help with vit D levels

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jap
jap Member Posts: 172
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

I just got a letter from my new pcp (a first year resident -- long story) who claims that my Vit.D level in the 40s is fine and I need no more testing or increase in dosage (even though there is much less sun).  This is after the nurse told me that she has just attended a seminar in which she learned that 60 was the minimum for helping with the immunity system.

 Many people have posted that 60 or more is important for breast cancer patients.  I would like to know if there are any studies/directives that have been published so I can confront this young man with scientific evidence.  I need to get the tests done at this hospital.  Does anyone know where I can get the scientific info?

Thanks,

 Jo Anne

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  • gailian
    gailian Member Posts: 11
    edited October 2009
    Try www.pubmed.gov and search vit d or vit d + breast cancer.  Lots of info.
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  • leenybeth
    leenybeth Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2009

    My Naturopathic Oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center says the lowest our vitamin d level should be is 50 and the highest 100. A great website for information on vitamin d is www.vitamindcouncil.org. Also, www.nih.gov states, under 'vitamin d fact sheet,' that anyone over the age of twelve months (yes, months) can safely take 2000 iu's per day. My Dr. has me on 5000 per day of D3. AT 120 lbs I am much bigger than a twelve month old baby. I have taken this much for years. (We can go months here without consistent sunshine.) My son recently had his level checked and it was 52. His PCP told me that it was the low end of normal.

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  • anondenet
    anondenet Member Posts: 715
    edited October 2009

    You can try this video.

    http://sciencestage.com/v/1753/cancer-mortality-prevention-with-vitamin-d-dr.cedric-garland.html

    Also, there was a vitamin D conference in 2008 in San Diego. The videos are on youtube.

    One of the doctors feels the minimum should be 80.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited October 2009

    The doc I work for says at least 60...or more.

    I have a whole folder on my computer with information and can try to private message the info...

    or you can check out www.vitamindcouncil.org and the great ones are posting research there.

     PM me if you want a bunch of my gathered articles.

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  • jap
    jap Member Posts: 172
    edited October 2009

    Thanks everyone for all your help.  Yes I would like to know of any recent very scientific article that shows that vit.D reduces risk of breast cancer or recurrance.

    I cannot believe that I have to direct my own care at Boston's leading hospital.

     Thanks again,

    Jo Anne

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited October 2009

    Athena,

    thank you for the cat compliment.  She is a girl-cat....lone girl from a litter of 5.

    We saved them all.  She is a true scardy-cat, but sooooo sweet and loveable.

    I adore when she chirps for her whipped cream treat!

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  • rreynolds1
    rreynolds1 Member Posts: 450
    edited October 2009

    The web address for the you tube lecture is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emjCzaHtSrg.  He said 80 is the minimum.  He also talks about dosing which I found very helpful.

    Roseann

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  • luckofthedraw
    luckofthedraw Member Posts: 53
    edited October 2009

    According to Dr Joe Mercola, those of us who have had cancer should strive for Vitamin D levels between 65-90.  Sounds like we all need to get a little closer to 90. 

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  • Sunris
    Sunris Member Posts: 120
    edited October 2009

    My understanding from an antiaging doctor was that the higher it is to 100, the better!  

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  • Rose_wood
    Rose_wood Member Posts: 48
    edited October 2009

    But, how does one increase their Vit D level?  I've never had my level tested, but my DD had thyroid cancer and she can't raise her Vit D level above 30.  Her added daily dosage is quite high in my opinion, but what else can be done to increase the Vit D, and why hasn't my onc. requested this when I have blood work done?  Just wondering out loud.

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  • Elliemae32
    Elliemae32 Member Posts: 72
    edited October 2009

    Careful with the Vit D.  It is a fat soluble vitamin and you can overdose on it.  If you have bone mets 2000iu daily is ok, it you don't then take 1000iu daily.

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited October 2009

    I've never been tested! Is it a blood test and if so, is it a test my family doctor should request?

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  • anondenet
    anondenet Member Posts: 715
    edited October 2009

    < 

    Your family doctor can order it or you can order the Vitamin D test yourself from ZRT Lab.

    http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil/

    <

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  • vivre
    vivre Member Posts: 2,167
    edited October 2009

    Elliemae-where do you get info that you can OD on Vit D? Do you have a link, or is that just a Dr. opionion? It took me months of taking 6000 iu to get my D level up to 44. So my chiro had me keep up this dose. After a year, I finally got it to 100, and then I backed off a little. I still take 4000IU a day. The only symptoms I have are positive. Read the info at Mercola's site, because he has lots of links to studies. He believes that readings of 200 are not too high, and he also talks about the reliability of some of the labs that do the testing. I do not always agree with everything Mercola says, but he always links to studies so that is a good site to start. Doctors are finally coming around to the importance of D levels, but many are still going by old standards. Everyone needs to do their homework, insist on the testing and take supplements to get their D levels up. I know supplementing works. My tests prove it. I was at 23 after treatments and my high levels now are a source of peace of mind.

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  • O3132W
    O3132W Member Posts: 211
    edited October 2009

    Rosewood:  My sister lives in Seattle Washington and after finding her Vit D level was so low her Dr. gave her a prescription to be taken once a week of 50,000 to bring it up faster.  Talk to your pharmasist about this cript.   Cathey

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  • rreynolds1
    rreynolds1 Member Posts: 450
    edited October 2009

    Hi Hopefor30,

    Based on my research, you should have levels of 80.  I would push this with your docs.

    Roseann

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  • vivre
    vivre Member Posts: 2,167
    edited October 2009

    Roseann-That was a great video. It is long, but I hope everyone will watch it.

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  • rreynolds1
    rreynolds1 Member Posts: 450
    edited October 2009

    Glad you liked it.  I found it on the American Cancer Society discussion board for breast cancer.

    Based on that video, it would be very difficult to OD on Vit. D.

     Roseann

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  • Elliemae32
    Elliemae32 Member Posts: 72
    edited October 2009

    I'm just going by the fact that vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble.  Your body can't just pee it out  like other vitamins when you get too much.  It gets stored in your fat cells. 

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  • Rabbit_fan
    Rabbit_fan Member Posts: 166
    edited October 2009

    I don't have a link to any research to offer, but I thought I'd throw in that I just got my first vit d test back at 39, and the doctor (integrative oncologist) said they like levels around 75.  They gave me a script for 50,000 IU three times a week and I'll retest in a month. 

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  • Nan56143
    Nan56143 Member Posts: 349
    edited December 2009

    Dear Jo Anne (jap),

    I believe that this is the abstract for the video that amodenet posted.She is correct in that your D levels should be 80 and even higher for optimal health. I know that you posted your question in October, but perhaps these links may still be helpful.

    Nan

    http://www.grassrootshealth.net/media/download/garland_vit_d_cancer_prev.pdf     

    http://www.oncologystat.com/journals/review_articles/AEP/Vitamin_D_for_Cancer_Prevention_Global_Perspective.html   

    http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/96/2/252

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/research.shtml

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitaminDToxicity.shtml

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vdds.shtml

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/treatment.shtml

    http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/news.shtml

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  • digid
    digid Member Posts: 65
    edited November 2009

    Hi!  I just began seeing a well-respected naturopath here in Canada, who has given presentations for both the WellSpring and Rethink organizations.  His specialty is complementary cancer care (I'm starting chemo in a week and a half-shudder).  The Doc told me that he likes Vitamin D levels to be AT LEAST 80 and up to 120.  To facilitate this, he has started me on 6000 IU VItamin D3 (make sure it's D3, apparently), up from the 3000 IU I took previously.  On a side note, I am also a juvenile diabetic, and have read well-credited studies from Norway that higher-dose Vitamin D3 supplementation can help protect kids like my daughter from also getting Type 1 diabetes. I give her 2400 IU a day.  My sister has Multiple Sclerosis, which is also linked to Vitamin D deficiency, and her respected traditonal Doc specialist said that doses even beyond 10,000 IU are safe and your body will "bank" what you don't use, so take a bit extra if you miss a day.  He recommended 3-4000 IUs. 

    Current standard recomendations for Vitamin D supplementation (400-800IU!) seem to be spectacularly underrrated.  I guess all those docs live in sunny California-lol.   I hope this helps.

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  • gailian
    gailian Member Posts: 11
    edited November 2009

    My Naturopath here in Canada also recommended I try to get up to 120.  Her focus has been on breast cancer for many years.  I measured at 98 after supplementing 3,000 IU per day & so have upped it to 5,000 to try and reach the 120 mark.   I was quite surprised when researching to learn that you cannot possibly get enough vit d from the sun alone if you live north of somewhere in Georgia (can't remember the name of the city) from Oct. - May.  Having very fair skin, I had been applying sunscreen before I even left the house in the summer, which turns out to be the only time I could have actually gotten any vit d !!   Apparently the reverse is true in the southern hemisphere.

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  • O3132W
    O3132W Member Posts: 211
    edited November 2009

    Vit. D2 or Vit D3???????? 

     I asked my pharmasist and he had to go and check the bottle and then said my 50,000 prescription is vit D2.   Wondering of the differences.   Thanks as always.   Cathey 

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  • gailian
    gailian Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2009

    I've been recommended to take Vit D 3 drops (cholecalciferol).  Looking on the web, it says D2 is not as effective.  (Google Vit d3 vs Vit d2).  Maybe you don't want it to be as effective in such a large dose? Maybe check with the Doc who prescribed it.

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  • Angee
    Angee Member Posts: 18
    edited December 2009

    My Integrated MD wants me to take 5000 IU of D3 and she wants my levels to be at 80 considering I am a BC patient.

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  • unklezwifeonty
    unklezwifeonty Member Posts: 1,710
    edited December 2009

    I take D3 5000 IU's per day.

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  • SharaD
    SharaD Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2009

    Google "Cedric F. Garland" and Vitamin D; also google ( "Bertone-Johnson"; "breast cancer".) You could also search scienceDaily.com for info

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  • Nan56143
    Nan56143 Member Posts: 349
    edited December 2009

    Cathey,

    You definitely want to be taking D3, not D2. I posted links here one this page, but apparently they were not hot when I pasted them They are now, and you might want to read the ones from the Vitamin D council, and take copies to your doctor, or send him/her an email with the links.

    Nan

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  • O3132W
    O3132W Member Posts: 211
    edited December 2009

    Nan:  I read all the links you provided, however I did not see anything about taking D3 vs. D2. All of these links stress the importance of Vit D but do not address D3 vs D2.  I guess I dont understand why.  I have a call in to my Med Onc asking her D3 or D2 as her prescription simply said Vit. D.  When I filled the script at Walgreens, I remembered to ask if the pharmacist - D3 or D2 ? and he went and checked the bottle and then said D2. 50,000 that I am to take once a week for 12 weeks but, your post makes me wonder if this is correct. Where do you read that D3  not D2?   Thanks for your info.   Cathey

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