Resolution of Optic Neuritis and Probable Multiple Sclerosis after Long-Term Ingestion of Very High Doses of Vitamin D3: A Case Report
Neuroimmunology Reports, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nerep.2024.100224
Nipith Charoenngam 1 2, Michael F. Holick 1
PTH bottomed-out (as expected) in a few months
A 36-year-old male presented with 2 months of left-eye visual disturbance and was diagnosed with optic neuritis due to probable multiple sclerosis (MS). He was advised to undergo periodic ophthalmology follow-up without immunosuppressive treatment. Due to persistent symptoms, he expressed interest in very high-dose vitamin D3 therapy of 54,000 IUs/day (1,000 IUs/kg/day) along with a zero-calcium diet. After starting the therapy, he experienced sustained symptomatic improvement of visual symptoms over 4 years, along with radiological stability of the optic neuritis lesion without developing hypercalcemia. This case supports the potential therapeutic efficacy of very high-dose vitamin D for MS.
Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
VitaminDWiki - Coimbra high-dose vitamin D protocol - many studies
Note: Coimbra protocol consists of much more than just high vitamin D and no Calcium
VitaminDWiki – Multiple Sclerosis and (lots of) Vitamin D - book by patient on Coimbra protocol - Feb 2016 contains protocol description__
Vitamin D Protocol used by Dr. Coimbra for Multiple Sclerosis etc.
Snips as of April 2016 http://www.vitamindprotocol.com/dr.-coimbra-s-ms-protocol.html
- 1,000 IU's vitamin D per kilogram as a first approximation
(apparently increased/decreased depending of resulting vitamin D blood level) - Vitamin B2, magnesium glycinate, boron, chromium picolinate, Omega 3 DHA, Zinc, Methylcobalamin form of B12, Choline, etc.
- Lack of B12 may affect 10%–15% of the general population and may be the most prevalent genetic risk factor for several human diseases
- Discontinue eating or drinking dairy products or calcium enriched foods or beverages, also no Ca supplements
- Drink as least 2.5 liters [85 ounces] of fluids, preferably water
- Required Tests: Vitamin D, Parathyroid, Blood calcium, urinary calcium
MS updates from Brazil
- Treatment with daily high doses of vitamin D Overcoming MS May 2013
Of course, this is not a cure it's a life-long treatment.. but at least it stops the progression and in many cases even revert back some (sometimes all) of the brain lesions. - Huge page - all in Portuguese about Coimbra's work
- Web site of patients who have been cured by Dr. Coimbra Australia 150 ng is the target
Great sequential posts, over a year. by an Australian patient whose MS was reversed by Dr. Coimbra - I Have Multiple Sclerosis: I Am Treating My MS With High Doses Vitamin D experienceproject. May 2013
Gives a fair amount of details, such as taking lots of water and monitoriing for excess Calcium.
Note A home test kit for excess Calcium in the urine is available $10 for 10 tests - Dr. Holick visited with the patients in Brazil Sept 2013
VitaminDWiki – Overview MS and vitamin D contains
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
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: 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
VitaminDWiki - Response to Vitamin D - many studies
VitaminDwiki – Comparing High-dose vitamin D therapies contains:
| Dr. Coimbra books 2018 2016 | Dr. Somerville Optimal Dose | Dr. Gominak | Mr. Batcheller | Dr. Bredsen End of Alz. | |
| Health problem | Multiple Sclerosis autoimmune, PD | sleep, flu, pain, obesity, etc. | Sleep | Cluster, Migraine Headaches | Alzheimer's Park. being added |
| Number of people (2019) | 30,000 by 2022 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 8,000 (2023) | >1,000 ? |
| Vitamin D target | PTH is target typ: 150ng of D | 100-140+ ng | 60-80 ng | PTH is target typ: 80 ng of D | 40-60 ng |
| Vitamin D daily dose (K = 1,000 IU) | 20K - 200K 1,000 IU/kg | 30K | 2K + monthly test increasing dose until goal | 4K - 40K 110 IU/kg | ? |
| Omega-3 * | O-3 | O-3 | - - - | O-3 | O-3 |
| Magnesium * | Mg | Mg | - - - | Mg (400 mg) | - |
| Vitamin K2 | K2 (no longer?) | K2 | - - - | K2 | - |
| Vitamin B... | B2, B9, B12 | B3 | B50-B100 3 months | B50 | B12 |
| Zinc * | Zn | - - - | Zn | - | |
| Boron *? | B | - - - | B | - | |
| Calcium Minimize rock-based Ca | Decrease Ca | - - - | Ca | - | |
| Vitamin A avoid extremes | avoid A | avoid A | - - - | A | - |
| Other | Choline Selenium Co-Q 10 | - - - | Co-Q 10 | - | |
| Loading dose Days instead of months | - - - | - - - | - - - | Loading "Cluster Balm" | - |