There is convincing evidence to support the association between vitamin D levels and SLE disease activity

General
41

Love you Ann! I take 50,000 units weekly.

42

It personally made a huge difference to me. I’ve been on the 50000 IU dose for 3 weeks now and it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time.

43

I've been taking 5000 IU daily for about a month, and I'm starting to have better days. I've also started Savella for the fibro and the fatigue so I'm hopeful I'll start to feel better.

44

I'm crossing my fingers for both. Last week at my apt, my blood pressure was 99/67 and my heart rate was 74. No one said anything, but I was concerned after I told my husband. And its no wonder I've been needing to go get a nap. I've always been low, but I was concerned. But I've felt better this weekend.

45

I knew there was no set number for too low, but I was just worried because of my mother in laws congestive heart failure, and her sleeping all the time.

46

I hope not, but its always a possibility my mother died of heart issues.

47

This is why I love this forum!
Thankyou for sharing that first link, I’m currently battling doctors for a diagnosis, after researching a lot on lupus, I’m convinced it’s what I have, but because my ANA is negative, it’s kind of being pushed out as a diagnosis. however, after just having a million tests at the hospital, my vitamin D levels have fallen into the Insufficient category. I hadn’t really thought it was anything that concerning until I read some of these articles! You’ve given me some new information to present to doctors the next time I visit! Thankyou! x

48

Ann,

Thanks for posting information on Vit D. It's information that everyone needs to hear and be aware of how important it is. My D level went down recently and now doctor has me taking 7,000 iu each day. My calcium was low too last on my last lab testing. So now I am taking some calcium citrate(only one I can tolerate)to raise the calcium levels up. I'll get my lab results this week. Hope they look better than last time.

I do feel better when I get some sun exposure. I look sickly when I stay in the house too much and never go outdoors. I guess you've got to balance that out, getting just enough for the vitamin D without over exposing your skin.

Ally

49


Oh, yes, I wasn't saying that you should go in the sun. I know, with lupus, that's usually not wise. I thinking about people in general. It is definitely an advantage to living in this part of the country if you are not sensitive to the sun. My D level came back yesterday. Good news. It went from 45 up to 60. I'm getting there. :')
Ann A. said:

Ally there is no question of balancing it out for me. You live in Arizona where it is possible to make vitamin D from sunshine all year round. I live 37 degrees N. Vitamin D winter runs from October through March - no one is making vitamin D from sunlight during a vitamin D winter.

I am extremely photosensitive. Less than five minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun causes a flare in my lupus symptoms. The only vitamin D I get is in my supplements. Which by the way I often get through the skin rather than through the mouth.