Low Vitamin D level appears to cause sleep apnea

[Wulfman...]

I agree with you, Den. It's too bad the thread wasn't titled something like "low vitamin d levels appear to be associated with sleep apnea". I don't believe Vitamin D supplementation will cure sleep apnea either. However, it is possible that vitamin d supplementation may help repair or reverse some of the damage done to the body by sleep apnea.

It's obvious when following some of the links which support this preposterous notion that they're trying to sell Vitamin D as a miracle "cure-all".

I'm not disputing that Vitamin D can help with health issues......but selling it as a cure for sleep apnea is nonsense.
My own levels had been low until I started taking supplements, but I'm not delusional enough to think I can quit using my CPAP. Vitamin D can't fix nasal structures (my problem), collapsing airways or allergies (which cause breathing problems).


Den

.

[Woody]

It hasn't done anything for my sleep apnea but it sure has helped my myopia .
I started taking it about 4 years ago and had to have my eyeglass changed to
weaker ones 3 times. If I skip taking the vitamin D for a month or so I have
to use my glasses to drive, Start back on it and my vision gets better again.

[piglet14]

I watched the original presentation by Dr. Gominak and decided to give a try to raising my D3 level which is currently 49 and climbing. During the last year I also became gluten free. I also started consistent practice of Sue Hitzman's Melt Method. I am 75 with dx. fibromyalgia, RA and assorted autoimmune stuff. I have central apnea and use BiPAP.

Since last July, 45 lbs have melted off, my walker is in the basement and I am off the morphine I was taking to barely tolerate the peripheral neuropathy that has plagued me for years. I don't think that any one thing has been THE reason for improvement. I do think that each piece which dropped into my life at the right moment is contributing to the whole.

I will continue with monitored D3 into the 60-80 range to get maximum benefits along with my other therapies. Perhaps I will get the apnea reevaluated If I feel my sleep has improved.

Lynda

[49er]

Obviously, it didn't help me since my last test confirmed I was at 60. And since I had lowered the dosage after adverse effects, I suspect my number was higher for quite awhile.

49er

[Sleep_At_Last]

I am a skeptic no more. I was diagnosed after participating in a Sleep Apnea study at a San Diego University in the early 2000's. I have apparently had it since I was at least 25 because my kids would tell me I would stop breathing in my sleep. I never believed them. And I never did acclimate to use of the CPAP. Gave it up when it began blowing way too much air in and would wake me up frequently during the night, a problem which the doctor told me was ridiculous and refused to have me retested. So I began researching and found Dr. Gominak's video. After finding out all I could about her, I began taking 10,000IU/day with no noticeable results. I went to 15,000 and then to 20,000/day before I received the benefits. This was all over a six month period. I no longer need to keep my bedroom door tightly closed to avoid keeping the rest of the household awake all night. I would now not be without Vitamin D and the CPAP is in my past. I am 75 years old and weigh 150 pounds. I only mention this because it may have some bearing on the efficacy of the D in my case. My doctor is aware of my raised intake of vitamin D and tests me 3 to 4 times a year. My levels of D stay around 100 ng/ml which satisfies us both. I use a liquid bioactive form of vitamin D which might also have some bearing on my results.

[49er]

I am a skeptic no more. I was diagnosed after participating in a Sleep Apnea study at a San Diego University in the early 2000's. I have apparently had it since I was at least 25 because my kids would tell me I would stop breathing in my sleep. I never believed them. And I never did acclimate to use of the CPAP. Gave it up when it began blowing way too much air in and would wake me up frequently during the night, a problem which the doctor told me was ridiculous and refused to have me retested. So I began researching and found Dr. Gominak's video. After finding out all I could about her, I began taking 10,000IU/day with no noticeable results. I went to 15,000 and then to 20,000/day before I received the benefits. This was all over a six month period. I no longer need to keep my bedroom door tightly closed to avoid keeping the rest of the household awake all night. I would now not be without Vitamin D and the CPAP is in my past. I am 75 years old and weigh 150 pounds. I only mention this because it may have some bearing on the efficacy of the D in my case. My doctor is aware of my raised intake of vitamin D and tests me 3 to 4 times a year. My levels of D stay around 100 ng/ml which satisfies us both. I use a liquid bioactive form of vitamin D which might also have some bearing on my results.

Did you have a sleep study to confirm you don't need cpap any more? If you don't, I am really happy for you.

How did you increase the dose without suffering adverse affects as when I tried to take 5000IU, I got jaw pain. Which brand did you use?

Thanks!

49er

[Jay Aitchsee]

There has been quite a bit of talk lately about lower levels of vitamin D being associated with dementia, stemming primarily from this study, I think.
http://www.neurology.org/content/early/ ... hort?rss=1
Of course, association doesn't mean cause, but...

[photonic]

There has been quite a bit of talk lately about lower levels of vitamin D being associated with dementia, stemming primarily from this study, I think.
http://www.neurology.org/content/early/ ... hort?rss=1
Of course, association doesn't mean cause, but...

Thanks for this reference!

[bwexler]

I have been taking about 14,000 IU of Vitamin D since January and about 11,000 for several years before that. My last check was 53 ng/ml.
I will get my latest results this week. I have been trying to get my level to 70 ng/ml.

No adverse side effects. I will be 69 next week and I have seen minor improvements in my eysight as well, but not enough to change glasses. As I have been saying for years I don't realy need glasses. I only wear them when I want to see.

[hozelda]

I'm not disputing that Vitamin D can help with health issues......but selling it as a cure for sleep apnea is nonsense.
My own levels had been low until I started taking supplements, but I'm not delusional enough to think I can quit using my CPAP. Vitamin D can't fix nasal structures (my problem), collapsing airways or allergies (which cause breathing problems).

There are many cases of sleep apnea that D can "cure".

I found my breathing stopping (including weak hesitant breathing and noticed my sinuses got very stuffy). I had to lean up to sleep (also to avoid head aches... maybe a stroke would be coming if I kept at it). D clears up the stuffiness and eliminates the struggle in the sleep. The effects are pretty fast when very deficient in D3 although I prefer a full meal and so then it takes over an hour. I notice many older people struggle in similar fashion and at least some I have spoken with have told me they have seen improvements. I also know people who have died in sleep (sitting up) or who had lots of trouble breathing even when awake who likely were not getting much sun exposure (lived indoors in retirement home, or avoided sun because of lupus on doctor's order, or being a priest who leaves very little skin exposed when in public). Everyone goes, but I think D deficiency hastens the process potentially by many years.. although it seems D has effects quickly, at least if you get as high of a dose as your body may need. At one point I was as high as 100,000IU/day (for 2 days actually), but have average around 30,000 in last year. I have a foot injury that aggravates the situation. It's eery to see how my body deteriorates based on the quantity and quality of my walking daily and how D effectively saves the day in doses that tends to match the walking. [I've noticed speaking loudly, etc, and many other things aggravate this.. It reminds me of a mother I read about suffering a heart attack after the morning breakfast aggravation.] BTW, I live in a sunny environment, but did work nights for many years. In general, we have more diseases of late, and we also have not coincidentally more people avoiding the outdoors or taking high doses of sunscreen.

D clears my sinuses many times. In general, it toughens up tissue (eg, to fight cancer, esp things like breast and colon cancer.. so it is believed my many experts). It also is closely associated with the lungs, including being more effective at fighting the flu alone vs than antibiotics alone.

[chunkyfrog]

I'm working on my own theory:
Resolved. that paying attention to half-baked "studies" contributes to dementia.

[LSAT]

I'm working on my own theory:
Resolved. that paying attention to half-baked "studies" contributes to dementia.

You are correct chunky....In one study it said..."There is some early indication that high dosages of vitamin D could cause calcification of vessels in the brain leading to cognitive decline." (and they were talking about 4,000-10,000 per day).

[Wulfman...]

I'm not disputing that Vitamin D can help with health issues......but selling it as a cure for sleep apnea is nonsense.
My own levels had been low until I started taking supplements, but I'm not delusional enough to think I can quit using my CPAP. Vitamin D can't fix nasal structures (my problem), collapsing airways or allergies (which cause breathing problems).

There are many cases of sleep apnea that D can "cure".

I found my breathing stopping (including weak hesitant breathing and noticed my sinuses got very stuffy). I had to lean up to sleep (also to avoid head aches... maybe a stroke would be coming if I kept at it). D clears up the stuffiness and eliminates the struggle in the sleep. The effects are pretty fast when very deficient in D3 although I prefer a full meal and so then it takes over an hour. I notice many older people struggle in similar fashion and at least some I have spoken with have told me they have seen improvements. I also know people who have died in sleep (sitting up) or who had lots of trouble breathing even when awake who likely were not getting much sun exposure (lived indoors in retirement home, or avoided sun because of lupus on doctor's order, or being a priest who leaves very little skin exposed when in public). Everyone goes, but I think D deficiency hastens the process potentially by many years.. although it seems D has effects quickly, at least if you get as high of a dose as your body may need. At one point I was as high as 100,000IU/day (for 2 days actually), but have average around 30,000 in last year. I have a foot injury that aggravates the situation. It's eery to see how my body deteriorates based on the quantity and quality of my walking daily and how D effectively saves the day in doses that tends to match the walking. [I've noticed speaking loudly, etc, and many other things aggravate this.. It reminds me of a mother I read about suffering a heart attack after the morning breakfast aggravation.] BTW, I live in a sunny environment, but did work nights for many years. In general, we have more diseases of late, and we also have not coincidentally more people avoiding the outdoors or taking high doses of sunscreen.

D clears my sinuses many times. In general, it toughens up tissue (eg, to fight cancer, esp things like breast and colon cancer.. so it is believed my many experts). It also is closely associated with the lungs, including being more effective at fighting the flu alone vs than antibiotics alone.

Interesting...........
You make THAT statement.........and then go on to talk about NOTHING that has to do with "sleep apnea".
Most of your sentences either start with "I" or "my" or have "I" or "my" in them. Your (one person's) "observations" don't really count as scientific "facts" when you're trying to argue medical issues.

If you have independent and unbiased links to or articles about these issues to support your theories, observations and experiences, please post them or the links. Otherwise, some of this comes close to the category of "aliens took me up into their space ship and did experiments on me".

Personally, I've been taking about 8,000 units of D3 for quite a few years (to raise my D levels for my blood draws), but have noticed virtually no improvement in anything else regarding my health. I also use my own form of "aspirin therapy" for some issues, too, but don't advertise what for or how it has helped me over the years either. I've also experienced things that doctors told me to do that came to be counterproductive to my health......and I stopped following their instructions and/or changed doctors.

We all have to make up our own minds and find what works for US. But, to state them as medical facts (for others) is irresponsible.


Den

.

[HoseCrusher]

I have been following the various reports on the Vitamin D Council for several years now. They seem to offer a reasonable approach.

They acknowledge that too much D is toxic. They define too much as having blood levels over 150 ng/ml of 25(OH)D. They then go on to point out a couple of ways to achieve toxicity.

Take more than 10000 IU/day, everyday, for 3 months or longer. They then suggest that toxic effects are more likely to occur if your daily amount is 40000 IU, so 10000 IU may be on the lower end of the amount needed to become toxic.

Also, if you take more than 300000 IU in a 24 hour period you run a high risk of becoming toxic.

The bottom line is to frequently measure your blood levels and adjust accordingly.

[SueandTerry]

I took Vitamin D for other reasons. 5000 a day. and my apnea, which was bad, has vanisheg.