Get Informed: Vitamin D

87

Patient Comments about
Vitamin D

Active Ingredient(s)

Ergocalciferol

What does it do?

Vitamin D

This product is also called Vitamin D. It is used primarily to treat Vitamin D deficiency and hypoparathyroidism which can cause Vitamin D deficiency.

Last Text Update:
 2010-Mar-19 11:15 PM
Last Data Update:
 2010-Mar-19 9:03 PM

Other Names

  • Vitamin D
  • Ergocalciferol
  • Calciferol

How Safe Is It?

Your Risk Rating
Please log in
Average Risk Rating
2: General
Pregnancy Category:
A
Black Box Warning:
No

Facts & Figures

Date Approved
11 Nov 1911
Est US Patients*
2,512,000
Generic Available
Yes
OTC Available
Yes

User Age Distribution*

2

< 21

5

21-39

32

40-59

61

60+

Age (Years)

* Estimated number of US people currently taking Vitamin D or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.

Other Resources

Recent alerts for Vitamin D

There have been no iGuard.org alerts regarding Vitamin D during the past year.

Vitamin D Safety Report

2: General

The iGuard risk rating for Vitamin D is blue. It means that Vitamin D normally has a low risk of serious or long-term side effects if used under normal medical supervision.

Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings

  • Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Vitamin D interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.

What is Vitamin D used for?

iGuard is currently tracking more than 16,700 patients that use Vitamin D (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.

Disease / Condition % Average Severity
Dietary Supplement 99% 5
Other 4% 5

How well does Vitamin D work?

iGuard regularly polls our more than 16,700 users taking Vitamin D (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.

Average Satisfaction Score

(out of 10)

Average Effectiveness Score

(out of 10)

65 59
82%
of patients are confident that the good things about Vitamin D outweigh the bad things.
8%
of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Vitamin D.

Common Side Effects of Vitamin D

iGuard regularly polls our more than 16,700 users taking Vitamin D (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.

8%

8% of patients experience side-effects on Vitamin D

1%

1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Vitamin D


Most Common Side Effects...

  • 5% Diarrhea
  • = 10%

Less than 1%: Abdo Pain/Cramps, Constipation, Fatigue


Global Patient Feedback for Vitamin D (Ergocalciferol) ( Post a comment )

Comments, Questions, and Answers
Show Newest | Oldest first

Question/Comment:

I have been taking a 50,000 unit cap of Ergocalciferol once a week and today I received in the mail (from my VA doctor) a bottle of 1,000 unit Cholecalciferol tabs (supposed to take one/day). My doctor is out of town for 2 weeks and was wondering if I should take both or stop the Ergocalciferol.

50 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-03-19 21:10:43

Question/Comment:

i have been taking vitamin D for a couple of years and feel much better than before. i started out with heavier dose of 50000 units twice a week then once a week and now every other week. the heavier dosages were short term.

vitamin d not only helps with calcium absorption for osteoporosis which is why i started taking it, but if you read literature it helps with so many other processes in the body that keep us healthy.

most people seem deficient nowadays and need exceptional supplements to make up for this.

60 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-03-10 09:58:23

Question/Comment:

I just received news that my Vitamin D level is nonexistent. My doctor has prescribed me 50,000 IU twice a week and I have an appointment in a month to be re-tested even though she doubts there will be much change in such a short period of time.

I also have Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12 and Magnesium deficiencies from before. Does anyone have any ideas why one person can have so many deficiencies? I also have high BP, high cholesterol, asthama, diabetes II, bipolar disorder and RLS.

Any thoughts? And, is the treatment for the D appropriate and sufficient?

52 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-02-23 17:23:40

iGuard Answer/Reply:

The dose is usually 50,000 once per week of the vitamin D supplement for people who are vitamin D deficient. Double check with your doctor. Deficiencies occur for many reasons, sometimes they are from unknown reasons. Magnesium plays a role in insulin sensitivity so your diabetes may improve as a result of taking magnesium. However, please check with your doctor and pharmacist before beginning a magnesium supplement since magnesium may interact with some prescription drugs.

Now that you have had bloodwork done and have identified your vitamin deficiencies, you can take the prescribed supplements and be monitored by your doctor and hopefully see improvements in your levels over time. It may take several months to see your vitamin D levels return to normal.

Posted: 2010-02-24 12:41:23

Question/Comment:

My Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy levels came back as "Low normal range" no numbers. My Dr. has put me on 1200 IU of vitamin D and with in 3 days my anxiety is horrible, heart palpitations, trembling and sleep problems (falling asleep & staying asleep) it makes me feel like I drank caffeine (I don't drink any caffeine-coffee or soda).

Any suggestions on a natural way to get vitamin D? I drink about 3-8oz glasses of milk each day and eat 2 yogurts each day. I'm not depressed, have plenty of energy most every day, have no bone bone, I do from time to time have tingling in my fingers, but I feel it's more linked to my anxiety issues (I have PTSD) I have had intestinal surgery as a child, and I do have Osteoporosis.

My Magnesium level is good (2.2) Calcium (9.8)

My Dr. wants me to do IV Reclast and I'm scared, they say to have your Vitamin D levels up before the drug is administrated.

42 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-02-12 08:50:37

iGuard Answer/Reply:

You need to talk to your physician about your concerns and your symptoms - your doctor has your full medical history and can best determine what is causing your symptoms. If you are receiving treatment for your PTSD, you may also want to talk about your symptoms with your doctor or counselor since your symptoms could also be related to your PTSD.

10-15 minutes of daily sun in non-peak hours can provide adequate vitamin D for someone with already normal vitamin D levels. However, your should discuss this option with your doctor first since sun exposure without sunscreen protection is not healthy for some people.

Posted: 2010-02-17 23:48:55

Question/Comment:

My Vitamin D level is just about not there. I was perscibed to take 50,000IU once a week, on the same day for 8 weeks straight than he wants me to take 15,000 daily OVTC pill.
Is this a normal plan?

53 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-01-24 22:52:24

iGuard Answer/Reply:

Using 50,000 units a week for 8 weeks and then dropping down to a maintenance level of 1,000 units per day is commonly done and is a good idea for people with really low levels of vitamin D so that it does not take months to get their vitamin D levels corrected. If you were to just go straight to maintenance it would be 3 months before you would bring the vitamine D blood level up to the desired level. The 15,000 units daily does seem high and may need to be clarified with your doctor before you begin this dose.

Posted: 2010-01-29 11:58:33

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