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4 Things to Know About Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis
Vitamin D is often talked about as an important vitamin that helps the body stay fit and strong, but it could also help in the fight against multiple sclerosis (MS). While there still needs to be more research into the beneficial effects of vitamin D, there are some things to know about its relationship with MS.
Learn more about vitamin D and MS here.
Do you take vitamin D supplements? Do you notice any positive impact on your overall health and/or MS symptoms as a result of supplementing your vitamin D intake?
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9 Replies
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Yes I take 2 vitamin D tabs every two weeks for about 2 years, I have not noticed any difference. and often wonder why I am taking them. I thought people close to the equater suffer from MS, and we get vitamin D from the sun. So I am mystified…thinking of not taking them.
Jilly
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Jilly – you have things back to front re latitude and MS – people closer to the equator generally have a LOWER incidence of MS. And taking two Vit D tabs every two weeks doesn’t meant anything to anyone unless you note how many IUs the tablets are. Also, if they are Vit D2 instead of D3 they will not be as useful to your body. Additionally, taking occasional very high doses of Vit D is less beneficial than smaller daily doses as with the occasional big doses your body will just excrete larger amounts of it thus you get less benefit (and a higher risk or too much calcium in your blood).
There are known correlations between low Vit D levels and MS, but no-one has actually been able to define whether it is “cause and effect” or “reverse causation”. That is, it’s not known whether low Vit D levels contribute to getting MS and/or MS relapses, or having MS means that you need more Vit D and thus when tested your levels may be on the low side. Some followers of a couple of the anti-dairy/no meat type “MS Diets” which promote very high levels of Vit D consumption swear black and blue that if they don’t take their Vit D they get relapses or fatigue, but the reality is that while the relationships are known there is at this time no confirmed evidence that low Vit D will actually CAUSE a relapse. Many PwMS take fairly high levels of Vit D but doing so doesn’t necessarily mean you can or will notice any difference in how you feel.
Professor Giovanonni of the London School of Medicine is one of the world’s leading MS experts, and he recommends following the Vit D Council’s recommendations, which is 5,000 IU of D3 daily for people with MS (and the same for those without MS). Because the evidence is not confirmed via multiple clinical trials/studies in relation to Vit D and MS this amount is recommended on the basis of “bone health” – i.e. helping to prevent osteoporosis, as Vit D is essential for helping to send calcium to your bones and teeth where it is needed. Studies in the MS/Vit D area are ongoing to try and tease out the mechanics of the MS/Vit D relationships, such as the PrevANZ trial being run in Australia.
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Hi FB,
Thanks for that great info about Vitamin D. At the recommendation of my neuro I’ve been taking D3, 2000 units, for many years. Does it help? Who knows? But it seems to be a good thing to do.
By the way, I’m a fan of Professor Giovanonni. There’s a ton of useful information on his blog.
Ed
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Thanks FB, I did get it backwards, so sorry for that. I will check with my doctor about which Vit. D she is giving me. I have no idea what doseage I am getting.
So, it should be Vit. D3, daily?
What does 5000 IU mean?
Jilly.
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Hi Jilly, I hope you stick with taking the Vitamin D3. There is so much written about it’s benefits for those of us with MS. Is 5000 IU the dosage that you are taking?
Thank-you FB for your comments and sharing information with us.
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Oh, IU is international Unit. Got it. Must check all this with my doctor. thanks all.
And I also googled the equator, it’s been along time since I was at school, had to refresh my memory, I am miles away from the equator, aha. Thanks all for the lesson. Smiling.
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This just in. I am precribed 2 Colecalciferol 1.25mg each, Vit D3 once a month.
Jilly Pp. ms
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Right now, I take 10,ooo0 IU day. It makes a difference for me. I had only been taking 10,000 IU a week, and was having joint and leg pain problems when I started taking Fosamaax. I raised my Vit D and the pain stopped.
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If you convert 1.25mg to IUs it is about 100,000 IU per month – and large doses such as this which are taken weeks apart are called “bolus” dosing. Quite a few run-of-the-mill doctors get worried about Vit D at this level – they get concerned about blood calcium levels getting too high but this is not a common occurrence at this amount. It might be worth checking with your Dr if there is actually a sound reason for the schedule your are on, and talk about whether you can change the frequency and take lower doses on a daily basis – there have been some studies which show that lower doses taken more often are better utilised by your body, and maintain a steadier less fluctuating level of Vit D. And D3 or cholecalciferol is the correct one to be taking – taking D2 just means your body has to turn it into D3 before it can use it. D3 is readily available from pharmacies and does not need a prescription.
There are also other substances which are an important part of the Vit D metabolisation process (especially Vitamin K) and which are meant to contribute to Vit D helping send calcium to where it is meant to go i.e. bones and teeth – much of this is relatively new research which hasn’t yet filtered down to mainstream medicine. However, some manufacturers are starting to produce supplements which have Vit D and Vit K in them, some also have calcium, as the usual “user” is someone who is taking them as a supplement for bone strength. This link is to the Vit D Council website (which is the organisation whose recommendations Prof Giovannoni follows)
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