Hi I’m hoping that someone can help provide some thoughts. I have been really tired last few weeks and put it down to the weather. I am not good in damp and cold prefer warmth. However had routine blood test and asked them to check vit D level. My result has come back at 80.8 nmol/L. I have only got back into routine of taking vit D last couple of weeks and take 5000iu a day MS Nurse did say should have started taking back in October to get body prepared for winter. I held off as last year my levels didn’t change a huge amount however, looking back they were at. 125nmol/L so maybe supplements were holding it. Just wondering what other foods I could include in diet to up level and if any foods help with tiredness? Thanks Trace
Hi Trace,
Although your Vitamin D levels are somewhat on the low side, tiredness - or rather fatigue, to give it it’s proper name - is such a common symptom of MS that I’d be wary of assuming it’s all to do with vitamin D. If you are already taking 5000IU a day, I should think anything more you could get from food would be a drop in the ocean, compared to that.
My vitamin D levels were fine when last checked, although I do permanently supplement (no idea what they’d be like if I didn’t).
But I’m still tired all the time regardless. I think you may have to accept it’s part of the disease, and not necessarily linked to a deficiency. Are you due to get your levels checked again, to see if your new supplement regime has boosted them? I’d be wary of going higher without having them regularly monitored, as it’s possible to go the other way, and overdose. And frustratingly, the symptoms of overdose are quite similar to those of MS, so unless it’s actually measured, you might be tempted to take more, in the belief it’s not working, when the real problem is the levels are already too high.
I must say, I’ve never actually felt better from taking Vitamin D supplements. I take them mainly because there’s increasing evidence low levels are associated with a higher risk of relapse, but I don’t think there’s huge evidence they make you feel better in yourself - though some people do claim to feel the difference. I only wish I did feel better from popping some vitamins. I haven’t relapsed in a long time, so perhaps they ARE doing something - just not anything I can feel.
Tina