When I went to my new Rheumatologist the first thing she suggested was vitamin D tablets, even the brand. I live in sunny Sydney, Australia so I was a bit shocked. I thought I would be getting enough of this vitamin from incidental sun exposure. You see, she said, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle pain.
After checking with some reliable sources such as Cleveland Clinic I found that symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. It is interesting that these are some of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia too.
Dr. Ramakrishnan of Our Lady's Hospital in Ireland currently gives all his fibromyalgia patients vitamin D. He recently conducted a small study which showed only 15% of fibromyalgia patients had adequate levels of the vitamin.
This was a relatively small study, of only 36 people, and more studies are needed to see if early detection and replacement of vitamin D may help in the overall management of fibromyalgia.
But in the meantime is there any harm in taking the recommended dose of Vitamin D? No I don't think so especially if it may help reduce muscle pain. We all know any reduction in pain is a blessing when we live with chronic pain.
According to Health Direct, an Australian government site, "Vitamin D is important for general health and especially for bones. It is needed to make muscles move, for nerves to work properly, and for the immune system."
Here is what else I discovered about the sun vitamin:
- we don't absorb vitamin D easily as we get older
- people with darker skin need more sun exposure to get the same benefits of the vitamin
- vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the intestines
- deficiencies can cause soft bone conditions such as rickets or osteoporosis.
- it is recommended that people with fat absorption issues, lactose intolerance, milk allergies, take it as a supplement.
- Buy supplements that offer the daily recommended allowance (RDA) you need for your age - For most people, it’s 600 IU per day, but for people over age 70 who need a little more—it’s about 800 IU.
Do you take this vitamin? Let me know if you think it is helping you or why you take it in the comments below.
VISIT MY FIBROMYALGIA STORE to see the types of vitamin D recommended to me.
VITAMIN D QUESTIONS
What foods contain vitamin D? Not many foods contain vitamin D especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan. The foods that have the highest amounts are salmon, herring and mackerel, and egg yolks. The highest vegetable is shitake mushroom.
How much sun exposure do I need to get adequate vitamin D? Exposure of arms and legs or face, arms, and hands to direct sunlight for 5–15 minutes at least three-times a week is recommended for the synthesis of a sufficient amount of vitamin D in the skin.
How do I know if I'm getting enough vitamin D? The best way is to have a blood test to check as due to a variety of factors including skin color, sunscreen, obesity, smoking, air pollution, health conditions and food quality, you may not be getting enough even if you are sitting in the sun and eating fatty fish.
Why is vitamin D called a vitamin? It is actually a hormone. Vitamin D is also called known as calciferol, a group of fat-soluble steroids.
What stops the absorption of vitamin D? Some chronic health conditions are known to lower the absorption of vitamin D including Celiac disease, Crohn's disease and Cystic Fibrosis. This is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed in the intestines and these are affected in these conditions.
What is Hypovitaminosis D? It is a deficiency of vitamin D which is quite common and especially seen in the elderly. People with either dark skin or over 65 years of age should have their levels checked in a blood test.
Vitamin D deficiency and chronic widespread pain
READ MY OTHER ARTICLES ON VITAMIN D:
not taking it now, But soon I'll get to take it again.
ReplyDeleteRebecca did it help at all with muscle pain when you took it?
DeleteVitamins are very important and their intake must be sufficient. Vitamin D is important for our body.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree and thanks for the reminder I will start takingt it again
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome and glad you agree tht Vitamin D can be helpful when we are living with chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia
DeleteThe sun is the best natural source of Vitamin D, but we can’t expose ourselves to the heat of sun all day long. There are vitamins and supplements that can be bought over the counter to supply our needs or deficiencies in Vitamin D. Always consult with your family doctor before taking anything, even though it’s just a vitamin supplement.
ReplyDelete-Yulanda Mccargo
I've been taking it for over 6 months now, Hidroferol 0.266 mg, 1 tablet every 2 weeks. The results in my blood tests do not show any vitamin D deficiency any longer but I'm afraid to say that's been it, I haven't experienced any improvement in pain or fatigue levels nor in my digestive or other Fibromyalgia realted issues.
ReplyDeleteI was told by the doctors beforehand that most people (fibromyalgia sufereres or not) do not experiment any changes when improving their Vitamine D levels, I still decided to take it in order to avoid any related health issues further along
Thanks for sharing this interesting info about vitamin D and fibromyalgia from your doctor. It is difficult to know what vitamins and minerals are helping and what they are doing internally. I know the body must have vitamin D to absorb calcium and this helps to prevent Osteoporosis which is also something many women with fibro have. It's also important that your levels have improved. I take my vitamin d daily and have never heard of this way that you are taking it. I'm glad you have a doctor that you find helpful.
DeleteI’ve been taking vitamin D for a while now. I prefer the gummies as a posed to the pill form.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you Rachel. I think whatever helps you take vitamin D is goob. for me I have to be careful of additives in gummies and other tablets and they often contain sugars so I personally prefer tablets. Gummies are great if you have issues with swallowing tablets and would help many people so thanks for mentioning them.
DeleteHave you looked into relationship between vit D and calcium? My doc put me on 10,000 IU which is a good practice for short period of time, but I might have took it too long...
ReplyDelete