Hey guys!!!!!
Most of you know that I have been fighting a battle against low Vitamin D.
well yesterday a key piece to that puzzle was uncovered and I want to warn all of you about it so it doesn't happen to you and if it is you can rectify it right now!
Yesterday I got my latest levels back and despite the addition of 100,000 IU of vitamin D a week, It was still the same, however the the over all level is made up of two numbers your Vitamin D2 and Vit. D3. Last time I was in and my Vit.D2 was 0 and my Vit. D3 was 17, this time my Vit. D2 was 5 and my Vit. D3 was 12. My doctors couldn't figure out how that could have happened beyond my pharmacy switching my medication from Vit. D3 to Vit. D2 without asking either him or myself.
With a little investigating we found out this is exactly what had happened!!!! It was purely an accident... you see ALOT of pharmacy's will substitute Vitamin D2 for Vitamin D3 because they can't get Vitamin D3 in. It's a lot harder for them to order, but they usually carry Vit. D2 in Stock! To repeat that cuz it's so important ALOT OF PHARMACY'S WILL SUBISTITUTE VITAMIN D2 FOR VITAMIN D3 BECAUSE IT IS HARDER FOR THEM TO GET VITAMIN D3, THEY WILL DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT & WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT OF YOUR DOCTOR!
HOWEVER!! YOU NEED VITAMIN D3!! YOUR BODY CANNOT BREAK DOWN VITAMIN D2 AS EASILY AS IT CAN VITAMIN D3. SO IF THE PHARMACY IS SWITCHING YOUR MEDS TO VITAMIN D2 YOUR BODY CAN'T BREAK IT DOWN AS WELL!!
DO NOT TAKE YOUR PHARMACY'S WORD FOR THE MEDICATION!!! WHEN I FIRST GOT MY LAST PRESCRIPTION OF VITAMIN D I ASKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT LOOKED DIFFERENT AND WAS ASSURED TWICE THAT IT WAS VITAMIN D3!!!!!! MAKE THEM CHECK!! AND CHECK AGAIN!!!! I TOOK THE WRONG MEDS FOR TWO MONTHS AND A RESULT MY NUMBERS ARE STILL DOWN. A LOT OF PHARMACISTS DON'T REALISE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO TYPES!! MAKE THEM REALISE IT!!
Check your pills if you are on Vitamin D make sure you are on Vitamin D3 it should say exactly that on the label if it doesn't then you aren't!!!!! I most commonly have seen a small green gell capsule that is being passed of as Vitamin D3. This is what I took for 2 months. It's actually vitamin D2. IF YOU HAVE THIS, TAKE IT BACK!!!! GET RID OF IT AND GET THE RIGHT MEDICATION!!!!!!!!!! Also if you have a vitamin D supplement that you buy from your pharmacy or grocery store or drug store or whatever make sure it is Vitamin D3!!! A lot of those are also Vitamin D2!!!!
I hope this helps everyone, and that everyone can learn from my bad experience!
Brianna
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Hi, Brianna, if you look on Dr. John Cannell's website, he states that D2 isn't as good as D3 (www.vitamindcouncil.org). This was based on a study.
Howeve, on Dr. Holick's webiste (www.vitamindhealth.org) and in his lecture taped by UC San Diego (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0), Holick states that studies that showed this were incorrectly done. His data shows that at high doses, D2 is as effective as D3. At lower doses, apparently not the case.
You should be able to raise your levels with D2 or D3 in high doses. Your doctors at the Mayo Clinic need to get in contact with Holick and the other scientists in my profile and figure this out to get your levels up.
Larisalle,
New studies that are just comming out with all the Vit. D research are showing that its not the effectiveness of the different kinds but how your body absorbs it and how easy it is for your body to absorb.
I can't remember exact numbers right now, but It's something like 1/15 of the amount of Vit. D2 is absorbed Vs. Vit D3. Meaning if you have 15 IU of both your body would absorb 1 IU of D2 and 15 of D3.
It's just harder for your body to absorb. If he is telling you this isn't true then something isn't right because this is taught to all medical students in med school, all pharmacists, and such. Even I was taught this in my Pre- PT courses.
Many doctors have proven this fact....
hope this helps
Brianna
Hi, Brianna, like I said, there have been studies done that show more effectiveness from D3. Dr. Michael Holick is one of the premier scientists working on vitamin D and has been doing so for 40 years. He has proven that D2 is as effective as D3 in high doses. At lower doses, not the case.
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