That's why I think it's safer to get sun exposure while ALSO taking oral vitamin D3.

If you put all reliance on one source and there is a problem then you've no fallback position.

At least with the oral + UVB the amount of vitamin d3 produced on the skin will be regulated by your current 25(OH)D level so the higher 25(OH)D level you achieve the less new vitamin D3 is produced/absorbed from the skin. So that way your chance of overdoing it are much reduced.

I don't have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, so I don't know how the information in the article relates to my situation.

Along with a bunch of other stuff, I take K2 and A, in addition to the D3. I think I have a reasonable layperson's understanding of how they interrelate in regards to bone health.

I am not inclined to sit out in the cold rain, while wearing summer clothing, so I don't quite know how to resolve that issue. It rains 9 months out of the year where I live, and it isn't warm rain. Few people carry umbrellas, finding raingear to be more effective: i.e. waterproof jackets in warmish weather, insulated waterproof parkas in cold weather, and quite often rainpants, if you're gonna be out in the stuff for more than a few hours. I spend plenty of time in the sun during nice weather, but that wont help during the long rainy season.
No one in my family was ever diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease of any kind, or anything like Chrone's disease. I have never been diagnosed with any of these diseases, either.

Should I just continue as I have been, and hope that the MCT carrier oil in the new D3 improves my ability to absorb the D3?

I did not know that about autoimmune disorders making D3 levels low. But I do know that when I increased my D# level to 10,000 ui's a day, my psorosis had improved significantly. That would make sense!

I'm sorry; I must have gotten confused!

WereBear, as I reread my post, it sure sounded snarky. I didn't mean it to come off like that, and I apologize.

I definitely have hypothyroidism, but I've never had any pain or swelling associated with my thyroid gland. My symptoms are just low body temperature, dry skin, lack of energy, and difficulty losing weight, and if it goes untreated for many months, I sometimes become depressed. The L-thyroxine relieves all of my hypothyroid symptoms. I'm not at all what could be called knowledgeable about Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but from what I gather, synthetic T-4 alone isn't sufficient for treatment. Is that not correct?

The problem I have with bone density is "soft bone disease". It's the same thing as osteoporosis, except it's caused by prescription medications, in my case dilantin. Nobody ever told me that if you took dilantin for a long time, it would literally eat your bones away. The doctors knew I was breaking my bones at the least provocation, but it wasn't until my ankle collapsed as I was walking to the door to let my dogs out, that a doctor finally figured out what was wrong.

So, that was back in 2003 or so, and I've been off dilantin since then, trying to repair the damage. My doctor wants me to take bisphosphonates, but I don't like the very nasty potential side effects, so I'm trying to figure it out on my own. Not having a great deal of success, but I'll keep trying.

Oh, I didn't think you were snarky; I'm glad to hear I wasn't completely off base on your conditions. I'm scheduled for a bone scan (that age!) and if it's not good I'm sure they will push the bisphosphonate. I agree with you, they are off the table for me, too.

Are you in a position where you can consider a new doctor? If all this present one can think of it is put you on another dangerous drug, then that's not a resource.

I used to think highly of naturopaths, or natural health chiropractors; but so many of them are vegetarians now, I question their judgement.

If you have adequate A & K2, you would have to work hard to get too much Vitamin D, is my latest understanding. And you are working from a deficit in D and the vital bone minerals (calcium, phosphorous, magnesium) that stretches back through all your dilantin use. You've got your level up to 47, which is better than my own test last fall (30) so I do think you are on the right track.

So in answer to your question, it would seem: "You were that low."

Just a strange idea, but would a tanning bed cause the skin to make Vitamin D, like sunlight does? I'm not interested in the tan, just the Vitamin D.

If the tanning bed has UVB bulbs it will.

I have a friend who owns a tanning bed. I'm thinking she'd probably let me use it. I would offer to pay something to offset to cost of the electricity. We have plans to have lunch on Tuesday, so I'll ask her about it then, i.e. whether it produces UVB rays. Can't hurt to check into it, anyway.