Can vitamin D help fibro symptoms?
While more research is needed, experts believe supplementing with vitamin D may lessen pain, says Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, the medical director at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, in Minneapolis. “Many Americans are reporting that replenishing their vitamin D results in significantly reduced pain, increased energy, and better sense of well-being,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, who published a 2003 study of the link.
However, W. Michael Hooten, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and the medical director at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center, in Rochester, Minn., notes that patients in pain may be more inactive and spend less time in the sun than people who are pain free.
“They may stay indoors more, their diet may become altered, which may predispose them to develop a vitamin D deficiency,” he says.
In a study published last year and co-authored by Dr. Hooten, pain patients with a vitamin D deficiency took almost double the amount of pain medication to control their symptoms as pain patients with adequate levels of the vitamin.
In the study of 267 chronic pain patients, 66 had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Over half of the participants had such intense pain that they were using opioid painkillers daily.
“If you’re choking down 150 milligrams of morphine per day, you don’t have energy, you feel lousy, you’re staying at home all the time,” he says. “Clinicians should be suspect of chronic pain patients. What we measured justifies screening for [vitamin D deficiency].”
For now, more research is needed to determine whether exposure to more vitamin D will truly help cut fibromyalgia pain.
It is known that vitamin D can help lessen pain caused by osteomalacia, a softening or weakening of the bones caused by a severe, long-term lack of vitamin D. Researchers aren’t sure how many people suffer from osteomalacia, says Dr. Hooten, but it can be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or other conditions.
But even if an adequate intake of vitamin D doesn’t alleviate pain, it mayboost mood and could potentially prevent 150,000 cases of cancer annually.
According to a 2009 study, supplementing vitamin D may also protect you from the common cold. In a study of nearly 19,000 people 12 and older, colds and other respiratory tract infections were found more frequently in people with lower levels of vitamin D. People with asthma and low vitamin D are six times more likely to get a cold, and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes chronic bronchitis andemphysema, were at two to three times the risk.
"Simply replenishing vitamin D,” says Dr. Plotnikoff, “can have profoundly positive effects.”
Surprising Headache Triggers
Tuesday 21 June 2011
What's to blame?
Could it be something you ate? Not enough sleep? Want to know what could be causing your headache? Our comprehensive list just might help you out.Your weight
In a recent study, researchers found that women with mild obesity (a body mass index of 30) had a 35% greater risk of headaches than those with a lower BMI. Severe obesity (BMI of 40) upped the chances to 80%.
Your personality
Certain traits, including rigidity, reserve, and obsessivity may make you headache-prone. If that sounds like you, it could be time to sign up for relaxation training.
The big O
In one survey, 46% of headache sufferers said sex had triggered a headache. Usually, this is an overexertion headache (like joggers and weightlifters sometimes get); you may feel a dull pain that builds during foreplay or get a sudden headache around orgasm (more likely in men). In rare cases, such an intense headache could be caused by a tumor or aneurysm. For most folks, though, sex headaches are harmless.
That three-day vacay
Weekend or "let-down" headaches can happen when you take a break from your routine, says Alexander Mauskop, MD, founder and director of the New York Headache Center and co-author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Migraines. Ease into the change by keeping your sleep time as normal as possible—you’ll end up feeling more rested than if you stay in bed until noon.
Your bathroom paint job
It’s not just arguing over paint colors that can give you a headache; fumes from traditional paints can trigger pain. Many companies now make nearly odorless, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulas, like Benjamin Moore’s Natura line or Devoe’s Wonder Pure.
5 Steps to Take If Heartburn Won't Quit
When acid reflux persists
Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, curb stomach acid production, keeping gastric juice from backing up into the esophagus and causing heartburn. But they don’t always work—sometimes because heartburn has been misdiagnosed. Even when PPIs do work, up to 40% of people can still have breakthrough symptoms from time to time.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent and minimize breakthrough symptoms.
Make sure you're taking medication correctly
If you don’t know how and when to take your meds, call your doctor for specific instructions.
“Typically, the proton pump inhibitors are given 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast,” says David A. Johnson, MD, a professor of medicine and the chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Va., and past president of the American College of Gastroenterology.
However, some people do better taking two doses a day to stave off nighttime symptoms, he adds.
“Typically, the proton pump inhibitors are given 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast,” says David A. Johnson, MD, a professor of medicine and the chief of gastroenterology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Va., and past president of the American College of Gastroenterology.
However, some people do better taking two doses a day to stave off nighttime symptoms, he adds.
Don’t hit the sack on a full belly
Lying down within three to four hours of consuming a large meal, particularly a late-evening feast, could spell trouble.
"My big push is to keep the patients away from late eating, large meals, and recumbency," says Dr. Johnson. Such a triple threat may pose too large of an insult on the body, one that even PPIs—the gold standard in GERD treatment—can’t handle.
For nighttime symptoms, Dr. Johnson suggests elevating the head of the bed with blocks or using a bed wedge to elevate the upper torso.
"My big push is to keep the patients away from late eating, large meals, and recumbency," says Dr. Johnson. Such a triple threat may pose too large of an insult on the body, one that even PPIs—the gold standard in GERD treatment—can’t handle.
For nighttime symptoms, Dr. Johnson suggests elevating the head of the bed with blocks or using a bed wedge to elevate the upper torso.
Shed a few pounds
A 2006 study in the New England Journal of Medicinefound that overweight and obese women were two to three times as likely as thinner women to have frequent reflux symptoms.
Moderate weight gain, even in normal-weight people, may exacerbate reflux symptoms, according to the survey of more than 10,500 people.
"A reduction of even 2.5 pounds may be enough for some patients to decrease or eliminate their reflux symptoms," Dr. Johnson points out.
Moderate weight gain, even in normal-weight people, may exacerbate reflux symptoms, according to the survey of more than 10,500 people.
"A reduction of even 2.5 pounds may be enough for some patients to decrease or eliminate their reflux symptoms," Dr. Johnson points out.
Try an over-the-counter drug
Drugs like Tagamet HB, Pepcid AC, Axid AR, and Zantac 75 are very effective in knocking out acid, says Joel Richter, MD, the chair of the department of medicine at Temple University, in Philadelphia.
The paradox is they’re not very effective when taken daily, because people develop a tolerance to the drug, he adds.
"What I suggest to my patients is that they take an over-the-counter H2 blocker when they have their breakthrough symptoms," he says. "That seems to give them better control."
The paradox is they’re not very effective when taken daily, because people develop a tolerance to the drug, he adds.
"What I suggest to my patients is that they take an over-the-counter H2 blocker when they have their breakthrough symptoms," he says. "That seems to give them better control."
Know your triggers
If jalapeños or onions always get you, consider skipping them. If you’re going to eat spicy food, taking an H2 blocker an hour or so before may help stop symptoms.
But if you make changes and still have heartburn, get help.
“If people are having residual symptoms several times per week, and certainly if they’re having residual symptoms to the point that it’s interfering with their ability to sleep…or function on a day-to-day basis, they should definitely talk to their physician about it,” says William D. Chey, MD, director of the gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
But if you make changes and still have heartburn, get help.
“If people are having residual symptoms several times per week, and certainly if they’re having residual symptoms to the point that it’s interfering with their ability to sleep…or function on a day-to-day basis, they should definitely talk to their physician about it,” says William D. Chey, MD, director of the gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
Can the Sunshine Vitamin Ease Fibromyalgia Pain?
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because when sunlight hits skin, the body produces this vitamin, essential for strong, healthy bones. (That’s the reason your mother told you to slurp down your vitamin D-fortified milk.)
However, a mountain of new evidence suggests that the vitamin may have a more versatile role than previously thought, particularly when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system and boosting mood.
Low levels have been associated with more severe asthma, colds,seasonal affective disorder, depression, and even chronic pain or fibromyalgia.
So does that mean that taking more vitamin D (or spending a bit more time in the sun) can combat fibromyalgia? Not just yet.
Studies have found that pain patients, including those with fibromyalgia, are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than their pain-free peers. However, it’s not clear which came first; people in pain may get less sun (presumably because they may be more likely to stay inside, due to pain), which could lead to a vitamin D deficiency, rather than vice versa—a vitamin D deficiency leading to pain.
And it’s also not clear if making sure you have adequate levels of the vitamin will help relieve pain or other fibromyalgia symptoms, such as lack of energy or difficulty sleeping.
What’s known about vitamin D
Our bodies make vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day outside (without sunscreen) to make an adequate amount, but according to studies, about half of adults and 70% of children don’t get enough. In a 2003 study, 93% of pain patients had low levels of vitamin D. The dietary reference intake was revised in 2010 to attempt to clear up conflicting messages about the importance of vitamin D. The current recommended dietary allowance for people up to age 70 is 600 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D. Adults older than 70 need 800 IU/day, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU/day deemed safe.
Screening for vitamin D deficiency is as easy as a blood test, and deficiency can be righted with a few minutes of sunscreen-free time in the sun, supplemental pills, or by incorporating foods like eggs, mushrooms, and salmon—all natural carriers of vitamin D—into a healthy diet.
Getting vitamin D from natural sources can stop you from getting too much of the vitamin, since the body makes only what it needs.
Although it’s hard to overdose on vitamin D, it is possible if you take megadoses of the vitamin, which can cause hypercalcemia, an above-average concentration of calcium in the blood that can lead to kidney failure and nervous system problems, and hyperphosphatemia, an increase in levels of phosphates in the blood, which can affect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Many who lack vitamin D—especially during the dark and dreary winter months when sunlight isn’t abundant—do turn to supplements. In 2008, Americans spent $235 million on vitamin D supplements, up from $40 million in 2001.
However, a mountain of new evidence suggests that the vitamin may have a more versatile role than previously thought, particularly when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system and boosting mood.
Low levels have been associated with more severe asthma, colds,seasonal affective disorder, depression, and even chronic pain or fibromyalgia.
So does that mean that taking more vitamin D (or spending a bit more time in the sun) can combat fibromyalgia? Not just yet.
Studies have found that pain patients, including those with fibromyalgia, are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than their pain-free peers. However, it’s not clear which came first; people in pain may get less sun (presumably because they may be more likely to stay inside, due to pain), which could lead to a vitamin D deficiency, rather than vice versa—a vitamin D deficiency leading to pain.
And it’s also not clear if making sure you have adequate levels of the vitamin will help relieve pain or other fibromyalgia symptoms, such as lack of energy or difficulty sleeping.
What’s known about vitamin D
Our bodies make vitamin D naturally when exposed to sunlight. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes a day outside (without sunscreen) to make an adequate amount, but according to studies, about half of adults and 70% of children don’t get enough. In a 2003 study, 93% of pain patients had low levels of vitamin D. The dietary reference intake was revised in 2010 to attempt to clear up conflicting messages about the importance of vitamin D. The current recommended dietary allowance for people up to age 70 is 600 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D. Adults older than 70 need 800 IU/day, with an upper limit of 4,000 IU/day deemed safe.
Screening for vitamin D deficiency is as easy as a blood test, and deficiency can be righted with a few minutes of sunscreen-free time in the sun, supplemental pills, or by incorporating foods like eggs, mushrooms, and salmon—all natural carriers of vitamin D—into a healthy diet.
Getting vitamin D from natural sources can stop you from getting too much of the vitamin, since the body makes only what it needs.
Although it’s hard to overdose on vitamin D, it is possible if you take megadoses of the vitamin, which can cause hypercalcemia, an above-average concentration of calcium in the blood that can lead to kidney failure and nervous system problems, and hyperphosphatemia, an increase in levels of phosphates in the blood, which can affect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Many who lack vitamin D—especially during the dark and dreary winter months when sunlight isn’t abundant—do turn to supplements. In 2008, Americans spent $235 million on vitamin D supplements, up from $40 million in 2001.
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