I just found out i have a vitamin d deficiency and the doctor ordered me 50,000iu vitamin d pills 1x/week for 4 weeks. i'm nervous, seems like a lot?

Not a lot but...: That isn't a high dose unless taken daily for several months. However, it is probably vitamin D2 which is the synthetic form of the natural vitamin D3. It has been available for over 50 years but was not proven to be as good as the D3 form. In fact, a review of many studies has shows that it does not promote longevity or prevent fractures at all and the D3 does do both of those. Take D3 5000IU/day

Fine if D3,bad if D2: The 50, 000 unit dose of vit D may be D2, the prescription form. Research has shown this type may do more harm than good! any Doc who prescribes it is not informed of the research. Most adults need to take 5-8000 units/day of Vit D3 to achieve optimal levels (35-56,000 iu/wk). One usually does not get toxic unless taking 40,000 iu/day for months! See http://bit.ly/1hC250m & http://bit.ly/166DLiq

A dose of 50,000 IU for a limited time is commonly used to treat vitamin D deficiency.