Hi everyone, Advise needed please. I have just found out I have been incorrectly taking vit d, instead of vit d3 for the last 6 months !! Divvy that I am. I also take a combined magnesium and calcium supplement (400mg calcium and 200mg magnesium), vit b12 (250mcg), zinc (15mg) and omega 3 (1000mg). To be fair my nurse advised me to take this cocktail but I don’t remember her specifying what levels and I just went online and bought them all without really thinking that there were different doses so I hope the rest are ok ? Thanks xx
Hi Mrs H,
last summer when MS was suspected I read Judy Graham’s book. She listed a whole host of vitamins which would equal the cost of a small mortgage per month. Anyway I found that her recommended cocktail was put together specialy for MS by Dr Gilhoody of the essential health clinic. There vitamins are called Baseline am (to take in moring) and Baseline PM (take at night).
The PM one contains Vit A , betacarotene, thiamin, B2, B3,B5, B6, B12, C Biotin, E, Folic acic, copper, manganese and calcium.
The AM contains vit D, manganese, coq10, selenium, chromium, calcium, magnesium, pinebbark extract and zinc.
Although, the vit d is not enough so I take and extra 4000ug of vit d3.
I also take their ideal omega which is 700mg of EPA, 200mg DHA and 20mg DPA.
I kind of like the idea that I am taking a combination carefully thought out by professionals rather than randomly mixing things and maybe taking too much of one thing which might be bad.
Moyna x
lf you google vitamin b12 deficiency ms - lots of info-. lt mimics ms - good book is ‘Could it be B12’ an epidemic of misdiagnosis. There was a really long interesting thread on vitb12 last year. We have some really knowledgable ms’ers on here. l got lots of help. l use a spray Pure Advantage methylcobalamin 500mcg- just one spray in the mouth a day. There was a lot of debate on how our GP’s test us for B12 - and how out of date they are. ln fact when l asked my gp for a b12 test - she said l would only need it if l was on dmd’s. As they did deplete the bodies b12. l did not question her - l just went ahead and got the spray after doing a bit of research. Methylcobalamin sublingual is the one you need for B12 - lf you can find it on the web a Dr Chandy did a lot of work on B12 - The BBC did a programme about him. You might find it.
Thanks, both of you. Xx
I get B12 injections once a month with my GP. My neuro suggested it as my level was lowish but still within normal range.
Moyna x
l have just looked on google and the Dr Chandy B12 is on - There is a link for youtube - the bbc programme l saw was on lnside out. - nearly 3yrs ago.
You have to google ‘Could it be B12’ an epidemic of misdiagnosis for the other one. l did buy the books from amazon - and tried to get my then GP to ‘read up’.
Don’t go frightening yourself though- but it heartening knowing that you can do something to help yourself. A b12 deficiency causes so many symptoms - whereas you cannot over dose as your body just ‘wees’ it away.
Hello,
Like any suplement B12 has its down side if you take a “mega-dose”. Their is no safe upper limit of b12, as yet. But if you avoid dairy because of a diet and meat you may be low in b12. Well worth getting it checked.
Darren
Thanks Darren. I don’t exclude anything from my diet because of problems I’ve created doing so in the past. I haven’t seen my nurse for a couple of weeks so I’m going to give her a ring and double check what I’m taking and the doses. What a complete and utter divvy I am…honestly I could spit…what a waste of taking vit d all these months and not noticing that it should be d3. I feel like a complete prat !! Xx
There are two types of vitd - one is vitd2 which is produced in plants and fungi when exposed to sunlight. lts called Ergocalciferol and is not produced naturally in the human body and therefore is similar to but not identical to to vitd3. Despite being less potent and less effective than vitamin D3, ergocalciferol d2 continues to be prescribed more by doctors. ln fact , the only prescription vitamin d available today is vitamin d2. Most individuals are likely to need up to twice as much vitamin D2 as vitaminD3. Researchers agree that d3 cholecalciferol is the more potent and effective form of vitamin d in terms of raising blood levels of vitd. Vitd3 is generally considered safer than vitamin d2 which has more reported cases of overdose or toxic-ity.
This is out of The Vitamin D Revolution. Just thought it might help.
So you might have been taking d2 - so don’t worry. Just get a check of your levels. l think you can only get vitd3 at the recommended strength online.
Back in the 1950’s. Milk Formula for babies was heavily fortified with vitd2 - so was cereal for babies - and there were cases of toxicity as there was no control of how much the babies were getting. Now they are putting it in yoghurts/cereals etc again and l expect the same thing will happen. Cases of Ricketts/ Brittle bones/ heart defects in babies and children has escalated so it is important that pregnant mums take a vitd3 supplement - especially if they are intending to breast feed. Being pregnant - mums need to keep their vitd3/vit b12/ iron levels up as the growing baby will deplete them.
l have been interested in d3 for about 4yrs - and have purchased several books - but l am certainly not knowledgable on the subject - just aware how important it is. And have asked Consultant Neuro - who did not know anything about it - and actually said there was no way to test your levels. l do not have a MS Nurse - so l have been left to get on with it - which suits me. So l read as much as l can - and try to understand ‘How the Power of this Amazing Vitamin can change your Life’.
After slipping up causing several fractures of my ankle - which resulted in lots of metal to repair it - l was shocked at how bad my bone-density had become. After taking a high dose of vitd3 20.000ius daily for a long time - now my bone-density is ok.
But l do have to have a total hip replacement next month - which makes me wonder if l had known about vitd3 earlier l might have saved myself this problem.
I saw a neuro yesterday who said to take 5,000 iu of Vit D3 a day… just the same that has been recommended on this site before.
Pat x
Thanks…I guess reading campions post makes me realise how glad I am, that I posted about this…I had a hysterectomy at aged 24 so doubly important for me to protect my bones. And thanks Pat. Because of the discussions on the magnesium oil post, I ordered some 5000iu vit D3 this afternoon. Xx
Hi,
It is so crazy the amounts and types of vitamins with the same name. Like most i also take 5000 iu vit d3 daily. But i do give it a miss on sunny days where i have been outside.
Its well worth always asking for your levels to be tested, atleast you will know what needs “topping up”.
Goodlck
Darren
Hi All
Just wondered how big the vitamin D3 pills are? I’m hopeless at swallowing large pills so wanted to check before i ordered them from Amazon. I was going to get the Healthy Origins 5000iu Vit D3.
I’ve also just ordered the magnesium spray, as recommended by Zoe, so fingers crossed that will help my arms and legs as i’ve had some awful nights sleep recently, feeling like ‘fireworks’ are going off in my limbs.
As a newbie, I’d appreciate any info you can give me.
T
The Healthy Origins 5000iu capsules are smaller than a paracetamol caplet - no problem to swallow for most.
Please remember everyone that vitamin D levels can get too high as well as too low - get yours checked regularly if you can. It took more than two months to get mine down from 345 to 154 and I felt awful while it was too high (muscle & joint pain, awful fatigue, nausea, etc).
Trying to work out why it took so long to come down led me to some research showing interferon to be associated with higher levels of vit D, which is great most of the time, but if you are on an interferon, it probably means you should be extra careful if you are taking high dose supplements.
Btw, I was taking the equivalent of about 8000iu a day. Don’t forget that fish oils are high in vit D and multi-vits also contain vit D, etc.
Karen x
Hi Teacup… I also have problems swallowing large pillls. As Karen says, the Healthy Origins ones are very small. I swallow them no problem at all.
They are not the big long capsules that many vitamins are, but the shape of a rugby ball and about the size of a small berry (not sure how helpful that is LOL… but maybe gives you some idea…).
Pat x
There are some micro-tablets - from wwwvitamind3world - now these are minute. lf you drop one you can never find it.
As Rizzo says - do get your levels checked - gives you a good idea how you are doing - CityAssays nhs lab -[online] quicker then the doc’s and only a pin-prick test [ wanted to say only a small prick]
Just noticed how high in salt Marmite is - now l shall be popular - lt does contain b12 - but only a small amount.
Thanks for the info everybody. I’ve ordered the Vit D3 but I’ll wait and get my bloods checked again before I start them.
Only had the “I’m 99% sure it’s MS” diagnosis from my neurologist yesterday, so still feeling bit shell-shocked …
x