fibromyalgia dx vitamin d deficiency

[MrObvious]

I know i feel like crap if I don't take D and I don't have Fibrio. My wife does and she and I take 1kIU a day and we feel better. She even says her Fibrio may just be a D deficiency.

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by Sit-n-Spin

Do you have any other problems from your deficiency? I think it causes problems with inflammation which might cause fibro symptoms and obviously skin problems like I mentioned. Ironically, I'd been avoiding the sun because of the rash because I didn't want to aggravate it and it's so ugly!

Other problems that seem to be related to a Vitamin D deficiency are:

Seasonal Affective Disorder
Worsening of PMS
Rickets (soft weak bones)
Depression
chronic fatigue
weight loss
diabetes
heart disease
stroke
osteoporosis

I've suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder, Depression, Chronic Fatigue most of my life, and began having easily broken bones at about age 45. I learned that deficiency of Vitamin D can cause SAD, so I started taking it about 4 months ago. The SAD and depression and fatigue have all gotten better, although I still don't have as much energy as I would like to have. So hopefully I won't have any more broken bones.

Also - Vitamin D3 seems to be the one related to the health issues.

[ArtGypsy]

I don't do flu shots (me or my kids) - we take a high dose of Vitamin D3 instead (it is proven just as effective and we are RARELY sick).

But I have had joint problems for years. I was told I had Fibro - but I didn't believe it because all I had was joint pain. So I'll say it's just Arthritis.

I HAVE noticed that my joint pain is practically gone. And it is during the winter months when I take the high dosage of Vit D.

Never really put the joint pain and Vit D together.....huh

[Lunacie]

I do have arthritis in my lower back/hips, have had it there for 35 years, so far I can't tell that the Vita D has helped with that. Wish it would.

[ArtGypsy]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

I do have arthritis in my lower back/hips, have had it there for 35 years, so far I can't tell that the Vita D has helped with that. Wish it would.

What dose do you take? I take 5,000 IU's a day. If it's cold or flu season I take 10,000 IU's and if I'm getting sick - 20,000 IU's a day.

My arthritis mainly effects my feet, hands and neck.

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by ArtGypsy

What dose do you take? I take 5,000 IU's a day. If it's cold or flu season I take 10,000 IU's and if I'm getting sick - 20,000 IU's a day.

My arthritis mainly effects my feet, hands and neck.

That sounds like a lot to me, I take about 1,250 IU a day. I may bump it up when the summer starts to wind down. Cold weather makes me ache all over as well as getting the SAD.

I wish this thread had been here two weeks ago before I started getting sick, it would have definately been worth taking a bigger dose for a few days.

My neck bothers me mostly when it's cold. I sprained it when I was 19 and have less than 75% mobility in it now. My hands have started to bother me in cold weather, don't know if that's arthritis or not. I don't remember any family members having much trouble with arthritis in their hands, but my dad's knees were horrible too.

[ArtGypsy]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

That sounds like a lot to me, I take about 1,250 IU a day. I may bump it up when the summer starts to wind down. Cold weather makes me ache all over as well as getting the SAD.

I wish this thread had been here two weeks ago before I started getting sick, it would have definately been worth taking a bigger dose for a few days.

My neck bothers me mostly when it's cold. I sprained it when I was 19 and have less than 75% mobility in it now. My hands have started to bother me in cold weather, don't know if that's arthritis or not. I don't remember any family members having much trouble with arthritis in their hands, but my dad's knees were horrible too.

It comes in 5000 IU capsules. It's not a lot, especially if your deficient. Google Vit D3 dosage and you'll see a lot of info on how what the RDA is not sufficient. And overdosing on it is very hard, your body gets rid of it quickly.

Vit D doesn't get the publicity it should - like Vitamin C does, but it is really just as, if not more, important to immunity and other areas of our health.

[Lunacie]

Most of the bottles I see around here are 400 IU, itty bitty little caps that look like miniature fish oil capsules.

Since I have had my Vita D levels tested I'm just assuming they are deficient. I know my family doesn't eat much fish or green veggies, but I've been serving more green veggies lately. The oldest girl Will Not Eat any veggie but corn and sometimes carrots. I'm going to start steaming broccoli and sneaking it into stuff.

[ArtGypsy]

Schiff just came out with a "Mega-D3" - but it's about $18 a bottle of 60 (I had a coupon for $5 off and found them on sale so I bought them).
If you have a health food store, or even look online, you can get a bottle of 60 probably for around $6.

We had the H1N1 go around pretty bad a year or so ago and I still refused to get the flu vaccine for me or my kids (although I am on medication, I'm not FOR Rx's or vaccines) and we all came through the season with no illness and I attribute it to the Vit D3.

It's really hard to get what you need through food - but I am all for going for it nutritionally first.

[INaBOX]

Originally Posted by MrObvious

I know i feel like crap if I don't take D and I don't have Fibrio. My wife does and she and I take 1kIU a day and we feel better. She even says her Fibrio may just be a D deficiency.

it's hard to diagnose fibro because we're really just looking at the symptoms. if your wife does have a vit D deficiency, then id suspect she doesn't have fibro at all.

[Arei]

I have fibro and was diagnosed with severe vitamin d deficiency, and while I noticed an increase in energy, I've had no relief of pain symptoms. And I've been taking pretty high doses for quite awhile too :/ I atleast take 7,000 units a day between my multivitamin and 5000u D3 pill. It's bumped up to 9K if I remember to take my calcium pills :P My doctor told me that in people with severe deficiency, 5000-8000 or more might be nessecary. For awhile I took a 50K pill once a week (may take it again). After I had it checked again after my first few rounds of this, my level had dropped even more, but I went a month of forgetting daily supplements. My doctor told me it would take taking a 50K pill every day over a month or two to overdose, so 5000-10K a day is not too much, especially if you are severely low.

The only thing supplement wise that has had any affect is Fish oil. I took this and bam, while it's not major relief, I'd stay there's about a 20% improvement, and at the very least, it has eliminated all discomfort during exercise, which is a major breakthrough for me.

I have been somewhat inactive since the start of the year (and the inactivity has increased my pain level) because I'm still recovering from an antibiotic screwing up my gut. I'm very IBS-y now. But WOW the fish oil benefit during exercise is crazy!!! I'm hoping now that I FINALLY have a job and if I can get on a good schedule that includes exercise, after awhile the pain will subside.



Vitamin D is good for bone pain I have heard, I'm not sure about muscle inflammation, which seems to be my issue.

[Marcos01]

I think you can get vitamin supplements online as that may help you to deal with the situation better. Looking at your case, i suggest it would be better if you consult a physician and consume the nutritional supplements on a daily basis as that may help you to lead a stress-free life.

[Lebatron]

Dr Mercola was one of the early advocates of the importance of Vit D-3. If you wish to learn more about the latest on D do a search for D at mercola.com.

His recomendation was to have a level around 60. I believe now that he prefers to see 80. He also mentions that one test out there that is commonly used gives back inaccurate values and suggests people to use another one. I don't remember the details but it is covered on his articles about D. Just ask your Dr. what lab was used and see if it was the right choice or the wrong.

I notice some of you are just taking 1000-2000mg a day. If you aren't getting much sun each day you will not hurt yourself if you take 5000 instead. In fact it is said your skin can produce 5000 worth in just 30 min in your nude. However how many of us go outside mostly nude? Sure tanning is close to that, but most people say they get sun everyday when in fact all that means is that some sun shined on their face and hands. You got to put that into prepective. That is not enough exposure for the skin to make a healthy dose of D for you.

If 5000 sound like a high number to you concider that some vit D experts are saying 20,000 would not hurt. Outdoor working people like farmers of old easily manufactured 20,000 D per day in the sun. If that sum does not harm, and how could it when we evolved to make D that way, then surely 5000 per day in pills is hardly over doing it.

We are entering a new age in which Rickets has made a comeback even among healthy people. Children are spending to much time indoors. And the poor diet of factory foods many parents are feeding their chilren today adds to the problem of D deficency.

There arn't many foods high in D which is why the skin makes it for us. Its black children in northern lattitudes that are the most susestable to this problem. Thier high pigment blocks to much sun. They evolved to have optimal skin for eqator latitudes. As man moved north they lost the dark pigment so that the skin can manufacture D easier. An adaptation to the new habitat.

There was a great post over at mercola.com that said someting to the effect that if your family Dr was not checking your D level on a regular basis he is basically guilty of malpractice. Why did this guy say this? Because there is so much evidence out there now just how important vit D is to health. It's links to cancer, the immune system, and many other things is huge. As some say D is the new vitimin C. lol.

Anyway, I know it is still common among family doctors not to even care what your D level is. They are old school and think that just because some factory foods are Vit D fortified there is no way it could be a problem. Sadly your average GP is flat wrong again. My GP has never once bothered to have mine checked, and I suffer from Celiac's. How ironic is that. It's very important for Celiac's to find out where their D level is at even more so than the average healty person. Sadly, I know the doctors in my town are no better than the one I already got so I take it upon myself to take control over my own health. BTW that's Dr Mercola's solgan as well.