Vitamin D - anyone taking it?

Everyday living
1

This has probably been asked before, but I’ve not been on the forum much lately.

Does anyone take vitamin D?

Did you have your vitamin D level checked?

Any benefits or adverse effects?

2

Hi, yeah I take one tablet a day and have done since MS was first suspected. No side effects, dont know if its been of any benefit but lack of vitamin D is looked at as being a possible cause of MS, prevalence is higher the further away from the equator you go. I’ve been relapse free for 34 months, so, as a well known supermarket says, Every Little Helps… stay safe. Retro.

3

Hi, I was diagnosed with oesteoparesis (cant spell it)last year and was given calcium tablets…they have Vit D in them…I never questioned why, I just take them. No problems.

Boudsx

4

Hi, yes I take vitamin D and vitamin C as well. Had my vitamin D checked and it was very low, had to take huge tablet for a month to get it back to normal levels. So now I take a little one from Holland and Barratt, as they are easy to swallow. No adverse effects.

5

I take 4000 international units as advised by my neurologist.

It’s always best to have your levels checked either before starting vitamin D or after you’ve been on it for a few weeks. An overdose of vitamin D can be as bad as having low levels.

I just read in the paper yesterday that it’s possible (not proven, not gone through formal trials) that vitamin D is a good protection for severe Covid. Not that it will cause you not to contract it, but it could mean it’s not as severe. The suggestion there was 10mcg of vitamin D. I looked it up, that’s equivalent to 400iu (so way less than is advised for MSers). I ordered some for my husband. (From that Internet supermarket that sells everything. I can’t help it, I don’t want to keep giving them money, but they do sell everything I ever need!)

Sue

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6

Hi, yes I take it, have done for years after my ms nurse and gp suggested it, no side effects at all, don’t know whether it’s working, but won’t chance stopping.

Jean x

7

Thanks everyone. I can’t get an appointment to get my vit d levels checked because of the Covid thing, surgery don’t deem it necessary. So, thanks Sue, I’ve ordered what you mention from the big online shop, and I’m going to give it a go.

8

Im deficient in it. I take 1000u per day

9

My consultant asked my gp to prescribe me vitamin d last September and I’m still waiting

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10

This is the NICE guidance on the treatment of MS: https://www.nice.org.uk/donotdo/do-not-offer-vitamin-d-solely-for-the-purpose-of-treating-ms in particular they tell GPs not to prescribe Vitamin D. However, some people have managed to get their GP to prescribe vitamin B12 and others (I’m sure) vitamin D. Personally, I buy my own vitamin D from ‘that’ online store. Since there are 365 days worth costing £12.99 (the ones I buy anyway), they’re not too costly. Just get your GP to check your level of the vitamin, either before you start, or within a few weeks after you’ve begun.

Sue

Sue

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11

I take a 1000u a day, was told to by Doctor, have done for years now. No side affects but never knew you should get levels checked, must ask about that!

12

I take one 25mg tablet daily. My MS nurse told me I’d need to take dozens of them daily over a protracted period to be considered too much.

13

My MS specialist consultant consider D3 to be essential.

I take 4000iu softgel capsule daily.

bought from the online place that previous posters mentioned.

14

Hi, I use vit d3 spray as my swallow isn’t great, neuro told me my levels were low 4 years ago, haven’t had vit d test since then but I use the spray every morning, 3200iu.

15

Hi Lulu

the softgels are tiny and don’t stick to your throat or tongue.

the spray is good too. I’ve tried that too.

the D3 that you can get on prescripton are huge, as big as suppositories!

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16

My neurologist had highlighted this and so I get it prescribed along with folic acid.

17

I have been doing sports for a long time. Recently, I began to feel muscle weakness, and a few days later I began to feel depressed. On https://www.enhanceclub.com/ I read that it may be from a lack of vitamin D. Since I don`tt like to eat fish, I get little vitamin D. So I ordered these vitamins and I really got better. I continue to take vitamin D now and I am very happy

18

My GP prescribed folic acid tablets, blood tests didn’t show low vitamin D levels. Perhaps that is something I’ll look into, since living in Scotland there isn’t much sunshine at the best of times.

19

Everyone with MS should be taking vitamin d. I’m surprised your neurologist hasn’t made that clear. In the UK you need 15 minutes of direct sunlight a day on your skin to get enough vitamin d. Needless to say, we don’t get that here. I take 6000 IU a day.

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20

I’m really shocked people here know so little about the benefits of vitamin D and are taking such low doses. It really takes a lot to overdose on vitamin D and you need to take a lot for a long time for there to be an issue. Vitamin D deficiency is actually one of the ‘possible’ causes of MS. Of course it has not been proven, but there is some evidence to suggest that it’s one of the environmental factors that might play a role in developing MS. I used to be on a high dose vitamin D treatment course which has incredible anecdotal evidence of really helping thousands of people stay in remission. Of course, there are no serious trials of vitamin D and MS, as vitamin D is cheap- so big Pharma is not going to fund a trial. In any case, I’m both for conventional therapies too and did both for a while and had no progression at all. However the high dose vitamin D treatment is hard work, as you need to take a lot of other vitamins and drink a lot of water/ cut out any food with calcium and get regular blood tests and 24 hour urine tests to make sure you’re doing it safely. In any case, I now take between 5,000-10,000 a day and I have a good level.