Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion General Message Board for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Related Diseases Vit D and Inflamation

good read on Vit D. I know a few posters swear by sunlight or supplements. here is a mechanism for a possible explanation. It puts some science behind the anecdotal stories.

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“Right now we believe that 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 12, interleukin 2, and interferon gamma, and that it enhances cytokines that inhibit inflammation, including interleukin 4 and interleukin 10,” explained Christakos.


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it also appears to act as an anti-inflammatory agent by downregulating the activity of cyclo-oxygenase II (COX-II), the critical enzyme for synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins,


Source a December 2007 article so new research.
Vit D andf inflammation

Really interesting.
Thanks for always posting such informative articles!

I've been on prednisone since almost a month ago. I was doing some reading about pred and was reading I should be increasing my calcium and Vit D intake until I am done. I won't be done with it until Dec 27.

Anyone else done this?

Elaine

BTW.....I saw that article too. Good one!!!

Maybe the suppliments but not the sunlight! For alot of us with AS we take meds that prevents us from getting out in the sunlight too long. It is good to take the calcium and vit. D. Jean Angel

I love the sunlight too luckily none of the anti sun meds have hurt my skin so far. When you are on prednesone, one of its very common side effects are bone thinning. You won't know it till you break something. .

If you are only on pred a couple months and not on a high dose, you should be ok. if you are on it long term, even at a low dose, you should take Calcuim with Vit D. If you are a woman nearing menapause time you really need to start taking it pred or no pred.

Anna

Anna

I have PsA and I always feel much better when spring arrives. I love to garden and my rhumey told me that people with PsA normally feel better when they can be outside for extended periods to soak up the vitamin D

I love the sun. It just don't love me. Spring and summer are the best but I tend to find the shade tree neer me. If I stay out in the sun for more than 10-15 min. I will look like a burnt up critter. No fun. It never turns into a tan either. Grrrr. Well it seems like if I need more vitamin D it will be more pills for me. Oh fun.

We have so much sun here that I have to be careful and not get more than 10mins at times or i will be sunburnt!
I take some fish oil regularly as it helped.

My concern in my lifestyle here is being careful to avoid plants or drugs that make I more sensitive to the sun, because I get so much of it.

[PS-For Northern Hemosphere dwellers who are suffering the big ice storms - it is mid summer down here now]

North,

Summer??? What's that? Don't rub it in.

Elaine

I take 3000 IU of vitamin D a day and 1800 mg calcium, plus fish oil tablets. I can't say that any of it has reduced my pain levels. My doctor just checked my blood levels of vitamin D and they were at 38 (30-100 is normal).