MS and Vitamin D: What You Need to Know

By Devin Garlit

2 min read

If you have seen an MS specialist recently, the topic of vitamin D might have come up. You may have had your vitamin D levels tested and then been prescribed it as a supplement. Vitamin D levels in MS patients have become such a big topic that the National MS Society has issued official guidelines to doctors with testing and prescribing recommendations.¹ So what’s the deal with vitamin D?

Some vitamin D basics

Most people probably know that vitamin D is good for strong bones and that it can help increase bone strength.²
Vitamin D is actually a hormone, which is essentially a type of messenger that takes information and instructions from one cell to another.³
Vitamin D does much more than help bones though; it is also valuable to the immune system in helping fight viruses or bacteria. Some research has suggested Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of developing MS or the risk of relapses.^4,8

While there are many people that are vitamin D deficient, it is possible to take in too much vitamin D, so you should be tested and monitored when taking any supplements.⁷

So how can vitamin D affect you, someone with MS? Well, as mentioned, some research suggests vitamin D may help to fight it. I think it can be worth discussing it with your MS specialist if you haven’t already. For a person who is deficient in vitamin D, adding a vitamin D supplement can be an easy and low-cost way to potentially help with that. But talk to your doctor to see how they think it may affect your MS.⁴

My experience with vitamin D

Like many people with MS, when tested a few years back, my vitamin D levels were very low. I now take an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement in an amount recommended by my doctor. Do I know if it’s working? I guess I don’t. I am better off now than when I started it, but that could also be the Tysabri I get each month. From what I’ve read, I do think it can be beneficial though (and as with any article like this, I have plenty of references below for you to check out for yourself, should you be so inclined).

Remember, you can have too much vitamin D, so always discuss with your doctor before adding any supplements.

Thanks so much for reading and always feel free to share! As always, would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

Devin

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f5hwo4 Member
I was tested for low Vit D3 when I was diagnosed it was extremely low. My neuro would tell me how much I need to take and then I would get it checked again in three months. It took me a year to get it up to a normal level, I think Vitamin levels checks should be part of every ones yearly checkup. Potter
1. Lori Foster Member
 I like that idea, Potter ( @f5hwo4 ). My husband does not have MS, but he dealt with increasing exhaustion for more than a year before finally seeing his doctor. He had extremely low vitamin D, despite spending a few hours a day outdoors. He is so much better now after taking prescription levels of vitamin D. I am glad you got your own levels up to normal range. Best wishes! - Lori (Team Member)
2. Devin Garlit Moderator
 Thanks <inline-mention username="f5hwo4" user-id="3977349"/>, that sounds almost exactly like what happened to me! My current neurologist does check my levels once a year, I agree with you that it should be standard practice!
tazz Member
The Vitamin D and MS narrative is far from being a new one – it has been discussed and researched a lot for many years now. There are a few inconsistencies in the article above which need to be addressed. The first and most important one is that of “cause and effect” and “reverse causation”. The jury is still out on this in relation to Vit D and MS – the connections are acknowledged but it is not confirmed whether low Vit D contributes to getting MS/ MS relapses/ worse symptoms, or whether having MS/ an MS relapse results in the person having a low Vit D level. The arguments over this chicken and egg situation are ongoing. Another thing which is really important, and is a contributor to the paranoia that some doctors have around Vit D supplementation is that excessive Vitamin D intake can contribute to hypercalcaemia and its associated cardiac risks. This is because in order to be properly metabolised and do the job its meant to do (i.e. building calcium in teeth and bones) there needs to be an adequate intake of magnesium and very tiny amounts of a couple of other trace minerals such as boron and selenium. Adequate Vitamin K2 is also critical. In these days of poor diets full of overly processed foods and drinks and inadequate intake of fresh vegies and fruit, increasing numbers of people are not getting enough magnesium, and low intakes of green vegies affects Vit K2 levels. Unfortunately, despite there being significant amounts of legitimate peer reviewed research in this area, it has not yet filtered down far enough to many doctors and as a result Vit D supplements get recommended in isolation. This is made even worse when in attempts to combat osteoporosis, Vit D and calcium supplements are recommended by doctors, but neither magnesium or Vit K2 are recommended to be taken in conjunction with the Vit & calcium. While some people (both with and without MS) struggle to maintain adequate Vit D levels, and need to take supplements, the best advice for many is still to get enough sunshine while not running excessive skin cancer exposure risks, and to eat a balanced and varied diet with foods from all food groups, especially vegies and fruit. There is no need to follow any of the special “MS diets” – none of them truly have enough evidence to back them, and unless someone has a legitimate medically diagnosed food allergy, following the advice that nearly every one of those diets recommends of eliminating whole food groups is not necessary. And certainly be very wary of following advice from some of the self-appointed “MS diet” gurus of taking massive doses of Vit D to “prevent relapses” – OMS is especially bad in this respect, with followers often being told to take megadoses of many thousands and hundreds of thousands of IU of Vit D. 
1. Lori Foster Member
 Some great insight, <inline-mention username="tazz" user-id="4102606"/>! Thank you for sharing! - Lori (Team Member)
jenniem Member
Thanks Devin. Great to have more justification re. my daily 5,000 iu of vit D. It's not just N.B. for kids: like the 1,000 tablet I shove at my son🙂
patrick_shaemes Member
Great article and thanks for sharing. I have been using multivitamin tablets from an online store and I found them very useful to reduce pain. These supplyment act against free radicles and attenuate the deterioration of MS. Those who have higher vitamin D intake, in the form of multivitamin supplements, may have had a reduced risk of developing MS. Wide varieties of tablets are available today, so taking advice from your dietician or medical expert is important as taking more than the recommended daily allowance of certain vitamins may not give the required result. Along with having these, you must include the other needed vitamins, minerals, and protein through your diet since a high concentration of one vitamin might cause a relative deficiency of another.
1. Lori Foster Member
 I am glad you have found something that helps, @partick_shames. Thanks for sharing! - Lori (Team Member)