Get Informed: Vitamin D
Active Ingredient(s)
Ergocalciferol
What does it do?
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-Jul-31 4:03 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Jul-30 9:14 PM
Other Names
- Vitamin D
- Ergocalciferol
- Calciferol
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category
- A
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 11 Nov 1911
- Est US Patients*
- 2,656,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
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.
Vitamin D Safety Report
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 19,600 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% |
mild
severe
|
| Other | 4% |
mild
severe
|
How well does Vitamin D work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 19,600 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)
- 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 19,600 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% of patients experience side-effects on Vitamin D
1% of patients experience significant side-effects on Vitamin D
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Diarrhea
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdo Pain/Cramps, Constipation, Fatigue
Global Patient Feedback for Vitamin D (Ergocalciferol) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I was told by my doctor that I had extremely low Vitamin D , so I m on 50,000 units of Vit D for 8 weeks. I'm usually the 1% outlier in almost all prescription drugs. So, I popped the pil on Sunday and by Wednesday, I am having an allergic reaction. Hives is my body's response to anything it does not like. The fatigue I am feeling is unbearable. It's as if I am wading through water while I am awake. Is this something that will go away, or should I discontinue use?
Female Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-04-21 02:24:15
Answer/Reply:
If you were truly allergic to Vitamin D supplement, you would have had a reaction that same day very likely. I would go to your doc and let her/him know what is happening. I have never heard of anyone having an allergic reaction to D (I am a nurse) Otherwise I wouldn't have commented. I really hope they figure out what's going on for you and you start feeling better.
36 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-07-25 18:25:16
Question/Comment:
I have been prescribed Ergocalciferol 50,000 once a week for eight weeks. I currently take Nexium, Caduet, Aldactone, and Diovan. I am concerned about this megadose of Vitamin D, as I almost always experience stomach related side effects (diarrhea, nausea). My level was 19.
My concern is not only the side effects, but also what if I have a bad reaction? How do they get it out of your system?
47 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-04-09 09:40:34
iGuard Answer/Reply:
The dose of vitamin D that you are prescribed is not very high if you are taking it once per week. Vitamin D tends to be well-tolerated. If you have a bad reaction, your doctor may change the way that the drug is administered, such as by injection, but there would not likely be steps taken to get the drug out of your system. Vitamin D tends to last a few days in the body and is completely cleared in 10 days to 3 weeks typically.
Posted: 2010-04-20 19:09:10
Answer/Reply:
You need to eat healthy. Try Greattastenopain.com and try the 4 day diet. I am off all my stomach pills. In fact have stopped 7 out of 9 and I have also lost 26.5 lbs in 2 months. IT IS NOT A DIET. It tells you how to eat healthy. My GI Dr was so pleased and it stopped the acid which also stopped the surgery he was planning for me. My regular Dr was very pleased too. I feel better than I have in years. Won't hurt you to try.
69 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-06-20 15:01:42
Answer/Reply:
The only reaction you may experience is skin irritation, itching is common, but that isn't from the Vitamin D, it is from the agent it is made with called propylene glycol. Rarely is this an issue. Just let your doc know if you are having a reaction. Your benefit is much greater than the risk of you taking the med for your doc to prescribe this. I take it as well, I feel better and better. Of course I also supplement with vitamin D3, not only D2 (Ergocalciferol) because it is more bioavailable and it is what your body metabolizes D2 into. As for how they rid it from your system, I am not sure. Good question for the doc.
36 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-07-25 18:36:02
Question/Comment:
My vitamin d level was very low so my doctor recommended that I start taking 800-1200 units per day. I did and my levels went from 19 to 42. Low readings of vitamin d can cause many problems - depression, trouble sleeping, body and joint aches. Since my levels have gone up I rarely have sleep problems or depression.
56 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-04-05 22:47:08
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
Answer/Reply:
Do not stop either...if your vitamin d levels have been checked and are exremely low then taking Ergocalciferol 50,000u once a week and then taking a vitamin D 1000 u and with it calcium 1200mg will get your levels back up to normal...your doctor will typically have you take the ergo. 50,000 u for about 3 months prior to rechecking your levels again the daily supplement will help keep your level from falling.
38 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-03-31 23:12:46
iGuard Answer/Reply:
You should take one or the other, not both. Otherwise it is too much vitamin D. Call your physician's office to see if someone is available to check you chart to see which one you are to be taking. Take one or the other until you have an answer from your physician as to which one you are supposed to be taking.
Posted: 2010-04-02 11:14:09
Answer/Reply:
That is absolutely fine. Cholecalciferol can (and should) be taken with Ergocalciferol. D3 is more bioavailable immediately than D2. D2 is metabolized into D3 eventually. This is the reason for the high dose once a week.
36 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-07-25 18:43:10
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.
59 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-03-10 09:58:23
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103
Patient Comments About
Vitamin D