The use of moderate dose vitamin D supplements remains controversial. In this newsletter I provide a rationale, based on bone health, for keeping yourself vitamin D replete.
I live in Australia. My vitamin D levels are checked every 6 months by my Neurologist as standard practice - funded by Medicare (no cost to the pwMS). I take vitamin D tablets, more during winter and less in summer. Is there some way pwMS can lobby the NHS to get vitamin D testing. I find this outrageous. Most Australians generally have their Vitamin D also checked by their Family Doctor, also funded by Medicare - no cost to the client. I’m so disappointed to hear NHS won’t fund this important test.
Very interesting, thank you, had no idea that immune cells consumed vitD3 - amazing! I read somewhere that bit D3 is a hormone precursor but have to admit I don’t really understand but just know it’s crucial to most cells! Do you know if the sprays are as effective as the tabs Prof G? I give the kids (9/12) a squirt of the 2000iu as a (hopefully) preventative MS measure. Final query - although no conclusive studies, do you think that very low vitD3 levels throughout childhood may contribute to developing MS later in life? Thank you!!!
5000 IU/day keeps my levels around 150nmol/L. I do take some calcium as I do not eat any milk products. I will ask my HCP to get al my vitamins checked, this a long time ago. Should be standard for pwms as they follow strict diets most of the time.
My neuro checks my VitD levels every 6mo. When I was first diagnosed I wasn't supplementing and I had a level of 17ng/mL. She told me to start taking VitD and I now take 6000IU daily and hover around 40ng/mL. She says that is OK and has not advised me to take more.
My family members seem to keep their blood levels in the middle of the normal range with 5000 iu/50 kg. body weight every other day. I was once massively overdosed 13 years ago by a doctor who looked at me and my very advanced disability state and high relapse rate and assumed I was vitamin D deficient without testing (I never was) and directed me to take 100,000 daily for a week. It took about 2 months to get my levels down to the normal range.
Many thanks for this information, would you recommend 4000IU for prevention in adult children, and is it worth getting their vitamin D levels checked by one of the online companies if this isn't possible within the NHS? If you have any other advice for prevention in family members that would be great!
This calculator calculates the estimated daily intake required to reach your target vitamin D serum level.
For the calculation of the required daily intake simply key in current weight in kg, current daily supplement intake in mcg, current vitamin D (25OHD) serum level in nmol/L, the desired serum level and press calculate.
It's worth emphasizing that although vitamin d could just be a correlation(i doubt it-i have bad vD genes and my cousin with MS has even lower vD levels), sunlight exposure HAS a direct influence on MS severity. Don't listen to the dermatologist when they tell you not to go out in the middle of the day and get a good dose of sunlight, you will be better for it.
William B. Grant latests recommendation is: Vitamin D levels 60-80 ng/ml (150-200 nmol/L) improve health: Cancer, COVID-19, CVD, diabetes. (IV Internat Vit D Mediterranean Congress, Rome, Aug. 30, 2021)
I started taking 1000iu pretty much the day after I was diagnosed, last year I went up to 3000iu after asking MS nurse. I had my levels checked privately and they are 159nmol/l - I have no idea what they ever were before that. I was considering taking more but now reading this maybe the 3000iu is fine
Vitamin D is such a critical nutrient in the human body. What I've found is that people who have low vitamin D levels and put the vitamin D right under their tongue can often get their levels up - even when other types of supplementation aren't working.
My neuro started me on D3 supplements about a year ago. My levels were extremely low. I am now up to 45ng but it has been with me taking 10K IU a day. I do not get out much at all because of the heat in Florida. My levels are checked every 4-6 months
I live in Australia. My vitamin D levels are checked every 6 months by my Neurologist as standard practice - funded by Medicare (no cost to the pwMS). I take vitamin D tablets, more during winter and less in summer. Is there some way pwMS can lobby the NHS to get vitamin D testing. I find this outrageous. Most Australians generally have their Vitamin D also checked by their Family Doctor, also funded by Medicare - no cost to the client. I’m so disappointed to hear NHS won’t fund this important test.
Very interesting, thank you, had no idea that immune cells consumed vitD3 - amazing! I read somewhere that bit D3 is a hormone precursor but have to admit I don’t really understand but just know it’s crucial to most cells! Do you know if the sprays are as effective as the tabs Prof G? I give the kids (9/12) a squirt of the 2000iu as a (hopefully) preventative MS measure. Final query - although no conclusive studies, do you think that very low vitD3 levels throughout childhood may contribute to developing MS later in life? Thank you!!!
I take 10,000 iu per day which keeps my level at about 230nmo. I cut it to 5,000 a year ago & my vit D level dropped to 150nmo so I went back up.
5000 IU/day keeps my levels around 150nmol/L. I do take some calcium as I do not eat any milk products. I will ask my HCP to get al my vitamins checked, this a long time ago. Should be standard for pwms as they follow strict diets most of the time.
I really like how you write that the, "MS community can’t seem get its s*** together." I believe that’s a very apt description.
My neuro checks my VitD levels every 6mo. When I was first diagnosed I wasn't supplementing and I had a level of 17ng/mL. She told me to start taking VitD and I now take 6000IU daily and hover around 40ng/mL. She says that is OK and has not advised me to take more.
My family members seem to keep their blood levels in the middle of the normal range with 5000 iu/50 kg. body weight every other day. I was once massively overdosed 13 years ago by a doctor who looked at me and my very advanced disability state and high relapse rate and assumed I was vitamin D deficient without testing (I never was) and directed me to take 100,000 daily for a week. It took about 2 months to get my levels down to the normal range.
Many thanks for this information, would you recommend 4000IU for prevention in adult children, and is it worth getting their vitamin D levels checked by one of the online companies if this isn't possible within the NHS? If you have any other advice for prevention in family members that would be great!
Any thoughts on taking K2 alongside the vitamin D - there seems to be quite a cost difference so if the K2 is superfluous...
Vitamin D supplements: what dose?
Why don’t we use the Vitamin D*calculator™?
This calculator calculates the estimated daily intake required to reach your target vitamin D serum level.
For the calculation of the required daily intake simply key in current weight in kg, current daily supplement intake in mcg, current vitamin D (25OHD) serum level in nmol/L, the desired serum level and press calculate.
https://www.grassrootshealth.net/project/dcalculator/
It's worth emphasizing that although vitamin d could just be a correlation(i doubt it-i have bad vD genes and my cousin with MS has even lower vD levels), sunlight exposure HAS a direct influence on MS severity. Don't listen to the dermatologist when they tell you not to go out in the middle of the day and get a good dose of sunlight, you will be better for it.
William B. Grant latests recommendation is: Vitamin D levels 60-80 ng/ml (150-200 nmol/L) improve health: Cancer, COVID-19, CVD, diabetes. (IV Internat Vit D Mediterranean Congress, Rome, Aug. 30, 2021)
https://is.gd/6Y2aw5
I started taking 1000iu pretty much the day after I was diagnosed, last year I went up to 3000iu after asking MS nurse. I had my levels checked privately and they are 159nmol/l - I have no idea what they ever were before that. I was considering taking more but now reading this maybe the 3000iu is fine
Vitamin D is such a critical nutrient in the human body. What I've found is that people who have low vitamin D levels and put the vitamin D right under their tongue can often get their levels up - even when other types of supplementation aren't working.
https://mattcook.substack.com/p/men-taking-vitamin-d-are-still-too
My neuro started me on D3 supplements about a year ago. My levels were extremely low. I am now up to 45ng but it has been with me taking 10K IU a day. I do not get out much at all because of the heat in Florida. My levels are checked every 4-6 months