Post
by torontoCPAPguy » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:42 am
I take 1,000 IU Vit D3 twice or three times a day, especially during the winter months when I am not in the sun as much. There are so many positive effects of Vit D levels being 'in range' and so few risks that it is insane not to have your Vit D in range.
In Canada there are strict guidelines for the testing for Vitamin D and it is not an easy test to obtain unless your GP plays along; it is an expensive test apparently. Any GP worth their salt will check at least annually for a broad array of electrolytes including D3 as a matter of course. The government up north of the 49th. seems insistant on ruling us into bad health and then paying to fix their folly.
I would also ensure that I had a whole slew of other blood tests to watch for effects of bodily issues, including:
serum magnesium (an inaccurate test but they wont pay for anything better)
serum potassium (a CRITICAL level. Should be in the 4 - 5 range)
..............
Oh, heck. Look them up. There are a slew of them that are critical to understanding your health issues and I insist on squeezing them in somehow. For instance, C-Reactive Protein levels indicate body inflammation/infection at the smallest levels, ferritin, creatine, and so on. A CBC (Complete Blood Count) will show hemoglobin and white blood cells indicating whether or not your body is producing sufficient Hg to carry the O2 around and if you are fighting any sort of infection (do you understand that many of us are fighting something at some time........this test will show how seriously your body is up in arms).
A myriad of tests to test for kidney health, prostate health, liver health and so on.
What is most interesting is that OSA untreated will create a ripe breeding ground for all of the aforemetioned and more. Poo Poo'd by your GP? Time to find a new GP quickly. They don't know what the heck they are talking about. When you have studied this affliction hard enough for your GP, your pulmonologist, your "sleep doc" ad so on to say, as they scratch their heads, that you know more that they do about the affliction, you are reaching the right point in your education.
I supplement with Magnesium, Potassium (you want to be loading up on 5 GRAMS of potassium daily), Tauringe, Co-Enzyme Q10 Ubiquinol, Vitamin C, D3, B6, B12, and a few others and it has kept my aFib at bay for a year now. I enter hospital this week I hope to start Tikosyn and try and get back into normal sinus rhythm. Where the heck did my diabetes, low thyroid, diminished lung capacity, sleep apnea, Atrial Fibrillation and so on come from? Five years ago I had none.
The answer, from research papers published by reputable sources such as Johns Hopkins would suggest that they are intertwined, as are the medications and supplements (electrolyte levels) and that OSA begets OSA and more. In other words, you need to take charge of your body rather than sheepishly permitting some GP whose intent is to get you out of his office as quickly as possible so that he/she an get on to the next patient determine things for you.
I have made this mistake three times: first, when diagnosed with OSA - I had to gather data and determine that I needed oxygen infusion into my airline during periods of REM sleep in order to keep my SpO2 above 90 all night in order to have any chance of getting a proper night of sleep and allowing my organs to be oxyginated while at rest; second time - when I did not insist on better action from my first cardiologist. This has come close to costing me my life and sanity due to the aFib the OSA brought on (most likely). He fiddled and farted around until my left atrium had grown to the size that removed me from the list of candidates for catheter ablation and he never even thought to put me on antiahrythmia medication in the meantime. If I could get one cardiologist to testify against another without giving myself a death sentence or moving across the country into the witness protection program I would do so and get him retired as he is not fit to practice medicine. I did not take the time to educate myself as quickly as possible and I am paying for it now. BIG TIME. Thirdly, when my endocronologist INSISTED that I go onto a medication for my diabetes that was, in essence, still 'experimental' and which I was not tolerating well I allowed myself to be bullied back onto the medication not realizing that these SOB's are remunerated in one way or another for pushing the new drug(s).... it almost killed me. I am now back on a tiny amount of Metformin and have changed my diet to accomodate my insulin insufficiency. And as you read you will realize that all of these are intertwined as we go along the road to six feet under; if the lightbulb does not come on in time.
So, bottom line? Vitamin D3 is VERY important to your general health.
Knowledge of your body at work is VERY important to your general health.
Understanding of how this all fits together is CRITICAL to your health and longivity.
And in closing, I can tell you that (a) the only way you are going to find out about all of this is by self education and reading reputable reports on same. No FAD books. And (b) untreated OSA is an absolutely sure way to put yourself in an early grave although it will never be attributed to OSA. Never. "He died peacefully in his sleep" means, in fact, that your blood pressure popped an aneurism, caused a stroke or whatever. It means that your undernourished heart suffered the affront along with your essential organs of being bullied into submission by lack of oxygen or nourishment. The simple lack of proper levels of Magnesium, Potassium, Taurine, Q10 will bring on Atrial Fibrillation and you are just a ticking time bomb unless your are ensuring proper nourishment including Vitamin C3 and unless you are ensuring proper oxygenation including the extremities and vital organs.
There. You have been told. Apologies if I seem too blunt, but it will probably lengthen your life by a decade or two.
Oh, and as far as masks are concerned? After much intensive research and a box full of used masks? I would toss nasal pillows (period). I would use nasal masks with great caution and in order to avoid taping, wearing underwear on your head and all manner of other gizmos? I would go to the most comfortable and best fitting FULL FACE MASK that I could find. In my case it is the Respironics Quattro and it permits me to sleep with my face smooshed into the pillow without having the seal constantly broken and awakening me. I am sure that there will be others and I am looking. And the other thing that I have discovered is that in order for maximum efficacy, the RUBBER on the Quattro and other FFM's needs to be replaced AT LEAST every six months. I use FOUR Quattros in a monthly cycle so that each is used one week, washed and stored after drying out thoroughly in a plastic baggie ziplock. Ditto my hoses.... I do not use a climate control hose and generally do not have an issue with 'rain out'. I have two climate control hoses in my bag for when I am sleeping out of doors or in a cold, damp room where condensation will build up. I wipe my masks DAILY upon awakening with a sanitary wipe sold on this site to clean and disinfect without odor and if I don't I have gunk in them and they stink. I use only distilled water in my humidifier when I use it and I empty it and permit it to air dry each day. WHEN I USE IT.
I am going into hospital for 4 or 5 days this coming week to start Tikosyn and possibly have an electrocardioversion for my aFIB and will take my own APAP and hose and masks. I have commercial disinfectant and each mask will be cleaned at home by my good wife DAILY as the mask, being moist, is the most likely place to pick up bacterium and I can assure you that I know as well or better than anyone on this board the effects of bacterium at the deepest recesses of your lungs (three weeks on full life support to attest). Keep it all clean and disinfected to your level of comfort and it will treat you right.
And back to Vitamin D..... it is essentail for overall health. Nay, it is CRITICAL. Anything you don't use is going to be urinated unless you get really silly but if you are loading under 5,000 IU of D3 a day, spread out, you are going to have a pretty tough time doing damage. More damage will be done by NOT loading essential vitamins and other electrolytes and proper nourishment.
You have been told. Now... your life is in YOUR hands, what are you going to do about it?
Murray
Fall colours. One of God's gifts. Life is fragile and short, savour every moment no matter what your problems may be. These stunning fall colours from my first outing after surviving a month on life support due to H1N1.
