Showing posts with label vitamin d newsletter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitamin d newsletter. Show all posts
8/1/13
#33) Vitamin D Pills Are of Extreme Benefit in the high percentage of us that have insufficient levels -Baker Newsletter
This is the type of headline that the public should see. That is why I am posting it.
Because most of us don't live near the equator (where life on earth is believed to have started), we cover up most of our skin most of the time when outdoors, and because of other factors, a high percentage of humans have insufficient levels. The evidence of this is MASSIVE and CONCLUSIVE.. Some of the evidence is posted on various entries to this Newsletter.
6/5/13
#32) INDEX CASE OF IMPROVEMENT OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS WITH VITAMIN D NOW VERIFIED WITH A FORMAL RESEARCH STUDY
On May 14, 2011, I posted #19) CASE HISTORY: SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENT IN MYASTHENIA GRAVIS FOLLOWING AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT OF VITAMIN D INSUFFICIENCY. I wrote about Debbie, a lady who was diagnosed with MG at age 41 in 2001. http://robertbakermdhealthnewsletter.blogspot.com/2011/05/case-history-subjective-and-objective.html
I first saw her in November, 2008 when she was on a high dose of prednisone for her disease, and also had vitamin D insufficiency diagnosed with a blood level. It made sense that MG should respond to vitamin D. It is a disease caused by production of abnormal antibodies that attack receptors located between muscles and nerves. I had previously searched MEDLINE and the internet using several search engines and was unable to find any research study or case history reporting on a connection. There simply were none. So I told Debbie we need to treat her vitamin D insufficiency to treat and improve her osteoporosis promoted by the steroids. I added that if there was a positive effect on her illnesses, that would be a bonus. I wrote up the response that Debbie had in the above mentioned Health Letter.
In mid-2012 I saw patient Sara who was 27 and had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis the previous year,
confirmed by special tests. She had been advised by her neurologist to have her thymus gland removed, a procedure
that often helps relieve symptoms of myasthenia gravis. (It is felt that myasthenia gravis is caused by antibodies that are produced by the thymus gland, which is a gland in the neck related to the immune system.) She was holding off on the final decision.
At that time her 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was low. I discussed with her the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the experience of my patient Debbie, and the possible beneficial effect it can have on myasthenia gravis. She started 5000 units of vitamin D with instructions for getting up follow up levels.
I saw Sara again about a year later. She had not had any surgery. Her symptoms were 80% improved. No change was made from a year before except the addition of 5000 units of vitamin D. She has given me her kind permission to use her first name in this write-up of her case.
Three months before seeing Sara a second time, a group of neurologists from Sweden published a study in the European Journal of Neurology (December 19, 2012). They studied 33 patients with MG. 13 patients were started on Vitamin D 800 units a day with a follow up an average of 6 months later. Neurologists use an objective test called the MGC
to measure the severity of fatigue with MG. (Fatigue is a prominent symptoms of MG). The MGC score in the 800 Unit vitamin D taking subjects improved 38%.
I emailed one of the authors and supplied to her the link of the case history report involving Debbie. She responded by telling me another doctor had shared with them a similar case also using 5000 units of vitamin D daily. She indicated that her group was planning further studies involving a dose close to what Debbie and this other case she heard about received.
The Swedish study was published in December. 2012. Up to that point no study had been published in a medical journal regarding the use of vitamin D to treat MG. The case report on Debbie that I published on my internet health letter represents the first case report ever published anywhere on the subject. My 2 case studies had far more than 38% improvement, but the dose I used was much higher than the 800 units used in Sweden.
My 2 case histories using 5000 units of vitamin D (and the Swedish study showing lesser improvement with 800 units) leads to the following recommendations that apply to every patient with MG:
1. Every MG patient should receive a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test (it will be low), and have the insufficiency treated, preferable to a level of 50 to 80 ng (125 to 200 nM.) (Treatment of vitamin D insufficiency is already recommended by vitamin D experts for the prevention of osteoporosis and other illnesses).
2. Other treatments for MG may need to be given as should be determined by the patient’s neurologist. However if the improvement is substantial enough, other treatments may not be necessary.
I first saw her in November, 2008 when she was on a high dose of prednisone for her disease, and also had vitamin D insufficiency diagnosed with a blood level. It made sense that MG should respond to vitamin D. It is a disease caused by production of abnormal antibodies that attack receptors located between muscles and nerves. I had previously searched MEDLINE and the internet using several search engines and was unable to find any research study or case history reporting on a connection. There simply were none. So I told Debbie we need to treat her vitamin D insufficiency to treat and improve her osteoporosis promoted by the steroids. I added that if there was a positive effect on her illnesses, that would be a bonus. I wrote up the response that Debbie had in the above mentioned Health Letter.
In mid-2012 I saw patient Sara who was 27 and had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis the previous year,
confirmed by special tests. She had been advised by her neurologist to have her thymus gland removed, a procedure
that often helps relieve symptoms of myasthenia gravis. (It is felt that myasthenia gravis is caused by antibodies that are produced by the thymus gland, which is a gland in the neck related to the immune system.) She was holding off on the final decision.
At that time her 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was low. I discussed with her the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the experience of my patient Debbie, and the possible beneficial effect it can have on myasthenia gravis. She started 5000 units of vitamin D with instructions for getting up follow up levels.
I saw Sara again about a year later. She had not had any surgery. Her symptoms were 80% improved. No change was made from a year before except the addition of 5000 units of vitamin D. She has given me her kind permission to use her first name in this write-up of her case.
Three months before seeing Sara a second time, a group of neurologists from Sweden published a study in the European Journal of Neurology (December 19, 2012). They studied 33 patients with MG. 13 patients were started on Vitamin D 800 units a day with a follow up an average of 6 months later. Neurologists use an objective test called the MGC
to measure the severity of fatigue with MG. (Fatigue is a prominent symptoms of MG). The MGC score in the 800 Unit vitamin D taking subjects improved 38%.
I emailed one of the authors and supplied to her the link of the case history report involving Debbie. She responded by telling me another doctor had shared with them a similar case also using 5000 units of vitamin D daily. She indicated that her group was planning further studies involving a dose close to what Debbie and this other case she heard about received.
The Swedish study was published in December. 2012. Up to that point no study had been published in a medical journal regarding the use of vitamin D to treat MG. The case report on Debbie that I published on my internet health letter represents the first case report ever published anywhere on the subject. My 2 case studies had far more than 38% improvement, but the dose I used was much higher than the 800 units used in Sweden.
My 2 case histories using 5000 units of vitamin D (and the Swedish study showing lesser improvement with 800 units) leads to the following recommendations that apply to every patient with MG:
1. Every MG patient should receive a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test (it will be low), and have the insufficiency treated, preferable to a level of 50 to 80 ng (125 to 200 nM.) (Treatment of vitamin D insufficiency is already recommended by vitamin D experts for the prevention of osteoporosis and other illnesses).
2. Other treatments for MG may need to be given as should be determined by the patient’s neurologist. However if the improvement is substantial enough, other treatments may not be necessary.
9/21/11
#24) SUBJECTIVE & OBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WITH VITAMIN D
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common autoimmune connective tissue diseases. However it is far less common than osteoarthritis, which commonly occurs with age. (Although several factors are involved in the genesis of osteoarthritis, it is the “wear and tear” arthritis.)
A blood test, the rheumatoid factor, correlates with the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis, and is a measure of the antibody activity.
Precipitating factors are multiple and have been known for decades. Some cases are simply allergies to certain foods – milk and other dairy products have been proven to be the major factor in some cases that have gone away with abstinence from dairy foods. However the precipitating factors have not been embraced by the medical industry, and few sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis have even tried a dairy free diet nor are they told about it.
Because of research that has been done in the past decade, it has been shown that correction of a vitamin D insufficiency lowers the production of abnormal antibodies in autoimmune diseases.
Mrs. X is a 55 year old female who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in February, 2005. Her rheumatoid factor was 23. In July, 2009, she obtained a vitamin D level for the first time, and it was low at 21 ng. She was treated with 5000 units of vitamin D daily. In April, 2011, she reported that there had been a significant improvement in her joint pain and stiffness, and her repeat vitamin D level was 31 (still low, but much better than 21), and her rheumatoid factor was down to 18, a 22% decrease. No other changes in her medications had been made during that 4 year time span.
Poorly publicized medical studies have shown improvements in rheumatoid arthritis with treatment of vitamin D insufficiency. In this case, the individual had not yet reached anything close to an ideal level of vitamin D, it can be speculated that she may continue to improve with a higher level. The drop in the rheumatoid factor with vitamin D alone indicates a 22% decrease in antibody activity.
A blood test, the rheumatoid factor, correlates with the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis, and is a measure of the antibody activity.
Precipitating factors are multiple and have been known for decades. Some cases are simply allergies to certain foods – milk and other dairy products have been proven to be the major factor in some cases that have gone away with abstinence from dairy foods. However the precipitating factors have not been embraced by the medical industry, and few sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis have even tried a dairy free diet nor are they told about it.
Because of research that has been done in the past decade, it has been shown that correction of a vitamin D insufficiency lowers the production of abnormal antibodies in autoimmune diseases.
Mrs. X is a 55 year old female who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in February, 2005. Her rheumatoid factor was 23. In July, 2009, she obtained a vitamin D level for the first time, and it was low at 21 ng. She was treated with 5000 units of vitamin D daily. In April, 2011, she reported that there had been a significant improvement in her joint pain and stiffness, and her repeat vitamin D level was 31 (still low, but much better than 21), and her rheumatoid factor was down to 18, a 22% decrease. No other changes in her medications had been made during that 4 year time span.
Poorly publicized medical studies have shown improvements in rheumatoid arthritis with treatment of vitamin D insufficiency. In this case, the individual had not yet reached anything close to an ideal level of vitamin D, it can be speculated that she may continue to improve with a higher level. The drop in the rheumatoid factor with vitamin D alone indicates a 22% decrease in antibody activity.
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