Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
LetterLetters

Vitamin D supplementation

Bruce Eveleigh
Canadian Family Physician September 2007; 53 (9) 1435;
Bruce Eveleigh
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

I was very impressed with Dr Schwalfenberg’s article on vitamin D in the May issue of Canadian Family Physician.1 Certainly vitamin D deficiency is common in northern regions, such as Canada, and its association with elevated risk of cancers, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and other conditions is concerning. This is an important health issue about which our colleagues should be well informed, and the review contributes substantially to this end. The only point I’m concerned about is the implication that prescribing vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) might be unsafe in managing deficiency. The papers referred to regarding vitamin D2 toxicity describe unusual cases of clear overdose, lack of monitoring, and ingestion of unregulated supplements. I have prescribed vitamin D2 dozens of times over the past few years and have found it to be effective in correcting vitamin D deficiency. Appropriately prescribed and monitored, vitamin D2 therapy doesn’t, in my experience, result in a follow-up blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) higher than desired. To correct a deficiency, I prescribe Ostoforte (1 capsule weekly for a few months, depending on the degree of deficiency). I check 25(OH)D levels after treatment (aiming for at least 80 nmol/L, but ideally 100 to 110 nmol/L), and then recommend an over-the-counter vitamin D3 supplement for maintenance and prevention (typically 1000 to 2000 IU per day). Once again, I commend you for an excellent review and for elevating awareness of this topic.

  • Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada

Reference

  1. ↵
    1. Schwalfenberg G
    . Not enough vitamin D. Health consequences for Canadians. Can Fam Physician 2007;53:841-54.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Canadian Family Physician: 53 (9)
Canadian Family Physician
Vol. 53, Issue 9
1 Sep 2007
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Vitamin D supplementation
(Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Vitamin D supplementation
Bruce Eveleigh
Canadian Family Physician Sep 2007, 53 (9) 1435;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Share
Vitamin D supplementation
Bruce Eveleigh
Canadian Family Physician Sep 2007, 53 (9) 1435;
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Reference
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • Response
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Private-public partnerships not a threat to Canada’s health care system
  • Collaboration required to fix “hidden curriculum”
  • Correction
Show more Letters

Similar Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
  • Collections - English
  • Collections - Française

For Authors

  • Authors and Reviewers
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Permissions
  • Terms of Use

General Information

  • About CFP
  • About the CFPC
  • Advertisers
  • Careers & Locums
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Subscribers

Journal Services

  • Email Alerts
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feeds

Copyright © 2025 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Powered by HighWire