What vitamin supplement does your doctor recommend?

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mariez The brand I buy is Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil. I started with one tablespoon per day for a month and now I take 2 tsp. per day. It's the only supplement where I have seen a dramatic improvement. I question the efficacy of a lot of the supplements on the market. I have a BS in nutrition and as a student I was never taught a lot of the crazy claims supplement manufacturers make these days.

Thanks. I will try that. I was taking a D2 supplement in winter and it had no effect. I switched to cod liver gels but my D was still low. I'm on UV treated mushroom pills now for vitamin D and can feel a change but haven't been retested yet.

[Sojourner]

For everyone taking Vit D supplements (including myself), you definitely should be taking Vit K2 a few times per week, as well. K2 helps to reduce the amount of calcium buildup in arteries around the heart. Since D3 helps the body absorb calcium more effectively and thus boosts calcium levels in the blood, you'd want to take K2 to help keep that extra calcium where it belongs (in the bones, for example). Western diets are very low in naturally occurring K2.

I take 5000 IU of D3 and 100µg of K2 every other day.

vitamin-d-and-vitamin-k2-benefits-connection

[timbervest]

2000 IU Vitamin D daily
2200 mg Omega 3 Fish Oil daily

[brett]

We both take vitamin D.

And our physician told us to forget about bothering with those overpriced products sold by multi level marketing firms. Overpriced, many claims not even FDA verified.

Her advice...go generic but ask your qualified pharmacist for advice.

Never mind what the label says, what the adverts say, or what that lady trying to sell some 'exclusive' product claims. This is where the margin goes...marketing.

[eytonxav]

I've never had a Dr suggest that I take a supplement, although I do tell them what I am taking.

[Koolau]

I take a number of vitamins and supplements. I have several doctors who either don't comment or ask "why are you taking THOSE?"

[tmm99]

My family doctor in Canada flat out told me that he received no special education regarding supplements and is not qualified to give any recommendations, except to say that everyone in Canada needs to take vitamin D.

[MC Rider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 My family doctor in Canada flat out told me that he received no special education regarding supplements and is not qualified to give any recommendations, except to say that everyone in Canada needs to take vitamin D.

Time for some continuing education then.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 My family doctor in Canada flat out told me that he received no special education regarding supplements and is not qualified to give any recommendations, except to say that everyone in Canada needs to take vitamin D.

Interesting. I live where it's always sunny and my dermatologist always compliments me for staying OUT of the sun! You can't win but YMMV.

[brett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmm99 My family doctor in Canada flat out told me that he received no special education regarding supplements and is not qualified to give any recommendations, except to say that everyone in Canada needs to take vitamin D.

Mine (Canadian) certainly did.

One of his concerns was patients taking supplements sold by friends or relatives who claimed the supplements were the answer to everything...cancer, back problems, sleep issues. The entire gamut. My spouses physician is the same....she wants to know if DW is taking that could impact what she might prescribe.

He also recommended dealing with a qualified pharmacist for supplements and vitamins....not your friends who may sell them at incredibly high prices accompanied by grossly exaggerated claims. And very seldom know the least thing about what they are selling other than what they are reading form the promo detail sheet.

Sometimes they were reluctant to admit to taking them. His view is that he wants to know any drug or supplement that a patient happens to be taking prior to recommending any
treatment.

In my case, in my 60's, he recommended vitamin D. That's it. Plus the basics to good health. Keep my weight in check, eat healthy foods-especially fruits, less meat, more fish, pass on fried or fatty foods, regular exercise and a good sleep. His advice has worked well for the past 10 years.

I have a SIL who is obese, eats all the greasy foods, cakes, and breads that is put are front of her. Her view that the only good vegetable is one served in a sea of cheese sauce. She also buys all the vitamins, weight loss cures, sleep aids, anti oxidents that are sold by her church friends. Her health remains the same yet she continues to spend money she cannot afford because the either does not want to say no sale to these folks or expects a miracle weight loss cure out of a bottle in thirty days or less. Go figure.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Interesting. I live where it's always sunny and my dermatologist always compliments me for staying OUT of the sun! You can't win but YMMV.

Dermatologists may not always have the best vitamin D advice. An Australian study of dermatologists showed 83% had sub-optimal levels of vitamin D (under 50) and 15% had levels under 21, the level associated with rickets and osteomalacia.

[tmm99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett Mine (Canadian) certainly did. One of his concerns was patients taking supplements sold by friends or relatives who claimed the supplements were the answer to everything...cancer, back problems, sleep issues. The entire gamut. My spouses physician is the same....she wants to know if DW is taking that could impact what she might prescribe. He also recommended dealing with a qualified pharmacist for supplements and vitamins....not your friends who may sell them at incredibly high prices accompanied by grossly exaggerated claims. And very seldom know the least thing about what they are selling other than what they are reading form the promo detail sheet. Sometimes they were reluctant to admit to taking them. His view is that he wants to know any drug or supplement that a patient happens to be taking prior to recommending any treatment. In my case, in my 60's, he recommended vitamin D. That's it. Plus the basics to good health. Keep my weight in check, eat healthy foods-especially fruits, less meat, more fish, pass on fried or fatty foods, regular exercise and a good sleep. His advice has worked well for the past 10 years. I have a SIL who is obese, eats all the greasy foods, cakes, and breads that is put are front of her. Her view that the only good vegetable is one served in a sea of cheese sauce. She also buys all the vitamins, weight loss cures, sleep aids, anti oxidents that are sold by her church friends. Her health remains the same yet she continues to spend money she cannot afford because the either does not want to say no sale to these folks or expects a miracle weight loss cure out of a bottle in thirty days or less. Go figure.

It sounds like your doc is more on the ball than mine. My doc has been in practice only for as long as I've lived in Canada (since 2015) (I've found out it's not easy to find a doc here... I think all newcomers are assigned newly graduated doctors, but I could be wrong.) He did say he could recommend a list of certified dietitians if I had any questions about nutrition. He has in fact referred me to other specialists when he wasn't sure what to do, but seeing any specialist (endo, dermatologist, gyno, etc) takes months even with his referrals. Seeing a specialist (with a referral or without) used to be a within-a-week affair when I lived in California. Not sure if this slowness is an Ontario thing or a whole Canada thing. The delay isn't because of the pandemic. It was like this pre-pandemic as well.

Anyway, I take Vit D as the doc suggested (with K2 and A (my idea)) plus other supplements. Some of the supplements are becoming more like designer drugs/supplements with certain components extracted and making them more bio-available, etc. Case in point - I take Quercetin EMIQ for my allergies. Regular quercetin doesn't seem to work for allergies at all, but EMIQ is a highly bio-available of quercetin and it works as well as an OTC drug for allergies IMHO. Same thing with Curcumin Curqfen. Curcumin in its original form doesn't do much for me, but curqfen works wonders for muscle pains.

[gayl]

10,000u vitamin D. But I take 1000 and he says its perfect (yeah, I don't say what I really do ... I let him think I'm doing as he says)

[F.I.R.E User]

Doctor did not recommend but I take Orange Triad + Greens.

[Vinnyfrombrooklyn]

Vitamin D3 10,000 iu and magenseum for leg cramps at night. Works wonders

[KarenF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredHappy I golf 4 to 5 days a week all year round. I asked my doctor to test for my Vit D in January and it came back as 19. I was shocked. I started taking 1000 IU in addition to my existing Calcium pills and it went up to 30 in May when I had another test. My PCP wants me to take 4000 IU to get to 40. I am adding 1000 IU on non-golf days. I will wait for my next set of tests.

Optimal Vitamin D is 70-100, so you may want to get your levels up a bit more.

[KarenF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Thanks. I will try that. I was taking a D2 supplement in winter and it had no effect. I switched to cod liver gels but my D was still low. I'm on UV treated mushroom pills now for vitamin D and can feel a change but haven't been retested yet.

I use Pure Encapsulations liquid D3 - my doctor told me to take it, and it got my Vitamin D levels up.

[meleana]

The only time a doctor recommended a vitamin for me was D because he tested for my levels.

I take that plus a multi vitamin for women over 55.

I also take one fiber pill at night with a large glass of water.

[JJpop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6miths We've had this discussion before. Great to hear people have docs who do not suggest supplements. Also have never had a doc suggest supplements. Evidence suggests waste of money at best. Many studies say harm. In very specific, and relatively rare, deficiency conditions then vitamins become treatment. Eat a decent diet, exercise, get some sun.

Really?
In reality, most doctors are not very knowledgeable about nutrition.
If vitamins are a waste of money, why did my vitamin D level go up from 19 to 73 when I started taking it?
There is a lot of garbage out there and a lot of snake oil.
There are also high quality supplements that are helpful.
I take D, a very high quality fish oil and a curcumin supplement with superior absorption.
There is a lot of good research if you look for it.
It is always best to get all the nutrients you need from eating a great diet, but it is not always possible.

[meleana]

I will say I worked for a Nero radiologist and he always laughed about vitamins. He said we just pissed them out.

I used to take a ton of vitamins. I’m not exaggerating- like 20 different ones! It took me many years to come to my senses and got back to just the multi (and the vitamin D my doc told me to take.).

Plus I used to take Culturelle (as recommended by a PA) and now I just have some yogurt each day.

Saves a lot of money, also.