Vitamin D3 Levels and Nerve Pain?
 

Hello:

Figured this might be a needed 'new' thread?

Question: Can anyone attest to or reference any experiences with increasing 'low' vitamin D3 results and reduced nerve pain?

Look forward to what anyone can share? Test results? Symptoms as the levels increased? Their diagnosis etc?

Regards,

JB

I do not really have an answer to your question, but I can say that a year and a half ago when I tested deficient in vitd, I had some face tingling/foot burning. I used a prescription vitd (extremely high amounts). My tingling and burning went away for maybe 9 months. I cannot say this is because of the vitd, as I also was on birth control for 6 months. This summer, my face started tingling again. And my feet started burning on the soles. Now I have what seems to be a full PN. I recently tested very low in vitd again. Don't know if they are connected but I realize I HAVE to keep up on the vitd. I take 2-3 2000iu daily.

What do you make of this article?

Is Vitamin D Insufficiency Associated With Peripheral Neuropathy?
http://journals.lww.com/theendocrino...ed_With.8.aspx

I think my PN started before I had a Vit-D deficiency. I got a lot of sun this summer but it didn't stop my PN from getting worse. I had hoped it would help but it didn't -- and I was getting the sun during the best time of the day (12-2 pm).

I still take 1,000 mg/day, however, because deficiency can cause other serious problems. I've got about five books on Vit-D, and probably need to read them again. Last time I read them I didn't know I had PN.

I've raised my Vit D intake from 1000IU daily 4 yrs ago to 10,000IU daily this past year (excepting summer when I tan outside alot).

My levels tested at 43 for 5000 IU, which was below the 70 that my doctor wanted. I didn't test this fall with my other blood work, since I seem to be doing well.

This is a link discussing Vit D for PN:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...hlight=vitamin

I think low D also causes paresthesias, due to impaired calcium absorption.

You really need to be tested. That is the only way to figure out how much D3 to take. (average suggestion is 1000IU to raise your tests 10pts in US). Some people however need less and others more than this general recommendation.

Some of the food manufacturers are adding D3 to milk, and yogurt now. This is fairly new. But still it is very difficult to get enough from food today.

Just getting sun is not enough for elderly patients. It is believed that with age the ability to convert sunlight is impaired. For those taking Statins to lower cholesterol, it might be even more impaired.

Both hubby and I have found that adequate D3 supplements prevent colds and flu also.

New research keeps coming forward, at a fast pace now, and we'll know much more about D3 and health in the next few years.

The question of vitamin D's relationship to chronic pain is not exactly new, nor is it limited to neurological pain.

Some time ago, in my neverending quest for pain management, I was tracking down the same kind of information about vitamin D and chronic pain in general. I found and assembled an armful of (what I thought was credible) documentation, including testing and recommendations from my rheumatologist, and marched off to my PCP. He's a reasonable guy, said he'd review it, look into it himself, and get back to me. He did, he did, and he did, and essentially said the same thing as this from Mayo (Some of my best evidence/"arguments" also came from Mayo):

(Emphasis mine. Unfortunately, the article doesn't say who Plotnikoff is. This may be a typo; they may be referring to Straube.)

There's a lot more in the article on both sides of the argument/discussion, and I would encourage anyone to read it in its entirety.

So after boosting my levels with megadosing in accordance with the rheumatist's recommendation, and in keeping with my own philosophy of, "If it can't hurt to try it, then it can't hurt to try it." (q.v. numerous previous posts) my wife & I both continued with taking D3, and recently upped our daily again (because of many other good reasons for taking it)
from 1000 to 5000 I.U.

So far, I can't say either of us have noticed any significant reduction in any kind of chronic pain - neuropathic or musculoskeletal (or PN symptoms) - attributable to vitamin D. But that doesn't mean I would dissuade anyone from pursuing it either.

Doc

Check this out:

Absorption Increases by 50% When Vitamin D Is Taken with Biggest Meal, Study Finds

I've read several books on Vitamin D, but don't recall one author stressing the importance of when to take supplements.

I'd bet we'd see the same type of results for CoQ10 or any other fat-soluble supplements if taken with the biggest meal of the day.

Perhaps the more important issue, however, is how much fat is in your meal. If your biggest meal of the day has very little fat, I'm not sure how much D3 or whatever will be absorbed. A lot of consumers have been advised to avoid fat.

Here is another study from 2010.... showing no difference from dry forms and oily forms used to administer oral D3.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...HnnaNdoqV88xEA