Vitamin D and Fibromyalgia- Is there a connection? December 10, 2007
Posted by healthandsurvival in Diet and Nutrition, Diseases, medicine, vitamins.Tags: cancer, family, fibromyalgia, health, news, supplements, vitamin d, vitamins, Wellness
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I have been checking Vitamin D Levels on select patients for about 1 year now. I was surprised to find that more than 75% of those that I checked were moderately to severely deficient in Vitamin D, and this is in Southern California where we have sunshine 340 days a year.
(visit www.vitamind-prescription.com for more about vitamin D. Also, read the new book:
I noticed that my patients with fibromyalgia were deficient of Vitamin D, 100% of the time. The more severe the fibromyalgia, the lower the Vitamin D levels. I then looked up Vitamin D Deficiency in my Merck Manual. The signs of Vitamin D Deficiency were muscle aches (myalgias), joint pains (arthralgias) and generalized fatigue. Could this be a cause of their fibromyalgia? I started treating my patients with about 2000 IU of Vitamin D daily. A few patients have reported feeling better, others have not. I am still collecting data and will keep you posted. Many other studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer and other maladies.
So how do you get Vitamin D? Increase your sunlight exposure! Everyone is too afraid of skin cancer so they are avoiding the sun. Are we contributing to more colon and breast cancers than preventing skin cancers? If you choose to supplement, most will need 1000-2000 IU. The recommended 400 IU of Vitamin D is too low.
To check your Vitamin D levels, have your doctor order a Vitamin D 25-OH Level.
addendum: May 13th, 2008- It is important that you take Vitamin D3, not regular Vitamin D as its not as potent. I have seen favorable results in patients, including a drug rep whose pains have diminished significantly..
Below is an article from NewsTarget
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(NewsTarget) Insufficient intake of vitamin D may lead to decreased physical strength, increased muscle weakness and increased risk of disability in older women and men, according to a new study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Because vitamin D deficiency is widespread, the researchers have suggested that increasing vitamin D intake may help older adults decrease their risk of disability and maintain better muscle strength and physical performance.
Researchers measured the serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D for 976 adults over the age of 64. They also took measures of grip strength — which is a good predictor of the risk of future disability — and physical performance.
Twenty-nine percent of the women and 14 percent of the men participating were found to be vitamin D deficient, as measured by their blood levels. Compared to the participants with normal vitamin D levels, these people scored 5 to 10 percent lower on measures of grip strength and physical performance. This correlation was found to be independent of other factors, including the participant’s activity level, mental function, weight and overall health.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that the body produces upon exposure to sunlight — as little as 15 to 30 minutes, depending on skin color, latitude and time of year. It is known to be essential for bone health, but recent studies have suggested that it also plays an important role in protecting against cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis and even the common cold.
The current recommended daily allowance for vitamin D, however, is based upon the levels needed to merely maintain healthy bones — a level that many researchers believe may be lower than that needed for other health benefits.
According to researcher Denise K. Houston of the Wake Forest University of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, “Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other conditions such as cancer prevention.”
Because of this, many scientists are now recommending a daily intake of 2000 IU, rather than the currently recommended 400 IU.
BOOK: Vitamin D Prescription: The Healing Power of the Sun & How It Can Save Your Life-
Reference: Vitamin D deficiency accelerates aging in the elderly,
You do not say the form of Vitamin D you are using. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/4/694
The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement explains why the form most often prescribed may not be utilised by some people and is generally only a quarter to a third as effective as Cholecalciferol.
You do not also say the skin colour of those not responding to vitamin D. If they have darker skin maybe the amount of vitamin d3 provided is insufficient. See Higher Vitamin D Supplements Advised for Older Black Women http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/GeneralEndocrinology/tb/7619 where you will see 100 μg/d (4000 IU) may be needed for those with a low concentration.
A reminder that 5minutes full body (or as near to as possible) when your shadow is shorter than your height enables your body to store about 1000iu. So 4000iu could be made given 20minutes sun exposure. Our bodies can store roughly 10,000iu/daily given sensible NON BURNING sun exposure. Sunscreen sunblock sunprotection factor cosmetics will of course prevent UVB creating Vitamin D3.
Good point, I have been recommending “regular” Vitamin D but perhaps I will change to Vitamin D3. The patients I have with the deficiency are mostly caucasian while a few are Latinas/African-American.
[...] Sure enough, when the results came back my Vitamin D level was incredibly low*. Less than half of the low-end of normal. Eek. My doctor prescribed some heavy-duty Vitamin D supplements. Two months in, and I feel a difference. I don’t think I’m into the normal levels just yet, but I’ve noticed I can go longer between taking pain medication and I have more energy. My doctor has reported similar affects for her other patients. Other physicians have noted similar results. [...]
I found this info very useful, and will tell my wife about this and everything that Vitamin D offers that i cannot provide here at this time . Thank you!
Hi, interesting post on Vitamin D deficiency and Fibromyalgia. I did a blog post in April citing a recent research study that suggests that Vitamin D deficiency is common in both hospitalized patients as well as outpatients. I look forward to seeing the results of your work.
Cheers,
Jarret Morrow, MD
I am absolutly shocked!!! My whole family has dealt with degenerative diseases and fibromyalgia for many years! OUr doctors have has many of us on narcotics and all sorts of other meds. to mask this pain we have. I am going to get my Vitamin D levels checked. My aunt, who has been dealing with pain for 15 plus years went to her doc and her doc sent her to her husband who is a reumitoligist(i am pretty sure i spelled that wrong)and he tested her Vitamin D level and she was severly deficient of this vitamin. My family is so hopeful at this discovery! If this is what we have been missing in our life. I believe we have been done a HUGE injustice for many years. I myself along with all of my aunts, my mother and grandmother have been suffering for a combined time span of 60 plus years. I pray that this new discovery will help all of us. My aunt is now taking 50,000 IU of Vitamin D every week for 20 weeks. PLease oif you have fibromyalgia go get your Vitamin D levels checked and see what happens. I will update after I go to the doctor!
Tabitha
[...] addendum: May 13th, 2008- It is important that you take Vitamin D3, not regular Vitamin D as its not as potent. I have seen favorable results in patients, including a drug rep whose pains have diminished significantly…read more here…. [...]
at the end of your article it says to “read more here…[...] So, how is where to I go to read more? If I click at the top of your article, it takes me to further links about drug companies. ‘Not interested in that! Thanks.
I am very interested in your continued findings with your patients with fibromyalgia symptoms and the use of Vit D. I have FMS myself and am not even 30. Do you still recommend Vit D3 form? Have you continued to get good results treating FMS patients with Vit D3? Thanks for your posting and being open to supplements.
I have been suffering with fibromyalgia for about 16 yrs. Got diagnosed only 4 years ago. My vitamin D levels are low and my doctor has started me on 2000IU of vitamin D. Not sure why this was not tested earlier. I think as more and more doctors accept Fibromyalgia as a disease, they are looking more into it. Hopefully this will help me.
I”ve had fibromyalgia for about 35 yrs, or longer. I have never been tested for Vitamin D ever. As I got older,, my pain got, gets, worse,,so now I”m taking a narcotic and have been for 8 yrs. To think all these yearss,, if Iam low on Vit. D,,which I probably am,,and will find out the next time I go to the dr. I could’ve been taking the supplement,,and maybe less pain killers.
I cannot wait to get checked,,,and I”m so happy I came across this!!! Thankyou ever so much!!
Please let me know how your testing comes out. Also, after you supplement, let me know what benefit, if any, you get-
I have written a book about vitamin D entitled Vitamin D Prescription…. visit amazon.com for more information.
Eric Madrid
I think the best source of vitamin D is a combination of ample sunlight, vitamins, and a little bit of milk. Too much of one source can be a detriment to one’s health with potential skin and stomach problems
I have suffered from muscle, etc. pain for about 30 years. After many years, I discovered the connection between phosphates and fibromyalgia pain. At the time I was drinking AT LEAST 1 bottle of Diet Coke daily. At that point, it was painful just to turn my head around. Ibuprofen did not stop the pain, although I was taking it daily. I stopped drinking Diet Coke, which made a dramatic improvement in the amount of pain I had. I tried to avoid phosphates, but when I didn’t, the pain came back with a vengeance. Also, I discovered the benefits of magnesium. I continued have some pain, when I would indulge in phosphates or not take my magnesium on a regular basis. I continued to need OTC and, sometimes, RX pain meds intermittently.
For the past couple of months, I have noticed that I rarely have “the pain” and rarely take pain meds. When I do, it’s for my sore knees (I had double knee replacement surgeries, and, although it has made an unbelievable difference in my lifestyle and quality of life, I still have a little soreness occasionally), or for sinus headaches. I have not taken magnesium on a regular basis, because I have not had “the pain” to remind me that I needed it. I have tried to figure out what I have been doing differently. This morning, while putting my pills in my weekly pill box, I realized what it was. Everyday, I take 4000 U of Vitamin D3, plus a prescription folate, (which was added to make my antidepressant work better). I had been tested for vitamin D levels several months ago, and found that I was severely deficient (my level was 10.)
I got on the internet to see if there was a connection between vitamin D and fibromyalgia, and found your website. I thought you might find this helpful. I am not sure what role the folate has played in my improvement, but I understand there might be a connection with it and fibromyalgia, also. Sorry to be so long winded.
Pansy,
I just want to thank you for your information reference to Vitamin D3 and folate. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatique and there are days I hardly can get out of the bed. I’ve been to many Dr’s and homeopathic people and nothing seems to work. I will definitely try the Vitamin D3.
Thanks so much again,
Hillary
Hi,
Just new to here, just want to say hellow to every one.