Sunlight relief

[papadapadoo]

For the last 4 days I have had no PMR pain or stiffness. Why? I am on St Kitts, where there is abundant sunshine. I'm probably making tons of vitamin D. Although since my PMR commenced in Dec 2022 I have taken a vitamin D pill daily, I can't trace any relief to that. As for "perfect" days, I've had them rarely, nothing like this. Has anyone tried large doses of vitamin D? Did it help? How much vitamin D is too much?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Lack of PMR pain/stiffness may be due to generally feeling warmer, and just in a more relaxed atmosphere ... not sure where in US you live but if it's in one of the colder states - you may have your answer.

But whatever, enjoy...

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Climate can make a difference. Your body can only make so much vit D in the skin, if it is able to do it at all, Quite a few people will have taken high dose vit D in order to rectify very low levels - single weekly doses of 50,000 IU are common for that purpose and are higher than a single days exposure to sun produces. Never heard anyone say it "cured" their PMR. However, vit D deficiency can cause similar symptoms and it should be looked at in the PMR diagnosis as a differential.

[Merryfield]

I take 2000 IU Vit D a day and have for years. I had quit once and came up w insufficient D per the blood test. Lack can cause problems but I doubt overdoing it will replace a vacation in the islands.

[SnazzyD]

serotonin boost as well?

[agingfeminist]

I'm afraid with advancing years we don't make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight (my bone specialist explained to me) and so taking vit D supplement really important. I think a visit to St kitts should definitely be part of the PMR treatment program.

[Iamfedup]

out of interest would you know Simone Mestier

[Wizards]

Throughout my PMR journey I took 2000 vitamin D daily. If I didn't I would bottom out and did feel worse. As for going south I can personally tell you that we travel to the Carribean yearly for min 2 mos except this year and all of a sudden within 1 day of being south I could walk 3 times further, do all the diving etc..

For me the sun and water are energizing and my levels increase.

It's true when summer returns to Canada once again I do a minimum of 2hrs of laps in our pool and have more energy.

I'm envious of you in St. Kitts when normally we'd be south but due to my husband's 2 operations and I just had an operation 6 days which I call a 2 for 1. 2 things wrong 1 operation.

I can hardly wait to heal, 6-8 weeks and we're gone.

Can't explain it but I totally understand it.

Enjoy your time.

[Alchemy8]

Green with envy! Working in the garden in the cold gives rather the reverse effect when it comes to stiffness and pain so have given a miss to that for the moment. It would be interesting to know how many PMR sufferers one finds in warmer climates?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Alchemy8]

The further south you go in the northern hemisphere, the fewer cases there are. But the Vikings were less likely to have been here too - fewer Scandinavian genes causing the predisposition to developing it.

[winfong in reply to PMRpro]

So, are you saying this could simply be a correlation thing? I.e., if an Italian or Spaniard would move north, would they be more likely to get it? Vice versa, do Nordics who go the Mediterranean?

Or is it just those genes? If so, what genes in particular? Has that ever been pinned down?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to winfong]

, if an Italian or Spaniard would move north, would they be more likely to get it?

It’s not necessarily where you live now -but whom you descended from - i.e the Vikings - and they travelled to rest of northern Europe, Mediterranean and some say as far as Northern America… but not further south. However many Europeans emigrated to the “new world” -which is why it’s there as well.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to winfong]

As DL says, not on the genome basis for predisposition. If low vit D were a trigger, possibly.

The highest incidence in the USA is in Olmsted County around Rochester in Minnesota - because of the historical massively Scandinavian heritage population.

[darkred in reply to PMRpro]

Both my brother and I have PMR. I did read about the Olmsted County incidence. We were born and grew up in that area. We are not Scandinavian, but very many people in that area are Scandinavian.

The long winter months do deprive us of Vitamin D. I had my very first Vitamin D level checked a couple months ago. It was low! Today, I happened to come across this link:

bmj.com/content/376/bmj-202...

There is a correlation between low Vitamin D and PMR. Older people do not easily absorb Vitamin D. Possibly, this explains (in part) why PMR is an older person's disease.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to darkred]

Vit D deficiency and PMR can have similar symptoms but are separate problems. Low vit D is also common in other autoimmune problems so the link isn't clear cut.

[darkred in reply to PMRpro]

I agree: Vitamin D deficiency and PMR are separate problems, although the deficiency is common in autoimmune conditions, including PMR. Research shows a correlation, but that does not mean Vitamin D deficiency causes any autoimmune conditions. (Correlation is not causation.)

Many on this forum have mentioned the need for Vitamin D. This is especially important to keep our bones strong when on Prednisone.

[Alchemy8 in reply to PMRpro]

I thought that the Normans had Scandinavian blood so perhaps the genes would have arrived here in 1066!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Alchemy8]

I think the Viking arrived rather sooner!!!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Alchemy8]

As PMRpro - said Vikings - and bit earlier - although up until 1066-

From Encyclopaedia Britannica -

Viking, member of the Scandinavian seafaring warriors who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 9th to the 11th century and whose disruptive influence profoundly affected European history. These pagan Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were probably prompted to undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at home to the relative helplessness of victims abroad.

full article here-

britannica.com/topic/Viking...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you O Viking Goddess ...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

You’re welcome 😊…. You just knew I’d have to chip in…..