Low Vitamin D level appears to cause sleep apnea

Sleeppapotomus wrote:Stasha Gominak MD, a neurologist practicing in Texas, reports having found a cure for sleep apnea. Yes, I said a cure.

The fundamental problem with this idea in my opinion is not understanding that sleep apnea doesn't have a single cause so it can't have a single cure. Maybe D3 is could be the cause in some cases but what if the patient has a very narrow airway anatomically? D3 isn't going to fix that...

I often find that people with little depth of understanding of apnea think there is one cause and thus one cure. Apnea is a symptom and you have to find the cause before you can suggest a cure. IMHO

SleepingUgly wrote:

Emilia wrote: If your level is lower than the optimal 60-80 range recommended today, you can take the higher doses without issue.

Do you have a reference for that? My bone doc seems to think in the 30's is fine.

That was the reference given in the video. And that over is as bad as under.

@SU My PCP quoted new guidelines to me stating that, and the doc in the videos the OP of this thread cites also concurs. I have read it in a number of articles which I will try to find again.

Just finished watching the video and I am very interested in this theory. I have an apt. next week with my GYN and will have my D3 tested then as I do every year. I am going to suggest that he watch this video and get his impressions on the topic. I personally think that she may have something here and am willing to try to up my levels to see if it improves my sleep and my overall feelings of well being. I have a feeling that my levels are way under 60 and I just might benefit from taking more D3. We'll see. GG

I know my Vitam D level was very low a couple of years ago. About 22 I think. Last time I had the test it was 55 I take 1000 IU of vitamin d 3most days. After watching the videos I will bump the dose up. Wont hurt will it?

You should up your dose while under a doctor's care. The blood levels have to be monitored periodically so you and your doctor can fine tune the levels according to what is best for you. Watch the video for details.

Just a note to let you all know that Hi Health sells thr 5,000 IU D3 --Gel caps. I was on the prescription Vit. D as my levels were way too low. Even though I live in the Sun shine state--most of us here in Arizona are Vit. D Deficient. 5,000 IU per day won't hurt you.

Carrie

Vitamin D Council on levels: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vi ... deficient/

I pulled out this quote from the longer article at the link: "Studies indicate that for proper health, serum vitamin D levels should be a minimum of 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L), with optimal levels falling between 50-80 ng/mL (125-200 nmol/L). These values apply to both children and adults."

SleepingUgly wrote:

Emilia wrote: If your level is lower than the optimal 60-80 range recommended today, you can take the higher doses without issue.

Do you have a reference for that? My bone doc seems to think in the 30's is fine.

I'm on cpaptalk because I asked an ENT for references for a procedure he suggested. He told me too use google. I did, and found out cpap was the gold standard for therapy, and his procedure no more than a gold mine.

Did you as your doctor for his/her references? I would - and if my own doctor were not talkable to, I'd do my own research.

Many doctors simply skim abstracts, do not keep up to date on research, quote you party lines they heard in school 10 years ago. If you trust your intelligence, never trust anyone to do your reading for you.

The videos are absolutely worth watching - all of 5 of them and carefully.
Dr. Grominak also has a site.
And her site has a whole page of references that may lead you to others.

Refernces on Dr. Grominak's site
http://drgominak.com/references

I usually get a blood test every 6 months. Blood tests and GP visits are free under our National Medicare. I still have 4 months to wait. I dont need to wait but i will.

I haven't watched the videos yet (which I will do), but the doctor in question does have at least 7 published medical journal articles on various aspects of neurology, so while the vitamin D/OSA hypothesis may well be wrong, I think it's safe to say she's not an outright quack.

DD

DrowsyDan wrote:I haven't watched the videos yet (which I will do), but the doctor in question does have at least 7 published medical journal articles on various aspects of neurology, so while the vitamin D/OSA hypothesis may well be wrong, I think it's safe to say she's not an outright quack.

DD

There are plenty of quacks with peer-reviewed papers. Not saying she is or isn't.

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As far as the claim that Vitamin D is a cure...maybe it is like weight loss...helps some, not all. I'm the perfect example.

My wife and I went in for sleep studies, Dr. had us both tested for Vitamin D. I was actually perfectly normal - but had very severe apnea, wife was very very low and did not have apnea. Further, the solution for me appears to have been weight loss, not vitamin deficiency. So I will reiterate that at best it helps some, at worst, well, read above.

And all this time I thought that it was my 18" neck size that contributed to my SA! Skinny people with low fat deposits in the neck area seem to be less apt to develop sleep apnea, according to my sleep doctor.

I would probably be better off if my tonsils and adenoids had been removed when I was a child, also. While vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause all sorts of maladies, the D3 thing sounds like an association determined by anecdotal evidence, not sound research.

DaveLP wrote: I would probably be better off if my tonsils and adenoids had been removed when I was a child, also.

I had them removed... obviously didn't make a difference.

I had Dr. Gominack as my neurologist years ago when she was in the bay area. She was one of the best I've had. She was willing to listen and do research. A lot of neurologists aren't.

I don't find "I don't have X association and yet I have Y condition" to be a compelling argument that there's no link between X and Y. I've never been overweight and yet I have sleep apnea. Genetic variation is poorly understood. Sleep apnea is poorly understood.

I think it's quite possible that Vit D is a factor in my sleep apnea. I had chronically Vitamin D to the point where I have osteopenia (the stage before osteoporosis) aka rickets. I also have migraines/cluster headaches. Getting my Vitamin D levels up helps me feel better. My levels aren't yet up to 60-80 and it'd probably take six months to a year to get my sleep back to normal. And yes even the right Vit D levels may not cure me. I'd want a sleep study to prove that in fact my sleep is normal. Losing weight may also cure some folks' sleep apnea but not others. The genetic cards we're dealt aren't fair or equal. That doesn't mean it's not worth trying to optimize.

Also I'd tell anyone taking a supplement to get their levels rechecked after some period of time to see if the supplement is working. I find that some supplements just don't work for me, because my body doesn't absorb them properly. For others, I absorb them too well and my levels spike, which is also bad. It's not unlike checking the data from your CPAP machine.