25 Jul Dr. Patricia Visbal Edmondson on Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is rampant, and the recommended doses are woefully inadequate. My levels have been 10 – 17. I didn’t pay much attention and kept “forgetting” to address it.
Recently, the grandmother of one of my patients who had been in a train-wreck of an accident, told me she was given Vit D3, 50,000 IU / week x 7 weeks. She misunderstood and took it daily. She said her depression, weakness, joint and bone pain, and ambulation issues were nearly reversed. She sprang out of bed, getting her life back, and was finally able to start making follow-up appointments for her grandchildren (which is when God sent her to me with this information).
A light bulb went on, I read, and I treated myself and my mother in the same manner, followed by 5,000 IU daily. I read more on the subject and we now take Vitamin D3 10,000 IU & Vitamin K2 200 mcg daily. I never knew about Vit K2, it MUST be taken with the higher doses of Vit D3 to drive calcium into the right places otherwise it will calcify vessels and kidneys.
Since a fall when I was 10, I had daily pain in 2-3 lumbar vertebrae. I also had worsening hip, SI joint and shoulder pain. I was helped by curcumin, but now the pain is nearly non-existent since starting these vitamins and my yogic abilities have increased dramatically. Vit D’s benefits are beyond bone health, deficiency is implicated in a multitude of diseases, including cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes and mental health and cognition.
Speaking with your PCP will likely not help as most physicians know diddly-squat about it. I would recommend you read and make your own decision.
For my family members: Please don’t waste your time, I have done the work for you. Get a 25 Hydroxy D level (not 125 type) to get a baseline, I’m sure you are all deficient. AND JUST DO IT !!!
NOTE: The target levels are also too low. Per real experts: Ideally, your blood level of 25(OH)D should be 60ng/ml.
Please note, the form of Vitamin D to take is D3, and the form of Vitamin K2 is the MK-7 form.
Here are some links to info on Vitamins D3 and K2:
http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=29085
This is great talk by a MD, PhD from Boston University. Watch at 22:57: “Up to 10,000 is perfectly safe”. It appears that you need a lot more to get toxicity. I have been deficient for so long, I get no sun exposure, and I will keep myself here for the long term. Again, I am not your physician, and talking to yours will likely lead to erroneous info. I strongly recommend you educate yourselves about this because it will change your life, my dear family and friends.
http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-references.htm
https://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
Patricia Visbal Edmondson, M.D.
Director, Pediatric Pulmonology
Flushing Hospital Medical Center
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center