Vitamin D, good or bad?

[cabinetmaker]

b-s-h.org.uk/about-us/news/...

Hi all,

Just wondering if anybody has any thoughts on this article.

Joe

[fee13]

Low vitamin D could create its own set of problems but it wouldn't be as simple as that & whether benefits outweigh negatives. I don't know anything about macrophages.

[cabinetmaker in reply to fee13]

Thanks for your reply. I had imagined keeping your vitamin levels topped up was probably a good thing. It sounds like it could be more complicated than that, but as you say, it could just be creating a new set of problems. I had been told to avoid iron supplements but vitamin D is a new one to me.

[fee13 in reply to cabinetmaker]

I also started to query vitamin c promoting collagen production and how this would affect bone marrow fibrosis, but again no definitive answers & a very complicated process affecting different parts of the body at the same time.

[mhos61]

I think this article has been posted before, or, something similar. I can remember because, it was around the time when I was diagnosed with low vitamin d levels - but I still took the recommended high dose level that the GP prescribed. This brought my levels up to a more acceptable level. I take over the counter type now, hoping it maintains my vit d at an acceptable level. Must admit I don’t remember half the time to take them.

It’s hard to know if you’re doing the right thing, when you read articles like this...

[Ovingite in reply to mhos61]

I'm in the same boat Mary. I was suffering from fatigue when my GP put me on a course of high dose vitamin D which significantly improved the fatigue. I now take low dose vitamin D daily and the fatigue is continuing to improve. So now the question is whether to maintain the current benefit of vitamin D supplements and increase the risk of MF or drop the vitamin D and go back to the dark days of constant fatigue. For now, I think I will stick with the supplements unless my haemo team tell me otherwise. As you said, its hard to know if you are doing the right thing.........

[cabinetmaker in reply to Ovingite]

Thank you for your insight, it’s valuable experience to me. Fatigue is something that I am struggling with a bit.

[katiewalsh in reply to Ovingite]

Hi. Can you please tell us how much you take & if it’s D3? Thanks. Katie

[Ovingite in reply to katiewalsh]

I take1 x 1000 iu vitamin D3 tablet every day.

John

[katiewalsh in reply to Ovingite]

Thx

[Kelly2 in reply to mhos61]

Always take Vit K2 with it.

[Anag]

Hi Cabinetmaker!

Thanks for the article. Vit D is huge. First of all, it has hormone status. It is responsible for about 500 different processes in our body, like enabling our bones to pick up and use calcium. Most patients with osteoporosis are given calcium but no vit. D and it’s not properly absorbed! The biggest discrepancy is the norm that is given in the labs. Usually, it states that 20-100 is ok. It’s NOT! Ask any functional/ orthomolecular doctor. Ideal is 60-80. anything below is a deficit, above that is too much. We need D. Therefore, we must go in the sun (even if you have red Hair) and build up your solar resistance without sunscreen, which blocks Vit. D. Then you take the rest in a pill or drops. I was deficit for 25 years. I was always Around 15-30 and was naively prescribes 3 baby dose drops a day for 2 years and there was no change. my new doctor‘s instruction was: 20,000 IUs daily for 5 weeks. Then 40,000 3x per month and 60,000 once a month. I’m finally at 65-70for the past year. it’s one of the treatments that has made an unbelievable change in my health. For ex: it helped me cut my thyroid hormone from max. 200mcg T4 to 90mcg T4 ( in the form of bioidentical hormone) in 18 months. I have more energy, digest better and am generally stronger and sleep better. Depression is also gone. I’m also on the AutoImmune Paleo diet, which is the other great difference in my health. 60-80 IUs will not cause MF. It’s definitely not an overload of D, which was given to the mice. 😁😁😁 Hoppes to have helped!

[cabinetmaker in reply to Anag]

Thanks Anag, that has helped a lot and given some context to the numbers. It’s very much appreciated. 👍😁

[katiewalsh in reply to Anag]

When you say you’re at 65-70 now do you mean the levels in your blood or that you’re taking 65 IU- 70 IUs per day?

Thanks.

Katie

[Anag in reply to katiewalsh]

Hi Katie,

It’s the level in my blood. I take 40,000 IUs, on 3 Sundays per month and 60,000 one Sunday a month. That would average 6,000IU per day. My body needs that much. Everyone is different. Important is to find the amount that is necessary for you for optimal function. Most doctors underprescribe vit D.

In Austria, they give 3 drops a Day, which is a little child‘s dosage. This country, like all northern countries is terribly deficient in D, especially since a sun and skin cancer phobia has been pounded into our brains and we sunscreen ourselves permanently. I used to make sure I increased my sun intake slowly and I was able to get super dark without ever burning. When I came here and met my husband, I got on the sunscreen bandwagon. I’m off that now.

The worst thing is never really being in the sun naturally and then suddenly going on vacation in Greece for2 weeks with white skin. Yes, THAT increases burning and the sun cancer rates and allergies go up. Not healthy at all. Cheers. Anag

[katiewalsh in reply to Anag]

Thanks! Katie

[Sweetlucy]

This is very confusing. I have osteoporosis and had a bone scan yesterday. The consultant told me to continue taking vitD and a calcium supplement. However she had never heard of MPN. This is a question I will bring up at my next appointment with a MPN consultant.

[cabinetmaker in reply to Sweetlucy]

I’m beginning to understand the importance of a true MPN specialist and just how little understood the condition is in the medical fraternity as a whole. So many questions, so many answers and so many options.

[Kelly2 in reply to cabinetmaker]

Well they don't know much about Vit D even the expert MPN specialists. I have asked one and got no answers. Personally I will reach a medium level and try to maintain it always with K2 to protect heart and arteries.

[Cja1956]

Hi, Joe,

I asked my hematologist to check my Vitamin D levels years ago. They were low so I started taking a thousand ius daily. I really don't remember if it helped or not. I do know that I stopped taking them when my levels went back to normal. The article seems inconclusive to me. I would think the "normal" amount might vary from person to person. I think Anag is on the right track about seeing a functional doctor. They seem to know a lot more then MDs when it comes to vitamins and supplements.