12) UPDATE ON MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND VITAMIN D

Vitamin D supplementation has just become main stream, standard therapy for MS.. The September, 2010, issue of Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports (already posted on the internet), contains an article titled Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D: A Review and Recommendations, from the Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University.It makes note that the risk of development of MS, as well as the disease severity, has been associated with Vitamin D in a variety of studies. Taking into account the current evidence, their recommendation is that vitamin D supplementation at dosing adequate to achieve normal levels appears reasonable.

In my previous article on an MS remission, #9, Lisa improved with the vitamin D but didn’t achieve a complete remission until her level was over 70 ng. Reminder, levels over this are present in most male lifeguards in August).

I have gone through the message boards of several MS organizations on the internet. Many MS patients are reporting that they are taking major doses of vitamin D, either on their own or on the recommendation of their neurologist, and have experienced lessening of symptoms.

It is unfortunate that this important recommendation won’t receive widespread publicity that it deserves. With the publishing of this medical journal article, neurologists are now on notice to obtain a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level on all their MS patients, and treat every low value, as part of standard care of MS.