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Vitamin D and calcium

mellster

Marco
Messages
805
Location
San Francisco
Interesting, I am somewhat convinced now that there is a strong link - I have not heard of any patient with high D3 serum levels - instead most are deficient if not severely deficient. I don't think it leads to CFS for anybody, but it is a major factor and at least causes idiopathic chronic fatigue.
 
Messages
47
It's interesting that a recurrent number I hear is "10"-- I dunno if it's a rounded off point in the test, but I was on an endocrine forum a while back, and a lot of people would come back saying they were deficient, at a level of 10. I wish I could remember what lab they were using.

D is one of those that I was deficient in (10) but I can't say I feel any better since getting it to around 50. Others however do feel better. But yeah, there is something going on there like mell said when so few of us are ever in the high range per-supplement.
 

AFCFS

Senior Member
Messages
312
Location
NC
So, not only may there be a strong link: Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in chronic fatigue syndrome: a retrospective survey, but the the ranges may be need adjusting: Vitamin D requirements: current and future.

Also interesting article: Effect of oral cholecalciferol 2,000 versus 5,000 IU on serum vitamin D, PTH, bone and muscle strength in patients with vitamin D deficiency.

Based on my lab work, I was told to take D3 10,0000 iu per day for 2 weeks and then 5,000 iu per day and maintain until I had another blood test. Does it seem about the norm to have blood work to re-check a deficiency in about 3 months? I have had some docs just assume it is in range after suggesting a supplement.
 
Messages
48
D is one of those that I was deficient in (10) but I can't say I feel any better since getting it to around 50. Others however do feel better. But yeah, there is something going on there like mell said when so few of us are ever in the high range per-supplement.

I found this doctor's work because my consultant told me that remedying my vitamin D and calcium deficiencies couldn't possibly explain a slight improvement in my health. The optimum vitamin D level is probably more than 50. Dr Gominak (Texas neurologist) believes "There’s a rather narrow band between 6080 ng/ml where the sleep is perfect." http://drgominak.com/sleep . If you remedy the sleep deficiencies common in ME then maybe the body has a chance to slowly heal itself.

As I live in England, my gp dislikes doing any tests and tells me results are normal when they aren't (when I obtain a copy) I don't know how low my vitamin D levels went - only that both my calcium and vitamin D are still barely adequate despite efforts to improve them. I am aiming to get to 70 ng/ml for vitamin d. I don't believe this is my only problem and I'm also supplementing with magnesium as that's a common deficiency in ME. At least one small study found it useful http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1672392 and Dr Myhill is also keen http://drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Magnesium_-_treating_a_deficiency Dr Myhill's article is useful as it suggests magnesium sulphate baths as a way of avoiding possible gastrointestinal problems
 

Symptomatic

Senior Member
Messages
197
Not sure of everyone's background (I'm new here), but I had "low" Vit D (that being 25D, my values were typically 20 ng/mL) and was told to supplement. I did that during May 2011, but also discovered looking back through all my labs that I had elevated calcium for at least 13 years. My endocrinologist tested my 1,25D (this is the active form of Vit D), it was off the charts high at 140.7 pg/mL. My PTH was low-normal, typically around 20 pg/mL. In fact, I'd been pursuing a possible diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism until my 1,25D came back so high.

I was advised to get the 1,25D down, and see how my calcium and PTH looked then. Started Benicar last year, and 1,25D and calcium went down, PTH came up into more normal ranges.

Some folks (e.g. Marshall) believe that it's the high 1,25D driving down the 25D - the 25D is the precursor, so if you have too much 1,25D it makes sense to me that your body would try to down-regulate the amount of precursor material. ETA: Therefore, he's saying low 25D is a *result* of the disease process rather than the *cause*. In most studies, the researchers only look at 25D...

Note that I am on a modified Marshall Protocol (they would say I'm not on it since I don't stricly follow their rules) - I think there is some value to parts of their approach but also think there is lots of room for other approaches, e.g. I'm also on higher levels of antibiotics, Malarone, LDN, just started Homeo KMAF.