How many mg do you take?

Hi,

I recently decided to stop taking tamoxifen and want to take natural supplements.  There is SO much information on here and I'm having a hard time narrowing down all the posts to find what I'm looking for.  I'm hoping some of you kind ladies will help me out and answer my questions.

How much of the following supplments do you take every day?

DIM

CoQ10

Vitamin E

Vitamin D

Calcium D-Glucarate

Melatonin

What else do you think is essential to take?  Also, is Calcium D-Glucarate the same as Calcium or are those 2 separate supplements?

Thank you!!

Linda

Comments

  • hlth4513
    hlth4513 Member Posts: 267
    edited March 2010

    Hi LInda-

    Here are my current amounts. I am awaiting estrogen profile results to see how I have to adjust. (These are not the only supplements I take)

    DIM - I take 200mg DIM/day plus 150mg I3C ( I keep changing my mind as which to take - right now I take both).

    COQ10 - 200mg - SUperUbiquinol LEF ( The breast cancer study showed great results with 390mg - but to the best of my knowledge that was with Ubiquinone - which is not nearly absorbable as Ubiquinol. I have actually been thinking about cutting this to 100mg)

    Vit E - I had to stop mine because I found out it was not gluten free - I am currently looking to replace. MOst articles suggest 400IU of a quality mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols. I was taking SupraBio palm oil tocotrienols.

    Vit D - 10,000 IU plus Vit K (you need to have your Vit D tested to find out where you are - I was low and have it up to 54 - My functional med doc says 79 is optimal - there are some who feel you can go even higher)

    Calcium d-Glucarate - 1500mg(500 - 3x a day) - AGain - I will adjust when I find out how I am doing clearing estrogen, esp 4OH

    Melatonin - 15mg - Start this slowly - there is huge variation in personal tolerance - 20mg is what the studies used - my body only likes it when I take 15-18mg - but I had to start at 3mg and build up or I got very weird dreams.

    Good Luck!

    Beth

  • Linda37
    Linda37 Member Posts: 42
    edited March 2010

    Beth, thank you so much for the feedback.  What type of doctor do you see to get your bloodwork checked?  I'm assuming it's not your regular general practitioner.

    Linda

  • hlth4513
    hlth4513 Member Posts: 267
    edited March 2010

    Linda-

    I work with several practioners. For hormones, I work with a nurse practioner who specializes in bio-identical hormones. I also work with a functional medicine doctor who is very well-versed in hormones, but I use him for the rest of my holistic health. The tests can be blood, urine or saliva tests. The best way to find a practioner is to go to your local compound pharamacy and ask for referrals.

    The test which I just completed to check all of my Estrogen factors is called the Estrogen Profile test from Meridian Valley Labs and it is a 24 Hr Urine test. It includes the 2OH:16OH ratio; 4 OH levels and your EQ ratio(which is the ratio of good estriol to the other two estrogens). Their website is not the most user friendly. But there is a really good article to read there. If you go to the website click on the Featured article near the top of the page - 'Bio-Identical Risks you need to know about".

    http://www.meridianvalleylab.com/

    There are different estrogen profile tests offered by various labs - Meridian Valley, Metametrix and Genova Diagnostics. AT the time I went with Meridian Valley because they were the only ones testing the 4OH levels. Metametrix is now offering an Estronex Profile. Although I do not believe it includes the EQ ratio for checking your ratio of estriol to the other two estrogens,  Metametrix does have a form you can fill out to find a practioner.

    http://www.estronex.com/know-your-risk.html

     One of the reasons I went this route is that my oncologist said they she would not measure my estrogen levels, which I thought was ridiculous- so I decided to pay for it myself to be measured.

    Good Luck to you! I know that it seems so overwhelming at first.

    Beth

    Edited to add: The Meridian Valley Lab Estrogen Profile Test is also offered at LIfe Extension Foundation. WHereas the other labs require apractioner, I do not believe that is the case with LIfe Extension. I do believe it costs a bit more to order through LIfe Extension - but you could call and ask if they offer a consult or referral with the test.

  • althea
    althea Member Posts: 1,595
    edited March 2010

    I take only 2 items from your list.  I use the vitamin shoppe's ubiquinol coQ10 and I take 200 mg/day.  I take carlson's vit D3 softgels, 2000 IU/day sometimes 4000. 

    As for blood testing, I have that on my wish list, but some new tires have got to come first -- they could pass for chemo patients they're so bald.  But I digress.  There's a number of places to shop online for getting labwork.  directlabs.com, canaryclub.org, lef.org.  There's a $75 membership fee at lef.org, but the member savings quickly make up for the fee if you have even a short list of tests you want.  

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