Since I don't get nearly as much sunlight as a cave man would have, I decided to try a regular supplement.  Since I didn't want to have to take a pill every day, I got some 5000 IU pills - the largest I could find at my grocer - planning to take one a week or so.

Anyway, I noticed a few weird effects in the couple days after taking the pill.

I got a bunch of twinges that lasted a few minutes each in various parts of my body.  I get these occasionally, but not so many so frequently.  I don't mind them, but I kind of wonder what they indicate is going on.

I also got temporary arthritis like symptoms in my end thumb joints, similar to what I get when I have a lot of nightshades.  This one does bother me.  I did not eat any nightshades.

Anyone else ever noticed anything like this?  Any thoughts on what's going on?

For what it's worth, I've been getting 30-120 minutes of sun on face and hands, and sometimes forearms, every other day or so.

Have you checked the ingredients of your tablets? Could be something from there playing you up, it's surprising what's used to make things. My old Vitamin D tablets had more chemicals in its ingredients than Vitamin D

The vitamin D side effects include high blood calcium levels, or hypercalcemia. Some diseases that can cause this Hyperthyroidism,Granulomatous diseases such as sarcoidosis, granulomatous TB, oat cell carcinoma of the lung, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. People who suffer from these diseases is to consult a physician before starting vitamin D supplement program. In fact, regular blood tests of vitamin D are the best way to handle all the vitamin D and the need to complete.

The vitamin D side effects include high blood calcium levels, or hypercalcemia. Some diseases that can cause this Hyperthyroidism,Granulomatous diseases such as sarcoidosis, granulomatous TB, oat cell carcinoma of the lung, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. People who suffer from these diseases is to consult a physician before starting vitamin D supplement program. In fact, regular blood tests of vitamin D are the best way to handle all the vitamin D and the need to complete.

You should consult a physician with all supplements, diets, etc.  It is true that if you suffer from the above diseases you should not supplement with vitamin D, but there is ample evidence to suggest all Americans are deficient and need supplementation.    the question is how much, and there is where the controversy is.  I'd suggest going to the sticky note here and Robb Wolf or Loren Cordain's websites for references.

An alternative and less processed form of vitamin D is cod liver oil, but it's possible to overdose on it.  I've been having a tablespoon per day of that instead of 1000 IU D3 for the last week or so.  I can't tell much difference in terms of the effects on me; both have been holding off the weird bone aches this winter, but those may take months to surface.

Since I don't get nearly as much sunlight as a cave man would have, I decided to try a regular supplement.  Since I didn't want to have to take a pill every day, I got some 5000 IU pills - the largest I could find at my grocer - planning to take one a week or so.

Anyway, I noticed a few weird effects in the couple days after taking the pill.

I got a bunch of twinges that lasted a few minutes each in various parts of my body.  I get these occasionally, but not so many so frequently.  I don't mind them, but I kind of wonder what they indicate is going on.

I also got temporary arthritis like symptoms in my end thumb joints, similar to what I get when I have a lot of nightshades.  This one does bother me.  I did not eat any nightshades.

Anyone else ever noticed anything like this?  Any thoughts on what's going on?

For what it's worth, I've been getting 30-120 minutes of sun on face and hands, and sometimes forearms, every other day or so.

It is unlikely that Vitamin D is causing your symptoms, especially since you had them before you began taking it. My wife and I both take aound 6500 IU a day and I had my D levels checked about 6 months ago - they were optimal. If you are curious, have your Vitamin D3 levels checked (simple blood test). The reading should be somewhere between 50 and 100 (I forget the exact terminology but you can google it).

I felt very tired when I first started taking a D3 supplement and when I researched, I found that to process vitamin D you use up magnesium. So, if you are low in magnesium and you supplement vitamin D, you might end up even lower in magnesium. Might be worth looking into?

I take magnesium as well.
No matter what your diet is, the need to supplement exists. Food cannot provide all that we need for optimal health.