Vitamin D Takers?
Comments
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Leia...I'm glad that your Tx only was getting the cancer cut out....some of us are not so lucky...my Tx protocol included bilateral mastectomy (cancer side had too much cancer for lumpectomy and prophy side turned out to be pre-cancer so had I not done it, I would have been walking this road again) chemo, radiation, ooph and then AI's.....and if eating healthy can cure cancer, then why do those of us who eat healthy, do everything we are supposed to to reduce the risk of BC still get bc? .....eating healthy keeps us healthy....before Dx I was a good weight, active, worked full-time, took care of 3 kids and a husband, ate healthy and felt great..oh yeah....I also breast fed 3 kids.....so I should have beat the odds!!! but I'm a woman and 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer some time in their life time.....we do the best we can to minimize our risks, but as long as we have breasts we can get breast cancer and thats why men are also at risk......Post Tx I'm still at a decent weight, eat healthy, exercise but it takes more out of me to take care of my family and work...I don't feel as good......so I'm on a mission to get as much QOL back to pre-Dx......so I have been researching options and am now taking the following:
I'm currently on 10,000 iu/day of D3, plus K1, magnesium, calcium, DIM, folic acid, Armour thyroid, DHEA/testosterone, omega 3......I will have labs done again in June....hope #'s go in the right direction....looking to have the best QOL and stay healthy...... Due to my recent BMD, I should also be on a biophosphonate....I stopped taking it when I stopped the AI's and now my spine is osteoporosis....neck and hip are still osteopenia......At turning 56 in less than 2 weeks, I'm way too long to feel old!!!!
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Thanks, Cancerstinks... :-) I honestly didn't think of changing brands. I'll give that a shot, too. Oncologist said she'd retest my level after I've been on the prescription D for 12 weeks, so I've got time to switch my over-the-counter D3 before the recheck. It's good that you are working on getting more sun (and using it as a time to play with the dogs and do some watering--you are certainly worth at least that 15 minutes a day!)--I'm going to try to do the same...
And thanks for the smile--I liked your comment about hearing me sigh about sleep from Texas. :-)
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SunflowersMA, also check how you are absorbing the D3. Are you taking other supplements with it? Doesn't calcium or magnesium (or something) have something to do with how D3 is absorbed?
I've been on 5000 iu's and tested a few weeks ago at 47 which is up from about 32 a year ago.
Someone a page back said they are meat, dairy and gluten(?) free and get their protein from beans and ?. I was at a class at Whole Foods last week and they say we get plenty of protein from plants. That the idea that going without meat and dairy is wrong because of the lack of protein, but there's plenty in fruits and veggies. Don't think I'll ever be able to go totally meat or dairy free but it's still good information. That's where I appreciate the alternative and complementary threads because you can take what you want and leave the rest.
I agree that Leia was out-of-order. It's okay to post your thoughts but not as "total" truth because it's different and personal for each of us.
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http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb445427.htm
Sort of in response to CancerStinks mention of the importance of nutrition. I have put a lot of focus on my nutrition ever since I found the lump. Anyway, I thought the article was interesting.
Also to CancerStinks, I heard that the best time to get out in the sun for the synthesis of vitamin D is in the middle of the day. Exactly the opposite of what so many have told us.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/26/maximizing-vitamin-d-exposure.aspx
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Hi Dunesleeper: Thanks for the idea about a mid-day stroll. I can take a walk at lunchtime, but I typically have some kind of cream with sunscreen on by that time of the day during the week. But I think I can figure out some way to get a few rays and out of the office. Thks too for the nutrition link. I'll check it out this weekend.
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Good nutrition CAN cure every ill. And I am not just talking about breast cancer. Because, come on, do you women who post here think that the only cancer that you can ever get is breast cancer? And if you get breast cancer, you have to "treat the hell out of it?" And then, if you do that, you will be "fine." No matter what the side effects are of the "treatments."
That is just not true. I know, since I had another cancer, Leiomyosarcoma. Totally deadly, to most women. Presents in the uterus, hidden in normally benign fibroids. Yet, I got the external, butt version, and it was cut, surgically, and I'm fine. That was in 2004.
No doc offered me any "treatments," like radiation and chemo for my Leio cancer because there aren't any. That cancer is so rare. So, no $$$ to be made. Unlike the Breast Cancer industry.
To the person, above, taking the D2, D2 is ineffective. D2 is the Prescription Drug Industry's Cash Cow. D3, for now, easily available, will increase your D3 level.
Or most preferred; just go out, in the sun. No pills needed, at all. Zero cost.
But then, we've been frightened into thinking the Sun is a Killer. What nonsense. The Sun is the source of all life. Vitamin D.
As somebody else said above, it's the processed foods that are the killer. If your diet is processed foods, your body is so unhealthy that the healthy sun might give you skin cancer.
As to why I come back to this site, from time to time? I just thank the original poster that in 2006 convinced me to NOT do the whole breast radiation, for my nothing 2cm IDC. Six years later, no recurrence. And no side effects.
Just trying to pay it back. Maybe one person might read this, like I did six years ago and choose to just be healthy. Not do the breast radiation. Go with the D3. And also, in my case the Buddwig FOCC.
Not only do I not have Cancer, anymore, I have never felt better in my life.
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Leia, you should come but it's important that misleading information not be passed on as fact. We focus on BC because that is the intent of this particular board. We all know that there are other cancers and diseases and they have their specific web support groups as well. Your opinions are as valid as mine, even if they differ, simply because they are only our personal thoughts.
Good nutrition may help ward off disease but it will not cure every ill. Many of our sisters on the alternative threads have adopted great habits. Do you really think that none of the sisters on the "angels" thread were vegan, or that all had poor nutrition. Did they all have rads and chemo? All of them chose to not be healthy and thus left us?
Six years - congrats to you but for the rest of our lives we will wonder if it will hit again because it can, at any time - 7 years later, 12 years later, 22 years later, or never but we never know and good nutrition alone is not going to stop it. Am I going to worry about it coming back, absolutely not because I choose to use nutrition and attitude (and anything else I need to throw at it) to keep me healthy.
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BTW, I did the radiation, 28 rounds plus 5 boosts. Did not need chemo. I'm on Anastrazole and take a healthy dose of Vit D3 supplement.
Just like you I don't have Cancer anymore. I, too, feel great. It's the healthier eating (getting better), exercise and attitude. My opinion.
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Leia, here's a thread that might interest you: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topic/776213?page=11#idx_330
About toxins in our everyday lives.
Are you also posting on the Alternatives threads - just wondering.
Night.
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Caffeine can interfere with the body's absorption of vitamin d and other vitamins. Also,some of you may not be taking enough or taking it every day. I take 8000IU and my serum level is now 70 ng/ml.
Leia is right. Early stage BC patients are generally over treated. Long after we are all gone, college students will read about this medical holocaust and wonder why the government enabled pharmaceutical companies, back in the olden days, to market dangerous chemicals aka "treatments" to those poor vulnerable women for so long.
Patoo, you may want to read the recent medical release on Radiation for BC causing cancer stem cells. http://www.naturalnews.com/035289_radiation_cancer_stem_cells.html#ixzz1r2ivICb2
(NaturalNews) In a groundbreaking new study just published in the peer reviewed journal Stem Cells, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Department of Oncology found that, despite killing half of all tumor cells per treatment, radiation treatments on breast cancer transforms other cancer cells into cancer stem cells which are vastly more treatment-resistant than normal cancer cells. The new study is yet another blow to the failed and favored mainstream treatment paradigm of trying to cut out, poison out or burn out cancer symptoms (tumors) instead of actually curing cancer.:)
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zuvart, I'm not disagreeing that we may be overtreated. I'm no supporter of Big Pharma. I do believe that unhealthy habits contribute to many ills.
I was basically reacting to the statement "good nutrition CAN cure every ill". Are there no posters, past or present, who have followed plant-based, organic, diets for decades and still got ill? We do not know what specifically caused our BC, nor can we be sure what may cause a recurrence.
Thanks for the link. I will read it but won't agonize over my choice to do rads 3 years ago; stress is a killer (and that's a true statement). I'm looking forward to posting on BCo with you and Leia for many years to come.
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Leia... trying to "pay it back" doesn't require nasty commentary like "Because, come on, do you women who post here think..." (emphasis mine). I think you should rethink your motives here.
I do not normally step into the fray of discussions like this because I do not like to be sucked into negativity...but I have to here. Leia, you seem angry. Please don't take it out on people who are finding their way through difficult times.
As to the discussion at hand, I find it very informative. I am struggling with great fatigue. I have had a very good diet for 6 years. I eat no processed food, eat 10-15 servings of fruits and veggies a day, eat limited animal products. I watch levels of all nutrients. Last summer, I was dx as vit. D deficient, then in November, as B12 deficient. I am supplementing, but clearly not enough. They are now looking into Celiac's. I will get the test results this week. I don't doubt that my low D levels allowed for my dcis to grow. I am actually hoping that the celiacs is positive so I have an answer for the issues and fatigue. Whether it is or not, I will remove the last vestiges of gluten from my diet and see what happens. Sigh...
Wishing you all a healthy and happy evening... Claire
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CLC-
I suffered from malnutrition due to undiagnosed celiac. I am actually not celiac, but am gluten intolerant. So what appeared to be a case of untreatable IBS (diahrrea for 5 years straight, thank you very much), turned out to be gluten intolerance. Once I stopped gluten, I started regaining my health. But the plethora of issues I had while malnourished included neuralgia in my feet, extreme fatigue, poor eyesight, dull skin and hair, and a general feeling of malaise.
It's definitely worth it to eliminate gluten (and in my case, lactose) to see if you can get your digestive tract in order. It's your first line of defense in the body against disease. I am a different person now that I can digest my food and use my nutrients appropriately.
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Marianna...thank you for the encouragement. I am glad you found your answers. I know that when I switched to the unprocessed diet I have now, I made huge strides (lung problems disappeared, for example). These new symptoms are just my latest challenge. Hopefully gluten will be the answer... Thanks again for the encouragement...:)
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Leia - my sister died of melanoma. Careful what you spew about the sun. You clearly have no clue.
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Sorry for your loss mardibra. I can't imagine losing my sister.
Marianna, doctors know so much, yet, know so little. It is after all a "practice" with new things evolving all the time. I work in IT, access security control, with 4 others in my group. I'm not comparing our expertise with a medical doctor but just know that what may occur to me in my job does not always occur to my manager who has more education but less experience in our field. We (not you, just 'we' in general) expect our doctors to know everything which is impossible. Having said that, however, it's unreal that you suffered for so many years without the medical profession being able to figure it out. Like clc, I'm glad you finally got some relief.
clc, hoping that you get answers soon as well. I think these boards do go beyond getting info on only BC - a good thing.
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My sister-in-law died of melanoma. I work for an ophthalmologist who is an eye lid plastic surgeon. She gets all of the cast offs from the derms who don't work close to the eyes. We do biopsies and skin repairs from basal cell and squamus cell skin cancers EVERYDAY.
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Also, im not sure i could ever believe that my mom throwing a twinkie or a bag of chips into my sisters school girl lunch box caused her death at 27. She didnt have enough time on this planet to eat badly!
Is a healthy diet full of nutrients a smart choice to avoid all sorts of ailments? Absolutely! Do I think the sun is healthy? No way.
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I have always been on Systemic Formulas DV3 - a very nice blend as it contains other immune support as well as turmeric, etc. However now that I'm seeing a different alternative medicine doctor (and systemic is only through medical professionals) he recommended the Metagenics brand. It is not as expensive and he says it is the one that they all take themselves. Metagenics is only available through medical professionals but I have seen some places online offering it. My only reservation is that it is in a base of soybean oil and I avoid soy due to the GMO's. It is a very very tiny pill though, so maybe it's not even important.
A friend of mine has been on it and she said it is the only brand so far to have raised her blood D levels. It is a lot - 5000IU's per day, but this is what the doctor we saw recommends, and he works directly with an MD upstairs who orders bloodwork for D levels and that is wha the recommended to me also based on my bloodwork. I need to get re-tested to see where I am now though.
Cod liver oil is also a source of vitamin D. I believe it is 400 IU's in a teaspoon.
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"Vitamin D influences virtually every cell in your body and is one of nature's most potent cancer fighters. Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis (cell death). When JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, injected a potent form of vitamin D into human breast cancer cells, half of them shriveled up and died within days. It was as effective as the toxic breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, without any of the detrimental side effects and at a tiny fraction of the cost. If you have cancer, your vitamin D level should be between 70 and 100 ng/ml. Vitamin D works synergistically with every cancer treatment I'm aware of, with no adverse effects. "
Saying that sunlight causes cancer is like saying water causes dehydration. About 80 -100 % of the vitamin D we need comes from the sun. The sun exposure that makes our skin a bit pink (called 1 minimum erythemal dose) produces the equivalent of 10 000 - 25 000 IUs of vitamin D in our bodies.
Truth about Sunlight, Cancer and Vitamin D
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=5A62FC73922FD51A88E62E42C5A0AD5E
The problem is that most of us aren't exposed to enough sunlight! Of course we don't want to burn and look like lobsters or worse end up with skin cancer. Just use your good judgment and have good nutritional habits. Apparently, Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from sunburn. We need to build up our antioxidant reserves. I take grape seed extract and apply coconut oil though. (Commercial sunscreen? no thank you! No more strange chemicals for me.)
Someone mentioned magnesium. If we do not have enough magnesium in our tissues, our bodies will not be able to use the vitamin D3 we take in well.
And the primary l reason why doctors do not know much about nutrition is because only about stingy eight hours are devoted to nutrition in medical school. This omission is because the curriculum is heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical companies, so it's important for us to have a naturopathic doctor on our medical team.
Calmtykel, thank for the info about Systemic Formulas DV3.
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I got outside and synthesized some vitamin D today. It was beautiful. I took my sweater off so that the sun could get to my arms. I can't wait to find out what precautions I need to take when digging in the dirt. I will find out on the 9th. Then I will start digging up weeds and planting flowers ---- in the sun!
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Wasn't it said that we only needed 20 mins in the sun to get our daily Vit D? And that we needed to get that exposure during the time the sun was highest in the sky, like between noon and 2pm?
I'm guessing we don't need to worry about the magnesium if we get our D from the sun?
What about the area of exposure. If my legs are uncovered, like if I'm sitting on a chair on the patio in shorts, then can the rest of the body parts be protected, by whatever means? I often wonder if I may be getting enough Vit D exposure when I'm driving my car and the arm sitting on the opened window ledge is "frying" from the sun beating down on it, am I getting my daily Vit D?
There's always questions, aren't there.
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I really vascillate between what is good and bad about the sun. While I have Irish/French ancestry, and am a light brown haired/light skinned gal, I am concerned about skin cancer. On the other hand, I have my vitamin D levels up and I am suntanned in the first time in many, many years. I've spent the past two years training for marathons, triathlons, etc. and I cannot get over how much sun I have gotten.
I sure wish I knew the answers, but I do have my dermatologist check me 2X yearly to ensure that I don't have any funny moles, and I wear sunscreen. Despite diligent application of zinc based sunscreen, I STILL HAVE A TAN!
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Yes patoo, there are always questions. And there is nothing wrong with that. It is my understanding that sun exposure time actually depends on skin pigmentation. As I am fair-skinned, I would start at 15 - 30 minutes, just enough to maybe pink me a little or maybe not at all. As I gradually tanned, it would require more time in the sun to naturally synthesize vitamin D. If you are a dark-skinned lady, as your picture suggests, then I think you would need more time. In fact, I believe Dr. Mercola had an article out some time ago about increased cancer incidence in African Americans and that it could be linked to your greater requirement for sunshine. I'll have a look at his site and see if I can find that article.
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P.S. that post was a commentary on what we struggle with--- we need sunlight to live, but how much is too much, really? If you read some articles about skin cancer, apparently the skin cancer rates went way up when the population started using sunscreens that contain Retinyl Palmitate. It's really hard to discern what is truth and fiction about sun exposure.Now, I am just as vain as can be, so I am concerned about wrinkling up and sun damage, but also need to keep the Vitamin D levels up. I supplement, but can't seem to avoid the hot, Texas sun!!
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Dunesleeper, I've seen articles about the African American population and Vit D levels on the Vitamin D Council site. It seems that the AA population tends to have more problems synthesizing and keeping up levels of Vitamin D, if I recall correctly.Google "Vitamin D Council", and you'll find some fascinating reading on Vitamin D and disease.
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Sorry, I don't know how to make these links clickable. The first 2 make mention of darker skinned people and vitamin D deficiency. The third one just had a lot of great information in it. I sent it to myself in fact.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/06/12/vitamin-d-part-twentytwo.aspx
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Marianna, I know I am torn about the whole sunshine thing. I believe that it is true that it is healthy to be out in the sun. Studies say that it is how we naturally synthesize vitamin D. Dr. Mercola goes to Hawaii every Winter to make sure he keeps getting his sunshine. Man, must be nice! On the other hand, my grandfather had lots of skin cancer issues and eventually died of cancer. My mom believes it was skin cancer that had metastasized. My mom is always getting pre-cancerous lesions frozen off and she had one cancerous one surgically removed. I had a cancerous spot on my face (on my dimple). That was a long time ago. It was not the bad kind as I had no further treatment for it. I burn easily, so I know that's not good. Then the studies tell us that we gain the greatest benefit by being out in the sun precisely the hours of the day that we have been warned our whole lives to avoid being out in the sun. Ugh! When I try to tell my mother about this stuff, she says she won't take any chances and she slathers on the sunscreen. Well, she's 77 and she is doing what she believes to be right. All I can do is share some information. Meanwhile, I'm torn about how to be out in the sun but how to protect myself from burning at the same time. I'm going to look into this astaxanthin stuff. I think I read about that once before.
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Hi Dunesleeper; I love the image of you out digging in the dirt: very "grounding." For me, I really believe that the actions of focusing on and nurturing a garden has got to be at least as good as the benefits of the natural Vit D you are soaking up. When I can get myself out of my stinkin' thinkin' and focus on something outside of me and my Cancer, such as my garden I love so much or swimming at my local outdoor pool, well, I can feel myself, really feel myself and remember who I was BC,(Before Cancer!) and that "I" am still here and that who "I" am has very little if anything, to do with this body I walk around in. How's that for alternative medicine? Thanks for the "slow down and smell the roses" post! I'll think of you when I water my gerber daisys and verbena that my sister, brother and Mom planted for me over Easter while I slept in my radiation haze. It was/is a wonderful gift to have this happy color greet me when I open my door.
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Dunesleeper, I made the links hot for you.
The first 2 make mention of darker skinned people and vitamin D deficiency. The third one just had a lot of great information in it. I sent it to myself in fact.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/06/12/vitamin-d-part-twentytwo.aspx
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