The basic rule of thumb I will now use for vitamin D, as a result of this article, will be the same as any other hormone: to commit to having blood hormone leve

The basic rule of thumb I will now use for vitamin D, as a result of this article, will be the same as any other hormone: to commit to having blood hormone levels tested at least twice, once prior to medication (to confirm necessity and safety) and once after every 6-12 weeks of medication (ramping up through annually, once the dose is calibrated, until treatment ends). If you don’t test it before, you have no idea whether you’re treating anything or not. If you don’t test it after, you have no idea whether you’re taking too little or too much. If you don’t test it every couple months at first, you won’t be able to calibrate your dosage levels properly. That’s a lot of blood tests, but the alternative is risking wasting your time and money, or wasting your health, time, and money, on potentially useless or harmful dosages. And if you don’t think it’s worth a blood test, you probably ought not take it. (I do not currently need to take vitamin D, thanks blood tests!)