The chronic pain of fibromyalgia can be debilitating for sufferers and with no known cause, it can be difficult to find effective treatment. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to fibromyalgia in some studies, so your vitamin D status might play an important role in how the disease progresses. For individuals who don't get enough of this valuable nutrient, improving vitamin D status through treatment with supplemental vitamin D3 might offer some relief from fibromyalgia symptoms.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia has no known cause, but sufferers report symptoms of fatigue and pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments. The condition is chronic and permanent for some and transient for others. The cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, but it may have something to do with an alteration in pain perception. Sleep problems, injury, infection and genetics might all play a role in the incidence and progression of the disease.
Vitamin D3 Described
Vitamin D3 is one of a few different forms of vitamin D. This fat-soluble vitamin can be obtained via food or created when sunlight sets off a biochemical reaction in the skin. The D3 form of the vitamin is created by animal cells, so food products such as beef liver, fatty fish, egg yolk and cheese are the only dietary sources of this form of vitamin D. Vitamin D2, the other main variant of this vitamin, is produced by plants and mushrooms and can be extracted for use in supplements.
Vitamin D and Fibromyalgia
The link between vitamin D status and fibromyalgia remains under study, but deficiencies in this vitamin may contribute to the disease. A small November 2010 study in the "Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association" found that 80 percent of study participants diagnosed with fibromyalgia had a deficiency of vitamin D and another 20 percent were defined as having an insufficiency. A deficiency involves blood serum levels of under 20 ng/ml and an insufficiency occurs when blood serum levels fall between 21 and 29 ng/ml. Another study in April 2007 in the journal "Clinical Rheumatology" found that fibromyalgia patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency were more likely to have emotional symptoms of anxiety and depression. Your doctor can check the vitamin D levels in your blood to see if you have a deficiency or insufficiency that might be contributing to fibromyalgia.
Vitamin D3 Treatment Options
Supplemental vitamin D3 can be used to treat vitamin D deficiencies that could affect fibromyalgia. At high doses, vitamin D3 is more potent than the alternate form vitamin D2. For individuals with a mild insufficiency, oral supplements of up to 2,000 IU per day may be sufficient to raise blood serum levels. In other cases, the patient may need to temporarily take special high-dose pills that supply up to 600,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. High dose vitamin D3 is also available through intramuscular injection performed at a doctor's office. The specific dose of vitamin D3 you need to take should be determined by your doctor.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fibromyalgia
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin D
- "Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association"; Vitamin D Deficiency in Fibromyalgia; S.A. Bhatty, et al.; Nov 2010
- "Clinical Rheumatology"; Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Fibromyalgia; D.J. Armstrong, et al.; Apr 2007
- Mayo Clinic: Vitamin D
