As the dose increased over the winter remission continued ... no white plaques and good control of any inflammation. Some redness but smooth skin. This improvement continued through feb when i increased the dose to 10,000iu to see if the red lesions could be eliminated. At the higher dose, the redness increased with more spots and slightly more inflammation. I then lowered the dose to below my 6000iu winter dose (1000iu/30lbs) to 4000iu and the redness slowly decreased, and inflammation again was reduced.. There seemed to be a sweet spot related to achieved levels of D in the blood. Too little D and ineffective clearing,, too much D and a reversal and more redness.....in other words, it appears once a certain blood level was attained., an increase in that blood level can cause a reverse effect. I began to look for possible reasons of why this sea saw effect takes place.
I think it's due to a natural peptide which increases with the increase in the blood level of vitamin D. Here's how I understand it...
Increased vitamin D levels in the blood, from sun or supplement, can
cause an increase in a natural peptide or protein called LL-37, which
is part of our innate immune system and what our body uses to fight
disease..LL37 does this by creating a cascade of chemicals to promote
wound healing, fight microbes, cause inflammation and make new blood
vessels..all a normal part of the disease fighting process ...some inflammed
skin normally has a higher level of this peptide (LL-37) and why we
probably get so few skin infections.. but we are also more prone to
inflammation.
Increasing the blood level of Vitamin D increases the production of
this peptide. What level this happens, I do not know. ...The Sun, or
uvb, while also increasing LL37, limits its effect by producing
Calcitriol or high test D which counteracts the peptide by preventing
blood vessel growth (red spots) and reducing inflammation etc..Other
natural control chemicals ,which some possibly don't have, may
also come into play.
Our problem is that without sun or uv light to keep some of these
effects of LL-37 in check, and in our attempt to increase the D level
to control tcells etc..... a tipping point may be reached in blood
levels of D increasing this peptide and resulting in more blood vessel
growth (spots)and some inflammation. It may also be responsible for the
intractable red lesions or plaques which some have and only disappears
with sun or uvb.....The calcitriol , which is so potent it is measured
in trillionths of a gram, stops this angiogenesis or blood vessel
formation and limits the effects of the LL-37
So, if after some winter improvement we can assume your vitamin D levels are adequate.....if you then notice over a few weeks an increase in redness or inflammation , I would then lower the dose of Vitamin D to 2000-4000iu through to spring and the red spots or redness should diminish. Get some spring sun or uv and again lower supplement to 1000iu and those red lesions will clear for most.
