EBV early antigen positive + Vitamin D deficient. Valtrex or holistic?

[GreenLiz]

Hi,

Background:
- Got mono when I was 18, now age 30
- 10 months ago tested positive for EBV IgM acute antibodies
- 4 months ago tested negative for EBV IgM and negative for EBV Early Antigen D
- This month tested negative for EBV IgM, but POSITIVE for EBV Early Antigen D (showing that my mono is flaring up again)
- My EBV IgG has always been high
- My HHV-6 IgM is negative, HHV-6 IgG is positive (but does NOT appear to be super high)
- My CMV IgM/IgG are BOTH negative
- Separately, I recently ordered a home blood test and found out I was highly Vitamin D deficient. Of course no doctor ordered this. I always thought I felt worse on cold/rainy days because my body couldn't handle the cold. I definitely recommend getting your Vitamin D levels tested! For the past 4 days I've taken Cod Liver Oil and Magnesium, which helps it absorb and Vitamin K2 (different than K1, prevents calcification) and getting 15+ minutes of direct sunlight. For the past four days, I have slept through the night! I hadn't slept through the night in several months.

I'm suspecting my Vitamin D deficiency made me susceptible to my EBV relapsing. I'm wondering though if increasing my Vitamin D isn't enough and if I should go on Valtrex, with my EBV Early Antigen result coming back positive.

Question:
My doctor just prescribed me 1g of Valtrex 3x per day and 1000 IU Vitamin D for 6 months. I am only 125 lbs.

Has anyone done well on Valtrex at this high a dose? Should I start with only a half a pill? I just cut one in half, as recommended by the pharmacist to try it.

Please advise!!!

 

[Daffodil]

id start with the higher dose...I don't see why you should titrate up.....unless you are experiencing too might "die off"...

just remember to drink lots of water and get your bloodwork done

don't forget to test both types of vitamin D (25 hydroxy and 1,25 dehydroxy). usually one is low and one is high when there is inflammation. this may have implications for supplementation but I am not sure

interesting theory about low vit D making EBV relapse....but hard to know which came first.

xo

 

[GreenLiz]

id start with the higher dose...I don't see why you should titrate up.....unless you are experiencing too might "die off"...

just remember to drink lots of water and get your bloodwork done

don't forget to test both types of vitamin D (25 hydroxy and 1,25 dehydroxy). usually one is low and one is high when there is inflammation. this may have implications for supplementation but I am not sure

interesting theory about low vit D making EBV relapse....but hard to know which came first.

xo

Thanks so much for the tips! Hm, the website just says "Vitamin D level" and it's < 14.0 ng/mL. I have a separate test for short term inflammation, hs-CRP, which is 0.6 is in the low risk / normal category. I will ask my current doctor to repeat both vitamin D tests. Thank you!

 

[viggster]

Valtrex is pretty gentle. I'm on 3g a day like you and don't notice any adverse effects. It's Valcyte that can cause liver problems.

 

[Daffodil]

@GreenLiz i think whats going on with this disease is, you have a chronic intracellular bacterial infection. This infection is producing inflammation. Somehow, the bacteria and inflammation are involved in some kind of positive feedback loop. As a result of the resulting immune suppression, the bacteria is able to persist. A side effect is reactivation of EBV and other viruses.

Since you probably have high 1,25 dehydrox vitamin D, I don't think you are supposed to supplement with vitamin D.

check out this article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4160567/

"Some authorities now believe that low 25(OH)D is a consequence of chronic inflammation rather than the cause. Research points to a bacterial etiology pathogenesis for an inflammatory disease process which results in high 1,25(OH)2D and low 25(OH)D. Immunotherapy, directed at eradicating persistent intracellular pathogens, corrects dysregulated vitamin D metabolism and resolves inflammatory symptoms."

 

[fireflymd]

Valtrex is pretty gentle. I'm on 3g a day like you and don't notice any adverse effects. It's Valcyte that can cause liver problems.

Which doctor prescribed your Valtrex? Did he/she give you an estimate of the amount of time you would be taking it?

Are you taking 1 g three times a day?

Thanks!

 

[fireflymd]

Hi,

Background:
- Got mono when I was 18, now age 30
- 10 months ago tested positive for EBV IgM acute antibodies
- 4 months ago tested negative for EBV IgM and negative for EBV Early Antigen D
- This month tested negative for EBV IgM, but POSITIVE for EBV Early Antigen D (showing that my mono is flaring up again)
- My EBV IgG has always been high
- My HHV-6 IgM is negative, HHV-6 IgG is positive (but does NOT appear to be super high)
- My CMV IgM/IgG are BOTH negative
- Separately, I recently ordered a home blood test and found out I was highly Vitamin D deficient. Of course no doctor ordered this. I always thought I felt worse on cold/rainy days because my body couldn't handle the cold. I definitely recommend getting your Vitamin D levels tested! For the past 4 days I've taken Cod Liver Oil and Magnesium, which helps it absorb and Vitamin K2 (different than K1, prevents calcification) and getting 15+ minutes of direct sunlight. For the past four days, I have slept through the night! I hadn't slept through the night in several months.

I'm suspecting my Vitamin D deficiency made me susceptible to my EBV relapsing. I'm wondering though if increasing my Vitamin D isn't enough and if I should go on Valtrex, with my EBV Early Antigen result coming back positive.

Question:
My doctor just prescribed me 1g of Valtrex 3x per day and 1000 IU Vitamin D for 6 months. I am only 125 lbs.

Has anyone done well on Valtrex at this high a dose? Should I start with only a half a pill? I just cut one in half, as recommended by the pharmacist to try it.

Please advise!!!

Which doctor is treating you for positive EBV Early Antigen?

 

[GreenLiz]

Which doctor is treating you for positive EBV Early Antigen?

I will PM you the doctor -- I don't want him to get spam. He's at Stanford Internal Medicine. (Different than the CFS clinic they have). Right now I'm feeling pretty good!

However, Day 7-14 of Valtrex I got very sick (full "relapse" symptoms -- splotchy throat -- flu like feeling). I was around a sick person though so it could have been related to that (or that made my immune system weaker triggering the relapse). However 21 days in and I'm feeling pretty good.

I took a 7 day trip to Santa Barbara and baked in the sun (Day 14 - Day 21 on antivirals). I had to be wheeled onto the plane (literally collapsed into a chair right after I was dropped off), but after 3 days of sun and pure relaxation I was walking along the beach with some breaks. My Vitamin D levels were retested right after the trip in the Stanford lab, and have more than doubled since the at-home blood draw test taken last month. I haven't been taking Vitamin D supplements daily (though have taken them), but I have rather been having Vitamin D rich foods (salmon, cod liver oil, and mushrooms) so my daily intake has been between 800-2000 IU. Cod Liver Oil has 400 IU per TEAspoon. I am taking a Magnesium supplement, which helps Vitamin D absorb, and a Vitamin K2 supplement.

Unfortunately I got stuck in the dinky Santa Barbara airport for 5 hours into the middle of the night without water (wind delays), so that set me back a little. But feeling pretty okay now. I was able to walk 3 blocks to the grocery store today, which is HUGE for me.