Now I'm afraid to take the 50.000 IU and wake up with horrible bags. What could be the problem? Bad liver, liver congestion, low potassium, low calcium, low thyroid? Anyone?
Sunnieday (Baltimore, Md, Usa) on 12/17/2010

Dear Earth Clinic:
I've recently started supplementing with 2,000 I. U. of Vitamin D nightly, before bedtime, in the hopes that it will help with my depression. The Mirena IUD ruined my emotional state (causing not only depression, but panic attacks, anxiety and ridiculous mood swings), and I've spent the last five years trying numerous supplements and "therapy" to get back to "my old self". Needless to say, I haven't had much luck. In any case, when I take the Vitamin D at night, I've noticed upon waking that I have a lot of phlegm in my chest; it takes me about half an hour to cough it all up. At first, I thought that it may either be due to a recent cold or the fact that I get recurring sinus infections. However, I remember reading somewhere that Vitamin D is good for the lungs, so I'm wondering if the phlegm is a good thing? Should I continue to take it? If so, should I decrease the dose or increase the dose?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Briona (Santa Monica, Ca) on 04/16/2010

A few months ago, I was feeling a bit down and slightly depressed, perhaps due to the lack of sunshine during our rainy winter, and decided to take Vitamin D. I am pretty picky when it comes to my health so I selected a reputable brand of D3 (cholecalciferol) and started taking 6000 IU a day. First, my energy level increased and my mood brightened up but after hardly a week, I started feeling very tired, and not well. My legs felt very heavy, like if I had poor blood circulation; going up the stairs became challenging and my muscles were shivering - or felt like it. One night, I woke up, my body in spasm. This is when I stopped taking D3. All symptoms disappeared within 24-48 hours.
Mussen (Montreal, Canada) on 12/02/2008

With all the hype around vitamin D3 nowadays, I thought I would try it. But this is my second time I've tried and stopped because I hate the way it changes my body odor, including my "female parts" and when I work up a sweat. Even my cats have noticed when sitting in my lap....
Perhaps it's because I rarely eat meat that I really noticed the change, but I can't tolerate it. I feel really animal-ly. I noticed my libido increased a bit and I had a touch more energy, but it's not worth it for me. I'll just try to get more sunshine in the winter.