Vitamin D Highly Effective for Addressing Diabetic Nerve Pain

In this study of 51 people with diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain), all of them were found to have suboptimal Vitamin D levels. Therapy with Vitamin D at ~ 2,000 units a day decreased pain by 47% after 3 months. The average 25 Vitamin D level was only 18 ng/ml at the start (want it to be over 30) and just got to 30 at 3 months. I suspect pain relief will continue to improve as it goes higher.

As nerve pain is also a key part of Fibromyalgia pain, and Vitamin D is often low in CFS/Fibromyalgia, this suggests that optimizing Vitamin D intake may also help pain in this condition as well. To balance the Vitamin D, I recommend the other nutrients found in a supplement that supports healthy bones (strontium, magnesium, calcium, etc.).

Inositol, Vitamin B6, and B12 (all found in a good multivitamin powder) as well as Lipoic Acid (300 mg 2x day) and Acetyl L-Carnitine (use 500 mg 3x day) have also been shown to be helpful for nerve pain. It takes months to heal nerves though, so give these 3-12 months to see the effects.

References:

Vitamin D as an Analgesic for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Neuropathic Pain. Arch Intern Med/Vol 168 (No. 7), Apr 14, 2008 P. 772