The following is translated from Portuguese on Facebook June 2016
This is Daniel Cunha, a journalist who has MS and has produced the video " Vitamin D - for an alternative therapy." Daniel has been on the Coimbra protocol for 6 years and this is an update on how his treatment is progressing.
"My name is Daniel Cunha, I'm 30 years old and was diagnosed with MS at the end of 2009 after a major flare up, with a variety of neurological symptoms. I was admitted to the hospital, took corticoids and recovered completely after about a month and a half.
Then, on the recommendation of several doctors, I began the conventional treatment with weekly injections of Avonex. It was terrible. I experienced many side effects at each application, I used to lose two days every week because I felt so ill from the medication, and I went into a depression because I saw the possibilities for the future diminishing day by day.
In May 2010, my mother learned of the treatment with high doses of vitamin D after watching an interview with Dr. Cicero Coimbra, and she insisted that I schedule an appointment with him. I went without any expectations, but I left in awe of everything he told me in respect to the power of vitamin D. I started the treatment immediately, and about two months later, I stopped the injections of the conventional treatment.
I'm familiar with the experiences of many other patients that after starting this treatment and feeling its effects on themselves, have also felt the need to share this knowledge. And I'm enjoying being able to use my training as a journalist to do this, just as I have enjoyed very much producing a documentary and giving interviews about my treatment to the media and social networks.
Now, six years after I've started to take vitamin D, I could not be better. I haven't had any more relapses or new symptoms, and I'm doing all that I was afraid of not being able to do while I was taking Avonex. I am absolutely convinced that vitamin D in high doses is an infinitely better option than the medications provided by the pharmaceutical industry and endorsed by most of the medical community worldwide."
To watch Daniel's 29 minute documentary of (April 2012)(with English subtitles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erAgu1XcY-U
See also VitaminDWiki
MS updates from Brazil
- Treatment with daily high doses of vitamin D Overcoming MS May 2013
Of course, this is not a cure it's a life-long treatment.. but at least it stops the progression and in many cases even revert back some (sometimes all) of the brain lesions. - Huge page - all in Portuguese about Coimbra's work
- Web site of patients who have been cured by Dr. Coimbra Australia 150 ng is the target
Great sequential posts, over a year. by an Australian patient whose MS was reversed by Dr. Coimbra - I Have Multiple Sclerosis: I Am Treating My MS With High Doses Vitamin D experienceproject. May 2013
Gives a fair amount of details, such as taking lots of water and monitoriing for excess Calcium.
Note A home test kit for excess Calcium in the urine is available $10 for 10 tests - Dr. Holick visited with the patients in Brazil Sept 2013
Overview MS and vitamin D contains the following summary
Clinical interventions have shown that Vitamin D can prevent, treat, and even cure Multiple Sclerosis, at a tiny fraction of the cost of the drugs now used to treat it, and without side effects.
- Fact: Low Vitamin D results in higher risk of getting MS
Increase latitude leads to decreased Vitamin D, which leads to increased risk of MS
Dark skinned people are far more likely to get MS (dark skin people typically have low vitamin D)
Elderly (who typically have low vitamin D) are more likely to get MS
Is there increased risk in people who already have diseases associated with low vitamin D - TB, for example ? ? ?
Women typically have 3X increased MS risk then men (note: women typically have 20% lower levels of vitamin D than men)
Exception: women in very sunny climates and dark-skinned women have the same MS risk as men
Obese are 60% more likely to get MS
Multiple Sclerosis 42X more likely if light brown skin and smoke (both associated with low vitamin D) – July 2020
MS recurrence is much higher in spring - the lowest time of the year for vitamin D
increase in clouds/rainfall (which reduces available Vitamin D) is associated with increased risk of MS (Scotland, Western Washington)
MS incidence has increased 70% in a decade while the incidence of vitamin D deficiency doubled
Less MS in those with outdoor occupations PDF file, not a web page - Fact: MS uses up Vitamin D
- Fact: Lower vitamin D (due to MS using up Vitamin D while fighting the disease) results in many other health problems (such as broken bones), so depleted vitamin D levels must be restored.
- Fact: Vitamin D looks so promising for preventing and treating MS that there were 25 INTERVENTION clinical trials as of Feb 2014
- Fact: Vitamin D reduced the MS relapse rate far better than Fingolimod which is now used for that purpose.
- Note: Fingolimod costs $25,000/year while vitamin D, which works better and has no side effects is 1000 times less expensive.
- Fact: 98% of the genes affected by Interferon are also affected by Vitamin D
- Note: 1 week of Interferon = $4,700, 1 week of vitamin D 10,000X lower cost
- Fact: MS Doctors in Brazil recommending 40-100 ng/mL of Vitamin D
- Fact: Many MS forums are recommending vitamin D to treat MS, with some taking 5,000 to 10,000 IU daily
Observation: Risk of going from pre-MS to MS reduced 68 percent with 7100 IU vitamin D – RCT Dec 2012- This is an observation instead of a fact - it has not yet been confirmed.
- Fact: VERY LARGE doses of vitamin D have CURED 2,000 people of MS in Brazil
- Controversy: UVB fron sunlight or UVB bulb may be BETTER than Vitamin D for reducing the risk of getting MS
- Hypothesis: In addition to Vitamin D there are many other photoproducts produced by UVB that may promote health.
Summary: lack of consensus on how much to prevent, treat, or cure MS.
- Coimbra Protocol (using Vitamin D) is safe and effective for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune diseases – April 2022
- 54,000 IU of vitamin D daily with no Calcium (1,000 IU per kg: Coimbra protocol) – July 2024
- How much Vitamin D to prevent many diseases - such as MS
- How much Vitamin D is needed to treat MS? There is currently no agreement
The recommendations range from 40 to 100 ng - which can result of a dose ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 IU/day - How Vitamin D is needed to Cure MS?: It appears that 20,000-140,000 IU daily may be needed to CURE the disease
You must be under the supervision of a doctor who knows what to watch for in your individual situation.
High doses of Vitamin D cannot be used as a monotherapy.
You will need to adjust the cofactors: Typically increasing Magnesium and Vitamin K2, and reducing Calcium intake.
Your doctor will monitor these and might increase your intake of Vitamins B2, C, as well as Omega-3 - Epstein-Barr virus increases risk of Multiple Sclerosis by 32X - Jan 2022
- Multiple Sclerosis treated by Vitamin D, recommends investigating high dose Coimbra - Oct 2021
- Multiple Sclerosis patients had fewer COVID-19 problems (Note: many MSers take Vitamin D) – April 30, 2021
- Vitamin D Resistance hypothesis confirmed by Coimbra high-dose vitamin D protocol – April 2021
- Multiple Sclerosis relapses cut in half by 100,000 IU of Vitamin D every 2 weeks– RCT 2019
Multiple Sclerosis and (lots of) Vitamin D - book by patient on Coimbra protocol - Feb 2016 contains protocol description
Vitamin D Protocol used by Dr. Coimbra for Multiple Sclerosis etc.
Snips as of April 2016 http://www.vitamindprotocol.com/dr.-coimbra-s-ms-protocol.html
- 1,000 IU's vitamin D per kilogram as a first approximation
(apparently increased/decreased depending of resulting vitamin D blood level) - Vitamin B2, magnesium glycinate, boron, chromium picolinate, Omega 3 DHA, Zinc, Methylcobalamin form of B12, Choline, etc.
- Lack of B12 may affect 10%–15% of the general population and may be the most prevalent genetic risk factor for several human diseases
- Discontinue eating or drinking dairy products or calcium enriched foods or beverages, also no Ca supplements
- Drink as least 2.5 liters [85 ounces] of fluids, preferably water
- Required Tests: Vitamin D, Parathyroid, Blood calcium, urinary calcium