Hey Nik,

I missed your post last week. The following chart illustrates the 30 day response rate.  As you can see, some CHers experience a significant drop in the frequency of their CH after the first or second dose. 80% of CHers who start this regimen experience this significant response or better yet a pain free response in the first 30 days. 

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The most of the remaining 18% who didn't respond in the first 30 days, usually do so with higher maintenance doses of 15,000 to 25,000 IU/day.

The two month figure for a response comes into play if you don't do the 12-Day accelerated vitamin D3 loading schedule as that's how long it could take to reach a 25(OH)D3 therapeutic serum concentration without loading

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Hey Hoppy,

Good question.  Taking one D3-50/week works out to an average of 7,100 IU/day. A number of studies found little difference in 25(OH)D3 response to either daily doses of 10,000 IU/day or weekly dosing at 70,000 IU once a week.

A number of us have found the Bio-Tech D3-50 50,000 IU water soluble vitamin D3 has a higher bioequivalence in elevating serum 25(OH)D3 than the same dose of the oil-based liquid softgel vitamin D3 formulations.

No matter the vitamin D3 dose, the time course 25(OH)D3 serum concentration curves all follow the same pattern eventually leveling off as illustrated in the following graphic from a study by Dr. Robert Heaney, MD.

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The reason 25(OH)D3 levels off and doesn't continue to rise is due to a function of calcium homeostasis where cells start expressing 24-Hydroxylase vitamin D3.  Calcium homeostaysis is a complex set of mechanisms that control serum calcium concentrations and keep them in a very narrow range.

The 24-Hydorxylase enzyme adds a hydroxyl group [OH] to the 24th position on the vitamin D3 molecule and its metabolites resulting in 24-Hydroxy vitamin D3 a.k.a., 24(OH)D3, 24,25(OH)2D3 and in a few cases 1,24,25(OH)3D3.

The interesting thing about 24-Hdroxylation is these 24-Hydroxylated vitamin D3 metabolites break down rapidly and are either filtered out by the kidneys and dumped over the side in urine or they're filtered by the liver and passed through the GI tract. 

Ultimately, the level of 24-Hydroxylation consumes equal amounts of vitamin D3 taken causing an equilibrium in 25(OH)D3, i.e., flattening of the serum concentration curve as illustrated in the above chart.

An example of the higher D3-50 bioequivalence follows.  10,000 IU/day (70,000 IU/week) of the oil-based liquid softgel vitamin D3 results in a mean 25(OH)D3 response of 80 ng/mL while 50,000 IU/week of the Bio-Tech D3-50 results in a mean 25(OH)D3 response of 80 ng/mL. 

Here is where the boron in the Kirkland Adult 50+ Mature Multi comes into play.  Boron down-regulates the genes that express 24-Hydroxylase.  Less 24-Hydroxylase means a higher 25(OH)D3 response.  The 150 µg of boron in the Mature Multi is worth an additional 3 to 5 ng/mL response taking one Bio-Tech D3-50 a week.  However, if you take 3 mg/day boron with the one Bio-Tech D3-50 a week, the 25(OH)D3 response nearly doubles to 150 ng/mL.

The following chart illustrates lab results of my serum 25(OH(D3, calcium and PTH over the last three years.

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My PCP is very familiar with my vitamin D3 intake and 25(OH)D3 response and has no problem with my 25(OH)D3 this high as long as my serum calcium remains within its normal reference range. As you can see it has.

The other thing to note is I've been taking the Bio-Tech D3-50 at one a week since January of 2019.  I've also taken 3 mg Boron at least once a week along with the rest of this regimen daily.  As you can see my 25(OH)D3 response has been steady at 150 ng/mL.

I've updated the supplements to include the Methyl Folate + (B complex) in place of the vitamin B 50/100 complex.  Rationale: The methylated forms of vitamin B have a higher bioequivalence.  I've found this combination gets me through the heavy pollen season without needing to increase my vitamin D3 intake.

Finally make sure you add 3 grams/day vitamin C (1g three times a day) and 30 to 50 mg/day zinc as this is the best immune-boosting strategy we can take to help fight off SARS-C0V-2 virus and the COVID-19 infection.  Adding Resveratrol or better yet, the Resveratrol analog, Pterostilbene.  It helps zinc enter cells to stop the SARS-C0V-2 virus from replicating.

See my Coronavirus PSA thread for more details.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Hoppy,

It sure looks that way from the labs sent by CHers taking this regimen since they switched to the Bio-Tech D3-50 and continued taking the Mature Multi.  25(OH)D3 data from the online survey for 2019 looks the same.

The real welcome changes in efficacy are the 30-day response rates for significant reduction and pain free.  The year over year mean for significant reduction has 80% of participants experiencing a drop from 21 CH/week down to 4 CH/week in the first 30 days after start of regimen.  For 2019 the rate was over 90% of CHers responding.  30-day pain free mean response through 2018 jumped from 52% up to 67% reporting CH pain free in 2019.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Hey Slacker,

I take the Methyl Folate + daily as it is also a vitamin B complex.  The big difference is the B vitamins in the Methyl Folate complex are all methylated which gives them a higher bioequivalence. I stopped taking the B100 complex when I switched to the Methyl Folate +.

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Hey Fitzer,

Great question.  The latest version of the anti-inflammatory regimen CH and MH preventative treatment protocol calls for staying on the accelerated vitamin D3 loading schedule until you experience a significant reduction in CH frequency or up to 30 days whichever occurs first.  At the 30 day mark, you need to drop back to a maintenance dose of 10,000 IU/day with the liquid softgel vitamin D3 formulations or 50,000 IU/week with the Bio-Tech D3-50 50,000 IU water soluble form of vitamin D3.  At that point you also need to see your PCP/GP for lab test of your serum 25(OH)D3, calcium and PTH.  These labs are important primarily to ensure serum calcium remains within its normal reference range so there's no hypercalcemia.

There have been a few CHers who needed to elevate their serum 25(OH)D3 above 200 ng/mL (two over 300 ng/mL) before they experienced a significant reduction in CH frequency.  All of them did this under medical supervision by their PCP/GP with frequent labs for 25(OH)D3 and calcium.

If you've not switched to the Bio-Tech D3-50, now would be a good time to switch.  We've found the Bio-Tech D3-50 to be faster acting with a higher bioequivalence in elevating serum 25(OH)D than the same dose of the oil-based liquid softgel vitamin D3 formulations.

We've also found the Methyl Folate+ vitamin B complex also helps vitamin D3 to be more effective as the methylated forms of vitamin D3 have a higher bioequivalence.

Doubling the Omega-3 fish oil dose has helped several CH achieve a favorable response to this regimen as has taking 1000 mg/day Turmeric (Curcumin), another natural anti-inflammatory agent.

For reference, as illustrated by the 3-year record of my labs for serum 25(OH)D3, calcium and PTH, I've needed to maintain my serum 25(OH)D3 around 150 ng/mL and at times as high as 180 ng/mL to remain CH pain free during heavy pollen and mold spore seasons which is most of the time where I live.

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There are several reasons why you haven't responded to this regimen.  Please shoot me a PM with your email address so we can take this topic off-line to discuss and I can provide additional information that may be helpful.

In regards to stopping this regimen, the health benefits are so great, I would continue taking it even if there's no response to your CH. The COVID-19 pandemic is a classic example as illustrated in the following graphics and good reason to stay on this regimen.

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Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch