Do you suffer from fatigue? Tiredness? Bone or back pain? Do you find yourself getting sick often? Have you ever had your Vitamin D level tested? Chances are, your levels are low. Living far from the equator, using a lot of sunscreen, being overweight, or spending a lot of time indoors puts us at risk for this deficiency. (Source: Healthline) What you may not know is that a deficiency in this crucial vitamin could cause you a great deal of harm.
Let me pause here and say something strictly to my MS friends:
If you’ve not had a conversation about Vitamin D with your neurologist, DO IT RIGHT NOW.
More and more studies are being done about the correlation between low Vitamin D Levels and MS Flares and I feel like it’s imperative that you know what your levels are… like RIGHT NOW. My neurologist checks mine every 6 months. The first time, just two weeks after my diagnosis and most recent MS flare, it was at 22… well below the normal of 30. She prescribed high doses of Vitamin D and we’ve steadily been able to raise it to 44 over the past two years. She really wants it above 50 for all of her MS patients, based on some of the latest studies. Right now, she is having me take 5000 IU of Vitamin D per day and I’m due to have my levels checked in March. Talk to your neurologist today if you’ve never had your Vitamin D levels checked. I feel like there will be more and more findings showing low Vitamin D as a huge factor in the development of MS in patients. Talk to your doctor. If they have never heard of these studies, then find a new doctor. I go to a MS Clinic and they are knowledgeable about all the recent studies and research. I feel like my neurologist eats, sleeps, and breaths information on Multiple Sclerosis and you should too! What a relief it is to feel like I can trust her completely.
Low Vitamin D levels aren’t just connected to MS, though. Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Heart Disease, Depression, Schizophrenia, and many more diseases and conditions have been linked to low Vitamin D, although the exact correlation is not clear. It’s enough to make us all want to KNOW what our levels are so we can KNOW if we need to supplement. Do not guess. Do not try to self-medicate when you don’t know what your levels are. See your doctor and ask them to do a blood test to check. If you’ve had low Vitamin D in the past and had to be treated, it’s likely that you will have low D again. If you’ve been treated for low Vitamin D in the past, ask what a good maintenance dose of Vitamin D would be for you. Again, DO NOT GUESS. Know and seek the advice of a professional.
Before my huge wakeup call that was my MS Diagnosis, I was obese, depressed, suffered from anxiety, and had aches and pains every single day of my life. From my diet change and getting my Vitamin D levels where they need to be, I’m now at a healthy weight, wake up pain-free, and do not need medication for depression or anxiety. I feel it’s IMPERITIVE that we all know about this crucial vitamin and make sure our levels are good and stay that way!
***DISCLAIMER: Dudes, I’m not a doctor and anything I say is just from my own experience and reading what other, much smarter people have researched and found. Get a good doctor that you can trust. There is no substitute for an educated medical professional who knows your history, medications, and knows how to best treat you.
Not Today, MS 