Vitamin D and Crohn's Disease

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Well, I could be just getting into the menopause thing, maybe it's just a coincidence, the symptoms, and not the D3 causing it.
 
I second that emotion - thank you David, for supplying valuable info about Vitamin D! I was told that I was low in Vitamin D two years ago by my doctor and never took it regularly. I was diagnosed with Crohn's last fall. So.... after reading what you've posted, I just purchased "Osteo-Tech" from BioTech which contains both Vitamin D and Calcium - hoping to kill two birds with one pill. It also contains the other vitamins that the article stated was needed with Vitamin D, I believe. Here's what this vitamin contains and you're supposed to take 4 capsules a day.

Vitamin D 5000 IU
Vitamin K 145 mcg
Folate 800 mcg
B12 500 mcg
Calcium 400 mg
Vitamin C 66 mg
Phosphorous 164 mg
Magnesium 200 mg
Zinc 10 mg
Copper 1 mg
Manganese 5 mg

Proprietary blend: boron citrate, horsetail, lemon bioflavinoids, lycopene, black pepper extract 524 mg

I hope this is just as good as taking the Vitamin D on it's own but if not, please let me know.
 
I think I really need to really start taking the Vitamin D faithfully and Pro- Biotics... I am wondering if I am faithfully with the Vitamin D maybe I can get my fatique under control.
 
I have noticed a difference from taking it. I upped my doasge to 5000IU. twice a day. But, always check with your Dr. before doing anything new.
 
I did notice a diff. in my over all joint pain, especially my neck and jaw pain. Also seemed to have more energy. I am taking 2~ 5000IU a day and b~complex and it has folic acid in it and vit. c too.
 
I am still taking 50,000 of Vit d a day. I double checked and the pharmacist double checked and that's the dose he wants me on. My number was 18.


Lauren
 
i have terrible issues with neck pain and jaw pain too. i just discovered that a memory foam neck support pillow helps at night. I am taking vit d liquid at the moment even though doc said my level was adequate. Sod her i'm thinking, i shall do what i feel makes me feel better.
 
Yes, mine was so bad for awhile there. Now I have been ok for about 2 months with that! YAY! It was such a terrible pain. I have fibromyalgia and that causes alot of weird symptoms too.:(
 
Spooky1 said:
i have terrible issues with neck pain and jaw pain too. i just discovered that a memory foam neck support pillow helps at night. I am taking vit d liquid at the moment even though doc said my level was adequate. Sod her i'm thinking, i shall do what i feel makes me feel better.
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I bought a memory foam topper 4 in. thick for my bed. We have been using it for 7 yrs. now. It helped with the pain so much. But, I can't stand the pillow!!!:(
 
LISATHEGIRLS said:
Just joined this site. Not sure how to start my own thread question??

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
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Go back to the main forum page, find Support Forum or whatever forum you wish to start a thread on. Click on that, and up top look for" New Thread". Click on and you have to give it a title and then start your thread. It isn't too difficult. Good luck.:)
 
tots said:
I am still taking 50,000 of Vit d a day. I double checked and the pharmacist double checked and that's the dose he wants me on. My number was 18.


Lauren
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Hi Lauren:

How long have you been taking 50,000 IUs of D3? How long ago was your Vitamin D level tested at 18? I am a huge believer in the healing power of Vitamin D.

Lisa
 
Lisa
This is my third month. I had the blood work done
then. My B12 was 307. According to him it was ok....
From what I read though at the ripe old age of 49 I could
(Pretty sure I do) still feel like its low.


I am tired of having to fight for my medical care !!!



Lauren
 
I have been reading all the threads. and I guess I am wondering if having low vitamin D is causing some of my joint pain.. But it is hard for me to tell why anything hurts for that matter
 
I know how you feel. Been there. I had been feeling so much better and now not again. Am tired after 3pm and i have this cough that tickles my throat! I choke easily too! Maybe one of my meds!
 
soccermom081105 said:
I think I really need to really start taking the Vitamin D faithfully and Pro- Biotics... I am wondering if I am faithfully with the Vitamin D maybe I can get my fatique under control.
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For some people with Crohn's disease (certainly not *all*, but some), the "good bacteria" pro-biotics are a nightmare. Yes, some CD sufferers have great results with them, but for others, it's a sentence to the porcelain jail. Unfortunately, I'm one of those that has, for lack of a better term, "bacteria intolerance." After trying the different "good bacteria" pro-biotics over a one year period, I was in pretty bad shape. My doc started me on a Cipro/Flagyl course that had me straightened out in a week. Cipro/Flagyl is a well known and often prescribed antibiotic combo that often helps CD sufferers.

From that day, I have sworn off "good bacteria" pro-biotics, substituting Sachromyces Boulardii yeast instead. S. Boulardii has been a God send for me. I have finally gotten the results with it that I was hoping for from the "good bacteria" pro-biotics. Now please don't get me wrong... there are many people that have gotten great results from bacteria pro-biotics, but if you end up being one of the ones that doesn't, S. Boulardii is a great alternative.

As for Vitamin D... Well, I worked in the yard for 12 hours straight yesterday, and I plan on completely ignoring my sore muscles; gonna do another 12 hours today. I've been supplementing Vit D for just over one month. I've added it to my daily CD meds so there's no chance of skipping it. To me, it's *that* important.
 
Happy you found something that really helps you Daddy!:)
Good job with the yard! Come on eover and do ours next, wouldya???:ylol2:
 
T.A.R.D.I.S.girl said:
My level was a 7. She put me on D capsules for 6 months, they will check me again in June. There has just been soo much going on with my body, I'm not sure how well it's working.
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It took just over a week for me to start feeling the effects of vit D supplementation. It's been just over a month, and I'm still improving each day.

Please consider taking David's advice: supplement the Vit D co-factors along with Vit D to realize it's full benefits. Talk to your Doctor about it first, though.
 
CrohnsDaddy said:
It took just over a week for me to start feeling the effects of vit D supplementation. It's been just over a month, and I'm still improving each day.

Please consider taking David's advice: supplement the Vit D co-factors along with Vit D to realize it's full benefits. Talk to your Doctor about it first, though.
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David said to get Magnesium citrate. I went to GNC yesterday and they gave me a liquid form and it says to use for constipation. Drink half the bottle! It's about a quart or less. Is this the wrong stuff? What kind do you take? Brand???
 
723crossroads said:
Happy you found something that really helps you Daddy!:)
Good job with the yard! Come on eover and do ours next, wouldya???:ylol2:
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Thank you!! :)

It's nice living in the desert... We don't have to shovel sunshine off the drive ways.:tongue:

The grass is growing, trees are budding, Mourning Doves fill the morning air with their sad song. It's a beautiful time of year.

And the fact that it's gonna be 75 degrees today doesn't hurt, either!

Kids are on Spring Break, so the yard might have to wait a bit today... Going to take them for a hike/picnic through the desert red rocks.
 
723crossroads said:
David said to get Magnesium citrate. I went to GNC yesterday and they gave me a liquid form and it says to use for constipation. Drink half the bottle! It's about a quart or less. Is this the wrong stuff? What kind do you take? Brand???
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Right now, I'm taking "Cal-Mag Citrate" made by "Solaray".

It doesn't have any Vitamin K in it, though, but it does have 1k mg of Calcium Citrate and 500 mg of Magnesium as Citrate and Oxide. I don't like the mag oxide part, but it's the best I could find here in my small town. Oh, it also has 1k IU of Vit D in it, but I take an additional 5k IU of D.
 
CrohnsDaddy said:
For some people with Crohn's disease (certainly not *all*, but some), the "good bacteria" pro-biotics are a nightmare. Yes, some CD sufferers have great results with them, but for others, it's a sentence to the porcelain jail. Unfortunately, I'm one of those that has, for lack of a better term, "bacteria intolerance." After trying the different "good bacteria" pro-biotics over a one year period, I was in pretty bad shape. My doc started me on a Cipro/Flagyl course that had me straightened out in a week. Cipro/Flagyl is a well known and often prescribed antibiotic combo that often helps CD sufferers.

From that day, I have sworn off "good bacteria" pro-biotics, substituting Sachromyces Boulardii yeast instead. S. Boulardii has been a God send for me. I have finally gotten the results with it that I was hoping for from the "good bacteria" pro-biotics. Now please don't get me wrong... there are many people that have gotten great results from bacteria pro-biotics, but if you end up being one of the ones that doesn't, S. Boulardii is a great alternative.

As for Vitamin D... Well, I worked in the yard for 12 hours straight yesterday, and I plan on completely ignoring my sore muscles; gonna do another 12 hours today. I've been supplementing Vit D for just over one month. I've added it to my daily CD meds so there's no chance of skipping it. To me, it's *that* important.
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Thanks for the insight, CrohnsDaddy. My daughter has been trying probiotics without any positive results this far.

Has anyone else had a similar experience as CrohnsDaddy with probiotics?
 
CrohnsDaddy said:
Right now, I'm taking "Cal-Mag Citrate" made by "Solaray".

It doesn't have any Vitamin K in it, though, but it does have 1k mg of Calcium Citrate and 500 mg of Magnesium as Citrate and Oxide. I don't like the mag oxide part, but it's the best I could find here in my small town. Oh, it also has 1k IU of Vit D in it, but I take an additional 5k IU of D.
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Thankyou so much! So do you buy it at the pharmacy there?
 
723crossroads said:
Thankyou so much! So do you buy it at the pharmacy there?
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I picked it up at our local Mom and Pop health food/supplement store.

I'm pretty sure that the liquid you bought is the correct form of Magnesium, but I think the dosage they're recommending is for another condition entirely... ;)

If there's a way you can lower the dosage down to say 500 mg of mag citrate, you should be good to go.
 
CrohnsDaddy said:
Thank you!! :)

It's nice living in the desert... We don't have to shovel sunshine off the drive ways.:tongue:

The grass is growing, trees are budding, Mourning Doves fill the morning air with their sad song. It's a beautiful time of year.

And the fact that it's gonna be 75 degrees today doesn't hurt, either!

Kids are on Spring Break, so the yard might have to wait a bit today... Going to take them for a hike/picnic through the desert red rocks.
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Sounds like a perfect day!

She is taking Primal Defense probiotics and the first ingredient listed is S. Boulardii, but it sounds like you had better luck taking the S. Boulardii alone, i.e., not included in a combined probiotic formula, like Primal Defense.
 
CrohnsDaddy, I have a friend, a guy I've known for many years, who was diagnosed with Crohn's while he was in college. He had the week long hospital stay, a G.I., the whole works most of us deal with. Anyway, after the first year or so, he's never had to treat, see his G.I., etc, because once his mom saw the side effects of all the meds they treat us with, she decided that was NOT happening and started researching. I know she gave him 3 different things, and the only one I can remember is, brewers yeast tablets. She intended to heal him naturally. So when I saw your post about what you take instead of probiotics, it made me think of that.
I know we all are aware that what works for one might very well not work for the next, I do have to give his mom some credit, he's mid 50's now and still has never had to treat. Like he never had it.
 
CLynn said:
CrohnsDaddy, I have a friend, a guy I've known for many years, who was diagnosed with Crohn's while he was in college. He had the week long hospital stay, a G.I., the whole works most of us deal with. Anyway, after the first year or so, he's never had to treat, see his G.I., etc, because once his mom saw the side effects of all the meds they treat us with, she decided that was NOT happening and started researching. I know she gave him 3 different things, and the only one I can remember is, brewers yeast tablets. She intended to heal him naturally. So when I saw your post about what you take instead of probiotics, it made me think of that.
I know we all are aware that what works for one might very well not work for the next, I do have to give his mom some credit, he's mid 50's now and still has never had to treat. Like he never had it.
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My Mom had Ulcerative Colitis and a Dr. she sees for Gyno told her to take Red Yeast Rice. Claims it really helps digestive tract. Mom is taking it and she has been in remission 3 yrs. Although she does take Colazol I think it is.
 
my mum had ulcerative colitis too. She had all her colon removed though. just wondering if you have tried it for crohns. i'm being stupid by hoping high levels of vit d3 will be my 'cure'. wouldn't it be brilliant if it worked well for the actual crohns and bones, not to mention mood uplift.

Shall get myself a support memory foam mattress too.

Why oh why do cats clamber all over the keyboard when you want to write omg?!
 
Spooky1 said:
my mum had ulcerative colitis too. She had all her colon removed though. just wondering if you have tried it for crohns. i'm being stupid by hoping high levels of vit d3 will be my 'cure'. wouldn't it be brilliant if it worked well for the actual crohns and bones, not to mention mood uplift.

Shall get myself a support memory foam mattress too.

Why oh why do cats clamber all over the keyboard when you want to write omg?!
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Memory foam mattress cover I have is 4 in. thick and is called a topper. You will love it after you get used to it. It helps your weary bones! Red yeast rice is for all digestive problems she said. I didn't get it yet. I can barely afford all the supplements and copays now!:sign0085: Cats do that because they want to be where you are! :hug:
 
I'm another that seems to spend a small fortune on supplements, they seriously run away with the money, don't they.

might give the mattress topper and the red yeast rice a go and see if it helps.
 
***Lisa*** said:
Sounds like a perfect day!

She is taking Primal Defense probiotics and the first ingredient listed is S. Boulardii, but it sounds like you had better luck taking the S. Boulardii alone, i.e., not included in a combined probiotic formula, like Primal Defense.
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There are a few pro-biotics out there that include S. Boulardii yeast in them, but unfortunately they usually include several different bacteria strains, too.

I'm going to try and summarize a rather lengthy discussion I had with my GI about gut flora (the organisms that populate our GI tracts).

Before we go down that road, though, let's talk about something else first... We've all had a skin cut that has gotten infected at some time in our lives, right? What happens when a skin cut becomes infected by bacteria? It gets swollen (inflammation), hot, red and painful. This is an immune system response to the invading bacteria.

Some GI's believe that people with CD have an inappropriate immune system response to normal "good bacteria" in the GI tract, similar to the skin cut responses already discussed. The amount of bacteria necessary to have such an immune system response varies from person to person. What would be considered to be a normal bacteria population would cause a CD sufferer to have a full-blown immune response (inflammation, etc.) whereas a normal person would have no immune response at all at the same bacteria level.

This is one of the reasons that the antibiotic combo Cipro/Flagyl brings great relief for some CD sufferers...it wipes out most all gut bacteria, bringing colonization levels below the level that triggered the immune response. The problem with almost totally clearing out the GI tract of bacteria using Cipro/Flagyl is that our GI tract wasn't designed to do the whole food digestion thing without help; certain microbes (including bacteria) are *essential* for the GI tract to do it's job correctly.

One of the problems some CD sufferers face is keeping the flora correctly balanced; you want to have enough gut flora to keep everything working correctly, but not so much that it causes an immune response (inflammation, etc.)

S. Boulardii helps to keep the bacteria levels in check. It populates the GI tract in a never ending "turf war" with bacteria.

In my case, taking S. Boulardii by itself, and not supplementing any additional bacteria has been *very* effective, but remember: CD is unique from person to person. What works for one person often fails spectacularly for others.

Please talk to your doctor first before throwing *any* type of pro-biotic into your treatment regimen.

While S. Boulardii is a type of "brewer's yeast", there are many other yeast strains used in brewing. So to make sure I'm getting S. Boulardii, I take a product that is labeled "Sachromyces Boulardii" in a gelatin capsule. No other ingredients at all.

Sorry to go so far off topic... :blush:

Edit: Forgot to mention that there have been several scientific studies on S. Boulardi and it's effects on inflammatory bowel disease. When I get some time, I'll find them and start a new thread so we can let this thread go back to the Vitamin D discussion. :)
 
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CLynn said:
Is it available in most stores, or do you order it online or buy it somewhere special?
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The name brand S. Boulardii that is available pretty much everywhere is very expensive. I take the Yarrow Formulas brand, which I get from our local health food store. It's much less expensive. There are other brands, too, but the Yarrow Formula brand is carried locally and convenient.
 
I believe I will be checking around here to see what's offered...small town so who knows, but we do have a health store.
 
I take one Cal Mag D from nutrilite..it has calcium magnesium and vit D but no vit k.this I take daily.I also take a dose 60,000 IU of vit d once in a week.
 
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are immune mediated diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Several environmental factors in concert with genetic susceptibilities can trigger IBDs. Recently, one of the important environmental factors contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases is vitamin D (VitD) deficiency. Furthermore, some new evidence points to VitD deficiency and its receptor dysfunction as an underlying factor for the emergence experimental IBDs. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and IBD activity in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Sixty patients with confirmed diagnosis of IBD were recruited for a cross sectional study. Most of the identified confounders affecting serum VitD concentrations were excluded. Disease activity was assessed using validated questionnaires, including Truelove for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for Crohn disease. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were determined by chemiluminescent assay. Serum 25(OH)D≤10 (ng/ml) was considered as VitD deficiency and 11≤25(OH)D<29(ng/ml) as VitD insufficiency. Mean serum 25(OH)D value was 13.1 ± 11.1(ng/ml) in IBD patients. Almost 95% of patients were vitamin D insufficient or deficient. Forty one percent of IBD patients had active disease. VitD deficiency was not associated with IBD activity (p=0.23). However, VitD deficiency was significantly associated with a history of IBD related intestinal surgery (p=0.001). In conclusion, this cross-sectional prospective study suggested that there is no association between vitamin D deficiency and disease activity in a relatively small number of IBD patients in a short period of time.
http://www.citeulike.org/user/KGelling/article/12142204
 
The problem with that study Igor is they used less than 29ng/ml as the deficiency cutoff. I bet the results would be MUCH different if they used less than 50ng/ml as deficiency. In my opinion, everyone needs to be above at least 50ng/ml with more like 70-85ng/ml much better.
 
CLynn said:
Sid, do you take your D in a pill form? Is there a reason for just once a week?
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the one that I take daily is a pill form..thats just a normal calcium, mahnesium , vit D combo from nutrilite (amway).

The one that I take weekly is a bigger dose of 60,000 IU ..it comes in form of white granules in a small sachet...I take it with peanut butter. although am still unsure how much peanut butter should I use with tha once small sachet of 10 grams..currntly I take two tablespoonful..
 
Ah, Amway. My parents used to sell Amway years ago, think they mostly sold it so they could get what they used for less money. I would think 2 tablespoons would be enough, but then, that's not a professional opinion, lol.
 
Oh, me too, Teresa. Once in awhile, going thru a random box from Mom and Dad's, I will run across some old something in it that is Amway, lol!
 
don't know if this has been brought up but i thought it was interesting.....
Another element (amongst thousands of others) in the complex relationship that we have with our gut bacteria?
Reversing bacteria-induced vitamin D receptor dysfunction is key to autoimmune disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19758226
" it is proposed that the lower levels result from chronic infection with intracellular bacteria that dysregulate vitamin D metabolism by causing vitamin D receptor (VDR) dysfunction within phagocytes......
........Diseases showing favorable responses to treatment so far include systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, Sjogren's syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, type I and II diabetes mellitus, and uveitis"
 
723crossroads said:
Hugh, that is really interesting! Thanx for sharing with us!
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Yes, it is. But...

Just going by the information given in the abstract, supplementing vit D appears as if it is not the answer. Removing the ability to interfere with vitamin D's benefits is the answer.

The abstract infers that some types of bacteria have the ability to prevent phagocytes (a category of immune system cell) from properly utilizing vitamin D. The way to fix that? Here's two direct quotes from the abstract: "Evidence has been accumulating that indicates that a number of autoimmune diseases can be reversed by gradually restoring VDR function with the VDR agonist olmesartan and subinhibitory dosages of certain bacteriostatic antibiotics." And: "Disease reversal using this approach requires limitation of vitamin D in order to avoid contributing to dysfunction of nuclear receptors and subsequent negative consequences for immune and endocrine function"

"VDR" in the above quoted text stands for Vitamin D Receptor.

My interpretation of the second quote: "Don't give the bacteria more vitamin D, as they'll work harder to interrupt it."

It would be very interesting to see a similar study, but changing the treatment method from the one they used to that of giving the maximum safe dosage of vit D in an attempt to overwhelm the bacteria's VDR inhibition abilities.

At the very least, this does seem to at least partially answer the question of why some auto immune disease sufferers test low for vit D even after supplementing. But then again it's far too easy to read far too much into these things...One frame of a movie isn't enough to know the whole film...
 
My guess is that they're looking just at vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor when they should be looking at all the vitamin D cofactors as well. For example, a zinc molecule is at the base of each finger of the vitamin D receptor and guess what mineral people with Crohn's disease are also commonly deficient in? Then of course there's magnesium which is another cofactor of vitamin D which is intimately involved in over 300 metabolic reactions. And on and on. It's amazing how well our immune systems tend to function when they're provided all the vitamins and minerals they need to function. It's like not putting oil in your car, wondering why it's having problems, and looking at the pistons under an electron microscope to see what is happening to them then trying to fix the damage to the metal you see with an additive that slowly corrodes away the rubber hoses in your car.
 
I think I agree with that, David. But am I thinking that putting the D3 in my body isn't going to do much good after all. I am desperate to get better. I shall continue it and see what happens. will do the co factors too. thanks
 
Spooky1 said:
my mum had ulcerative colitis too. She had all her colon removed though. just wondering if you have tried it for crohns. i'm being stupid by hoping high levels of vit d3 will be my 'cure'. wouldn't it be brilliant if it worked well for the actual crohns and bones, not to mention mood uplift.

Shall get myself a support memory foam mattress too.

Why oh why do cats clamber all over the keyboard when you want to write omg?!
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I think that's what helped me. D3 has been the only constant since I achieved remission of symptoms.
 
Spooky1 said:
I think I agree with that, David. But am I thinking that putting the D3 in my body isn't going to do much good after all. I am desperate to get better. I shall continue it and see what happens. will do the co factors too. thanks
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While I still haven't seen any improvement in my CD symptoms, supplementing vit D has helped a ton with depression and fatigue levels.

Vit D plays so many different roles... just because one of those roles might possibly be getting interfered with by bacteria doesn't mean that *all* of it's benefits are nullified.

Sure, it would be great to get some primary CD symptom relief, but the fact that I'm up off the couch and active in life again is enough to make me a firm believer in supplementing Vit D and it's co-factors.
 
CrohnsDaddy said:
While I still haven't seen any improvement in my CD symptoms, supplementing vit D has helped a ton with depression and fatigue levels.

Vit D plays so many different roles... just because one of those roles might possibly be getting interfered with by bacteria doesn't mean that *all* of it's benefits are nullified.

Sure, it would be great to get some primary CD symptom relief, but the fact that I'm up off the couch and active in life again is enough to make me a firm believer in supplementing Vit D and it's co-factors.
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While it is true that Vitamin D helps with easing depression after taking it for just a few weeks, it is also true that after taking it consistently for a longer periods of time (6 to 8 months), it helps any type of inflammatory disease, i.e., CD and even MS. I have a friend with MS and she recently told me, "My MS was very aggressive and it took almost 7 months for me to really start feeling better with the vitamin D, but once it started, things just kept improving. It's been 4 and a half years now that I don't have a flare up, my MS is in complete remission, I have not had a new lesion in my MRIs again and many of my old lesions disappeared. I'm completely symptom free ... There are a few people with Crohn in our group ... she started the treatment 5 or 6 months ago and just the other day she posted that she is completely symptom free."

The morale of the story is, if you are not taking Vitamin D along with the cofactors, start taking every day and if you are taking it but haven't noticed any improvement in your CD symptoms, keep taking it because once the serum level has built up in your body, your CD symptoms will slowly diminish. Don't give up on the Vitamin D. It is the key to long-term remission.
 
***Lisa*** said:
While it is true that Vitamin D helps with easing depression after taking it for just a few weeks, it is also true that after taking it consistently for a longer periods of time (6 to 8 months), it helps any type of inflammatory disease, i.e., CD and even MS. I have a friend with MS and she recently told me, "My MS was very aggressive and it took almost 7 months for me to really start feeling better with the vitamin D, but once it started, things just kept improving. It's been 4 and a half years now that I don't have a flare up, my MS is in complete remission, I have not had a new lesion in my MRIs again and many of my old lesions disappeared. I'm completely symptom free ... There are a few people with Crohn in our group ... she started the treatment 5 or 6 months ago and just the other day she posted that she is completely symptom free."

The morale of the story is, if you are not taking Vitamin D along with the cofactors, start taking every day and if you are taking it but haven't noticed any improvement in your CD symptoms, keep taking it because once the serum level has built up in your body, your CD symptoms will slowly diminish. Don't give up on the Vitamin D. It is the key to long-term remission.
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Lisa, this is great information to know about Crohn's - for both long-term remission and depression!!! Thanks for sharing! :)


After reading through this thread a few weeks ago, I ordered the Vitamin D recommended from BioTech Pharmacal Vitamins - well, Vitamin D combined with Calcium and the other vitamins needed as cofactors.
 
Sarah50 said:
Lisa, this is great information to know about Crohn's - for both long-term remission and depression!!! Thanks for sharing! :)


After reading through this thread a few weeks ago, I ordered the Vitamin D recommended from BioTech Pharmacal Vitamins - well, Vitamin D combined with Calcium and the other vitamins needed as cofactors.
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Hi Sarah:

It's funny that you mentioned BioTech because I just received her D3 supplements from them last week, although she has taken D3 offered by other companies, as well, in the past. Glad you are giving it a go! Please keep in touch and let me know how the vitamin therapy goes and remember to be patient because you will see results if you continue to take the D3 along with the cofactors.

Lisa :smile:
 
I can't tell you how much better I am doing now that I am taking VitD3 two times a day 5000IU. each time and now liquid magnesium citrate. I need to find pill from . But my hand pain is so much better and my energy and my leg pain is all but gone. Plz try it if you haven't!!!
 
723crossroads said:
I can't tell you how much better I am doing now that I am taking VitD3 two times a day 5000IU. each time and now liquid magnesium citrate. I need to find pill from . But my hand pain is so much better and my energy and my leg pain is all but gone. Plz try it if you haven't!!!
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That is so good to hear.

Makes my day when I hear of a fellow crohn's sufferer doing better.
 
Probably outlive you!!! We went to Parrot Mountain down by Dollywood and there was one like yours dancing and singing for us. Love them, but my oh my, the messes!!! I used to have birds!:lol2:
 
muscle weakness and joint issues are a big issue for me. I'm definitely going to try d3 for around 6 months. Sometimes I just can't use my arms and legs much at all. I get to collapsing point. I'm so hopeful that it helps improve my quality of life. The research being presented in this thread is great reading, so thanks to all that posted.
 
Spooky1 said:
muscle weakness and joint issues are a big issue for me. I'm definitely going to try d3 for around 6 months. Sometimes I just can't use my arms and legs much at all. I get to collapsing point. I'm so hopeful that it helps improve my quality of life. The research being presented in this thread is great reading, so thanks to all that posted.
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Plx try the magnesium citrate too! It helps too alot. Read David's posts about it. It helped me. We are almost all deficient in both! If you don't eat tons of greens and or almonds, you don't get enuf! I just convinced my Dad to try it too. He def. doesn't get enuf!
 
Spooky1 said:
muscle weakness and joint issues are a big issue for me. I'm definitely going to try d3 for around 6 months. Sometimes I just can't use my arms and legs much at all. I get to collapsing point. I'm so hopeful that it helps improve my quality of life. The research being presented in this thread is great reading, so thanks to all that posted.
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Same here. Especially the muscle weakness and inappropriate muscle fatigue.

While I can't say that the vitamin D has helped with the muscle weakness and muscle fatigue issues yet, it has certainly done wonders for overall energy levels and "outlook on life".

Wonder how many CD sufferers also have muscle strength/fatigue issues?
 
I'm always low on Vit D and have been supplementing for 4 years. My doc's suggesting now that I'm just one of those people with a chronic low level. Not sure how to proceed with regard to Vit D.
 
Carol M said:
I'm always low on Vit D and have been supplementing for 4 years. My doc's suggesting now that I'm just one of those people with a chronic low level. Not sure how to proceed with regard to Vit D.
Click to expand...

Carol, how much do you take per day? I upped my dose from 1000 IU's a day to two 5000IU/Two times with folic acid and fishoil. per day and that made a great improvement!
 
I keep reading a lot of conflicting information that leaves me in doubt about whether my supplementation is actually doing me any good. I've just read that Vit A+D Cod oil tablets is a bad thing, which it seems was pretty common knowledge that i've somehow missed. Subsequently I won't be taking those pills any more.

Can I please be advised on what I should be looking for, lest I buy any more tablets that I find out are no good for me :)

Vitamin d3, liquid or capsule? Taken with some sort of fat? and Magnesium? and Zinc now?
 
Carol M said:
I'm always low on Vit D and have been supplementing for 4 years. My doc's suggesting now that I'm just one of those people with a chronic low level. Not sure how to proceed with regard to Vit D.
Click to expand...
How many IUs of vitamin D have you been taking per day and what is your vitamin D level as of last test?
 
Jam300 said:
I keep reading a lot of conflicting information that leaves me in doubt about whether my supplementation is actually doing me any good. I've just read that Vit A+D Cod oil tablets is a bad thing, which it seems was pretty common knowledge that i've somehow missed. Subsequently I won't be taking those pills any more.

Can I please be advised on what I should be looking for, lest I buy any more tablets that I find out are no good for me :)

Vitamin d3, liquid or capsule? Taken with some sort of fat? and Magnesium? and Zinc now?
Click to expand...

I take D3 gels. They are small and easy to swallow. I went with a higher dose because it wasn't working before. Now I take D3 with a side order of Bcomplex that has zinc and folic acid in it and vit. c. I bought magnesium citrate and take that now too. Def. have noticed an improvement in my joint pain.
 
Thanks for your reply crossroads. Does the D3 need the B complex to work properly? Do you take it with some sort of fat? Do you take the magnesium at the same time? What dosage of Magnesium do you use?

Sorry for all the questions, i'm just fed up of buying the wrong supplements!
 
Jam300 said:
Thanks for your reply crossroads. Does the D3 need the B complex to work properly? Do you take it with some sort of fat? Do you take the magnesium at the same time? What dosage of Magnesium do you use?

Sorry for all the questions, i'm just fed up of buying the wrong supplements!
Click to expand...

Books people recommend on here are;
"Inflammatory Bowel Disease" by Prof. JohnHunter
"Unwanted Baggage"'/Amazon has it they said
"Enteral Nutrtion" by Margerette Oppenheimer/ Has many diet suggestions for you.
The New" Eating Right for a bad Gut"By James Scalu PHD.
Hope this helps uout Jamm.
I know that you should research the supplements you take because alot of the ones you buy in local stores contain "Not so desirable" ingredients. I am in the process of finding better ones myself. I will try to get back on here later after I gain more knowledge.
 
I found the following while researching nutrients important for the gastrointestinal tract - just more confirmation of Vitamin D:


Vitamin K and D deficiency and decreased bone mineral density (BMD) were highly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease.

Dietary intakes of these vitamins, however, were above the adequate intakes in IBD patients, suggesting that malabsorption is the basis for hypovitaminosis K and D and decreased BMD.

Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to higher rates of cancers including colon cancer and gastrointestinal diseases, in particular IBD and colorectal cancer.

http://www.spectracell.com/media/pr...siderations-of-the-gastrointestinal-tract.pdf


All the more reason to take the Vitamin D recommended by a doctor David spoke with at the beginning of this thread - from BioTech Pharacol: Bio-Tech D3Plus - that has the cofactors needed for absorption. Here's the link to this vitamin D. I had ordered it and am taking it.


http://www.biotechpharmacal.com/catalog/d3plus/


From David's post on page 2 of this thread from the doctor:

"Vitamin D needs cofactors to work properly. If I had Crohn’s, I would definitely pay the extra cost and buy a vitamin D with the expensive K2, and mg, zn and boron. These are the cofactors vitamin D needs to work. For example, the vitamin D receptor is like a glove. At the base of the fingers of the glove is a zinc molecule. Most Americans are zinc deficient. The same is true for boron, magnesium and probably K2.

I recommend the new D-Plus from Bio-Tech Pharmacal. Make sure it is the new formula, not the old one. The dose is three pills per day for 5,000 IU, this is important as most people take only one or two and so are still vitamin D deficient. Take with largest meal of day."


:
 
Sarah50 said:
I found the following while researching nutrients important for the gastrointestinal tract - just more confirmation of Vitamin D:


Vitamin K and D deficiency and decreased bone mineral density (BMD) were highly prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially Crohn's disease.

Dietary intakes of these vitamins, however, were above the adequate intakes in IBD patients, suggesting that malabsorption is the basis for hypovitaminosis K and D and decreased BMD.

Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to higher rates of cancers including colon cancer and gastrointestinal diseases, in particular IBD and colorectal cancer.

http://www.spectracell.com/media/pr...siderations-of-the-gastrointestinal-tract.pdf


All the more reason to take the Vitamin D recommended by a doctor David spoke with at the beginning of this thread - from BioTech Pharacol: Bio-Tech D3Plus - that has the cofactors needed for absorption. Here's the link to this vitamin D. I had ordered it and am taking it.


http://www.biotechpharmacal.com/catalog/d3plus/


From David's post on page 2 of this thread from the doctor:

Vitamin D needs cofactors to work properly. If I had Crohn’s, I would definitely pay the extra cost and buy a vitamin D with the expensive K2, and mg, zn and boron. These are the cofactors vitamin D needs to work. For example, the vitamin D receptor is like a glove. At the base of the fingers of the glove is a zinc molecule. Most Americans are zinc deficient. The same is true for boron, magnesium and probably K2.

I recommend the new D-Plus from Bio-Tech Pharmacal. Make sure it is the new formula, not the old one. The dose is three pills per day for 5,000 IU, this is important as most people take only one or two and so are still vitamin D deficient. Take with largest meal of day.


:
Click to expand...

Sarah, thankyou so much for sharing this with us!
 
Thanks for sharing that info Sarah! Unfortunately I can't get that supplement in England, and I can't afford all the separate components. However the Vit D council do seem to prioritise Magnesium as a cofactor, followed by Zinc. So i'm going to order the Magnesium and try and eat some more Zinc containing foods, i'll see where that gets me for now.
 
Jam300 said:
Thanks for sharing that info Sarah! Unfortunately I can't get that supplement in England, and I can't afford all the separate components. However the Vit D council do seem to prioritise Magnesium as a cofactor, followed by Zinc. So i'm going to order the Magnesium and try and eat some more Zinc containing foods, i'll see where that gets me for now.
Click to expand...
I think that's a smart way to do it with the zinc from food.

How much magnesium do you plan to take, how often per day, and what specific type of magnesium?
 
I ordered these tablets David: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000BV1O26/ref=pe_217191_31005151_M3_dp_1

They are 200mg pure Magnesium Citrate tablets. I was intending to take two per day for a week or so to raise my levels and then trial just one a day, is this sensible? Similarly, I ordered 360 5,000iu Vit D3 tablets. I haven't seen the sun in at least a fortnight so I was intending to take two a day for a week in order to boost my levels, is this wise?
 
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Dark chocolate is good source of zinc :ybiggrin:

But, seriously, if you are having any tests done, it is worth having your zinc levels tested. Water supplies in some areas provide sufficient levels of zinc.
 
I believe those are 250mg of magnesium each. I'd personally suggest starting with one of those either in the morning or evening. If you don't have any negative effects such as diarrhea or increased diarrhea if you already have diarrhea, then taking one in the morning and one in the evening is what I would try next.

I think I'd try 5000iu of vitamin D for about 6 weeks along with the magnesium and then get my blood levels tested. If the level was increased nicely from last time, I'd stick with 5,000iu to see how high it goes before it plateaus (getting tested again in 2-3 months).

Note that the magnesium can cause you problems if you have impaired kidney function so I always recommend doing it under the care of a physician.
 
Thanks David, i'll take that advice. Turns out my step dad has a half empty bottle of Zinc, so I might use that up.

I was wondering David, should I take these three supplements at the same time or throughout the day?
 
I step back and ponder how our bodies evolved to get the vitamins and minerals. We evolved as hunter gatherers. We were out in the forests and savannahs in search of food. We'd walk around getting vitamin D and then find some plant that we'd eat which would provide us some magnesium and zinc. Then we'd head off and do the same, rinse and repeat. I personally try and mimic that if I supplement.
 
David, you have to remember, lives were also very short and violent back in those days! There wasn't a lot of cancer, and all diets were paleo, but just surviving childhood was a crapshoot. Personally I'll take my cushy life where I have to get some of my vitamins from a bottle, over a life where I have to compete with neanderthals and other large predatorial mammals just to eat.
 
Cat-a-Tonic said:
David, you have to remember, lives were also very short and violent back in those days! There wasn't a lot of cancer, and all diets were paleo, but just surviving childhood was a crapshoot. Personally I'll take my cushy life where I have to get some of my vitamins from a bottle, over a life where I have to compete with neanderthals and other large predatorial mammals just to eat.
Click to expand...
i don't tink you're going to be attacked by a sabertooth if you go outside for a bit of sun :)
 

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