Low Vitamin D level appears to cause sleep apnea

Stasha Gominak MD, a neurologist practicing in Texas, reports having found a cure for sleep apnea. Yes, I said a cure. Her claim is that sleep apnea is not due to flabby tissue in the throat but to an out-of-kilter function in the brain that controls the "paralyzing" mechanism in the sleep process. I discovered a video lecture online where she explains her experience of stumbling on the answer by accident while treating her patients for various neurological complaints over the past ten years. Her five part video on Youtube was taped at an address to medical professionals earlier this year and her topic has much wider implications than for just sleep apnea sufferers. The larger theme of her presentation is on the importance of attaining proper deep sleep, which allows for repair of the body. This "restorative sleep," she says, can only be attained if the Vitamin D levels are sufficiently high (between 60 and 80 nanograms). Gominak believes a large part of our population is not getting enough Vit. D3 to achieve restorative sleep levels. She says a lack of Vitamin D underlies the cause of a slew of illnesses and conditions, all of which have disappeared in patients she has treated with Vit. D3. Deep sleep, during which time the the body heals itself, is key, she insists, not the direct action of the Vitamin D. I found her lecture to be absolutely fascinating. If you can sit through all five parts of the lecture (probably an hour total run time), you will come away with a totally new perspective on sleep and sleep apnea. A few weeks ago, my lab tests showed below normal D3, and my primary care doc has agreed to follow through on the regimen Dr. Gominak prescribes with her patients. It takes weeks of increased levels of D3 and periodic monitoring blood levels to achieve the proper level. Then, it takes several months of being able to sleep well again before changes take place. I invite everyone to watch the video and comment here on your impressions and experiences. Please don't start taking huge amounts of Vit. D3 without a doctor's supervision, as D can be toxic at levels higher than 100 nanograms. Here is the URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7cbBB1c0IM

Just sounds like another Quack to me. I take 4,000 units of D3 a day for over 6 months, my XPAP is the cure as usual. Quack, Quack! Jim

Very interesting. I haven't watched the vid yet, just read your post. But what I find interesting is when I joined the VA health system last year in May, before I knew I had sleep apnea, they did a blood screen and my provider there said my D levels were low and she wanted me to start taking vitamin D. I'll watch the vid tomorrow, you have my interest now. Thanks for posting.

Don't think so. I've been taking large amounts of vitamin D by prescription for a long time and have my blood checked twice a year. I was diagnosed with severe OSA a year and half ago. I do think that vitamin D is important for health, just like C, B, E, and minerals but will it cure OSA? Nope.

To Goof Proof:

You couldn't possibly have watched the video in the space of time between when I posted and your reply. Furthermore, 4,000 IU is a drop in the bucket, as my personal physician said to me, I am taking 10,000 IU of D now and that is the amount normal amount needed by the body. As far as I am concerned, the proof is in what is happening with her patients. She is not selling products and the presentation was for her patients and medical professionals, not to sell books, etc. Watch the video, then comment!

I had very low D3 (33 nanograms) and I took 8,000 IU's of micellized D3 a day for 3 months and got it up to 60. I then backed off to 6,000 IU's every other day and my last test was a 58. I still need my cpap machine to keep my O2 normal during sleep. I will watch the video this week..... but I think any doctor who says definitively that this is the 'cure' is doing the public a disservice. Yes, Vitamin D is important, helps with sleep, and is related to many functions in the body. But to say it is the cure for sleep apnea is just ridiculous, as is saying losing weight or using an oral appliance is the answer for everyone. All of these things can play a part in helping those for whom they work....but the gold standard is still cpap.

Sleepyb: You, too, should watch the whole video before commenting. The vitamin D levels have to be between 60 and 80 ng for several months. Do you know if that is where your levels are reading?

Emilia: Use of the word, "Cure," was mine. (Needed to get your attention. Sorry). She says she thinks she has found the answer. If she is having as much success with her patients as she says, it sounds worth looking into, wouldn't you say? I sure as H am going to give it a try myself.

Sleeppapotomus wrote:Emilia: Use of the word, "Cure," was mine. (Needed to get your attention. Sorry). She says she thinks she has found the answer. If she is having as much success with her patients as she says, it sounds worth looking into, wouldn't you say? I sure as H am going to give it a try myself.

That got our attention and earned the rating of Quack, for sure. If you edit statements on the fly, that's what you get. Cure is a thing that rarely exhists in the real world. Jim

You are right I didn't watch yet, the CURE said it all, plus my own results. One 2000ui is the daily dose (500%) I double that. Jim

I had actually watched these several months ago, and started watching them again tonight (but haven't finished the second go-round). They are fascinating and full of a lot of interesting information, and a lot of it makes sense, but I just can't understand how Vitamin D could help with OBSTRUCTIVE sleep apnea. I found the video series when I was researching Vitamin D deficiency since I am below the range, and I do believe that it could possibly help with other sleep issues (as well as a host of non-sleep related things). I'm going finish watching the series tomorrow.

Several years ago when I was below range my prescription D (which is D2) was 50,000 IU a week. Got it tested again six months later and it was still low. I feel OTC D3 is better and have been taking 4,000 IUs daily for a while, which I'm sure is not enough to put me in the range. I had some blood work done Friday, including D, so it will be interesting to see if the 4,000 IU daily raised it at all. My problems with fatigue started improving when my number went up, even though they never actually made it into the range (wonder how much better I'd feel if they were actually IN the range!).

WearyOne wrote:I had actually watched these several months ago, and started watching them again tonight (but haven't finished the second go-round). They are fascinating and full of a lot of interesting information, and a lot of it makes sense, but I just can't understand how Vitamin D could help with OBSTRUCTIVE sleep apnea. I found the video series when I was researching Vitamin D deficiency since I am below the range, and I do believe that it could possibly help with other sleep issues (as well as a host of non-sleep related things). I'm going finish watching the series tomorrow.

Several years ago when I was below range my prescription D (which is D2) was 50,000 IU a week. Got it tested again six months later and it was still low. I feel OTC D3 is better and have been taking 2,000 IUs daily for a while, which I'm sure is not enough to put me in the range. I had some blood work done Friday, including D, so it will be interesting to see if the 2,000 IU daily raised it at all. My problems with fatigue started improving when my number went up, even though they never actually made it into the range (wonder how much better I'd feel if they were actually IN the range!).

Gel caps work better than tabs. I found out I had low "T" too, I use two patches a day, but while I feel stronger they haven't stopped Sleep Apnea, maybe if I put them on my neck. Jim

Gel caps OTC are what I'm taking. Tablets are probably useless.

OK.... I decided to watch them since I am still up at 2 a.m.! She is very interesting and I found her work fascinating. She does say, clearly, in Pt. 5 that cpap is important for patients who use it.... she does feel that there is a very narrow measure of D3/B12 that needs to be met in order for sleep to become the 'cure.' She also stated it will be many years of studies and peer reviewed articles before this can become 'practice.' I tend to think that it will be very difficult to maintain that narrow band of levels consistently to avoid sleep problems since these hormones/vitamins fluctuate greatly daily and seasonally. I take D3 and B12 as well as magnesium.... I found the micellized D3 (liquid form) got very quick results for me. It is absorbed much more readily in that form. I use sublingual B12 for the same reason. Regardless, I plan to continue using my cpap as I find it easy to use, my sleep is restful and I haven't had a headache in a year! It will be interesting to follow this work, however, and see what comes of the studies. I see Big Pharma coming up with Rx only D3 once they re-categorize it as a hormone and not a vitamin..... thus taking the OTC form off the market..... just wait and see if I am right on that one!

@ sleepyb... Rx vitamin D is D2 not D3. D3 is what you really need....that is the hormone. I know, it seems counterintuitive, but the only Rx form of D is 2 and OTC D3 is readily available to buy. Crazy.

I am also sorry to say I think this is a bunch of bunk. I also have permanent low Vit D levels, and take a pharmaceutical grade (prescription only) D3 supplement every month. Prescription D3 is available in Europe but not in the USA I have not noticed any difference in my OSA at all and my levels are perfect.

The one good thing that I can say is that Vit D is good for people with Metabolic Syndrome, and for those people who have it they usually are Vit D3 deficent, plus people with Metabolic Syndrom also have a tendency to have OSA or some other type of sleep disturbances. If anything her "theories" and the video is a good way to wake people up on Vit D deficency. Its mains systemic symptoms are fatigue, muscle weakness (larger muscle groups) emotional (depression/anxiety) etc.......... To bad it is not a cure for OSA.