Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy - Day 3

Today I feel worse than the previous 2 days. My throat seems to hurt a little more and I have a huge headache….it won’t go away. If I try to do anything on my computer, read or do anything around the house, my head just throbs. If I try to watch a movie, I doze off.

I’m surprised the couch is still the most comfortable place to sleep. It keeps my head elevated and it’s cozy right next to the fire place.

I’m pretty cold most of the time. I would love to eat something hot…or at least warm…but the ice still feels the best on my throat. I’m still having issues with air going up the nose when I swallow. If I drink something room temp, it feels like it’s going up my nose. If it’s a cold beverage it seems to go down the throat instead of up.

Day 3 Diet:

·         Aloe Juice and Coconut water over crushed ice (if I could only have one beverage, this would be it)

·         Organic apples and broccoli (baby food)

·         Chocolate Rice Protein Energizer with Borage Oil, Green Superfoods, Chlorophyll and Chia seeds. (I could only drink 1/4 of it – the chia seeds get caught in the throat)

·         Organic Healing Vegetable Broth (cold)

·         Good Belly Berry Pro-biotic beverage (mixed with the crushed percoset)

·         Green Machine, Naked Juice (mixed the crushed percoset)

·         Mango Sorbet (Simon’s treat)

I like the beverages over crushed ice instead of making them into popsicles.

I still feel pretty bloated today…no weight loss yet.

My ears feel sensitive but they are not aching. I had Simon put one drop of my essential oil blend called Millennia, in each ear. It’s supposed to reduce inflammation in the ears. I’m also using another oil blend called Endo Relief on my throat.

I just broke open a magnesium capsule and poured it into my juice. It doesn’t dissolve at all and it won’t mix in. I accidently inhaled the powder causing me to cough… cough…ouch…hopefully this will make my headache go away.

Tomorrow I will avoid the rice protein, the chia seeds hurt. I thought the swollen seeds would be soothing but they are not. I think I will do a shot of borage and flax oil with my next dose of medicine.

Aloe should be a required part of the tonsillectomy recovery. It feels soooooo good on the throat and it's so healing. Read more about the Aloe Juice I'm drinking here: http://www.lakewoodjuices.com/product_detail/id-74/

NEXT: Day 4 - Tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy - Day 2

I tried to sleep partially sitting up, the nurse said to sleep at 45-30 degree angle. It didn’t work very well.  My head kept sliding to the left or right sending shocking razor like pain up my throat. After several throat shocks I realized it was 4 AM and time for another dose of Percocet. When I went back to sleep I removed the big pillow and laid back just slightly elevating my head. I slept much better.

For the most part I’m handling the pain medication OK. Simon can tell once I’m past the 4 hour mark. It’s really hard to talk and I’m always lying down, ½ asleep. He’ll mix up the crushed percoset with applesauce and within 20 minutes of taking the medication I’m sitting up. I can usually do some things around the house at that point or work on my computer. Then 1-2 hours after I’ve taken the medication, I get dizzy. I have to lay down until it passes – it’s a bit of a roller coaster. The ear pain has not started yet, so it’s still the calm before the storm. Here are some other things I’m experiencing:

·         My ears are sensitive to sound. Normally sounds like the washer don’t bother me but everything seems really loud.

·         My body is swollen like I’m retaining water. It must be the side effect of the Percocet. I read through the fine print and it could cause a problem with my thyroid too. I’ll be really upset if I don’t lose any weight over the next few weeks. With a thyroid problem you can starve yourself and not lose weight. I specifically started my detox 3 weeks ago and stayed on it for 2 weeks so I could shut off any thyroid issue that would prevent me from losing weight.

·         Another side effect of the Percocet is constipation. Normally I’m very regular – 2-3 times per day. Yesterday I didn’t have a movement. This morning I drank my Percocet with prune juice and aloe and it seemed to help because I had one movement.

·         The only thing that still feels good to eat is the crushed ice and the homemade popsicles. I don’t like the feeling of anything that coats the throat or gets little bits caught. (strawberry seeds or even soaked chia seeds). I’m also tired of sweet stuff. These popsicles are not very sweet compared to store bought popsicles but it’s still too much sweet. I’ve had a couple of glasses of organic vegetable broth to balance it. 

·         If I drink or eat anything that’s not a Popsicle or ice, I can feel it partially going up my nose when I swallow. Or I can feel the air up my nose when I swallow. I think that will go away when the swelling goes down….I hope.

·         Today I tried some organic baby food from Sprout – Roasted Apples and Blueberries. I liked it – it’s smooth, not grainy or pulpy like regular applesauce. I try to eat something that’s a little more substantial when I take the Percocet. So far the applesauce is working – it’s kept me from getting sick.

Day 2 Diet:

·         Peach-Apple-Prune-Aloe Juice popsicle

·         Coconut water popsicle

·         Applesauce (mixed with Percocet)

·         Organic Roasted Apples & Blueberries (baby food)

·         Chocolate Rice Protein Energizer with Borage Oil, Green Superfoods, Chlorophyll and Chia seeds. (I could only drink ¼ of it.)

·         Organic Healing Vegetable Broth (cold)

·         Sleepytime tea with a little honey (room temp)

·         Aloe Juice and Coconut water over crushed ice…..(I hated the taste of the Aloe juice at first but now I love it – it’s feels so good on my throat)

NEXT: Day 3 - Tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy - Day 1

I didn’t sleep well last night; too nervous I guess. We had to be downtown at 7:15 this morning to check into the hospital. You can’t eat or drink anything after midnight. This is to keep your stomach contents from getting into the lungs during anesthesia. I was also required to do a pregnancy test before the surgery. I couldn’t drink anything in the morning so I refrained from using the bathroom when I woke up. After the test I got changed into my surgery gown. The Bear Paw gown and socks were warm and comfortable for a hospital gown – much better than a thin flimsy gown that’s open in the back.

Each doctor came in to meet me and my ENT doctor gave Simon the prescriptions. The doctor explained the Coblation tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery. I asked the doctor about liquid Lortab but he said he doesn’t give liquid pain medication because it’s not as strong. He suggested crushing up the Percocet and mixing it with sorbet or applesauce. By 8:40 AM I was given some happy juice to relax me. I gave my glasses to Simon and they wheeled me out of the room about 5 minutes later, that’s the last thing I remember.

When I came to I could feel a machine squeezing my legs. A nurse was talking to me about my low heart rate and said she needed to inform the doctor. I think she asked me if I was an athlete and I must have told her yes. I faintly remember telling her about my goals for completing a Century Ride this year and a Triathlon. I’ve been doing some pretty intense Yoga 4-5 days a week for the last 3 weeks – but I haven’t really done much cardio training the last 4 months. I don’t think that makes me an athlete…..hmmm….I wonder what else I said when I was out of it? Well…I’m not an athlete, but this will be my year I reach my athletic goals. I was pretty close to reaching my goal last summer….maybe if I hadn’t come down strep or that other throat infection, I would’ve done better.

As I was being wheeled into my recovery room I noticed my throat felt like something was in it, like cotton. The nurse gave me a bottled water – she also offered coke products which I thought sounded painful.  I was told not to use straws until I’m healed because sucking on a straw can cause bleeding. Then I was offered sorbet with crushed Percocet and some applesauce.

When I was ready to leave, Simon helped me get dressed and the nurse wheeled me out to the car. We had to make a couple stops on the way home. In addition to the Percocet and the amoxicillin I was given a prescription for tetra-caine lollipops which can only be found at certain compounding pharmacys like Jolley’s. I read these were a must to have. It seems like those who suffered the most did not have these.

After the pharmacy we stopped at Sonic to get a bag of crushed ice. They sell bags of ice for $1.79. Crushed ice is a lot easier to eat than whole ice cubes. It should be a requirement when having your tonsils out.

After we arrived home, Simon helped me to the couch where I quickly set-up camp and fell asleep. The nurse suggesting sleeping at a 30-45 degree angle so the couch seemed like the best place to set-up camp. Simon’s parents stopped by and brought some Mango juice. It may be a few more days before I can enjoy it.

I woke from my nap around 5pm. I felt pretty good. The anesthesia wore off and I felt pretty normal for a little while until the pain in my throat kicked in. Simon crushed up the perocet and blended it with some Amazing Grass Green Superfoods, frozen strawberries and coconut water. The amoxicillin is the pink bubble gum flavor you get prescribed as a kid…..Mmmm….just like I remember.

After my Percocet dosage I’m able to sit up and actually feel ok. I am able to talk, my voice comes and goes and it’s much easier if I talk softly. If I have to raise my voice, it hurts. As I reach the 4 hour point I feel wiped out and the pain starts to kick in. I've been eating my coconut water popsicles as well as the peach-apple-prune-aloe juice pops.

I’ve set-up my new humidifier to help keep my throat from drying out. Hopefully I can sleep tonight…..

Next: Day 2 - Tonsillectomy

My Tonsillectomy Surgery, age 35

In less than 10 hours I’ll be waking up from a Tonsillectomy. I’m 35 years old and have suffered from sore throats/strep, throat pearls, ear infections and pretty severe chronic fatigue a good part of my life. According to the ENT Doctor, I have the biggest crater in my tonsils that he’s ever seen. This crater catches food which can fester and cause an infection. He believes I may have been walking around with a low grade infection most of my life which would explain my weak immune system and on/off chronic fatigue.

While I’m looking forward to having them out, at the same time I’ve very nervous. Adult Tonsillectomy is pretty pain. I’ve been told several horror stories as well as numerous internet postings from people dealing with the worst pain they’ve ever experienced in their life. One woman said she’d rather give birth to her 10 lb. baby without an epidural, 30 times than have her tonsils removed again. Another said she’d rather have strep 4 times per year for the rest of her life than go through that again.

I’ve done a lot of research and have prepared myself for the different phases of recovery. The first day it’s recommended that you only drink clear liquids. Nothing citrus, tart, carbonation, tomato based, spicy or salty foods for at least a few weeks. No dairy or anything that would coat your throat for a week. It also seems to vary greatly from person to person.

I believe if I have plenty of vitamins, I will be able to recover quicker. The only problem is, taking my vitamins will be difficult so I need to rely on getting my vitamins from liquids and food. The pills will be very painful to swallow and my liquid vitamins are citrus based. I know I will be on a liquid diet for a while and I expect to lose weight. I’ve heard you can lose 5-20 pounds.  I don’t want to lose too much weight but I’ll welcome a 10-15 pound loss.

This is what I have for the first day for my clear liquids:

Pure Aloe Juice

·         Crushed ice

·         Coconut water

·         Aloe vera juice

·         Apple/Peach Juice

·         Sleepytime tea with honey

The next stage of liquids I have:

·        Prune juice to mix with the aloe, apple/peach juice (pain meds can make you constipated, prune and aloe will keep things moving)

·         Rice protein with Amazing Grass Chocolate Green Superfoods with borage/flax oil

·         Good Belly probiotic beverages

·        Healing Broth - its easy to make, it tastes better and has less sodium than store bought vegetable broth. Click here for the recipe.

Then when I can thicken things up a bit, I will add:

·         Green Machine, Naked Juice

·         Pumpkin chia pudding

·         Coconut Kefir

·         Coconut Yogurt

·         Coconut Ice cream

·         Chocolate Almond Milk

·         Carrot Ginger Soup

·         Butternut Squash Soup

·         Various organic baby food

·         Applesauce

The next stage, soft foods

·         Scrambled eggs

·         Mashed sweet potatoes

·         Oatmeal

I’ll miss my leafy greens and crunchy green veggies. I wish I had a masticating juicer – it would’ve been perfect for this.

Off to bed……I hope I can sleep.

Next: Day 1 - Tonsillectomy

Magnesium – The Spark of Life

Magnesium is the bodies most important mineral. It’s normally found in foods grown in mineral rich soils such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans and in fish that are high in Omega 3’s such as salmon.  Over the past 100 years, magnesium has become the most depleted mineral on earth. It’s required for over 325 biochemical reactions in your body and is found in all of your tissues, mainly your bones, muscles and brain. A deficiency can affect every aspect of life and cause a score of symptoms. It’s estimated that over 68% of the population is magnesium deficient.

Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff – whether it is a body part or even a mood – is a sign of magnesium deficiency. Here are some of the symptoms:

ADD Angina Anxiety & panic attacks Asthma Autism Back pain Blood clots Chronic fatigue Constipation Cystitis (bladder spasms) Depression Diabetes Fatigue Food cravings Fibromyalgia

Heart disease Headaches High blood pressure High cholesterol Hypoglycemia Infertility (both men and women) Inflammation Insomnia Irritability Irritable bladder Irritable bowel syndrome Kidney stones Menstrual cramps

Migraines Muscle cramps or twitches Muscle weakness Obesity Osteoporosis Palpitations PMS Reflux Restlessness Sensitivity to loud noises Tooth decay Trouble swallowing Type A personality

If you are like most Americans, you’re not getting enough magnesium in your diet. Magnesium is forced out of your body from stress, excessive sweating, parasites, caffeine, phosphates, sugar, alcohol, smoking, illegal drugs and many medications: digitalis, diuretics, antibiotics, steroids, birth control, indomethacin, cisplatin, amphotercin B, cholestyramine and  synthetic estrogen.

Even a seemingly healthy athlete can become deficient in magnesium. They lose magnesium from sweating and consumption of protein bars and energy drinks/gels with phosphates, caffeine and sugar.

Magnesium plays an important role in our brain health. It protects the brain from toxic effects from chemicals in foods such as aspartame and MSG. Particular brain receptors important for learning and memory depend on magnesium for their regulation and to keep the learning and memory receptors active.

Magnesium is rarely recommended by doctors yet every emergency room in the country has magnesium IV to treat life threatening arrhythmia. It’s also used to stop seizures and to lower high blood pressure in expecting mothers without hurting the fetus.

How much magnesium do I need?

If you eat a healthy diet, you need about 300 mg a day just to offset the loss of magnesium. Most people will benefit from 400mg to 1000mg per day – some may need more.  While magnesium is very safe, higher doses may cause gastrointestinal distress.  The most absorbable forms of magnesium are citrate, gylcinate, taurate or aspartate. Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin as magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) and chloride (magnesium oil).  If you live near clean ocean water, a daily swim will provide you with all the magnesium your body needs. Please consult your doctor is you have kidney disease, Myasthenia gravis, excessively slow heart rate or bowel obstruction.

Magnesium is best taken with other vitamins and minerals. It assists in converting vitamin D into a usable form in the body. Without magnesium, calcium can wreak havoc on the body causing cell death and calcification. Magnesium helps to dissolve calcium and keep it where it belongs. Magnesium enters the cells with the support of B1 (Thiamin). Without it, magnesium won’t get to its destination. Selenium helps magnesium stay inside the cells where it belongs.

If you are magnesium deficient, it can take up to 1 year of daily doses to get your body to normal levels. Some people may notice the benefits of magnesium within a few days and for some it may take a few months.

Magnesium is truly a miracle mineral and is beneficial to our health at all ages.  To read more about how magnesium can help insomnia, click here to read this post.

To order the magnesium I use and recommend, visit http://www.thehealingblossom.com/

Do you have a home garden? Would you like to know how you can add magnesium to your soils for  bigger, healthier vegetables? Check out this article here - gardening with epsom salt.


Resources:

www.lef.org

www.drhyman.com

The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, M.D.

The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

Vitamin C – Arming Your Immune System

In my last article I shared with you the importance of vitamin D and its role in strengthening your immune system. Think of vitamin D as your shield to protect you from illness. With time and the right dosage you’ll have the ultimate shield, however, if under attack, you’ll need a good sword too.

You know the feeling when you are under attack; the tickle in the back of your throat, fatigue, sneezing, etc.  The moment you feel those symptoms, it’s time to go to war with the ultimate sword: Vitamin C.

99% of all animals have the ability to synthesize their own vitamin C. Humans and primates lack this ability and require vitamin C through diet and supplementation.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a white, crystalline, water-soluble substance found in citrus fruits and green vegetables (a large orange has about 100 mg). As an antioxidant, vitamin C scavenges free radicals in the body and protects tissues from oxidative stress and also promotes the absorption of iron, while preventing its oxidation.  Vitamin C is a vital co-factor to the formation of collagen, the connective tissue that supports arterial walls, skin, bones, and teeth. In the human scurvy, the body disintegrates from a lack of collagen resulting in death.

More vitamin C is contained in the adrenal glands than any other organ in the body and is required at higher levels during times of stress. Physical stresses on the body such as ingestion of heavy metals, cigarette smoking, immune impairment, extreme temperatures, and chronic use of certain medications such as aspirin also signal the need for increased intake of vitamin C.

Vitamin C has been shown to have a strong effect of preventing and shortening the duration of the common cold. The type of Vitamin C, the dosage and how often it’s taken will determine if you can fight off the cold. After all, you want to fight with a sword not a toothpick.

What type of vitamin C is the best?

You will find several types of vitamin C on store shelves but “Buffered Vitamin C” is a powder containing four buffering minerals, in addition to ascorbic acid. When mixed with water, this product produces a reduced-acid solution that is non-irritating to the stomach or intestinal lining. The minerals also make it a more pleasant-tasting and healthful drink with about 4,000 mg of vitamin C.  Some buffered C products only contain about 1,000 mg per serving. Look for products that contain 4,000-5,000 mg per serving.

What if you feel a cold coming on? Is one dosage enough?

One dose may stab the cold with your sword, but it probably won’t kill it. You’ll feel better for about an hour before the symptoms return to take another stab at you. The Vitamin C council suggests taking 1000-5000 mg of buffered vitamin C every 30-60 minutes. This is called a “Vitamin C Flush”. According to Linda Page author of Healthy Healing, “an ascorbic acid flush accelerates a detoxification program, improves body chemistry to neutralize allergens and fight cold and flu infections. It promotes more rapid healing, and protects against further illness.”

Ascorbate, in the form of the salt sodium-ascorbate, can be administered by a doctor and injected intravenously to control and inactivate viral infections. This is well documented in Dr. Thomas Levy’s Vitamin C Infectious Diseases and Toxins: Curing the Incurable (2002). Vitamin C has been able to cure or contribute to the cure of many common infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and polio. Dr. Levy presents documented evidence that Vitamin C is the treatment of choice for many potentially fatal diseases and toxins.

Dr. Levy suggests healthy adults take 6,000-12,000 mg orally in 3-4 divided doses daily to meet the body’s metabolic needs to prevent disease and infection. The exact dosage will depend on your own bowel tolerance to vitamin C.

Consult your doctor before taking large amounts of vitamin C if you have hemochromatosis, thalassemia, sideroblastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, or erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. You can experience iron overload if you have one of these conditions and use large amounts of vitamin C.

My Personal Buffered Vitamin C Experience

I have asthma and I stopped taking my daily maintenance medication a couple of years ago due to cost. I was only using my rescue inhaler for exercise.  Two years ago, my asthma was the worst it’s been in years and knew I’d have to visit the doctor to get a daily maintenance prescription.  At the time, I was taking about 2,000 mg of “MegaC” each day. I read about Buffered Vitamin C and its roll in detoxification and decided to switch. The day I received my Buffered C, I took 1 dose of 4,000 mg and within 10 minutes, my asthma seemed to improve better than a dose from my rescue inhaler. I’ve continued to take it twice daily.

Four months later – I was not using maintenance medication or my rescue inhaler and I just ran my first 5K.  I’ve also noticed a huge improvement in my allergies. I’ve shared my sword with friends and colleagues who were under attack and the vitamin C flush worked. They all successfully fought the cold without getting sick.

Two years later, I have one cold that was bad for 1 day and was completely gone in 3 days (this was while I was on vacation and didn't have my buffered C on the plane when I started getting sick). I've had a few close calls and a few that seemed like allergies. I immediatly increased my dosage to 4 doses per day and the runny nose went away.

I highly recommend Buffered C from Life Extension. Most the other brands of Buffered Vitamin C on the market only have 1000 mg per dose. Life Extension has 4000 mg per dose and each bottle has 100 doses. Some people are concerned because Life Extension lists "Corn" on the label. It does not contain corn, the vitamin C is extracted from corn. The technology is such that the method using a two-step fermentation process is as follows: Corn> Glucose > Sorbitol + fermentation > Sorbose + fermentation > Keto-Gluconic acid > ascorbic acid.Through the manufacturing process the ascorbic acid is so refined that there is no corn or constituents found in the ascorbic acid. So although the start is corn as you can see through the process there is no corn left in the Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). These ingredients are fine chemicals that have compendial standards to very high purity; does not have corn.

Check out this amazing video about a man who was dead from swine flu and survived after he was given high doses of Vitamin C:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Living-Proof-Vitamin-C---Miracle-Cure/tabid/371/articleID/171328/Default.aspx

Also this great story about Dr. Thomas Levy and curing Pulmonary Embolism.

http://www.tomlevymd.com/health_ebytes/issue_8.html

Order the best Buffered Vitamin C - click here.

Resources:

www.lef.org

www.tomlevymd.com

www.vitamincfoundation.org

The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a health care professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

Vitamin D, Building Your Immune System with the Right Tools

What tools do you have in your toolkit to fight off colds, flu and infections? Is it working? Or are you still fighting cold after cold? Are you wasting money on vitamins and “immune boosting” products? Chances are if you’ve been sick this year, you may not be supplying your immune system with the right tools.

Over the last 5 year, no other nutrient or drug has gained more scientific credibility than vitamin D. Insufficient vitamin D is linked to virtually every age-related disorder including cancer, vascular disease, autoimmune diseases, depression, chronic fatigue and chronic pain/inflammation. Adults (and children) with higher vitamin D levels contract substantially fewer cold, flu, and other viral infections.

Studies show 50-85% of the general population is currently Vitamin D deficient. In fact, a startling 36% of the general population has vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL which may represent the world’s leading cause of unnecessary disease and death.

How do I know if I’m Vitamin D deficient?

See your doctor for a simple blood test to check your vitamin D levels. Based on recent and conclusive published studies, the new minimum target level for optimal disease prevention is over 50 ng/mL of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D.

How much Vitamin D?

If you are severely deficient, your doctor may prescribe a 7,000-10,000 IU vitamin D³ daily for 3 months (Or weekly doses of 50,000-60,000 IU). Currently the daily recommended amount is only 400 IU. There is some debate over how much vitamin D³ we should be taking. Some doctors are pushing to change the daily recommendation to 1,000-2,000 IU per day.

Dr. John Cannell, the president of The Vitamin D Council, a non-profit group that advocates higher vitamin D intake. According to Dr. Cannell, adults need to take 5,000 IU a day of vitamin D³ to put the vast majority of them (97.5%) above the 50 ng/mL level. Dr. Cannell says that optimal doses for adults are between 4,600 and 10,000 IU, with persuasive evidence that 10,000 IU a day of supplemental vitamin D³ is not toxic. To answer the question as to exactly how much vitamin D³ an individual needs requires a blood test.

Most commercial multi-vitamins only have 400 IU of vitamin D. Some of the better vitamin companies have increased the dosage to 2,000 IU. In another surprising revelation, scientists have discovered that high-dose vitamin A antagonizes the beneficial action of vitamin D³ in the body. This finding might explain why certain studies of people using commercial multivitamins (that contain too much vitamin A and woefully inadequate vitamin D) have failed to yield expected health benefits. Life Extension foundation and the Vitamin D Council recommend taking vitamin D³ separate from a multi-vitamin.

Human toxicity may occur after chronic daily consumption of approximately 40,000 IU/day of D³. Vitamin D hypersensitivity syndromes are often mistaken for vitamin D toxicity. Those with a rare disorder called sarcoidosis, severe renal impairment, primary hyperparathyroidism, or any condition resulting in an elevated calcium level in the blood should consult with their physician before taking vitamin D supplements.

My Personal Vitamin D Experience

2 1/2 years ago after reading some of the vitamin D reports, I decided to add vitamin D³ to my vitamin regimen. My 2-A-Day multi vitamin had 2,000 IU. I then added a 1,000 IU vitamin D³ (I may have forgotten to take it a couple of days a week).  After 6 months I caught 4 colds and the flu. I decided to see my doctor; I was tired of catching every cold that walked past me and my energy was zapped. She ran several tests, everything was OK – except my vitamin D levels were low - around 40. She suggested taking 5,000 IU in addition to my multi-vitamin.  It can take 3 months or more to bring your Vitamin D levels up to a healthy level.  Taking large doses upon the onset of a cold may not help to kick the illness. But it may help if you've been inconsistant with taking your vitamins. It seems when I'm taking my D daily, I feel great. If I start slacking and only taking them once or twice per week, I'm putting myself at risk for possibly getting sick. If I start to feel a cold coming on, I immediatly take 10,000 IU of vitamin D. Then I take 4,000 MG of Buffered Vitamin C, 4 times per day with food until i feel normal again. Over the last 2 years, I've felt about 4 colds coming on. My asthma usually acts up and I might feel tired. I have not felt congested, had cough or any other cold symptom.

Resources:

www.lef.org

www.vitamindcouncil.org