Hi to all, I had blood test s for RA but the only Result I got was my Vitamin D was very low at 13 its supposed to be 75 so what do I do this has something to do with M.S. I have read but need to look at it further. I went for eye check at Hosp 5 days after I had eye inflammation n they just said carry on using dry eye gel. Anyone any info about above that might be interesting. Dolphin_500.
Hi,
Vitamin D deficiency is more common in people with MS (although can occur in the general population too). It’s not yet known exactly what the connection is - i.e. whether it’s a cause or effect of MS.
It could be that already being deficient contributes to the risks of MS, OR that we’re deficient because of MS - e.g. that the body’s attempts at repairs use up the vitamin at much higher rates than a healthy person.
It’s now becoming standard advice from neuros and MS nurses that people with MS should be supplementing - but this is especially important if you know your levels are very low (not everybody with MS is automatically deficient, but some theories hold that we need more of it, so our levels should be above the norm).
You need to be on a supplement as soon as possible, and in fact, I’m very surprised this hasn’t been automatically prescribed for you. It seems pointless telling you you are deficient, but then not having a plan to remedy it.
The pills are pretty cheap to buy, but depending whether or not you pay for prescriptions, it might be worth asking for them on the NHS. Even if you are going to be buying them yourself, I definitely think you should be talking to your GP about what dose, as a huge range are available. I would imagine they would want to start you on a pretty high dose, but monitor you after a few weeks to check how your levels are doing.
A finding of low vitamin D does NOT mean you have MS (I’m assuming you aren’t diagnosed), as lots of otherwise healthy people have it too - and it’s on the increase.
As for the dry eye - this is not an MS symptom, but can be linked to other auto-immune conditions, especially Rheumatology. But as your Rheumatology screening has come back clear (apart from the vitamin D) evidence is not looking strong for that either.
MS is associated with eye problems, but not usually external irritation/inflammation. One of the most common symptoms of MS is called optic neuritis, which is inflammation of the optic nerve behind the eye (actually considered to be part of the Central Nervous System, not the eye). This can result in vision problems, although the eye itself is OK. The data about what it’s seeing is not reaching the brain properly, because of damage to the optic nerve. This does not sound like what you’re having at all, and would not be treatable by applying anything to the eye itself.
Tina
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I agree with Tina - maybe best to start by asking the doctor what he/she thinks you ought to do about your low Vitamin D levels. As Tina says, this is something you ought to have expert advice on - when you have a real deficiency to correct, that is one for consulting the experts rather than the Saturday girl in Holland and Barrett.
The NHS advice for the general population is (I believe) that daily dosage of Vitamin D3 should not exceed 1000IU. Many of us with MS (me included) take rather more than that on the basis of advice from other respectable sources. But, in your shoes, I wouldn’t be wanting to guess - I would want proper medical advice on how to set things right.
Alison
Sorry, I should have made clear, that NHS daily max recommendation of 1000IU D3 refers only to the stuff you take as a dietary supplement - you can get as much as you like on top from natural sources like sunshine. In fact, there are plenty who say that there is absolutely no substitute for the Vitamin D3 that you get from soaking up the rays as nature intended.
Alison
Hi to all, Thank you I will see G.P.
Random bit of information I picked up recently:-
If you place fresh mushrooms in direct sunlight, they will produce Vit.D that the human body can use, which will remain stable even if the mushrooms are put in the fridge or frozen.
Another way to get some Vit.D - sunbathing with mushrooms
l read that as well - but if the sun is shining why not sit outside yourself and soak up the rays for a few minutes - 20mins is 20.000ius. l wonder how they discovered that mushrooms absorb vitd3 from the sun. And do other veggies also do the same.
Apparently there is a chemical in mushrooms that is very similar to the chemicals in the human body that convert to Vit.D as a result of exposure to sunlight.
Must remember to get my 20 minutes worth every day.