Hi, Cathy, about your patients with kidney disease, is the type of vitamin D that is injected the vitamin D analog that was created specifically for kidney patients? I read that the analog caused problems and that kidney patients are supposed to now receive D3 intead.  I'm just curious.  I'm glad that you got your level tested.  That's the best thing we can all do is keep getting tested every so often just to be sure our blood levels are optimized.  I remember when I first got my level of 17 back, and I really didn't know anything about vitamin D at the time.  I was in such bad health at the time, and I am now almost 100% back to normal.  But it was a long road.  Long and slow, but very much worth it.  I hope that this turns out to work for you!!

Hi, Cathy, Thanks for your messages. I do hope that the information I posted will point you in the right direction. So, about sarcoidosis, from what I've read, this is a special case. There are a lot of journal articles that state that some patients with sarcoidosis do not handle vitamin D well, and no-one can actually explain why as sarcoidosis seems to be one of those really big medical mysteries. It's an autoimmune disorder, so to me, it stands to reason that it would be linked to vitamin D deficiency (i.e., D regulates immune system, so how can it not be involvedin sarcoidosis). Here's what I would do. I would go to www.vitamindcouncil.org and do a search on sarcoidosis to see what's there. Then email Dr. John Cannell (info@vitamindcouncil.org) and see if you can get advice from him. If not, email Dr. Michael Holick at Univ of Boston Med Center (he and Cannell are two of the foremost vitamin D experts). Dr. Holick's email is in my writeup, but if the DoctorsBoard blocked out the email addresses, just go to Univ of Boston Med Center and look up Holick -- his email address is there. Holick is an incredibly nice person and has been very responsive to me and others when we write with questions. The only problem is, of all the great vitamin D experts, he is quite on the conservative side when it comes to prescribing long-term vitamin D dosages and recommending blood levels. I guess the bottom line is to collect as much info as you can and sort through it till you come to a plan that works for you. I am under some heavy deadlines right now and won't be able to write often, but if you have questions, please let me know. Take care.

By the way, I have sarcoidosis and form grandulomas. Is there any limitations to Vit D and Sarcoid. Do you know any web sites? Thanks Cathy

Thank you soooo much for all your research into this most important topic. I am a registered nurse and plan to read all of your paper tonight. My D level(25 hydrox) is only 27!  Will start pills tonight. I bought but didn't take them. I teach my kidney patients all about their Vit D def and meanwhile I'm def. They can't metabolize it in their kidneys to D3 an d we give them replacement IV. Touch back after I read up on this. Thanks again

Thanks for the offer of your e-mail address I am amazed that you haven't had loads of people asking for your advice, as I was reading your blog it was like I was reading about myself. I kept reading bits to my husband in amazement. I will go into more detail when I e-mail you, I was trying to find out my Vit D levels before I e-mail you.

Thanks Liz:) 

Hi, Liz, sure.  If you'd like to email me, my email is larissalle@hotmail.com.  Or we can talk over this blog. Whatever works for you.

Larissalle, Hi I was reading your blog on Vit D ,I just wanted to ask if I can talk to you about it. I had a very low Vit D level at the start of this year. 

Thanks Liz.

Hi, DoctorsBoard1, even though the document clearly states full permission to reprint?