What medications are there for vitamin D deficiency?
There are three main reasons why you might want to take vitamin D: as a supplement to avoid your levels becoming too low; as a treatment for severe deficiencies; or as a maintenance dose, which you’ll likely need after treatment (and should continue taking regularly).
Supplements are the lowest doses of vitamin D. They’re effective for prevention and treating milder deficiencies. They can be bought over the counter from your local pharmacy.
Treatment doses are more varied than supplement doses. They’re generally taken over a specific period of time to tackle severe deficiencies as quickly and safely as possible. After this, it’s likely that you’ll need to keep taking a maintenance dose.
Is there a ‘best’ treatment for vitamin D deficiency?
‘Best’ will depend on what you’re taking it to help with. If you’re just looking to prevent any vitamin D deficiencies from setting in over the winter, it’s likely that a low dose will be sufficient. But you’ll need an increased dose to treat any symptoms of a deficiency.
Vitamin D can come in a range of forms as well, from tablets to capsules to melt-on-the-tongue gels. They may also contain different ingredients, so some vitamin D supplements and treatments are more suitable for vegetarians or vegans than others. There are kosher or halal options available too.
So what’s best for you might not be best for someone else. If you’re unsure which vitamin D treatment is the right one for your needs, speak with our clinician. They’ll take your health background into consideration and advise you on your treatment options from there.
Does vitamin D deficiency always need treatment?
Many people can become a bit deficient in vitamin D throughout the winter, and it won’t always lead to more severe deficiencies. But you will be healthier during this period if you’re making sure that you’re getting enough vitamin D to keep your body and mind working properly.
More severe vitamin D deficiencies, though, should be treated. This is because having low levels of vitamin D for long periods of time can easily lead to osteoporosis.