. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Oct 6.

Published in final edited form as: J Musculoskelet Med. 2009 Oct;26(10):389–396.

Table 3.

Treatment options for patients with vitamin D deficiency

Name	Formulation	Description
Ergocalciferol	Vitamin D₂	A plant source of vitamin D available only by prescription at 50,000 IU per capsule
Cholecalciferol	Vitamin D₃	Represents the vitamin D found in dairy products, fatty fish, and over-the-counter supplements in doses of 400 – 1000 IU per tablet
Calcitriol	1.25(OH)₂D	Represents the biologically active form of vitamin D; used in patients with chronic kidney disease who are unable to convert 25(OH)D to 1.25(OH)₂D
Suntanning bed	UV-B	Induces skin synthesis of vitamin D precursor; long-term saftey with risk of skin cancer is unkonwn

25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; 1.25(OH)₂D, 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D.