• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Experience with UVB Lamp for raising vitamin D

Athene*

Senior Member
Messages
386
Just checked and it was 90.4 nmol not 82 sorry about that. That's quite a good level but not optimal I believe. Last year at the end of summer it was lower - about 65 I believe but I got a lot more sun this year, intentionally.
Yes 90.4 mmol/L (the European measurement I have too) is quite good. However, for me, like you, I need to have a higher level to feel well.
 
Last edited:
Messages
93
Location
UK
Great to hear that, thanks @tandrsc We don't get much sun here either. Do you have to wear safety eye goggles during your sessions?

Yes, the lamp comes with safety goggles. They are little things designed for function rather than style :)

It also comes with a minutes/seconds timer, which was very handy as I didn't already have one.
 

Athene*

Senior Member
Messages
386
Yes, the lamp comes with safety goggles. They are little things designed for function rather than style :)

It also comes with a minutes/seconds timer, which was very handy as I didn't already have one.
Drat! I ordered separate safety goggles! Oh well, I'll have a spare and they were pretty cheap...Thanks for reply. Please do let us know if you ever have a D test and it shows improvement...
 

Athene*

Senior Member
Messages
386
For anybody on this thread that might be interested - my D3 and calcium and D 1.25 issues are according to my endocrinologist (who hasn't been great so far) due to inflammation from my adrenal insufficiency - which came back with a vengeance when I overdosed on Ubiquinol (active form of CoEnzymeQ10) for fatigue.

I described what he said on this thread, below (page 4), but in any case it means my D and calcium results are skewed and may explain my intolerance of D and calcium.

Any thoughts welcome. I'm always interested in opinions from sufferers as well as docs...
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...nd-calcitriol-levels.37345/page-4#post-796345
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,270
Location
UK
My vitamin D level was 152 nmol which has caused me some concern being much higher than it was last September. I have asked the lab to retest it.
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,270
Location
UK
I have read from a few sources that over 150 nmol is considered toxic. Anyway am stopping using the lamp till l know more.
 
Messages
9
I have read from a few sources that over 150 nmol is considered toxic. Anyway am stopping using the lamp till l know more.

150 nmol is not toxic by any means. It´s 60 ng/ml and it´s a natural level that the body achieves just with sun exposure. After the last summer, I achieved 76 ng/ml or 190 nmol with just the sun. I live in south spain.

I don´t know where you read that but that is not correct. How much time are you using the lamp and in what way?.


My lab says the normal level is 30-100 ng/ml or 75 nmol-250 nmol. Anyway, the levels drop very fast. In just 2-4 weeks your level will have dropped by half. In most recent literature the levels to prevent illnesses are in the range you´re moving.
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,270
Location
UK
150 nmol is not toxic by any means. It´s 60 ng/ml and it´s a natural level that the body achieves just with sun exposure. After the last summer, I achieved 76 ng/ml or 190 nmol with just the sun. I live in south spain.

I don´t know where you read that but that is not correct. How much time are you using the lamp and in what way?.


My lab says the normal level is 30-100 ng/ml or 75 nmol-250 nmol. Anyway, the levels drop very fast. In just 2-4 weeks your level will have dropped by half. In most recent literature the levels to prevent illnesses are in the range you´re moving.

Yes thank you I have been reading the wrong measurements. That is a relief. I am using it every other day for 15 mins on face.

In October I spent three weeks in Greece in the sun every day, not like the Greeks covered up in black clothing but as naked as possible. It is amazing that it nearly doubled from late September to late February. I cannot say how much of that was the Greek sun or not.
 

NotThisGuy

Senior Member
Messages
312
For anybody on this thread that might be interested - my D3 and calcium and D 1.25 issues are according to my endocrinologist (who hasn't been great so far) due to inflammation from my adrenal insufficiency - which came back with a vengeance when I overdosed on Ubiquinol (active form of CoEnzymeQ10) for fatigue.

I described what he said on this thread, below (page 4), but in any case it means my D and calcium results are skewed and may explain my intolerance of D and calcium.

Any thoughts welcome. I'm always interested in opinions from sufferers as well as docs...
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...nd-calcitriol-levels.37345/page-4#post-796345

I experienced adrenal insufficiency from Q10 (not the reduced one) as well. (I had adrenal fatigue before, but not like that).
I never found anyone else who had the same reaction.
I'm also suspecting methylfolate contributed to this, too.
I guess it's in general some mitochondrial/ low atp problem.
When i started supplementing B1 after my Q10 and 5mthf disaster my adrenal insufficiency greatly reduced.
Now I know that B1 is also boosting adrenals itself, but anyway Im suspecting the biggest boost was because the mitochondrial effect.

Unfortunately I stopped tolerating B1 and since feel like shit/dying.
My Vitamin D levels are always on the very low side (5ng/ml)
The only phase I was tolerating Vitamin D well was when my adrenals/mitochondria worked and my D3 went up to 25 ng/ml after supplementing 1000 IE for 8 weeks.

I also figured that Vit. D is increasing TH2 and UV-A is somewhat regulating it.
I had a sun intolerance when I was copper deficient (like the thread about SOD and sun intolerance explained it).
Since I'm tolerating sun again my symptoms of adrenal fatigue/mitochondrial insufficiency greatly reduced.
But I'm afraid it stops working......

Have you figured anything out how we can reverse the Q10 damage?
I have also very low ALA (lipoic) levels. Maybe it is that?
Can't really supplement it due heavy metal toxcity.

Do you also have low cardiac output or OI/POTS since Q10?
 
Last edited:

Athene*

Senior Member
Messages
386
I experienced adrenal insufficiency from Q10 (not the reduced one) as well. (I had adrenal fatigue before, but not like that).
I never found anyone else who had the same reaction.
I'm also suspecting methylfolate contributed to this, too.
I guess it's in general some mitochondrial/ low atp problem.
When i started supplementing B1 after my Q10 and 5mthf disaster my adrenal insufficiency greatly reduced.
Now I know that B1 is also boosting adrenals itself, but anyway Im suspecting the biggest boost was because the mitochondrial effect.

Unfortunately I stopped tolerating B1 and since feel like shit/dying.
My Vitamin D levels are always on the very low side (5ng/ml)
The only phase I was tolerating Vitamin D well was when my adrenals/mitochondria worked and my D3 went up to 25 ng/ml after supplementing 1000 IE for 8 weeks.

I also figured that Vit. D is increasing TH2 and UV-A is somewhat regulating it.
I had a sun intolerance when I was copper deficient (like the thread about SOD and sun intolerance explained it).
Since I'm tolerating sun again my symptoms of adrenal fatigue/mitochondrial insufficiency greatly reduced.
But I'm afraid it stops working......

Have you figured anything out how we can reverse the Q10 damage?
I have also very low ALA (lipoic) levels. Maybe it is that?
Can't really supplement it due heavy metal toxcity.

Do you also have low cardiac output or OI/POTS since Q10?

Hi NotThisGuy - it all resolved when I took some extra hydrocortisone for a few weeks. I'm almost off hc now having weaned off again. At the same time I followed (and still am) @Freddd protocol and am doing pretty well. I'm on 20mg injected Meb12 daily plus 30mg Mefolate and all the cofactors. I'v avoided CoQ10 but really I was taking far too high doses (silly experiment, but the first two days felt so good!). Adrenal insufficiency (but no signs of Addisons) continues to be an issue for me, but I often think it's really just a mitochondria problem as you mention and failure to make enough ATP. I seem to be making it again though since I've begun the high dose B12 injections (noticeable increase in energy very quickly). I also take a lot of zinc, magnesium and every mineral and vitamin you could mention! I keep the B1, B2 & B3 low, as per Freddd's advice and inositol too. I tried a disastrous experiment with high dose biotin (again felt marvellous for two days then massive crash, last year). I'm now stopping experiments which I was doing in desperation to get better fast. Sticking with the protocol has really paid dividends. No, I don't have low cardiac output now but when I crashed from CoQ10 (or too much biotin, and once before too much iodine, and sometimes too much exercise) I was very breathless - quite frightening at times. I have no breathlessness now and can walk for twenty minutes no problem. Anything beyond that and I crash. I just realised from reading another thread by Freddd that I might be better off using Adenosylcobalamin once per week instead of once daily - apparently it can block MeCbl when taken on same day....Hope some of that is of use to you...