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There seems to be mixed info on vitamin D and breast cancer. Last yaer heard alot and had mine tested. It was low. Doc had me start taking D3-2000IU's. Hadn't been tested since Feb 09. Did that last time. Doc says today that now the thoughts are it doesn't make a difference.
Has anyone heard anything about this? Just curious. My sentiments is if its not going to hurt my why not take D3.
Thanks
beachgirl
I have been told by my lymphedema therapist that vit D plays a very important role in blocking cancer cell growth. She has me on 10,000 IU daily and said I can go even higher. I have also read a recent article on the website www.mercola.com regarding Vit. D's importance and this site also included a chart on the serum level your vit D should be at based on disease type. An older article I found from 2005 in www.medicalnewstoday.com talked about vit.D putting the brake on activated macrophages.
I was sent to an endocrinologist for thyroid and pituitary problems. Got tested for Vitamin D - was very low. He put me on 55,000 units (yes, that's correct - 55,000!) every four days. Levels are up to normal and now I take it every other week and it has stayed normal. I don't know if its helped anything, though. There's too much stuff going on to isolate the effect of any one treatment.
Apparently, the very large dose seems to be necessary to get levels up to the normal range. If nothing else, it is probably helping with calcium absorption which is critical because of bone mets. I don't need any more fractures!
I take 1000 units per day and in the dead of winter, I up it to 2000 units (guess I should start now but it's like admitting that winter is really here). I've never had my levels tested but I'm sure they are low because I live in the far north and we get very little sunlight this time of year.
There was a huge trial the US Women's Health Intitiative (36,000 women who were tested over seven years) which suggested that Vit D takers had no lower risk of breast cancer - the problem was that they gave the women 400 IU. Many researchers now think those levels are too low. I heard one researcher say that in 15 minutes of sun exposure, our skin can manufacture 20,000 IU's (that was on a CBC podcast of Quirks and Quarks). Researchers are now saying that the evidence that Vit D may protect against breast cancer is suggestive (but inconclusive). In the meantime, my intuition tells me that Vit D is important and I'll continue to take it.
Yes< ive been told that vitamin d is very important. I take 2000 iu a day but after reading the other posts maybe I will increase!
There are test kits you can order for a small fee, draw your blood, and submit the test kit. They will send you the results. I read an article that early Spring and late Fall are the optimum times to test as Winter brings little lite to most parts of the world and during the Summer months many people get the exposure required to maintain their levels of Vit. D.
can't hurt, might help.
here in alaska Vit. D is usually at a shortage so i take quite a bit...
Even though I live in south FLA, I take 50,000 I.U. once a week of Vitamin D. Have been for almost a year now. I concur with the others that it cannot hurt.
My oncologist started testing my vitamin D levels about a year ago; even though mine were "normal", it was the very low end of normal, and he wanted them higher. So since then, I have been taking 1000 IU of D3 twice per day, and my calcium supplement also has vitamin D in it. He checks my D levels about every 3 months.
turtlemom, How are you getting your 55,000 units every four days? Do you take a lot of pills or get it in an injection?
It's actually 50,000 units. Doc said he could prescribe it, but for less than the copayment I could get it from a company called BioTechPharmaceuticals. It's D3, one capsule, no prescription necessary. ( www.Bio-Tech-Pharm.com ) I think the phone # is (479) 443-9148. I wrote it on the bottle, but it's kind of smeared now. It's about $30 for a 100 capsule bottle.
I recently read that it takes the high doses to bring levels up if they've been below normal. I would not recommend taking such a high dose unless your blood levels have been checked and you have discussed it with your doctor. An endocrinologist would be the best one to ask since vitamin D is more like a hormone than a vitamin.
Thanks, Turtlemom. I've been taking 4000iu's. I think I'll ask my doc to check my level.
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