Dear Dr. Cannell:
This is a letter of gratitude to you! Ever since I read what you wrote about asthma several years ago, I have taken first 5,000 then 10,000 IU daily of Vitamin D3 from Bio Tech my energy has improved DRAMATICALLY and my asthma is completely gone! It has taken over a year, but it worked!
I have thrown away all of my allergy medicines and all of my asthma medicines and have never gone back!
I am forever grateful to you Dr. John Cannell.
Harry, Pennsylvania
Dear Harry:
You're welcome. The same Japanese randomized controlled trial just published that showed vitamin D prevent influenza A, also showed that the placebo group was six times more likely to get an asthma attack then the vitamin D group and that was with only 1,200 IU per day in ten-year-olds.
There is a growing literature suggesting that vitamin D may not just help asthma, but may cure it. In my experience, how long it takes to help asthma depends on how long you have had asthma. Adults with asthma should take 10,000 IU per day and shoot for a 25(OH)D of around 100 ng/ml. Children with asthma should take at least 2,000 IU for every 25 pounds of body weight, also shooting for a 25(OH)D of around 100 ng/ml. Like depression, asthma is a disease with a serious morbidity and mortality, thus more aggressive dosing is indicated.
After the asthma disappears, slowly reduce your asthma meds under the supervision of your doctor, then slowly reduce the dose of vitamin D to standard doses of 5,000 IU/day for adults, and 1,000 IU/day for every 25 pounds of body weight in children, keeping 25(OH)D levels between 50 and 80 ng/ml.
John Cannell, MD
Dear Dr. Cannell:
I had asthma for 20 years with allergies and severe breathing issues. After it was too much to bear any longer, I went with very high doses of Vitamin D3 and was able to quit the prednisone. I took about 30,000 IU per day for I think a few weeks then 10,000 IU/day for the last year and have not had ANY asthma again this spring! I threw out all my inhalers and I stay at 10,000 IU per day now! Life is good! I love my vitamin D3!
Thanks for everything.
Trish, California
Dear Trish:
You are welcome. The "Stoss" or short-term high daily dose for a few weeks is a good idea to get your levels up quickly if you have a serious illness. It would have been better to put your asthma meds in a drawer rather than throw them out as asthma is an episodic disease and it is too early to know for sure that it will not come back.
Also, when on 10,000 IU/day get periodic 25(OH)D levels; to date, no one has published literature on long-term safety, years, of 10,000 IU/day.
John Cannell, MD
