Vitamins

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laurissa
laurissa Member Posts: 773
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
How soon after chemo and radiation can vitamins be taken? I'm reading alot about them, about which ones are good to take. Any comments or opinions about certain ones and dosages?

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  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #2
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    I did not have chemo, only
    I did not have chemo, only rads, & no one said anything about vitamins.

    I take a daily multivitamin, calcium, & omega 3 as supplements.
  • mjjones453
    mjjones453 Member Posts: 155
    #3
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    Vitamins
    When I went to my oncologist, and Radiation oncologist, especially the later, encouraged me to take a daily vitamins. I believe for the benefit they may have in helping with fatigue. They check your blood work; at sometimes during treatment if some of your blood work came back to high, they might take you off that vitamin. Does this make sense? I know they monitor every pill that you take, and you have to check with the Dr. if you do begin anything new. It doesn't hurt to call the Dr.s office. Mary
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #4
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    Tux said:

    I did not have chemo, only
    I did not have chemo, only rads, & no one said anything about vitamins.

    I take a daily multivitamin, calcium, & omega 3 as supplements.

    I was told NO to certain
    supplements...particularly antioxidants during radiation. I was curious, too.

    The Fe tablets that I take periodically when I start to feel light headed and tired are OK.

    I was advised to maintain a healthy balanced diet.

    I will see my doctor weekly once radiation begins, and he reminded me that no question is too stupid, and they have a nutritionist on staff...so, knowing how this chemo brain is working I may bump this thread a few times after I start.
  • MOrtiz0810
    MOrtiz0810 Member Posts: 41
    #5
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    Vitamins
    Hi Laurissa-

    I haven't started Chemo yet but my Onc did ask me about vitamins and I told him that I'm taking a multivitamin along with a probiotic and extra vitamin C. I figured I would give my immune a boost before the chemo starts attacking it. The Onc didn't tell me to stop them so I thought that possibly I could continue taking them through my treatment, because the probiotic REALLY HELPS with stomach issues :)

    I guess I will find out next week whether I have to stop all vitamins during chemo.

    I was actually deficient in Vitamin D on my last blood work, so I'm planning on adding the extra D to my list! I read somewhere that the best D to take is D3.

    Hope this helps. and best wishes on your road to recovery :)
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
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    Here is what I take:
    Here is what I take: multivitamin, vitamin D, calcium, cranberry pill, fish oil supplement.

    However, I think a healthy diet is even more important. I try like crazy to ingest antioxidants when I can. I have even given up soda for green tea.


    Talk with your doctor about what is ok and when. Also, I am encouraging everyone to get their docs to check their vitamin d level. Mine was really low and we bumped up my intake from 1000 IU per day, then to 2000 IU per day and, finally, got my level normal at 5000IU per day (my level went from 23 to 55). But don't second guess this, it's a simple blood test, no big deal, to check.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #7
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    CypressCynthia said:

    Here is what I take:
    Here is what I take: multivitamin, vitamin D, calcium, cranberry pill, fish oil supplement.

    However, I think a healthy diet is even more important. I try like crazy to ingest antioxidants when I can. I have even given up soda for green tea.


    Talk with your doctor about what is ok and when. Also, I am encouraging everyone to get their docs to check their vitamin d level. Mine was really low and we bumped up my intake from 1000 IU per day, then to 2000 IU per day and, finally, got my level normal at 5000IU per day (my level went from 23 to 55). But don't second guess this, it's a simple blood test, no big deal, to check.

    docs did not want me to take
    docs did not want me to take antioxidants. during treatment. I guess it enables the cancer cells too, and decreases free radicals which are utilized during chemo.(not sure why I know it sounds crazy) after treatment done I can take what I want. nutritionist at Dana Farber told me to take B6. for the neuropathy, and D3. which I take. also if you are on stomach meds you need to take vitamins as they get depleted. I try to make everything I eat healthy. and to have foods with as few ingredients as possible. My weakness is sweets, so I have them on weekends. and I eat a daily yoogurt with probiotics and calcium and vitamin d. I also need it for digestion. docs did not object to that.
  • Balentine
    Balentine Member Posts: 393
    #8
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    carkris said:

    docs did not want me to take
    docs did not want me to take antioxidants. during treatment. I guess it enables the cancer cells too, and decreases free radicals which are utilized during chemo.(not sure why I know it sounds crazy) after treatment done I can take what I want. nutritionist at Dana Farber told me to take B6. for the neuropathy, and D3. which I take. also if you are on stomach meds you need to take vitamins as they get depleted. I try to make everything I eat healthy. and to have foods with as few ingredients as possible. My weakness is sweets, so I have them on weekends. and I eat a daily yoogurt with probiotics and calcium and vitamin d. I also need it for digestion. docs did not object to that.

    I never stopped taking vitamins during chemo
    I did recently stop taking multivitamins...I read that they make your breasts more dense and not good for cancer patients...I take vitamin D3 2000 iu, calcium, flaxseed oil with omega 3, vitamin E for hot flashes, and biotin to help my skin and nails. My doctor said the vitamin D3 and calcium are a must for us. Vitamin D3 is also a cancer fighter.
    Lorrie
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #9
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    Balentine said:

    I never stopped taking vitamins during chemo
    I did recently stop taking multivitamins...I read that they make your breasts more dense and not good for cancer patients...I take vitamin D3 2000 iu, calcium, flaxseed oil with omega 3, vitamin E for hot flashes, and biotin to help my skin and nails. My doctor said the vitamin D3 and calcium are a must for us. Vitamin D3 is also a cancer fighter.
    Lorrie

    Vitamin D
    I'm terribly Vitamin D deficient. Have been taking 2000 IU daily and my level is still 13. My Primary Care physician just prescribed the weekly 50,000 dose that I actually started today (decided Sunday was a good day). I did discuss Vitamin D with my medical oncologist when I saw her about a month ago and she said it was important, but I think the plan with her was to deal with that after chemo. I don't know about how it will work with chemo. I'm still waiting to hear when chemo will start. If I don't hear anything by Tuesday (the day of my post op check for hysterectomy), I'll start rattleing some cages because I'm ready to start fighting this beast. Having 2 surgeries/cancers to deal with has dragged out starting treatments long enough. I also plan on asking my gyn oncologist about Vitamin D when I see him Tuesday.
    Suzanne
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #10
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    CypressCynthia said:

    Here is what I take:
    Here is what I take: multivitamin, vitamin D, calcium, cranberry pill, fish oil supplement.

    However, I think a healthy diet is even more important. I try like crazy to ingest antioxidants when I can. I have even given up soda for green tea.


    Talk with your doctor about what is ok and when. Also, I am encouraging everyone to get their docs to check their vitamin d level. Mine was really low and we bumped up my intake from 1000 IU per day, then to 2000 IU per day and, finally, got my level normal at 5000IU per day (my level went from 23 to 55). But don't second guess this, it's a simple blood test, no big deal, to check.

    sorry I wasn't clear
    I do not take any antioxidants in pill form; I simply meant eating healthy foods that are full of antioxidants such as blueberries, broccoli, etc.
  • Balentine
    Balentine Member Posts: 393
    #11
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    Double Whammy said:

    Vitamin D
    I'm terribly Vitamin D deficient. Have been taking 2000 IU daily and my level is still 13. My Primary Care physician just prescribed the weekly 50,000 dose that I actually started today (decided Sunday was a good day). I did discuss Vitamin D with my medical oncologist when I saw her about a month ago and she said it was important, but I think the plan with her was to deal with that after chemo. I don't know about how it will work with chemo. I'm still waiting to hear when chemo will start. If I don't hear anything by Tuesday (the day of my post op check for hysterectomy), I'll start rattleing some cages because I'm ready to start fighting this beast. Having 2 surgeries/cancers to deal with has dragged out starting treatments long enough. I also plan on asking my gyn oncologist about Vitamin D when I see him Tuesday.
    Suzanne

    Vitamin D3 and calcium are very important for us to be taking
    I have been taking vitamin D3 for several months.....just had vitamin D3 checked and scored a 50....the good range is supposed to be between 20 and 80 so even with me taking 2000 i.u. a day...I am still mid-range.
    Lorrie

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