Vitamin D and Tobi

[Guest guest]

Hi Eileen,

Last Friday I called the Tobi Foundation to learn if they had a patient assistance program for bronchiectasis patients. They said that their program is just for cystic fibrosis patients. Generic tobramycin helped me. I would not have switched to Tobi if I had not researched it on the Internet and found that I could get it free.

Regarding the 50,000 Vitamin D supplement: I called my primary care doctor, an internal medicine specialist, a couple of weeks ago regarding body aches. His nurse said that he called in a prescription for Vitamin D 50,000 IU capsules to be taken once a week on the same day of the week. He did not do it for my osteoporosis. I told his nurse that I had been taking Citracal Calcium Citrate Caplets with Vitamin D (Maximum Caplet Dose) with 400 IU of Vitamin D since my first bone density test in 1992, and for many years I have been taking Centrum Silver with 500 IU of Vitamin D. On my last lab tests done 9/08/08 my Vitamin D, 25 OH was 33.8 which was within the range of 30-60. It does seem to be on the low side of the range though. He wrote a note under the Vitamin D, 25 OH on the lab tests "OK to continue Vitamin D supplement total 1,200

IU (units) per day for maintenance". I was hesitant to take 50,000 IU per week since I am already taking 900 IU with the calcium and multivitamin in addition to the Vitamin D that I get in cereal, orange juice, rice milk and other food I eat that contain Vitamin D. Perhaps I should ask my endocrinologist. I did show her this lab report and gave her a copy. I note that you were taking 50,000 IU of Vitamin D every two weeks for about 8 months and are now on it once a month. That sounds more reasonable than once a week that my doctor prescribed. I paid $11.00 for 4 capsules at the pharmacy. Since it is a supplement, it was not covered by my prescription drug plan. Thanks so much for this information.

Norma - TX