For about 6 years now I have been running low on Vit D. I take 1 50,000 unit of D2 a week (prescription) and once a year I get a recharge by taking one of these pills every day for 2 weeks. I'm still on the low end of the normal scale.
I also take B12 shots once a month because I was low on the scale of that too.
I was wondering how common is this with PD. I always thought it was a separate problem but now I wonder.
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TheresaCurley
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I take a similar amount, about 50,000 units/week divided in daily doses. Last time I had it measured was long ago and was ok. I also take K1 & K2 important to get calcium from bloodstream into bones.
I do not get the shots but I take a liposomal b12 which is a form that greatly increases absorption of the b12. I take it every day and is a lot better than shots. You can get it on amazon here. amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0...
My doctor has also recommended I take Vit D (with calcium) 1000 iu/day, I was diagnosed with PD in 2009 after a painful shoulder as well, and have been struggling to get the meds right since.
My Vit D levels have been declining over that time. I also wondered about the correlation with PD, or is it just that we don't get out in the sun like we did previously or possibly a combination ?
When they tested my blood for Vit D it was way low. It was only 11 and normal is above 30. I'm out in the sun a lot. I watch my grandchildren in the pool during the summer time so I don't think it is because I don't get enough sunshine.
It should be noted that as we age, we lose some of the ability of our bodies to naturally convert UV rays from the sun by interacting with cholesterol in the skin into to vitamin D. I don't know how old you are, but you stated you have grand children so age is a consideration for you.
Another consideration is that when you stand outside in the mid day sun, if your shadow is longer than you are tall, then you won't be able to get enough Vitamin D from the sun.
Here is a link to a post I made about vitamin D as it relates to PWPs that you might find enlightening!
Something else you should be aware of is that the sun offers other health benefits that vitamin D supplements can not, so it is not an either or proposition, they both have benefit!
I was fortunate to be served by a neurologist in the past who was on the cutting edge of findings regarding vit D/calciferol levels and the many effects that has on our wellness. They still have much of their wisdom on a website that anyone can read and benefit from. Here it is, a hyperlink to the site drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hor... They are no longer practicing traditional medicine but consult for patients with nutritional deficiency related disorders. Anyway while seeing me for PD they monitored my Vit D and ultimately we discovered that my need for supplementation changed seasonally, for example, around 7000 units of D3 during winter months and only around 4000 units D3 during summer months. I can adjust it as needed now without having to rely on expensive Vit D25OH testing by a lab. The need changes seasonally because of the tilt of the earth and the direction of the sun's rays onto the latitude where one resides. Occasionally my current internal medicine physician has ordered a calciferol test and I was right where the old neuro wanted me to stay, around 60-70 on the calciferol result. They also had a lot of instructions to impart on using vit B-12 and pantothenic acid (B5) and the health of my gut bacteria. One thing I remember is I do not have to take B vitamin supplements continuously, only therapeutically to help restore the gut bacteria following an illness for which I was given antibiotic. They said that needless ingestion of those could be messing up the intestinal flora's healthiness. I hope you find useful information at Dr. Gominak's website.
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