Vitamin D3 and Sinus Problems

[Judie P]

Do any of you take Vitamin D3 for sinus infections or problems and how much do you take a day?

[irish]

I have to admit I have never heard of using the vit D for that. Did your ENT suggest this?? Irish

[Judie P]

Thanks for posting, Irish.  No my ENT did not.  I have been seeing some limited clinical tests on Vitamn D helping with respiratory problems, including asthma (webmd) and wondering if any of you have heard of Vitamin D being a help in reducing sinus infections for us sjoggies.  I get a bug in my brain every once in a while!  LOL

[irish]

I am just wondering if they are thinking that the Vit D promotes healthier mucus membrane tissues in the sinus and upper respiratory tract which may decrease infections. Just a thought. Irish

[Kathy57]

Judie,

I take vitamin D daily and my labs are good for vitamin D, but I have killer sinus problems, asthma, and I get horrible respiratory infections.  I take NAC, and 12 hr Guafenesin but I can't say that Vitamin D has helped me here.

I've had a bad year and have been taking these supplements daily.  If they are helping me then they have a poor way of showing it.  (At least for me)

I hope it helps you.  Who knows how bad I would feel without it?  I'm not going to find out. 

Kathy

[LucyD]

I take 5,000 units of D3 a day upon integrative medicine doctor's recommendation and my levels still remain just under optimal.

[Judie P]

Thanks for your responses.  My Vitamin D had gone down to 10 and they started me on 50,000mg a week for eight weeks.  It was Vitamin D2.  I don't think I felt any better, either.  However, I take a Vitamin D3 of 1,000mg and find that when I do, the aches and pains go away almost within an hour.  I am also less stressed.  I started having sneezing, bloody noses, and sinus pressure last week and tried all kinds of OTCs but nothing really worked.  I found these homeopathic nose sprays and started taking Vitamin D3 at 1,000mg again and everything has stopped.  Perhaps it is just the nasal sprays and diligent care that did the trick.  Maybe the Vitamin D3 helps those that do not have an AI disease with sinus problems better than those that do have an AI disease.

Again, thanks for the responses.  Hugs, JP

[SunshineDaydream]

i take 4,000 vitamin D3 daily (2,000 with each calcium tablet) and haven't noticed any sinus benefits. To keep sinus infections at bay, I use a personal steam inhaler and sometimes do salt water inhales.

I don't know why doctors prescribe D2. It is my understanding that regular OTC D3 is more effective at raising and maintaining D3 levels and providing benefits associated with vitamin D. It's also less expensive.

Someone recently posted about Xlear nasal spray. The manufacturer claims it helps and prevents sinus problems in ways that other sprays don't. You might want to check it out.

[Nomad]

I take D3 daily as part of my good health routine. I usually take about 4000 units daily.

What (knock on wood) has made a world of difference with reference to halting  sinus infections for me is:
1. Daily intake of 1000 mg of vitamin C
2. Take oil of oregano tablet when around children, flying on an airplane, have even the slightest indication of a cold
3. Washing my hands religiously when around children, after using a shopping cart, always before eating

IT IS A MIRACLE. I went from nine bad infections a year....to one minor infection last year.  Knock on wood, so far this year I've had ZERO. Nada. None. Zip. 000000

PS my son is a teacher.  He usually gets several bad colds a year.  He is also doing a similar routine. It is May and no colds.  This has been repeated by several of my friends.  This routine and particularly the Oil of Oregano is extraordinarily helpful in preventing colds and particularly helpful in preventing sinus infections.

[Judie P]

Thank you all for your responses.  I wish I had been near a computer this past week so I could have remembered what you all said!  Unfortunately, I have been "down for the count" since a week ago yesterday, and having a hard time recovering.  This is my first real "cold and sinus" dilemma for many years, and I had no idea what all of you were feeling until it happened to me.  I have been taking Umcka, cold-eeze, a 200mg of Motrin every six hours.  Nothing was going to stop this freight train which contained coughing, low grade fever, post nasal drip, clear, but bloody snot and painful sinus congestion. After three days of a low grade fever, I finally called the advice nurse.

So I am on antibiotics for the next couple of days and we will see if the infection is finished as well.  I did want to relay a message from a wonderful substitute doctor I had this past Tuesday who was interested in Sjogren's.  It was the advice nurse that set me up with the appointment.  She was worried that I had Sjogren's and a fever for three days.  He asked me a lot of questions about my symptoms and he checked me out.  Though everything was coming out clear when I blew my nose, he knew that in a couple of days I would have an infection, after checking out my nose.  So, he gave me a prescription for antibiotics, which I could start then or when everything turned yellow.  He was so smart.  Everything turned yellow the next day!  LOL  He also sent me with a "doctor's note" for my husband to not allow me to go to work for a week.

For all you newbies.... he asked me if I did a neti pot every day.  I don't, so he explained how important it is for Sjogren's people to do that.  It does remove all bacteria and viruses from your nose that try to enter.  He also told me to start washing my hands as if I had O\C issues.  LOL  Seriously, I am going to start doing that.

He also talked to my nurse practitioner, who also sent out antibiotics for vaginosis, which can, as we  know, happen when you take antibiotics.

Thank you, Irish, for always talking about the neti pot.  I wish all of you well!