where do you find the dry D3? 

You can get it in small doses just about anywhere.  It'll say D3 on the label, but won't say dry. If it's a dry tablet or a capsule with dry powder inside, it's dry D3.

If you want a big dose, which many of us need, you gotta order it online.  I get mine from vitalady.com

OK, so here is a real life story of my dear sister in law and her doctor's advice for her dangerously low D level. 

My sil is a metabolic mess (pcos, bipolar on a million meds, diabetic) who has not had wls, but she gets labwork done every 3 months.  Well 4 months ago I was giving her a ride and she mentioned that her doc had her on once weekly D2 50k, gelcaps.  I said why?  She said that her level was really low.  I asked her how low is low?  She said, "well 6 months ago it was 19, now it is 7, but I am taking the D like he told me to."  I just about pulled the car over and said oh, no...we are not going there....

I told her about the difference between d2 and d3 dry and absorption, etc, etc.  I then bought her her own bottle of vitalady's 20k d3 and had her take them twice daily for a couple of weeks, then down to once a day (I later found out that she then started taking them every other day).  She got her first labs drawn the other day since she started the d3, and her level is up to 29!  Her doc was so happy and said, great keep taking the d that you are on, and she told him then about what I had her do, and he shook his head.  He basicly told her that he still thought his rx was better but that what she was doing was clearly working for her and told her to keep it up. 

I told her that if she goes back to taking them once a day she will probably double her level again the next draw.  She is so happy! 

It does matter.....

Amy

PS she said he was pretty irked when she told him that the advice came from her sil that is a nurse....

See, I don't get why he would   be irked and think the Rx was better when you can clearly see she'd doing better with the D3.  She should absolutely keep taking what she's taking.  D of 7 is so dangerous. 

How old is she ?  I'm guessing she thinks she's way too young for osteoporosis but she's gonna get it if her D stays low like that.

I'm glad she listened to you.  It's always good to take our doctor's advice into consideration but occasionally they really are mistaken about something.  They are human, and like all humans, they can make mistakes at times.

She is 39 soon to be 40.  I am very worried about her bone health, esp considering she does absolutely no weight bearing exercise.

Another thing, he also told her that she could not take a calcium supplement until her D got over 40...???you know anything about that?  I don't know what her CA level is, but I'd wager it is in the toilet too!

I know of no reason she  could not take calcium now.  She could ask him his reasoning there.

here's what you need know about calcium levels in here labs.

What we need to understand, though, is that the calcium level in our blood really tells us very little about our calcium intake/absorption.

See, if the calcium level in our blood drops too low, our muscles cannot contract.  The heart is a muscle and if it cannot contract, as in beat, we drop dead.  So if we don't take in enough calcium or don't absorb the calcium we take in for some reason (like if our vitamin D level is too low), our bodies produce extra parathyroid hormone, which sucks calcium out of our bones to keep that level in our blood good.  As long as you have bones and teeth to suck calcium out of, that calcium level in your blood will likely be OK. 

If it drops low, it may mean you have problems with your endocrine system or other potentially serious health problems, but it doesn't mean you aren't getting enough calcium.

For lab results that tell you about calcium, what you want to know is your D level and PTH.  If the D is below 80, that means you won't absorb calcium well, no matter how much you take. Doesn't mean you won't absorb any, you will.  But maybe not enough and you will be at increased risk for osteoporosis as well as other unpleasant things.

If the PTH is on the high side (even in the normal range, just on the high side), it suggests you are indeed leaching calcium out of your bones.

She needs a PTH drawn.

 I love your posts about vitamins. I am fearful that I will mess this step in my program up the most. As I hate taking pills and I can never remember to take any. My doc does say to take D3 which is good...and if she writes a script for something and it is OTC my pharmacy will get it off the shelf and give it to me....guess it helps to be related to the pharmasist. 


Can you do a post about the good protein and the bad one? and why....I was trying to explain it to hubby but I know I did a bad job of it.

Yeah, I'll do a protein post.  I'll try to do it for tomorrow.

Your doc is on that ball.  Good.

I finally started setting alarms on my cell phone to remind me to take my vitamins and I keep them in a convenient place and carry extras in my bag in case I'm out and about when it's time to take them.  I have a lot of trouble remembering them too, but I know how important they are, so it's worth making a really big effort.

Thank you Kelly for the great information. I always enjoy reading your posts.
I have just been dx with osteopenic and was taking the reg. Vit. D.
I've order some dry D3 from vitalady. I feel so fortunate to have this Forum to come to. I would never have known there was a difference.
Thank you again,
Deb

Thanks so much for posting this!  I'm a newbie, waiting for my referral to the surgeon and my doc has put me on 2000 IU because my Vitamin D was a little low (Now that you posted this I will be calling him tomorrow to see what my level actually is).  But he did tell me to get it OTC so I guess that's a good thing. 

I never knew about dry D3 either, but I just found it at the vitamin shoppe .  

Thanks for the informative post!