Risk of going from pre-MS to MS reduced 68 percent with 7100 IU vitamin D – RCT Dec 2012

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Preventive effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on conversion of optic neuritis to clinically definite multiple sclerosis: - a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial.

Acta Neurol Belg. 2012 Dec 19.
Derakhshandi H, Etemadifar M, Feizi A, Abtahi SH, Minagar A, Abtahi MA, Abtahi ZA, Dehghani A, Sajjadi S, Tabrizi N.
Isfahan Eye Research Center (IERC), Feiz Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, SHARNOS Co. No. 9, Boroomand. Seyed-Alikhan, Chaharbagh Abbasi, 81448-14581, Isfahan, Iran.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) presents with optic neuritis (ON) in 20 % of cases and 50 % of ON patients develop MS within 15 years.

In this study, we evaluated the preventive effects of vitamin D3 administration on the conversion of ON to MS (primary outcome) and on the MRI lesions (secondary outcome) of ON patients with low serum 25 (OH) D levels. Thirty ON patients (15 in each of 2 groups, aged 20-40 years) with serum 25 (OH) D levels of less than 30 ng/ml were enrolled in a double blind, randomized, parallel-group trial. The treatment group (cases) received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly for 12 months and the control group (controls) received a placebo weekly for 12 months. Finally, the subsequent relapse rate and changes in MRI plaques were compared between the two groups. Risk reduction was 68.4 % for the primary outcome in the treatment group (relative risk = 0.316, p = 0.007).

After 12 months, patients in the treatment group had a significantly lower incidence rate of cortical, juxtacortical, corpus callosal, new T2, new gadolinium-enhancing lesions and black holes. The mean number of total plaques showed a marginally significant decrease in the group receiving vitamin D3 supplementation as compared with the placebo group (p = 0.092). Administration of vitamin D3 supplements to ON patients with low serum vitamin 25 (OH) D levels may delay the onset of a second clinical attack and the subsequent conversion to MS.

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Observations on this study by VitaminDWiki

Even more MS risk reduction can probably be achieved by each of the following

• Adding cofactors and perhaps Omega-3
• Adding UVB
• Having a goal of > 50 ng of vitamin D (abstract does not state thier target level, but guess that it was 20-30 ng)
• Adjusting the amount of vitamin D based on the level that each person has
• Using a loading dose to get to the vitamin D goal far more quickly
• Proof that Vitamin D Works MS is one of many diseases proven

See also VitaminDWiki

• All items in category MS and vitamin D 412 items
• Multiple Sclerosis risk reduced 40% in 92,000 women taking more than 400 IU of vitamin D – 2004
• Vitamin D can both prevent and treat Multiple Sclerosis – review Nov 2012
• Less MS (MRI) decline after raising Vitamin D levels – clinical trial Oct 2012
• MS relapse rate reduced 14 percent for each 4 ng increase in vitamin D – May 2012
• Why has the MS latitude gradient disappeared – Oct 2011
• All items in category Invervention with Vitamin D 823 items

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Overview MS and vitamin D contains the following summary

Clinical interventions have shown that Vitamin D can prevent, treat, and even cure Multiple Sclerosis, at a tiny fraction of the cost of the drugs now used to treat it, and without side effects.

• Fact: Low Vitamin D results in higher risk of getting MS
  Increase latitude leads to decreased Vitamin D, which leads to increased risk of MS
  
  
  There is less of an effect recently - air conditioning now allows people to stay indoors

  
  
  Dark skinned people are far more likely to get MS (dark skin people typically have low vitamin D)
  Elderly (who typically have low vitamin D) are more likely to get MS
  Is there increased risk in people who already have diseases associated with low vitamin D - TB, for example ? ? ?
  Women typically have 3X increased MS risk then men (note: women typically have 20% lower levels of vitamin D than men)
     Exception: women in very sunny climates and dark-skinned women have the same MS risk as men
  Obese are 60% more likely to get MS
  Multiple Sclerosis 42X more likely if light brown skin and smoke (both associated with low vitamin D) – July 2020
  MS recurrence is much higher in spring - the lowest time of the year for vitamin D
  increase in clouds/rainfall (which reduces available Vitamin D) is associated with increased risk of MS (Scotland, Western Washington)
  MS incidence has increased 70% in a decade while the incidence of vitamin D deficiency doubled
  Less MS in those with outdoor occupations PDF file, not a web page
• Fact: MS uses up Vitamin D
• Fact: Lower vitamin D (due to MS using up Vitamin D while fighting the disease) results in many other health problems (such as broken bones), so depleted vitamin D levels must be restored.
  
  Fact: Increasing levels of Vitamin D is associated with lower MS risk, as well as lower risk of many other diseases

  
• Fact: Vitamin D looks so promising for preventing and treating MS that there were 25 INTERVENTION clinical trials as of Feb 2014
• Fact: Vitamin D reduced the MS relapse rate far better than Fingolimod which is now used for that purpose.
  • Note: Fingolimod costs $25,000/year while vitamin D, which works better and has no side effects is 1000 times less expensive.
• Fact: 98% of the genes affected by Interferon are also affected by Vitamin D
  • Note: 1 week of Interferon = $4,700, 1 week of vitamin D 10,000X lower cost
• Fact: MS Doctors in Brazil recommending 40-100 ng/mL of Vitamin D
• Fact: Many MS forums are recommending vitamin D to treat MS, with some taking 5,000 to 10,000 IU daily
  Observation: Risk of going from pre-MS to MS reduced 68 percent with 7100 IU vitamin D – RCT Dec 2012
  • This is an observation instead of a fact - it has not yet been confirmed.
• Fact: VERY LARGE doses of vitamin D have CURED 2,000 people of MS in Brazil
• Controversy: UVB fron sunlight or UVB bulb may be BETTER than Vitamin D for reducing the risk of getting MS
• Hypothesis: In addition to Vitamin D there are many other photoproducts produced by UVB that may promote health.

Summary: lack of consensus on how much to prevent, treat, or cure MS.

• Coimbra Protocol (using Vitamin D) is safe and effective for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune diseases – April 2022
• 54,000 IU of vitamin D daily with no Calcium (1,000 IU per kg: Coimbra protocol) – July 2024
• How much Vitamin D to prevent many diseases - such as MS
• How much Vitamin D is needed to treat MS? There is currently no agreement
     The recommendations range from 40 to 100 ng - which can result of a dose ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 IU/day
• How Vitamin D is needed to Cure MS?: It appears that 20,000-140,000 IU daily may be needed to CURE the disease
     You must be under the supervision of a doctor who knows what to watch for in your individual situation.
     High doses of Vitamin D cannot be used as a monotherapy.
     You will need to adjust the cofactors: Typically increasing Magnesium and Vitamin K2, and reducing Calcium intake.
     Your doctor will monitor these and might increase your intake of Vitamins B2, C, as well as Omega-3
• Epstein-Barr virus increases risk of Multiple Sclerosis by 32X - Jan 2022
• Multiple Sclerosis treated by Vitamin D, recommends investigating high dose Coimbra - Oct 2021
• Multiple Sclerosis patients had fewer COVID-19 problems (Note: many MSers take Vitamin D) – April 30, 2021
• Vitamin D Resistance hypothesis confirmed by Coimbra high-dose vitamin D protocol – April 2021
• Multiple Sclerosis relapses cut in half by 100,000 IU of Vitamin D every 2 weeks– RCT 2019

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Strong evidence: Vitamin D PREVENTS MS and REDUCES MS symptoms

• Clinical trials for MS and Vitamin D INTERVENTION 19 as of Jan 2013
  5,000 IU daily for 2 years
• Vitamin D being used for MS more than any other disease
• 3 books with sections on MS and vitamin D
• Vitamin D found to be far better than FDA drug for MS
• Many MS websites are very pro vitamin D
• People at risk of having low vitamin D (elderly, women, blacks,...) have greater incidence of MS
  Controversy: Which is better: UV or Vitamin D

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85 citations of this study as of June 2024

Google Scholar

• Vitamin D in Neurological Diseases - Dec 2022 FREE PDF
• Vitamin D supplementation in multiple sclerosis: an expert opinion based on the review of current evidence- Jun 2021 [https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2021.193587 FREE PDF
  • especially >40 ng with clinically isolated syndrome (pre-MS)