One side effect of two of his asthma and allergy meds is a loss of Vitamin D, along with some other vitamins and minerals. I wonder if they took that into consideration when doing this test.
Still, if after we have spent thousands of dollars on prescription meds and allergy shots just so this kid can get through the day without an asthma attack we find that it is caused by a lack of a super cheap supplement, I think I might cry.
I spent 12 hours a day in the hayfields working without a shirt, wheezing, sneezing and draining. I don’t think vitamin D will prevent symptoms.
If the study was really well-designed, they did tease out the kids who were steroid-dependent from those who weren't.
Still, if after we have spent thousands of dollars on prescription meds and allergy shots just so this kid can get through the day without an asthma attack we find that it is caused by a lack of a super cheap supplement, I think I might cry.
Mmmm, that's not exactly what they're saying. There are probably a number of factors contributing to the development of asthma and allergies. Some people probably have a genetic predisposition to develop them, and then some triggering factor--a bad virus, in some cases--starts the process. The other kids didn't experience that trigger, or have a slightly different genetic mix; who can tell?
Giving the kids mega-doses of Vitamin D, allowing them to be raised with allergies, kicking them outdoors, and other things might have prevented the development of asthma and allergies, but might not have, too. So don't beat yourself up, thinking you could have prevented this by giving the child a lot of D when he was small.
Also, the study is not saying that giving kids Vitamin D is going to make the allergies and asthma go away, either (unfortunately). Once you've got it, you've got it, and minimizing exposure to allergens has to play a role in controlling the disease. But giving some big doses of D now to prevent bone loss from steroids is a good idea. What could it hurt?