Free vitamin D

[Garno]

Has anyone else taken up the offer of free vitamin D tablets from the govt?

I think it was round abouts November last year I received a letter informing me that I was entitled to free vitamin D tablets whilst shielding, I had to register my interest and heard nothing for a few months. About 3 or 4 weeks ago a small parcel arrived with a 3 month supply and I was wondering if anyone else gets them?

 

[artie]

Is this for general health, or specifically for covid?

 

[Garno]

I think it's a covid thing

 

[marcros]

I presume it is because you were told not to go outside and get natural vit d.

 

[Cabinetman]

There has been a lot of background buzz about vitamin D and Covid, a lot of medical people are saying why on earth aren’t the governments promoting this like mad. They tested people that died and they nearly all had low vitamin D. They tested people who got over it very quickly and they had medium to high levels of vitamin D. They think it’s possibly why people who have traditionally lived in sunny climes are now suffering in latitudes like ours as they aren’t getting enough sunshine/vitamin D. Also linked to why we get worse outcomes for flu in the winter months. I had mine tested about six months ago and I was full of the stuff after having spent the summer in sunny America but now I’m taking it as my levels will probably have dropped by now. Ian
Ps as Marcros said – stuck indoors not getting enough sunshine so trying to boost it in shielders.

 

[Cabinetman]

Forgot to mention even on a sunny day in the UK at this sort of time of year the chances of boosting your vitamin D levels are next to zero, the sun just doesn’t get high enough and has to pass through too much atmosphere, so without supplements our reserves drop and we succumb to viral infections more easily. Ian

 

[Duncan A]

From the NHS website:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It's important to take vitamin D as you may have been indoors more than usual this year.

You should take 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D a day between October and early March to keep your bones and muscles healthy.

There have been some reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19). But there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D to prevent or treat coronavirus.

AND.....

During the autumn and winter, you need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun is not strong enough for the body to make vitamin D.

But since it's difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

Between late March/early April to the end of September, most people can get all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from a balanced diet.

You may choose not to take a vitamin D supplement during these months.

>>>>>>>>>>>>
My understanding is that the evidence about Vitamin D on Covid is still not conclusive but that taking supplements can do no harm and may help. Dark-skinned people take up the vitamin D from the sun less readily than light-skinned people so it is even more important for them.

Duncan

 

[Cheshirechappie]

My mother was prescribed Vitamin D supplements about June last year. Within a fortnight, she'd developed constipation and nausea, so stopped taking them, whereupon said symptoms cleared up. At her recent annual medications review, she reported this to the doc, who as a consequence stopped prescribing them.

Medical science has these fads from time to time - statins being another one. Maybe there is some benefit for some people, but clearly not for all.

 

[Rorschach]

We take vitamin D everyday along with a cheap multivitamin. Costs us a few Pence per day, worth it just for peace of mind.

 

[eezageeza]

There was a clinical trial completed in Spain just a few weeks ago where covid patients were given big doses of vit D when they were admitted to hospital. It was a proper randomised control trial where one group of patients got 'normal' treatment for covid, the other group were dosed up with calcifidiol (which is what the liver makes from vitamin D). The trial results showed much better outcomes for the treated group, suggesting vitamin D deficiency is a problem, so keep taking the tablets!

 

[Droogs]

I didn't sign up for them but received a bottle of 400 from auntie Nichola. i figured 200 days ought to be long enough so shared mine with SWMBO. If not she can get off her arrse a go get some more and some nik naks while she's at it, oh and a bottle of rasberry pepsi, which I have discovered I quite like

 

[TheUnicorn]

I'm shielding, requested the free vit d that was offered by the govt, haven't heard any more, I think I was expecting it in January, wondering at the time why they were going to send it at the END of winter. As said elsewhere, they cost pennies, and I now have a supply of one a day, bought myself. A mismanaged effort, what a surprise

 

[Rorschach]

You would probably be better buying them yourself anyway, if you accepted government tablets they would no doubt cost the state far more than supermarket prices.

 

[TheUnicorn]

You would probably be better buying them yourself anyway, if you accepted government tablets they would no doubt cost the state far more than supermarket prices.

possibly, but a bulk buy order of millions like that should by rights cost a fraction of market price

 

[Oraclebhoy]

I was told to start taking them last week as my blood tests said my vitamin D level was really bad. Told to buy them over the counter, think a months supply was less than £2 and that’s for the max strength ones.

 

[Rorschach]

possibly, but a bulk buy order of millions like that should by rights cost a fraction of market price

It doesn't work for things like Paracetamol which our surgery will now only prescribe to people on benefits because it costs the NHS many more times what a pack costs in the supermarket.

It's not just the cronyism and companies ripping off the NHS, there is also the costs of admin and postage to send them. Our local supermarket (Lidl) sells high strength VitD tablets for less than 2p per tablet, they are strong enough that you could take one every other day and still get more than minimum recommended by the NHS.

 

[Oraclebhoy]

I’m on more tablets per day that I care to count for chest pain and apart from the codine, I buy the rest from Wilko/Boyes/B&M/Aldi/Lidl or whatever shop is cheaper. Most are between 45 and 65p per box.

 

[TheUnicorn]

I’m on more tablets per day that I care to count for chest pain and apart from the codine, I buy the rest from Wilko/Boyes/B&M/Aldi/Lidl or whatever shop is cheaper. Most are between 45 and 65p per box.

I notice boots isn't on that list, can't get over their prices, about 5 times the price of supermarket own brand stuff

 

[Rorschach]

I notice boots isn't on that list, can't get over their prices, about 5 times the price of supermarket own brand stuff

Boots are weird, their own brand paracetamol etc are very expensive but their own brand "recovery powder" is cheaper than anywhere else I have found.

 

[stevek]

My wife has had us on vit D for the past couple of months, I mentioned somthing about the cost and she quoted an article that had investigated the actual amounts of various vitamines in over the counter suppliments,,and the results were shocking, ie Vit D tablets with almost no Vit D in them, sounds crazy but true, its somthing to do with the way these tablets are regulated, anyway, you need to be very careful if buying the cheap ones as even if it says so and so amount on the box it apparently does not have to be the case and often isn't! I guess an internet search would bring up some info about this.
This is a link to the article which was in Which the consumer magazine,
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/03/revealed-vitamin-supplements-that-dont-contain-what-they-say/