Vitamin D Therapy
A Step by Step Guide

This page is intended to provide you exact STEP-BY-STEP instructions on how to do Vitamin D Therapy. So many people are so confused when they hear about vitamin d or find out that their vitamin d level is low, that I put together this Vitamin D Therapy guide- a 'Protocol' if you will, to tell you EXACTLY how you should manage your vitamin d. No guessing.

Step One- Is Vitamin D Appropriate for You?

Make sure that you read the Vitamin D Contraindications page to make sure that you do not have one of the very rare conditions in which you should NOT do Vitamin D Therapy. If you have any of the conditions or problems outlined there, you should NOT take vitamin d unless you have the direction of your doctor at dosages that your doctor is recommending.

If you have read that page and don't have any of those conditions, then read the pages on Vitamin D3 vs Vitamin D2 and the Prescription Vitamin D then continue on to step two below...

Step Two- Getting a Level

Get a Vitamin D Level. While some of you may want to skip this part- don't. That is NOT OK to skip this section. If you absolutely DON'T want to get a level, then go to another site like Web MD or something where they will tell you to take the RDA of 800 IU's a day and you can remain deficient. I'm teaching you how to have the 'Optimal' vitamin d levels in order to maximize your disease fighting ability with vitamin d therapy. If you choose NOT to get a level, please don't ask me for help with your dosage- I'll just tell you to get a level.

If you don't have insurance or your doctor won't get you one or you just don't want the hassle of talking to your doctor, then you can just get an In Home Vitamin D Blood Spot Test Kit. We'll mail you a kit, you stick your finger with a tiny sterile needle, the same kind diabetics use, and get a blood 'Spot' that you put on a card and mail back to the laboratory. No laboratory needed.

When you have your Vitamin D Level in your hand, then go to the next step.

Getting a level is really mandatory for several reasons:

1. When you get a level, you can be SHOCKED and ASTOUNDED at how low your level is and you can urge friends and family to get theirs checked. When you don't get a level BEFORE you start taking vitamin d, then you will get a level later and it'll be much higher and you'll think that it's not so bad.
2. When you don't get a level, you will think that you need much lower dosages than you really do. Then you will have wasted 3 or 4 months (when you DO get a level) taking inadequate doses because you are 'sure' that your vitamin d level is 'fine' and you don't need that much.
3. You will be shocked at how low your level is and that's a good thing. You really should understand that you are not getting the vitamin d that you 'believe' you are. I know that I said that twice. I want you to understand how important it is!!
4. Specific levels of Vitamin D are associated with a very specific reduction in 'Disease Incidence' and having vitamin d levels lower than the 'optimal' levels can leave you vulnerable to diseases that are vitamin d sensitive. Take a look at the Disease Incidence Chart from Grassroots Health.

Step 3- How much to Take

OK. Test. Look at your vitamin d NUMBER and the UNITS that are measured while IGNORING the 'normal range' that is printed on it. If you don't have a level, see step two.

Next- go to the Normal Vitamin D Level page and see what the 'Optimal Vitamin D Level' is- you don't want a 'normal' level that is on your lab sheet. How do you compare?

Make sure that you are reading the test that says: 25(OH) D or 25 Hydroxy vitamin d TOTAL NUMBER!!

• If your TOTAL is BELOW 50 ng/ml or 158 nm/L, then go to theVitamin D Deficiency Treatment page and see what dosage of Vitamin D you should be taking. Follow the instructions there and make sure that you are taking Vitamin D3 Supplementsand get retested as per the instructions. Repeat this step as many times as necessary to get your level to between 50 to 80 ng/ml (128-250 nm/L).
• If your TOTAL is between 50 to 80ng/ml (128 -250 nm/L)., then go to Step 4.
• If your TOTAL is greater than 80 ng/ml or 250 nm/L, then you will need to decrease or STOP taking vitamin d. Either ask your doctor what to do or go to the Question about Vitamin D page and ask me. You may need to reduce or stop taking your vitamin d – depending upon the circumstances.

IMPORTANT: Never take vitamin d by itself. You need specific 'cofactors' to help convert vitamin d in the blood. Please specifically read the page on Magnesium and Vitamin D to see why you MUST take magnesium and the rest of the Vitamin D Cofactors if you are taking vitamin d!! I recommend that everyone taking vitamin d get the Vitamin D Absorption Pack I've put together for the purpose of providing 'insurance' against a deficiency of any of these needed nutrients. Not taking these cofactors, and 'just' taking Vitamin D is setting you up for problems, such as many of the Vitamin D Side Effects that occur when these cofactors are not present. Don't skip this step. Get and take the cofactors along with your vitamin d.

Step 4- Maintenance Vitamin D Therapy

So, if you are at this step, you have a vitamin d level of between 50 to 80 ng/ml or 128 -250 nm/L then decide:

1) If you had to take vitamin d to get your level to this number, then go to the Vitamin D Requirements page and see what maintenance dose you should be taking. Unless you are getting a significant amount of sun, you should be taking 'enough' vitamin d to keep your level between 50 to 80 ng/ml for the rest of your life!!Vitamin D is a NUTRIENT and your body will ALWAYS need it. Once you remedy your deficiency you don't stop taking it any more than you would stop eating food forever because you had a big dinner.

2) If you get your level to between 50 to 80 ng/ml without doing Vitamin D Therapy, then great job. Keep doing whatever it is that you are doing. You are probably getting a lot of sun. Consider taking a maintenance dose as outlined on the Vitamin D Requirements page if you go through prolonged periods where you are not getting sun exposure.

Step 5- Get another Test

You need to make sure that the maintenance Vitamin D Therapy you choose will really keep your levels up. You should have another vitamin d level about 3 months after you start on your maintenance dose.

• If your level is BELOW 50 ng/ml, then go BACK to step 3 and repeat.

•If your level is between 50 to 80 ng/ml, then go to step 6

Step 6- Yearly Blood Level Checks

You should be at this point if you have had at least two vitamin d levels in a row that were between 50 to 80 ng/ml. Simply get a yearly check and follow the instructions over and over again.

• If your yearly check is BELOW 50 ng/ml, then go back to step 3 and repeat.
• If your yearly check is between 50 to 80 ng/ml, then continue your maintenance dose and repeat step 6 over again in one year.

Vitamin D Summary and Questions
About Vitamin D Therapy

So, I hope this cleared up the 'mystery' of Vitamin D Therapy for you. Now you have a step by step 'Protocol' to come back to over and over again.

If you have any questions about Vitamin D, go to the Question about Vitamin D page and see the answers to frequently asked questions and not so frequently asked questions.

The most common questions about Vitamin D Therapy are answered at the links below, but if you don't find the answer you are looking for, then you can ask a question on the bottom of the Question about Vitamin D page!! 

Vitamin D Therapy Resources

• 5000 IU Vitamin D 3 Supplements- Vitamin D3 is really theONLY vitamin d that you should be taking. Get Vitamin D 3 in a clinically relevant dose for adults
• Sunshine Mist Vitamin D Spray- This Vitamin D3 is GREAT for kids. Just a spray a day is all it takes.
• The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problem- Take a look at this EYE OPENING book. This fascinating account of the health benefits of Vitamin D will keep you turning pages far into the night!

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