Use of a Loading Dose of Vitamin D for Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients With Intestinal Failure.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome who have been weaned of parenteral nutrition. Dietary supplementation with vitamin D is necessary to correct this deficiency. In certain cases, routine supplementation strategy may be ineffective. We report 3 cases of vitamin D deficiency in patients with intestinal failure who showed improvement in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels after supplementation with a loading dose of 20,000-40,000 IU vitamin D provided weekly.