Cholecalciferol User Reviews & Ratings

• Ver...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I struggle badly with Vitamin D supplements. Don't ever let a doctor tell you it's not the supplement! The only thing I do like about it is for me it's almost like a sleeping pill. I pass out very quickly after taking it every time. However, the next day I always feel tense, dizzy, short of breath, headaches, muscle aches, anxiety, stomach pains, constipation, and have acid reflux issues. This ALWAYS goes away when I stop the supplement. I've tried adding magnesium and it doesn't help."

• Mag...
• October 19, 2016

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "After my wellness checkup and blood analysis, I was told by my MD to start taking Vitamin D3-2000 daily. I took it as recommended for 2 days and I noticed that I was experiencing dizziness, tiredness, and really bad cramps in my hands, feet, and legs. I thought that I was dehydrated and drank more water. The cramps kept getting worse, and I also started having increased palpitations and more dizziness. As the only change I had made in my daily regimen was taking the D3, I decided to stop taking it to see if it might be the cause. Sure enough, these symptoms disappeared. So, why are we being told to take this? Several of my friends and family have been advised to do the same lately. Is it a new 'health' sham?"

• Fru...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2017

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I was told by my doctor that I am Vitamin D deficient and should take 5000 IU of vitamin D per day. I began taking the supplement and within 36 hours began having HORRIBLE leg pains and muscle aches. The pain in my legs was so bad I could barely walk. I was also extremely nauseated, so much so that I couldn't eat. I stopped the Vitamin D and in no time the muscle pains and nausea were gone. I now take 1000 IU of Vitamin D per day with no side effects. I know it's less than my doctor wants me to take but that's too bad. Why do doctors insist on such enormous amounts of Vitamin D without considering the side effects??? I would rather be Vitamin D deficient than suffer the side effects of a 'therapeutic' dose of Vitamin D."

• Rea...
• October 31, 2020

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "Blood test showed that I am Vitamin D deficient, doctor and endo recommended me to take D3 1000 IU daily. After taking it, I noticed heart tightness, heart pounding, feeling weird in general. I stopped for a few days, then I was fine. I started taking it again today, immediately, my heart felt funny again."

• Lee...
• September 7, 2019

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "So my doc prescribed me 10000 IU for 6 weeks, since I was vitamin D deficient. After 2 weeks of taking these, I noticed terrible heart palpitations and a fast heartbeat. I went to the ER with a heart rate of 172, the scariest day of my life. Vitamin D makes me so drowsy and dizzy. I'm definitely not taking this anymore. It helped me with my levels, now it is 36, but it's making me feel miserable."

• pja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2020

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Insufficiency "1st day fine on Vitamin D3, 2nd day horrible, day 3 no better. Side effects: shakiness, skipped heartbeats, and tired. I've tried this several times in the past few months, all with the same side effects. I'm only taking 1000 IU's. No more taking this as of today."

• Fai...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 3, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I started taking Vitamin D3 years ago due to deficiency. I have taken 2,000 IU and 1,000 IU's. For years, I have suffered debilitating leg and feet cramps at night and horrible restless legs. I have always blamed it on my blood pressure meds, but have finally figured out that any time I stop taking the D3, I have no more leg cramps. Now I will add 2 drops (about 200 IU) into water once in a while, but even that makes me feel sick, so no more! The leg cramps would even go into my thighs, and I would not be able to stand up, it was so painful. But of course, the doctor said it couldn't be that. Then why does it stop when I stop taking the D3? I wish doctors would do more research before just throwing prescriptions at us..."

• COC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2020

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Insufficiency "I was told by Dr. to take 1000 IU of Vitamin D. I also take verapamil, and after 1 week, I had heart skips, weakness, shakiness, and could not walk straight. I could not find out what was wrong till I checked this site and found other people had these problems. I stopped Vitamin D today and hope I feel better soon."

• Pla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 31, 2017

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I have been struggling with arthritis-like pain for months. Swollen joints, pain, hard to move around, and muscle weakness. Started taking vitamin D3 and the difference was night and day. Strength is restored, pain is decreasing... I am on the mend. I used to work outside but now in an office all the time, I guess it played a bigger role in my health than I realized."

• Old...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 17, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I was deficient in D3 and was prescribed 5000 IU per day. Six months later, my vitamin D level is in the normal range, with no side effects. Possibly pure coincidence, but my cholesterol level has dropped below 200 for the first time in 30 years, with no change in diet, medication, or exercise! The only difference was the D3. I’m a fan."

• Nic...
• April 11, 2018

Cholecalciferol for Prevention of Fractures "I would like to add that you need to take sufficient magnesium along with the vitamin D in order to avoid the side effects of cramping and pain. The lysinate form is a good form of magnesium to take to avoid laxative effects of other forms. You need to take magnesium in order for vitamin D to work well. Good luck."

• Nic...
• September 27, 2022

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I was told I had osteopenia and calcium was low. I looked at taking calcium and found I should not take it alone. A few years later, I was told I needed a script for Fosamax! I said, no way has my vitamin D been checked? Sure enough, it was low and I was told to take 2000 IU, which sounds high, but it’s a pittance. So I did look into it and found it’s why, along with low B12, often why bone health isn’t good. I had deep bone pain, could barely lift my arms, and found I was losing my grip in my 50s! I upped my dose to 10,000 IU with K2 100 mg, and within a week my pain was gone! Weeks on this, and all grip was back, as I was able to lift my arms! I also had to have injections of B12 as I was on the low side (275 - range 240-1000), but I also have an autoimmune disease. Always take D3, not D2, and the daily amount is better than a once a week dose, because you get high troughs and lows and that needs to be taken with fatty foods (good fats) to be absorbed. I wish they tested more for deficiencies and their effect on the body:"

• Hea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2024

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "Had bloodwork done to determine what my vitamin D level was at, resulted in a value of 19. Never in my lifetime have I taken a vitamin D supplement. Even though I was deficient, I was unsure if I wanted to take 1000 IU daily just in case it reacted on me. So I've been taking 500 IU daily for almost a year now. My bloodwork has improved to now having a value of 55. The only reactions I have noticed that could possibly be from the vitamin D are constipation and heart palpitations (feels like body tremors). I've had heart tests done, resulting in everything being okay. I continue to take the vitamin D supplement but only 500 IU daily."

• HEL...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 17, 2022

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I have been taking Vitamin D3 2000 IU for about two years. My doctor said I am vitamin D deficient. Well, I have pain and stiffness in my knee and a bad taste in my mouth. I am so glad I found this site. I will stop taking Vitamin D3. I did it before, and the pain and stiffness went away. I will get more Vitamin D3 from the sun."

• Ano...
• May 3, 2019

For Vitamin D Deficiency "I was feeling fine until I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency (4.6). I took 8000 IU of vitamin D3 once a week for a month. The first time I took it after 3 hours I felt sick all of a sudden, with terrible palpitations, extreme dizziness, nausea, and confusion. I thought I was dying! My doctor said it was impossible vitamin D caused this, so he told me to keep taking the drug. The second week I ended up in the ER, but everything was negative, and they told me it couldn't be vitamin D. I took it 4 times, once a week, until I asked my pharmacist about my symptoms, and he told me to stop immediately. During that month I had constipation, loss of appetite, extreme weight loss, dizziness, fatigue, muscle pain, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and scary palpitation episodes (10 times), all symptoms I never had before. Now it's been a month since I've stopped taking vitamin D, and my health is slowly improving. Now my vitamin D level is 16, so I guess the drug worked, but I would never take it again with all those side effects."

• Red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I was sent to a rheumatologist for arthritis pain. He suggested 50k IU of Vitamin D3 for 7 days and 50k IU once a week for the next 7 weeks until my next appointment. I have hyperparathyroidism, which means I produce calcium oxalate kidney stones. I declined his suggestion on the grounds that that much Vitamin D3 would increase my blood calcium level dramatically and therefore my stones also. He knew I had stones but said I needed the vitamin because it was the calcium producing the “bone spurs” that was causing my arthritic pain. What?? So I want to take more calcium?? Have to find another doctor!"

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2021

For Vitamin D Deficiency "Decided to begin taking Vit D3 as I'm 73 years old and have been reading they help during COVID. I purchased 1000 IU. I took that dose for 3 days and hardly slept a wink on those nights, so I cut them in half. Have been taking the 500 IU dose for 4 days and feel awful: dry mouth, bloating, feel anxious and irritable, light-headed. Don't know if anyone else has had these problems. Seems such a small dose. I think, sadly, I will have to stop taking them for a while and see what happens."

• Fru...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 29, 2021

For Vitamin D Insufficiency "I began taking this supplement 4 years ago when I was told my levels were too low. I began having hypothyroid symptoms within months. Hair loss, dry hair and skin, achy joints, migraines. But my levels were all normal. On a whim, I recently stopped taking the vitamin D, and my symptoms have all disappeared! Every doctor I saw kept saying it wasn't the supplement. I am so frustrated that there is relatively no information about it causing more issues in some people such as myself."

• Gar...
• December 18, 2016

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "Having severe bone loss, my MD put me on vitamin D2 at 50,000 units a week. My wife did the research and found out vitamin D2 is not as well absorbed as vitamin D3. It also must be taken with a calcium supplement. I had been taking the D2 for several years, and then they wanted me to take Prolia as my bone loss was getting worse. Stopping the D2 and starting the D3 at 5,000 IU a day with 600 mg of calcium has helped quite a bit. I would suggest anyone try this before taking something like Prolia or Forteo for bone loss. If you have osteoporosis, you need the supplements either way. My wife took Forteo every day for 26 months, and less than 4 years later they now want her to try Prolia too. Check Wikipedia for info on this."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2021

For Vitamin D Deficiency "I was advised to take 2,000 IUs of cholecalciferol daily after being diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency. About 6 hours after my first pill, I noticed my heart was racing, and I started having palpitations. Then the anxiety set in. At this point, I didn’t make the connection with the cholecalciferol, but after continuing to take it over the following days, the anxiety turned to absolute sweaty panic and dread, as well as insomnia. By day 4, I was horribly depressed, had no appetite, and was nauseous. I don’t think my doctor believed me when I told her the cholecalciferol was causing this, but I know that’s what it was. I later learned that cholecalciferol creates serotonin in your brain by increasing the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2. If you get too much serotonin, you develop serotonin syndrome - and my experience aligned exactly with the symptoms of serotonin syndrome. Hopefully, this is helpful to others. For now, I’ll just keep my vitamin D deficiency."

• D-f...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 17, 2020

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I had blood work done, and was found to have very low vitamin D levels, 55 nmol/L. My nurse practitioner advised me to take 2,000 IU daily. I was already taking 4,000 IU daily, so I upped the dosage to 10,000 IU. I got my results from my latest blood tests, and I am still deficient in vitamin D, 56 nmol/L, a whole 7 months later! Clearly, something else must be wrong here. I am a diabetic, and I am also taking Metformin, Lantus, and Humalog insulins, as well as a small dose of Metoprolol."

• Gui...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 22, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I have been taking about 8,000 IUs daily for several years. I have ME/CFS and am, for the most part, house confined, so I had serious Vitamin D deficiency. I had cervical surgery several years ago. Aside from herniated discs, I had severe bone souring and osteophytosis (osteopathic arthritis). I also take high doses of calcium for bone health. I have had no side effects from the Vitamin D3. I am now in the mid to high middle recommended range when tested."

• Anonymous
• November 20, 2019

For Vitamin D Deficiency "My vitamin D levels are 15, so my doctor prescribed 50,000 units once per week. After taking it, I felt very strange. Within 2 days, my heart was pounding out of my chest, I could not sit still, I was literally out of breath. I was so scared, I called my doctor's office 3 times and explained what was happening. She said that I might have symptoms of a heart attack. I refused and took my when required Klonopin. Soon I was feeling so much better. I was so scared I thought I was going to die! Dangerous stuff when taking very high doses. Your body can only absorb so much at a time! I feel for anyone going through this. Don't know how I'm going to get my levels up after what happened. God bless."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2021

Cholecalciferol for Vitamin D Deficiency "I had low vitamin D. My doctor put me on 50,000 IU/week. After the first dose, I have been to the ER twice. Dizzy, lightheaded, real high, anxiety, massive headaches, twitchy, coordination loss, high heart rate, photo and audio oversensitivity, mental confusion, spinning, eye pressure, 'pre-dreaming,' just shutting my eyes. I have to avoid light, sounds, movement. I make myself eat 'cause nausea and weight loss. Doctors dismiss it, but I have read about serotonin and other levels being too high. I regret taking this and currently waiting for my body to be deficient again just so I can feel OK. First 15 hours bad. Doctor said 2-3 days, but it's been my 6th day. Read after 15 days, vitamin D is down to 50%. 25% by 30 days. I avoid light, any vitamin D foods, anything to cause serotonin levels to go up. I was better off in my level mental state. Hope this may help calm you if you are having effects."

• Peb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2021

For Vitamin D Deficiency "I have fibromyalgia, and the Dr. suggested I have my blood checked, and they found that I’m pretty low on vitamin D. I was put on cholecalciferol, 2x 800-unit caps a day. Initially, I was fine, but on day 4, my stomach started to whine and churn, and I was nauseous. On day 5, I was doubled up in pain, stomach cramps, diarrhea, a banging headache, puffy, bloated! I spoke to the Dr., who said it’s not a ‘normal response.’ She then rechecked the ‘possible other side effects,’ and there they were-lots of them. I’ve stopped taking the capsules, and 3 days later, I’m still poorly-less poorly, admittedly, but maybe these things should be started gradually. Nasty experience that’s still with me, but hopefully, it’ll continue to ease in the coming days. The Dr. suggested I let my gut settle, then resume once daily, but that is not going to happen."