Does Vit D help with the itch?

[roseter]

I met someone with pbc who had been privately seeing the top specialist in this area in I think he was from Cambridge. He had been advised to keep up his levels of Vit D by skin exposure to the sun. He was told to try and get at least 1/2 hour of sun on as much skin as possible at midday without sun creams etc. He has found that if he gets enough then the itch goes. so he now goes for winter breaks to help. I have always had a winter holiday and find that it keeps the itch at bay. I am in need of some sun again to top up the Vit D so lets hope we get some soon! Hope this helps.

[cavi]

Yes Vit D is just what you need for the itch i have proved it,went to Minorca for 2 weeks never got the itch it was heaven in that lovely sunshine but a few weeks after getting back it started again ,this was before being diagnosed with pbc i wondered at the time why i hadn't had the itch and thats why plenty of Vit D.

[Hidden]

I think the best way to keep up the Vit D body levels is to have adequate sun exposure, something that I hadn't prior to starting with the itch in 2010 (diagnosed with PBC that year).

I had jobs that worked when the sun at highest, had never been abroad and somehow don't think I ever will. I've never been a sunbather as such as always find I overheat and then feel lethargic if stuck out in the sun. I've always simply walked in summer on holiday or weekend in the sun.

When I was diagnosed I was informed I 'was a bit low in Vit D' but I didn't have a clue what that meant so got a print-out of the figures. I found it was just on the line between normal and below normal range.

During 2011 I utilised the sun as much as possible and got a good Vit D reading following. I utilised what little summer we had last year in-between the rain showers!

I found for me that the itch didn't really alter being out in the sun at all. Might if one was to go abroad as my brother has always said that the sun abroad seems a lot different to how it is here in England.

[Hidden]

PS To add a bit more I forgot I was going to put, I think the itch might subside in the sun due to the pores opening up and the bile salts escaping more freely perhaps?

[littlemo]

Its funny you should say that I had a week in Sunny Spain year before last and have never felt as well in the 12yrs since I was daiagnosed. I had lots of energy very little itch and what I did have was very mild and mainly only at night, or if I was wearing tight clothing (swimsuit) whilst in the sun during the day. Now if only we could get a holiday in the sun on Prescription all us "itchys" would be so much better off!

[roseter in reply to littlemo]

The chances of us getting any warm sun this this look doubtful the way things are going - we are all going to have to save up to go abroad IF we can get travel insurance!!