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Does anyone else have lower back pain? I'm still recovering from a relapse so my entire back was numb before. Now my lower back is in pain, it started as an ache but now its a sharper pain. I don't know if it's MS related and maybe the numbess is going away so now I feel more pain, or if it's from something else, like an UTI because I read they can cause lower back pain.

I get lower back pain sometimes, but it usually goes away after about three weeks. My guess is that it is probably not directly MS related. Not because of my experience with it, but because I really havent herd much about that before. BUT,anything is possible!

I too suffer from lower back pain. It was actually what started the entire "ms journey" for me. I at first thought I had a screwed up disc in my back. I have suffered from this for about 5-6 years now and no MRI has ever shown anything unusual for someone my age (36). I have tried many different type drugs, but have learned to just deal with it my own way. The only meds that show any relief are narcotics and who wants to get addicted to that crap! hope you find some relief. arti

My last relapse (the one that got me diagnosed) was all about the pain in the lower back. They thought I has sciatica. I then started having mild tremors and then L'hermittes sign and developed a cervical lesion but I am convinced the whole relapse started with the pain in the lower back.

i just googled 'back pain deficiency' just in case it turned up something new, but nope, it all seems to be about vitamin d. with one reference to b12. hlm, have you had a chance to get your status checked in either nutrient? because they are both suspect in ms.
i know you're taking d3 but it takes a therapeutic dose to get your levels over 100nmol/L - i was taking over 3000IU per day for 3 months or so before my first ever d3 test, and that result was only 72nmol/L.
can't remember if you are also taking calcium and magnesium and zinc with your d3?

I am taking 4000 IU vit D a day and have started a Calcium Magnesium supplement (3xz/day equals about 1000 mg Calcium and 600 Magnesium). I haven't had my vit D checked but I did have my B12 checked before my diagnosis. I don't know what it was but my doctor said it was normal. I have an appointment this Tuesday so I can ask to get my vit D checked and maybe other nutrients. I'm going to be trying to get pregnant soon so I just want to be careful with extra supplements. Right now I'm taking a prenatal multivitamin, Omega 3, Calcium Magnesium and Vit D.

LR1234,

Did your lhermitte's sign go away after the relapse or is it one of those lingering symptoms that comes and goes? My diagnosis started with the Lhermitte's sign and then my whole body neck down went numb, now my feeling is coming back but the Lhermitte's came back. I can't tell what's from the relapse and what might stick around.

I started taken the antibiotics on the Wheldon regime (plus supplements) and my l'hermittes started easing off. The I had to stop the abx because my liver enzymes were raised and the L'hermittes has started coming back.

l'hermitte's can be related to b12, lhm. if you can get the numbers and units from your b12 test, that would be useful to know. you can have a pretty bad result, from the ms perspective, and they'll still tell you it's 'normal'.

zinc is very useful for a number of things related to ms and also to fertility. it is notably depleted by pregnancy. if your doc will test that too, know that the typical ms findings are well within the 'normal range' - although lower than 'healthy controls'. you want to be at 18.2umol/L for optimal zinc status. it helps your liver function, elevates your uric acid (antioxidant) status, and (i suspect from the biochemistry involved and personal experience only) your ability to absorb vitamin d3.

there won't be much zinc in a multi.. you may need as much as 50 or 100mg per day for a few weeks, depending on your level. you will probably read that supplements over 15mg per day are not recommended while pregnant, without medical supervision (lab testing). it would be good to know where you're at with zinc for a variety of reasons.

HTH,
JL