Vitamin D doses

Daily oral dosing of vitamin D3 using 5000 TO 50,000 international units a day in long-term hospitalized patients:

Insights from a seven year experience

Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio

Vitamin D3 is a hormone produced in the skin,

in amounts estimated up to 25,000 international units (IUs) a day,

by the action of UVB radiation

Vitamin D deficiency is common,

lack of adequate sun exposure to the skin,

vitamin D is present in very few food sources.

Deficiency is strongly linked to increased risk for a multitude of diseases,

several of which have historically been shown to improve dramatically with either adequate UVB exposure to the skin,

or to oral supplementation with vitamin D.

These diseases include

Asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets and tuberculosis.

All patients in our hospital have been routinely screened on admission for vitamin D deficiency since July 2011

Offered supplementation to either correct or prevent deficiency

We have admitted over 4,700 patients

(vast majority agreed to supplementation)

5000 or 10,000 IUs/day.

125 micrograms or 250 micrograms

Due to disease concerns,

A few agreed to 20,000 to 50,000 IUs/day.

500 micrograms to 1, 250 micrograms (1.25mg)

There have been no cases of vitamin D3 induced hypercalcemia,

or any adverse events attributable to vitamin D3

Three patients with psoriasis

Marked clinical improvement using 20,000 to 50,000 IUs/day

Analysis of 418 inpatients on D3

Long enough to develop 25OHD3 blood levels less than 74.4 ng/ml,

showed a mean 25OHD3 level of 118.9 ng/ml

(range from 74.4 to 384.8 ng/ml)

Average serum calcium level in the vit D group of 418

9.6  mg/dl

Range of 8.6 to 10.7

(Normal 8.5 to 10.5)

Average serum calcium level in the non vit D group of 777

Mean 25OHD3 level of 27.1 ng/ml

9.5 mg/dl

Range of 8.4 to 10.7

Parathyroid hormone levels

A hormone released in response to low calcium levels

D3 users, 24.2 pg/ml

Non D3 users, 30.2 pg/ml

In summary

Long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe.

Conclusion

Daily oral intake of vitamin D3 ranging from 5000 IU/d to 60,000 IU/d for several years was well tolerated and safe,

in both our patients and staff.

The mean 25OHD blood levels in our patients appear to take around 12 months to plateau on 5000 IU/d and 10,000 IU/d.

The average 25OHD values

Patients taking 10,000 IU/d at 12 months = 96 ng/ml

Then retested at 16 months = 97 ng/ml

Currently considered upper limit of normal, 100 ng/ml

Conflicts of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Funding

This research was performed without external funding.

[jimgill]

Finally, we see a vitamin D study where enough vitamin D3 was given to make a healthy difference and show no adverse effects. I am 76 years old and I have been doing a D3 study on myself for the past 10 years. I am a white male. I am 6' 2" tall and when I started this study in 2013, I weighed approximately 257 lbs and my vitamin D level was 14 ng/ml. I took 50, 000 iu of D3 daily for 3 weeks to raise my D level and then cut back to 20, 000 or 30, 000 iu a day. I felt much better almost immediately. After a few months my D level tested in the 70s. I continued to take the 20K to 30k iu daily thereafter and I felt fantastic. A few years later, I learned the importance of taking vitamin K2 and magnesium with the D3 and I continued with that daily. Here are some of the health issues I had for decades before starting this study: chronic back pain, chronic depression, chronic fatigue, brain fog, very frequent infections of the ear, nose, throat, and lungs, joint pain with arthritis, fever blisters, numbness in the soles of my feet, ringing in my ears, and etc. And, I was diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009. I was given 3 rounds of chemo between 2009 and 2013. My hematologist at the time never mentioned my low vitamin D status during this time even though it was on all of my lab reports. In fact, he repeatedly told me that there was nothing that I could do on my own to fight the lymphoma. He gave me about five years to live. Thank God I did not believe him and started researching lymphoma on my own. So, after 10 years of this self study and keeping my vitamin D level in the 110 to 150+ ng/ml range, here are the results: ALL of my previous health issues have disappeared and I feel healthier and stronger than I did when I was 50 years old. In the past 10 years, I have had only two mild colds and one very mild case of Covid. I see a different hematologist now, but there have been no signs or symptoms of lymphoma in the past 3 years.

[olehansen]

I'm white skinned and been living in a tropical country for 18 years. Get a lot of sun + 5.000 IU per day. Since moving here almost all my allergies have disappeared. Can't remember when I last had a real cold or and upset stomach despite eating marked food on a daily basis. Sun and vitamin D definitely play a role for good health.

[nickreno]

I am a 60 year old white male I take 10, 000 UI per day most of the time. I am 100% certain that it has helped my depression and my mood, and helps me to be more positive…. Also I have heard from nutritionist that women that are postpartum can take 20, 000 UI a day for as long as three months if I’m not mistaken!

It is very sad that such a cheap product can help so many people and yet we’ve been lied to about the dosage just like all the other vitamins…… people please wake up 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[kateharrop]

My girl lost 2 babies in miscarriages because of a deficiency in vitamin D3. They gave her shots of 50, 000 every few days to get her back up to normal before her and her husband tried again. She went on to have 2 wonderful normal pregnancies.

[Trudence]

I was diagnosed 15 years ago, stage 3 ovarian cancer. My vitamin D level at that time was 6. I was fortunate to have a naturopath oncologist who immediately put me on 50, 000 iu vitamin D until my level went up to 50 range. Then I went to 10, 000 vitamin D daily after that. I have faithfully taken at least 5, 000 iu of Vitamin D for all these years. I do have a genetic disposition to hold on to calcium so my calcium levels did go above the 11 range. But I'm doing well, I'm active, I'm alive! Thank you, Dr. Campbell for sharing this important information!

[katdunleavey]

I’ve been taking 10, 000 IU/daily for years. No problems whatsoever and my blood calcium levels are fine. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve had my whole family supplement with Vit D. This video reassures me that my decision to take 10, 000 IU/daily is a good one.

[lindamardula]

I worked with a physician years ago who was pushing her patients into larger doses of vitamin D, her recommended levels were higher than other providers, we had an extremely healthy patient load! We also did a lot of alternative medicine/treatments, less pharmaceuticals unless needed. Our patients were physicians, nurses, chiropractors, professionals, and many Amish as well as the usual family practice patients. We did more health education than script writing!

[lauritslaur]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:00 🌞 Vitamin D deficiency is common due to lack of sun exposure and few dietary sources.
02:58 💊 Vitamin D supplementation ranging from 5, 000 to 50, 000 units daily is safe and well-tolerated.
05:04 🏥 Vitamin D is vital for various health conditions, including asthma, psoriasis, and autoimmune diseases.
07:20 🩺 High doses of vitamin D (20, 000 to 50, 000 units daily) showed no complications in patients.
11:30 🩸 Vitamin D levels may take up to 16 months to plateau with supplementation, indicating slow absorption.

[realrosesforever]

Love this man! My son had to fight with the docs to order his son a vitamin D test. He's 17 and was suffering from depression and is a person of color The doc said oh, he doesn't need it, he's young and strong. Well, on getting the test his was a low "17" - wow! Then the doc prescribed a vitamin D and brushed it off as nothing serious since his other bloodwork was normal - huh???? Parents, especially people of color - get your children tested too!

[lauradimama]

We began taking increased doses of Vitamin D early in 2020. I ran across a video of a dr passionately explaining the protection and immunity benefits and I was convinced. We have remained healthy through the past three years and counting. Thank you for continuing to enlighten and educate us, Dr Campbell!

[Jrockilla]

Covid put the world in a collective psychiatric institution. This study is spot on. Thank you for everything, more than words can say.

[simon]

Without reading comments below I will tell you why medical experts are not recommending higher vitamin D dosages. Vitamin D is cheap. No money to be made. Sick people's costs are high. Much money to be made. There is the answer. Sad, but true.

[Kaasbaas]

Protect this man, he's a national treasure. DR. JOHN needs to be the head of the WHO!!! Imagine if we could make that a thing.

[mizzobjectiveone]

Well let me chime in with my anecdotal information...I returned to the US from Italy. Shortly after, I fell into a deep depression, achey joints, severe headaches and memory problems, severe fatigue and actually gained weight (from a size 2 to a 5) It really felt as if I had an autoimmune disorder. They tested my Vitamin D and it was 8. I didn't start taking it seriously until your YouTube channel came along.

[spikejones]

Doctor John, you are a friend of the common man. Not many like you left

[ceciliab]

I have started to take 50000 iu of V d3 and K2 a day, a week ago.I felt much better almost immediately. I am 55 in menopause, I barely sleep 4 hrs a night. Since I take 50000 IU a day, I sleep straight through the night for 7 hrs FINALLY. My mood improved 100%. I am more focus. I don't care what the doctors say, I will keep taking 50000 IU of V D3 a day, which is equivalent at 1 hr and 40 minutes sun exposure a day. Thank you Dr for this video.Who knew that the solution for my poor sleep was V D3, none of the other recommendations worked.

[RW-pcih]

Dr. Campbell, think of the countless numbers of people that you are helping. You can’t scold yourself for something that was not clear years back. Covid taught us a lot. I started vit D because of you in February 2020. I’m only one person your advice has helped. Thank you for your diligence and attentiveness to scientific data that you have brought to our attention.

[BrownBabyJesus]

I was very ill several years ago and was given 25, 000u/day - I went from swollen spleen unable to eat and on deaths door for 6 months (losing 4 stone in the process) to feeling 16 years old in less than 1 week and the doctor literally talked to me like I had made it all up/I was describing a miracle.

[sunflowerrosem.]

My Crohn’s specialist here in sunny California has had me supplement with 5~10, 000 IU vitamin D3 daily for over 12 years. He tests my levels every year. When my levels were very low at first, he prescribed a special high dose vitamin D for a few weeks. Now I take OTC 5000 IU daily, and levels remain stable. Crohn’s has been in remission since then!

[mrs.eppsclasses]

Thank you for this I have been struggling with vitamin D deficiency since I had open-heart surgery quite a few years ago. When I finally discovered that this deficiency was a source of many of my post-surgery health struggles I began taking 4000IU per day. I shared my findings with my GP and all he could say was “be careful with such a high dose like that! You might get liver damage.” However, if I dropped below 4000IU per day, I would have massive hair loss, indicating I was deficient. I did my own searching of scientific journals to find that the dose I was taking was safe long term. I still struggle every winter to keep my vitamin D levels up and I’m always worried about the dosage. Your video has given me renewed confidence in my vitamin D dosage. I even feel like I will probably benefit from an increased dose. Thank you for shining a light on this common and life-affecting health situation and for doing so with such a non-biased, scientifically based method!