REVEALED: Vitamin D’s Stunning Role in Reversing the Post-Vaccine Chronic Fatigue Nightmare

A jaw-dropping 96% of sufferers were vitamin D deficient—could this simple fix be the key to relief for millions of people?

The study titled, Efficacy of vitamin D replacement therapy on 28 cases of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome after COVID-19 vaccination, was recently published in Nutrition:

Prolonged symptoms have been reported following both COVID-19 infection and vaccination, with some cases leading to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Of 80 patients presenting to our hospital with postvaccination syndrome, 28 met the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. We conducted a retrospective study on these 28 patients.

We measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in 28 patients who developed ME/CFS after COVID-19 vaccination between August 2022 and February 2024. Vitamin D replacement therapy included dietary counseling, sun exposure recommendations, and oral vitamin D supplementation. We evaluated changes in blood vitamin D levels and symptom improvement.

At initial visit, 27 of 28 patients diagnosed with ME/CFS had insufficient or deficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (16 ± 4 ng/mL, mean ± SD). Following vitamin D replacement therapy, we observed an increase in blood vitamin D levels (28 ± 5 ng/mL) associated with a decrease in ME/CFS diagnostic symptoms (from 10.3 ± 2.1 to 3.3 ± 2.0). Notably, 23 of 28 patients (82%) no longer met ME/CFS diagnostic criteria after the therapy. Among the symptoms, sleep problems showed the most improvement (71%), followed by autonomic symptoms (68%).

For patients developing ME/CFS after COVID-19 vaccination with insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels, appropriate vitamin D replacement therapy under medical guidance may lead to symptomatic relief. We are preparing a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D replacement therapy in individuals with ME/CFS who have developed vitamin D deficiency following COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Post-COVID-19 Vaccination ME/CFS Cases

27 out of 28 patients (96%) had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels before treatment.

Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to immune dysfunction and post-vaccine complications.

68% of patients developed ME/CFS symptoms immediately after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

The onset of ME/CFS symptoms occurred after 1–6 doses of the vaccine, with the most cases appearing after the third dose (46%).

82% of patients had no history of prior COVID-19 infection, suggesting vaccination—not infection— was the primary trigger.

Some patients faced medical gaslighting, as previous doctors dismissed their post-vaccine symptoms.

Due to suspected vaccine-induced ME/CFS, patients were advised not to receive further COVID-19 booster shots.

82% (23 out of 28) of patients no longer met ME/CFS diagnostic criteria following vitamin D replacement.

Pathologic fatigue showed the least improvement (21%), suggesting deeper systemic dysfunction in post-vaccine ME/CFS.

Vitamin D has also demonstrated potential therapeutic benefits for other adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. Notably, Tsang et al reported that vitamin D protects against COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-induced myocarditis.

Given the growing evidence of vitamin D’s role in mitigating post-vaccine complications, large- scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are urgently needed to further evaluate its efficacy in treating COVID-19 vaccine injury syndromes.

I started taking anti-seizure drug in 1996 after my epileptic events were first witnessed. I was on carbamazepine for 20 years. My arthritis began very slowly, about 10 years after I started taking carbamazepine—you don't even realize you have it until it's too late. Based on my research, in 2009, British researchers discovered a reaction between carbamazepine and vitamin D, but the report wasn’t made public until 2014. And it wasn't until 2017 - 8 years later after the first discovery in 2009, before I was switched to levetiracetam and lamotrigine.

Since 2016, my journey has taken a toll. I’ve experienced falls that led to breaking both bones in my right wrist. My knuckles have swelled, leaving me with poor dexterity, tingling in my fingers and feet, and severe cartilage wear in both bones of my left shoulder. This wear ultimately justified a full traditional shoulder replacement last year.

It's important to highlight that various medications—including anti-seizure drugs (like carbamazepine, phenytoin, and valproic acid), steroids (such as prednisone), and certain antibiotics (e.g., rifampin)—are known to affect vitamin D levels. Many of these drugs, such as carbamazepine, which was introduced in the 1960s, have been in use for decades. However, the science and understanding of their long-term effects were much slower in that era, leading to gaps in monitoring important health markers like vitamin D. Routine calcium monitoring has been standard in blood tests for decades, but vitamin D—a critical factor for calcium absorption and bone health—was often overlooked until much more recently. The interplay between vitamin D deficiency and medications like carbamazepine, which accelerates its breakdown, underscores the importance of holistic long-term monitoring. Vitamin D's role in preventing complications like fractures, joint wear, and overall bone health cannot be understated. Awareness of such connections might have mitigated some of the issues I faced.
Are Your Medications Causing Vitamin D Deficiency?
Low on Vitamin D? Your Medications Could Be to Blame

But hey, I'm not complaining—I'm nearly 70. I just hope I don't wake up tomorrow and find out my left elbow has joined the party!

In the late spring of 2020 I figured out with Google search that Covid loss of taste and smell was probably a sign of ZINC deficiency. In late 2022 after 3 loved ones were dealing with cancer, my Google searches turned up a late spring research paper reported the study of 6 common cancers, by directly examining Zinc content of cancers and nearby healthy tissue. They found every cancer was severely deficient in Zinc even when nearby healthy tissue was well supplied with Zinc. I read an interesting Turkish study of about 240 older hospital patients in for Covid. Most also
had cancer, heart disease, obesity and other
comorbidities. They were treated with the original Dr. Zelenko protocol’s exact instructions, using zinc to stop covid virus, HCQ as an IONOPHORE to help zinc get into infected cells, and Azithromycin to protect lungs from bacterial illness (later Dr. Z said Doxycyclin was better). They added 1,000 IU Vitamin D to the protocol, and with half the patients they gave 24 grams Vitamin C intravenously for 5 to 7 days (I think). Results, the Vitamin C people left the hospital 3 WEEKS earlier. Then they looked at test results of patients BEFORE they started the experiment. ALL were INSUFFICIENT, or DEFICIENT in Vitamin D, roughly half and half. The only death was a woman with cancer whose original D level was about 4.

My D levels have moved around with each annual physical Dec. or Jan. starting Dec. 2021 when Kaiser Permanente first stared including D in routine testing. Their optimal range is 50 to 100. In late 2021 my D was 66. I had been taking 2,000IU all summer and by Nov. 5,000IU. In Dec. 2022 after worry about cancer and nervous nibbling I weighed 156 lb. my BMI was 27.5 and my D level was INSUFFICIENT. A week later I read an article provided by ConservativeMind with his health ping list. It said people with a BMI over 25 probably absorbed their D into fat, rather than letting it circulate by blood to heal the body. The following week my partner brought home illness from babysitting his wee grandson, and we both had a severe coughing illness for over 3 months in early 2023. I started taking 10,000IU of D, lost weight down to the 130-135 range with BMI 23.5 in my 23/24 winter physical and D level was up to 135, so I cut back some. This physical, 24/25 winter, my D was down to 101, and BMI still around 23.5.

However, something real weird happend 23/24 physical. Instead of saying I was 5’3”, they said I was 5’4. Earlier years had shown height shrinkage from 5’5” down to a stable 5’3”, after I had started taking 3 mg BORON, morning and evening at age 65 to 70 for lower back ache. The increase of my Boron from 3 mg to 6 mg a day fixed the backache. It also seemed to have stablized my shrunken height. This year when I had my winter physical I was again told I am 5’4”, and I insisted I had been 5’3” for a number of years except last year. Nurse checked VERY carefully, definitely 5’4”, so something I have been taking has enabled me to grow back what I had lost. I have taken supplements for over 50 years, adding one thing and another as a new symptom has appeared. Currently 86 and mowing my lawn regularly, and crawling around on my gently sloped roof to make minor repairs. The only thing really new has been daily taking of the 4 or 5 supplements I discovered could help cataracts. I found those by Googling “nutrition and supplements to help cataracts and read about 10 of the articles offered
there. There are several others used from time to time, but I can’t think of them all at the moment, but one was Olive Leaf.

Frankly, given that late summer Covid is probably caused in the south because everyone goes inside for the AC, and thus has lower blood Vitamin D levels, I despise the fact our govt health agencies do not warn everyone to test their Vitamin D; This, especially if they live north of the Mason-Dixon line, and experience winter there or if south of M-D spend a lot of time indoors. Are the drug companies keeping them silent so they won’t loose their sick customer base?

Yes, be careful with the kitchen zinc. My late father had successful treatment by Dr. Atkin’s clinic for cancer. I started him on supplements over 50 years ago for his severe spring allergy symptoms. They worked, as did the Atkins help. Every day he would put down a towel and lay out his vitamins for that morning, and do the same that evening. I tried to convince him to lay out a bigger towel and make 7 pill piles for a week and put them in little plastic baggies. I even gave him 7 little baggies in a larger one labeled Morning, and the same with one labeled Evening. He never did that and it may have killed him. He also never tried to learn to master his bad temper in a health way. One Friday he was standing in a long grocery line with food to take with him when he drove 90 miles to stay in his little trailer and try to collect rent from deadbeats. His anger must have been bad, because he had a stroke. It was 4 days before I could travel to see him and bring him his supplements including Vitamin C to promote his
healing. If he had made prepared vitamin baggies his neighbor could have brought them to him. He died a few days after my arrival, age 90. I suspect from a bowel tear as he had almost died of typhoid as an infant. He was very careful to take preparations to never be constipated, he probably did not get that help in the hospital. Without the healing power of his supplements, his gut walls would have weakened, and the hospital diet probably was much inferior to what he prepared at home with lots of raw and cooked veggies and proteins.

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