Vitamin D and MS

[Old Hawk]

Clinically most MS patients have low levels of vitamin D in their blood and are in a state of deficiency compared to the international norm. A recent study found a direct link between the level of vitamin D circulating in the blood and the disease, without factoring in the effect of latitude or sun exposure. Further research trials are necessary before any firm recommendations can be made but in the meantime, physicians can no longer ignore that many MS patients have a lack of vitamin D, which could be detected through systematic blood tests. Vitamin D supplements are appropriate to restore their levels to within normal range. This should be considered a general medical recommendation simply to increase levels in the blood to the current recommended amount of at least 2,000 IU/d. This would mean taking between 1,000 and 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) on average per day.

Full article at.............

http://blog.oup.com/2009/06/vitamin-...ple-sclerosis/

Powerful new evidence about the ability of vitamin D to stem a wide range of diseases has brought the prospect of a nationwide programme to prescribe it in Scotland as a dietary supplement significantly closer.
Reports at the weekend suggested that experts were increasingly convinced that the so-called sunshine drug — whose significance was first revealed in detail by The Times last year — could make a difference to the country’s appalling health record.
New research suggests that high doses of vitamin D could dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis. According to scientists in Canada, more than a third of sufferers taking high levels of supplementation did not fall ill during the period of the trial, representing a marked change in the pattern of their disease.

Full article at...........

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle6408801.ece

OH

[Feather]

There is also a B vitamin deficency that mimics MS. I am not sure which B it is, I just remember reading the test results my cousin got after her dad died saying that the MS he had been treated for for several years was really not enough B.

[Lars]

I took calcitriol for MS for several months but noticed nothing dramatic so I stopped. Maybe I should try again.

[Old Hawk]

Originally Posted by Lars

I took calcitriol for MS for several months but noticed nothing dramatic so I stopped. Maybe I should try again.

So sorry you have MS Lars.

Calcitriol isn't they same thing used in the studies. See...

http://www.rxlist.com/rocaltrol-drug.htm

Rocaltrol (calcitriol) is a synthetic vitamin D analog

I'm not advising what you should or shouldn't take in your situation. D3 is derived from lanolin. There is no way to get enough of it from any food source, we can either supplement or get a lot of sun exposure. D3 supplements are so inexpensive it is almost free.

You might run a search in this forum, there has been much posted about D3 and a google search will keep you reading for days.

I take about 5000 IU/day, that is my personal choice.

If you do use it I would really like to hear from you after a few months.

Best wishes.

OH