Vitamin D deficiency

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we not getting enough vitamin D in our prenatal pills??

Almost everyone in North America is deficient, and many doctors (mine included) believe that the minimal "normal" range (which is to prevent rickets) is much lower than what a pregnant woman needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow so glad I can cancel my IVF treatment and start taking massive amounts of vit D and ALL will be cured........HOGWASH

OP here: Reading really is FUNDAMENTAL. In my post I did not advocate quitting ivf treatments in fact I said, "And if you're far into the fertility treatment process like me, apparently vitamin D supplementation improves ivf success rates (presumably by supporting healthy uterine lining growth)." (bold for emphasis)

I never implied that ALL people were D deficient and needed to take the supplements. I tested deficient and figured I would share for educational purposes (surely if ppl take royal jelly, coq10, etc...vitamin d could be added if one is deficient and it increases success rates).

To the other posters: Thanks for posting your dosages and success stories. I am taking about 4000 IU a day (my primary care doctor suggested 1000IU) but I may ask her for the prescription strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP 19:05, he told me to take 50000 IU vitamin d once a week... I'm not sure what u mean by d3? Are there different types?

Yes, there are different forms of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 is the most effective. Something like 10 times more effective than vitamin D2, which is derived from plant and animal sources.

[Anonymous]

Even if it doesn't turn out to be the miracle pregnancy cure, it can help with dry skin, mood, and your immune system.

Exactly. It surely is not a miracle cure for infertilty -- no one said it was -- but there are other reasons to want to be healthy!

[Anonymous]

Thank you, OP, and others who have responded here. I got pregnant with my DS through IUI after a diagnosis of "unexplained" IF. About four months post-partum, I was feeling so worn down that I went to my MD for a physical. My vit. D level was super low and she prescribed 2000 IU of D3/day. It helped quite a bit... I think it has even helped decrease the number of migraine headaches I get. We've been trying for #2 for a couple of months now so this gives me something to try by upping my D3 dose. For those who are taking 5000 IUs, do you take it all at once or twice daily?

[Anonymous]

I posted previously about Vitamin D deficiency in men. Here is a study about the specifics, published Feb 2011:
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/6/1307.abstract
My husband was asymptomatic for Vitamin D deficiency, but because of motility issues, his doctor urged a Vitamin D test while doing some other bloodwork. Guess what... way below normal levels. He is taking 50,000 a week, plus his daily multi-vitamin. In about a week, he goes in to see if his levels have risen to normal.

[Anonymous]

How long does it take to get the levels to normal?

I just took my third weekly pill and I still take some daily. It's not going to hurt.

Does someone have a study on Vitamin D and IVF success?

[Anonymous]

my doc has me taking d3-5000 once a day after finding I was deficient

[Anonymous]

I was diagnosed with Vitamin D defficiency and Hypothyroid. My vitamin D was so low, I was prescribed 50,000 IUs to take once a week until I became pregnant and then once pregnant I had to drop down to a daily dose of 5,000 IUs. It took about 3 months for my levels to get back into the normal range for Vitamin D on the 50,000 IUs. I also became pregnant, but think that was due to my thyroid stablizing as well. You need to continue taking the Vitamin D during pregnancy as it tends to drop. I am pregant and just found out I am back in the low range again for Vitamin D.

[Anonymous]

my RE determined i was deficient and I took it along with other recommended vitamins and Metformin and got pregnant right away

[Anonymous]

14:26 here. Just wanted to post an update. After reading this thread, I upped my dose from 2000 to 5000 IU daily. I'm 8 weeks pregnant with #2. No way to know how much of a role the vitamin D played, but, something worked this time whereas we tried for a year and a half before getting pregnant the first time with IUI. I have my first prenatal appt. this week and plan to ask them to check my vit. D level.

[Anonymous]

OP here! @14:26 That's great!! Congrats! I have a D3 update as well! I went through my first IVF cycle. I started taking D3 while I was taking the birth control pills. However, I stopped when I was stimming becuase I was not sure how that would affect my estrogen levels. I started the D3 again the day after retrieval (4000 IU daily) and up until this point. My first IVF was a success!! I am now 6 weeks. I can't say the D3 was the only factor but my numbers during the cycle were not encouraging. I have my first sono in a week.

[Anonymous]

P.S.-OP here again. I must also say that I prayed (alot) and asked for reasons why we had not been successful. I wholeheartly believe that God sent me in this direction (as well as ivf) and answered my prayers.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! Praying to follow in your footsteps during my upcoming IVF cycle!

[Anonymous]

14:26 again. Congratulations, OP! Best wishes for a great sono and pregnancy. I'll post an update when I get an updated vit. D level. I'm curious how much it has changed since starting supplementation. I too am grateful for God's answers to prayers.