements because of premature signs of osteoporosis and have battled endocrine issues most of my life. This isn't the first doc I've seen or gotten this recommendation from.

It still hasn't made any difference in my hair loss in my opinion.

I want to take lots of it, but I don't for take it because it gives me gas. Does anyone know why vitamin D might give me gas?

I have taken 2000 i.u. pretty regularly and still come up low so my naturopath suggested 5000 i.u. in the winter and 2000-3000 i.u. in the summer. She says the best way to get from sunlight is through the eyes - no sunglasses.

I'm taking 5,000 IU most days (sometimes I forget or get lazy) on the advice of my doctor. I have yet to get my Vitamin D levels tested but I have Dr. appt. in about 10 days and I am going to get my blood levels checked to see if I am on track with it. I live in Washington where it is gray and raining many months out of the year, so I am sure I need it. Here's two links to a website re Vitamin D and its benefits (the first link is a chart of what optimum Vit D levels can prevent and then their general web link). Apparently getting to 40-60 ng/ml is the level where it begins to stave off a variety of diseases, including some forms of cancer. Check it out:

http://www.grassrootshealth.net/media/d ... 101608.pdf

http://www.grassrootshealth.net/

I've been taking 1000 mgs of vitamin D3 for several years due to osteoperosis. My level is 95, which my doctors are happy about. However, I was taking the D long before my HL started so I would have to say it definitely didn't help with that. I do have a great immune system though.

I'm also taking 50,000 IU of Vitamin D -- once a week with the plan to retest in 6 weeks. I had been taking 1,000 IU twice a day, then 2,000 twice a day, for around six months, and still my level was 21 at last testing. I hope the 50,000 brings it up. It's certainly easier to take one tiny pill once a week...

In the last few months I'm seeing a teeny improvement in my hair growth after just about five years of slowly but steadily balding. The only differences have been the D supplements, almost one year of .0375 Vivelle and nightly doses of niaspan, a prescription strength niacin pill. I don't know which, if any, of those changes are making some hair grow but something's definitely causing regrowth. Sadly, so far nothing to make any sort of a cosmetic difference, just enough to get me back in compulsive mode of checking my little spouting hairs each and every single time i'm in front of the bathroom mirror.

All the research and recommendations about how important Vitamin D and how many of us are really deficient is so interesting! Ricketts sounds so ancient and foreign, but there are plenty of cases in the US in recent years -- who knows what else D deficiency is responsible for (I think the link to MS is most fascinating and encouraging...)

(Of course, supplementing with the "mega" doses has to be done with monitoring and medical supervision...)

Just reading these posts and wondering why, if vitamin D is stored in the body, some of you ladies supplementing do not seem to actually be making much difference to your levels especially as I understand that doses in excess of 600 iu's can be toxic. It's stored in fat cells so are you all very slim/have very low BMI's?

I am slim and have a low BMI. However, even my doctors have said that they usually have a very difficult time getting people up to my level, and are surprised that I'm there on only 1000mgs a day. I've been taking it for about 3 years so maybe thats the reason?