As a fibromyalgia sufferer you may feel misunderstood. You may have spent years searching for a diagnosis or were misdiagnosed; after finally receiving your diagnosis, you may have felt relief — but you still do not have a cure for your disease. Although fibromyalgia is not very well understood, everyone agrees about one thing: it is painful. This never-ending pain can cause other symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, restless sleep and other mood disturbances. As we don’t know the cause of fibromyalgia, typically treatment of fibromyalgia is aimed at easing symptoms. Initially you probably noted your doctor prescribed you an antidepressant, which is common for fibromyalgia. Pain relievers are often prescribed, but if you have spoken with other fibromyalgia sufferers, you’ve probably noted that everyone is different in terms of pain relief. The downside to pain relievers is they may have undesirable side effects, which can make living with fibromyalgia that much more uncomfortable.
Although you may require antidepressants, prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications to function, what if there were other remedies to treat your fibromyalgia? Several recent studies have shown sufferers of fibromyalgia are also vitamin D deficient. In Belfast, those with fibromyalgia had low levels of vitamin D on laboratory tests. In the U.K., 43 percent of women with fibromyalgia had diminished vitamin D levels, whereas only 19 percent of those without fibromyalgia had diminished levels. However, in comparable studies in Israel, Brazil and Turkey, research did not show a correlation between vitamin D levels and fibromyalgia risk. At this time, we can assume that more research needs to be done on the topic. However, we cannot rule out vitamin D as a contributing factor into fibromyalgia development or symptomology. It is thought that if vitamin D does in fact assist with decrease symptoms in fibromyalgia, it does so by reducing inflammation. At the very least, it is reasonable to have your vitamin D levels checked and treat your levels appropriately.
It may not help your symptoms — but there is a possibility it might. If your doctor monitors your serum vitamin D levels, an adequate level is about 50ng/ml. Anything lower than this may require supplementation, increasing food sources, and increasing sunlight exposure. Supplementing with pills is an easy way to get the extra vitamin D your body requires. The supplements may reduce pain and are also a fairly inexpensive alternative therapy. The vitamin D supplements may help with other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia as well, such as sleep issues, anxiety and depression. In fact, in the research journal Pain, researchers noted that fibromyalgia sufferers who regularly took vitamin D supplements noted less pain and morning fatigue than those sufferers who did not. Our primary way of vitamin D is through sunlight, but we can also get it through supplements and food sources. The easiest way to get vitamin D is through the sun. To get vitamin D this way, our skin should be directly exposed — this means no sunscreen.
It should be exposed for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, about three times per week. After that length of time, we do need to worry about putting on sunscreen for skin cancer prevention. Oral supplements can also be taken if you are vitamin D deficient. Although you can pick up vitamin D OTC, it is best to let your doctor prescribe you a dose based on your serum vitamin D levels to ensure you get the correct dose for your needs. Getting your vitamin D through your food may be a bit more difficult, but it is possible. There is only a small amount of foods that actually contain vitamin D, although there are foods that are fortified with vitamin D. Salmon, mackerel and mushrooms are all considered vitamin D superfoods. Other foods that contain vitamin D in lesser amounts include:Fibromyalgia is linked to vitamin D deficiency (hypovitaminosis D), according to research. The researchers found low vitamin D serum levels in over 1,800 fibromyalgia patients. They uncovered a “positive crude association” between widespread pain and vitamin D deficiency, which is caused by poor nutritional intake of vitamin D, lack of sunlight, and conditions that inhibit the absorption of vitamin D.
Previous research also explored the association between fibromyalgia and vitamin D deficiency, but results were inconclusive. According to the Vitamin D Council, low vitamin D levels could be a result of fibromyalgia, rather than causing the condition. Vitamin D helps control levels of calcium and phosphate as well as promote the formation and strength of bones and teeth. Vitamin D can be found in food as well as sunlight, and taking vitamin D supplements can help reduce the risk of heart disease and improve exercise performance, as seen in alternative studies. Coauthor of the study Dr. Raquel Revuelta Iniesta said, “Our pilot study suggests that taking vitamin D supplements can improve fitness levels and lower cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure. Our next step is to perform a larger clinical trial for a longer period of time in both healthy individuals and large groups of athletes such as cyclists or long-distance runners.” Lead author Dr. Emad Al-Dujaili concluded, “Vitamin D deficiency is a silent syndrome linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, rheumatoid, and a higher risk for certain cancers.
Our study adds to the body of evidence showing the importance of tackling this widespread problem.” You may opt-out at any time. Much is still unknown about fibromyalgia, but possible triggers include intense emotional stress or physical trauma, an abnormal or over-reactive pain response, or an infectious organism like a virus. Numerous studies have reported that fibromyalgia patients often have low vitamin D levels. In the U.K. alone, 43 percent of fibromyalgia patients have low vitamin D, compared to 19 percent of individuals without fibromyalgia. In Ireland, fibromyalgia patients often have low vitamin D levels, and these low levels are also associated with depression and anxiety. In other parts of the world, though, such as Brazil and Israel, no correlation was seen between fibromyalgia and vitamin D. In all the studies, low vitamin D does not appear to be the cause of fibromyalgia, but rather its result. There is currently no evidence to support that increasing vitamin D can improve the symptoms, but greater levels of vitamin D are associated with less inflammation.