Posted by Elainep on March 7, 2005, at 15:09:58
In reply to Re: Light box - Vitamin D? » Elainep, posted by barbaracat on March 6, 2005, at 23:15:05
Wow Barbara!
I don't want to get over-excited here, but my skin was tingling as I read your note. I will SO cross my fingers for you. I have to say, it wouldn't surprise me at all, from what you say about your mother and living in a climate with little sun. If you come back deficient you should scream out loud and jump for joy. I swear Jo was completely better (mood wise) within about 2 or 3 days and has never relapsed since. The bone pain has taken longer to go away (I will warn you of that) but it's no biggie now that she's on an even keel again and socialsing and living life the way she should be doing.
I am so thankful that when Jo got sick there was the beginning of enough scientific evidence around to figure out the cause: hopefully 5 years from now doctors will be testing immediately for vit D deficiency when someone comes in with depression.
Oh, and I have an aunt who was diagnosed with bipolar 40 odd years ago. She lived in northern Ohio, and was found crying in the snow with her new baby inside. Guess what, post partum depression has also been linked to vit d deficiency and I have strong suspiscion now she never had bipolar at all but vit d deficiency. She's old now (78)and has been totally stuffed up from all the drugs they trialled on her over the years and the electrical shock treatment etc (I know things are better now but back in the early 60s they tried everything on her). Anyway I told my cousin (her daughter) about the vit d problem with Jo and she got her mother on to supplements and apparently she's the best she's been for years.
Well life is funny. Oh, I remember you had a question about dosing. Jo was diagnosed at 16 nmol/l (that's the British measurement system: don't know what equiv American is) and the range is meant to be 50-150. After her megadose, her blood was checked again a month later, was 86 nmol/l. As she still wasn't seeing enough sun, I put her on to 400 iu a day and got her tested again 6 months later. She was down to 67 nmol/l, still within normal range but slipping. She's now on 1000iu a day and I'll get her tested in six months again to see if that's the stable dose she needs, or if we even need to go up on that. So the megadose is to kick start you back into the normal range, then you work out your best dosage to maintain it.
Good luck, I have a very strong feeling about this...
Elaine
poster:Elainep
thread:9730
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050304/msgs/467848.html