What Is 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 Used For?

The oral adult dose of vitamin D-3, or cholecalciferol, used to treat vitamin D insufficiency is 400 to 1000 international units, or IU, once a day, according to Drugs.com. The usual dose of vitamin D-3 cholecalciferol used to treat adults with a vitamin D deficiency is 1000 IU once daily.

The usual dose of cholecalciferol prescribed to prevent falls in adults is 800 IU daily, taken with calcium, reports Drugs.com. Cholecalciferol is used in pediatric cases to treat vitamin D deficiency and rickets. Infants from 1 to 12 months of age are given daily doses that range from 1000 to 5000 IU for two to three months. The dose is decreased to 400 IU daily when x-rays indicate that the bones have healed.

Cholecalciferol is a vitamin D-3 that is required for the absorption of calcium from the stomach, explains Drugs.com. It is essential to the functioning of calcium in the body, and is used primarily to treat skin and bone conditions that result from insufficient levels of vitamin D. Geriatric patients over age 65 can be given doses as high as 100,000 IU orally every four months. Individuals who experience allergic reactions to vitamin D and those with high blood levels of calcium are advised against the use of cholecalciferol.

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