Measuring Baseline 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
Placeholder: serum 25-OH-D defines deficiency severity before dosing begins.
- <20 ng/mL: Deficient (placeholder threshold)
- 20–29 ng/mL: Insufficient (placeholder threshold)
- 30–50 ng/mL: Sufficient (target range)
- 25-OH-D: Assay (best status marker)
Why 25-OH-D is measured
Placeholder: 25-OH-D is the stable circulating form used for status.
Severity classification
Placeholder: mild, moderate, severe bands set the treatment plan.
Calculating the Weight-Adjusted Repletion Dose
Placeholder: higher severity and higher body weight both raise the starting dose.
- 50,000 IU/wk: Typical dose (placeholder regimen)
- 6–12 wks: Duration (severity-dependent)
- 0.7–1.6×: Weight factor (placeholder scaling)
- D3: Form (cholecalciferol)
Severity-based starting dose
Placeholder: more severe deficiency gets a higher weekly dose.
Weight adjustment
Placeholder: heavier patients need proportionally more IU.
Blood Level Rising Toward the Target Range
Placeholder: weekly high-dose repletion raises 25-OH-D over several weeks.
- Saturating: Rise pattern (placeholder curve shape)
- ~8–12 wks: Recheck (placeholder interval)
- 30–50 ng/mL: Target (placeholder band)
- 25-OH-D: Monitoring (repeat assay)
Trajectory shape
Placeholder: level rises fastest early, then approaches target.
Monitoring cadence
Placeholder: recheck level before switching dosing phase.
Switching From Repletion to Maintenance Dosing
Placeholder: once target is reached, dose drops sharply to a daily maintenance level.
- 1,000–2,000 IU/day: Maintenance (placeholder range)
- Target reached: Trigger (placeholder rule)
- ~90%: Dose drop (placeholder magnitude)
- Overshoot: Risk if skipped (placeholder note)
Why the dose drops
Placeholder: repletion doses are too high for long-term daily use.
Maintenance sizing
Placeholder: daily dose keeps level steady near target.
Appropriate Dosing Achieves and Sustains Target Level
Placeholder: correct dosing hits target efficiently; mis-dosing under- or overshoots.
- Slow rise: Under-dosing (placeholder outcome)
- On target: Correct dosing (placeholder outcome)
- Toxicity risk: Over-dosing (placeholder — rare)
- >100 ng/mL: Toxicity level (placeholder threshold)
Under- vs over-dosing
Placeholder: too little dose delays repletion; too much risks toxicity.
Long-term maintenance
Placeholder: adjusted daily dose keeps level in range indefinitely.