Use Of Vitamin D3 Suppliments For Long Term Well Being

[Forest Walker]

Welcome, edblu!  

My first thought was that you could have your blood levels checked before starting Vitamin D3 and then again sometime after.  I hope that your GP will help you with this.  Too much Vitamin D3 can be harmful.

Sweat can make psoriasis worse.  Groins can get pretty sweaty.  If you exercise, rinsing off with either wet cloth or shower after can help.  Or maybe having time to air out the area, now and then, might help a little bit.  It's such an uncomfortable place for psoriasis.  You're not alone with this.

Good luck.  Please let us know how you're doing.  You have found the best forum for psoriasis, here.  

FW

[BigA1988]

After having a quite serious illness, my Oncologist - of all people - discovered I had a Vitamin D deficiency that was below 10, which is ridiculously low. They then put me on 3000iu a day for one month, which didn't improve my plaque psoriasis at all, but did improve my mood and general well being. So after that, I did a little more reading and started supplementing on my own. I started dosing at 4000iu a day and gradually over a period of a month or so, increased my daily intake to 10,000iu a day (along with 200iu of Vitamin K2) and the improvements have been huge. While taking the Vitamin D, I was using Enstilar Foam. 
The two together have cleared all my plaque psoriasis which at one point covered 90% of my body. I now carry on supplementing at the same dose, and if I see a spot to emerge anywhere on my body, I use Enstilar for one or two days and get rid of it.
The odd thing is that the Vitamin D hasn't helped my scalp psoriasis, but the Enstilar along with T-Gel does help with that. My scalp behaves very differently compared to my body.
I also in conjunction with the Vitamin D supplemented Cod Liver Oil.

Other benefits are that I generally feel better and more motivated, and my teeth feel stronger.

Why my the many "specialists" I have seen over the years never check my Vitamin D levels is beyond me.

But please, if you can, get your levels checked before you start supplementing.

Hope this helps.

[D Foster]

Cod liver oil is high in D3 , I have been taking 3000iu for a few years of D3 and I am convinced that it has helped,my doctor recommended it and now my vitamin D level is spot on.
A friend of ours makes his own cod liver oil and he has tried to persuade me to take it but I haven't fancied it, he has his own fishing boat so it's the real deal with liver from the cod that goes into the fresh seafood shop plus the fish and chip shop/restaurant he also owns .

[Caroline]

I also use a vit D supplement.
Had my Vit D checked and see that is about on the max level that is suggested, so certainly not too low.
I also find good results, together with all other measures I took.

[Turnedlight]

Hi Edblu sorry I missed this before but welcome!

I too have a bit of psoriasis in the groin area currently, only one side, I did use trimovate as directed by the derm nurse, but it thinned the skin so I’m wary of using steroids in that area.

Given where it is in a skin fold, I did wonder if it could have any fungal element (and it’s easy for that to set in with the compromised skin) so it’s a good idea to try and rule it out.
I have even found a laundry additive which I use in an undies and socks wash, which is anti fungal as well as antiseptic because in this age of cool laundry washes there’s a chance of things not being killed off. Perhaps a little paranoid lol..

As to the vitamin d, I’ve been using the one you spray in your mouth for a long while now, I think it’s the 3,000 dose. I don’t think it really does anything for my skin though. I don’t know if I’m low in it or not but it’s fair to assume we all are in this country.

[Forest Walker]

If using higher than recommended daily dosing of Vitamin D, should you have your levels checked periodically?  What happens when you have too much Vitamin D?

[Kat]

If using higher than recommended daily dosing of Vitamin D, should you have your levels checked periodically?  What happens when you have too much Vitamin D?

I actually just read an article on too much Vitamin D.  It can damage your organs.  I believe it took a fairly high amount before it becomes toxic.  So many people these days have a Vit D deficiency and are being recommended to take supplements.  I guess some people think more is better but of course too much can also be an issue.

For any supplement, make sure it's the right dosage!  More is NOT always a good thing.

[Caroline]

If using higher than recommended daily dosing of Vitamin D, should you have your levels checked periodically?  What happens when you have too much Vitamin D?

I actually just read an article on too much Vitamin D.  It can damage your organs.  I believe it took a fairly high amount before it becomes toxic.  So many people these days have a Vit D deficiency and are being recommended to take supplements.  I guess some people think more is better but of course too much can also be an issue.

For any supplement, make sure it's the right dosage!  More is NOT always a good thing.

Indeed it takes long before it gets toxic. As far as I know there is no problem if you overshoot a little, as I am still alive.

[Kat]

At a glance I found this: Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity.

That's a lot.  I know for a bit my doc had me on 5000 IU a day and it worried me a bit.  I now take (when I remember) 1000 IU a day.  I guess 600 is the recommended dosage for most.  However, in the summertime I do try to be outside more as I think the reason we are (most) deficient is that people do not spend time outside as much these days.  Due to lifestyle and also worries about skin cancer and such.  And although the 60000 a day is a lot, I would think that just abusing it over time at even a lesser amount could possibly cause some health issues.  I'm sure that would depend on how much, how long and person to person.