Prescription Vitamin D3 (Calcitriol)

Jane N.
on 7/25/11 7:55 am - Round Rock, TX

My mother sent me the prescription her doctor has her on for low vitamin D. She has kidney disease (35% function) and extremely low D levels (She is not a WLS person). I want to make sure that if there is a concern about what she's taking that it is brought up with her physician. From the information I'm finding online, Calcitriol (the Rx she is taking) IS vitamin D3. Am I researching that correctly? If so, I'll just tell her to carry on (her doctor is closely monitoring her levels) as she is.

Thanks!
Jane

poet_kelly
on 7/25/11 8:30 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

I looked this up online because I'd never heard of it before. What I read kind of confused me. But it looks like it's not exactly D3. One website said it was "a synthetic vitamin D analog.) I have no clue what that means. And the doses it comes in are measured in mcg and as far as I know, D3 gets measured in IU. And you're supposed to start on a small dose and then increase it after a couple weeks if you need more, which you don't need to do with plain old D3.

So I'm confused and don't know what it is exactly. Maybe you wanna PM Andrea or Michelle (vitalady) and see what they know.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Jane N.
on 7/25/11 8:46 am - Round Rock, TX

RNY on 08/02/10

Thanks Kelly! Its description, etc, is confusing to me as well. I'll send them a PM and see if they can clear it up.

poet_kelly
on 7/25/11 8:53 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

How 'bout letting me know what you find out? Now I'm curious.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Jane N.
on 7/25/11 9:05 am - Round Rock, TX

RNY on 08/02/10

Most definitely!

Dave Chambers
on 7/25/11 9:46 am - Mira Loma, CA

RNY on 05/10/06

Only script D I know of (and have taken as an early post op) is a 50K IU vitamin D. But it's a D2, a green softgel with the D in an oil. I took one per week for 6 months post op, and my D went from an 8 to a 14. Doesn't do much. I changed to a liquid vitamin with only 600 IU dry D3, and my D labs indicated a 33 within 5-6 weeks. A dry D3 is what you need. Write up on the script noted need a person with a good medical backgroung to decipher. I do know the dry D3 from vitalady.com works well and many post ops use it. It's OTC too, so no script is needed, even for the 50K dosage that I have to take daily. DAVE

Dave Chambers, 6'3" tall, 365 before RNY, 185 low, 200 currently. My profile page: product reviews, tips for your journey, hi protein snacks, hi potency delicious green tea, and personal web site.

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version
on 7/25/11 10:04 am - OH

RNY on 08/27/07

What a curious thing Calcitriol is! It apparently adds calcium to bones by, among other things, stimulating the bones to release calcium into the blood.

According to a Colorado State website (www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/otherendo/v itamind.html): "Bioactive vitamin D or calcitriol is a steroid hormone that has long been known for its important role in regulating body levels of calcium and phosphorus, and in mineralization of bone. {{snip} The term vitamin D is, unfortunately, an imprecise term referring to one or more members of a group of steroid molecules. "

Other sites confirm that it is a steroid (e.g., "Referred to as activated vitamin D, calcitriol is the most potent steroid hormone in the human body and has powerful anti-cancer properties.")

Very curious. Will be interested to see what Michelle and/or Andrea know...

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Jane N.
on 7/25/11 10:06 am - Round Rock, TX

RNY on 08/02/10

Very interesting, especially since it appears that a low phosphorous diet is recommended for kidney patients.

Jane N.
on 7/27/11 3:29 pm - Round Rock, TX

RNY on 08/02/10

OK I heard back from our resident knowledge base and, in a nutshell, Calcitriol is not D2 or D3.

The molecular formulas are as follows:
D2                    C₂₈H₄₄O
D3                    C₂₇H₄₄O
Calcitriol         C₂₇H₄₄O₃

D2                                                                              D3                                         Calitriol

Since my mother is a kidney patient, there are probably reasons this was prescribed instead of D3, so I'm waiting to hear back from her and her physician about her PTH and calcium levels and why this was chosen over that, etc...

Prescription Vitamin D3 (Calcitriol)

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Prescription Vitamin D3 (Calcitriol)