Vitamin D Levels, Test

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Moopy23
Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi, have any of you been tested for your Vitamin D level? I have asked for the test a couple of times, but it is never ordered. Just wondering if this is something I might want/need to pursue. Thanks in advance for any info or advice.

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  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #2
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    Vitamin D
    Moopy, I asked my doctor the same thing and she thought it was a good idea to get tested. If you are chronically low, they will "hyper" supplement you to get you up to normal. The link between Vitamin D and cancer is a hot topic right now and I think the test is worth it. It is believed that many people in the U.S. have low levels.

    Mimi
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #3
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    mimivac said:

    Vitamin D
    Moopy, I asked my doctor the same thing and she thought it was a good idea to get tested. If you are chronically low, they will "hyper" supplement you to get you up to normal. The link between Vitamin D and cancer is a hot topic right now and I think the test is worth it. It is believed that many people in the U.S. have low levels.

    Mimi

    Thank You
    Thanks, Mimi, very much. I will call the clinic today.
  • GreeneyedGirl
    GreeneyedGirl Member Posts: 1,077
    #4
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    Moopy23 said:

    Thank You
    Thanks, Mimi, very much. I will call the clinic today.

    Yes I tested
    Hi Moopy~my doctor had me tested three times now. In the beginning my level was only a 13, so got on supplements and went up to 53, then tested again and was at a 68--she wants me to be between 69-90. She has suggested I do 5000 iu's of D and 1000 of calcium a day. So i have found a gel cap that is 2500 iu and a chewable calcium that is 500 and do one set in the am and one in the pm. I don't enjoy pills or such. But, got to fight the fight. I get tested again in Aug. My doctor herself is on 8000 iu's of D a day--she is a breast surgeon. All I can figure is that it is helping. That is my hope.
    Melanie
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #5
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    Hi Moopy, I requested the
    Hi Moopy, I requested the test and had it done. My levels were within the norm and I had been taking 2000IU/day for a few months prior. Not only is this good for breast cancer but some women find it helps with the joint pain we can get with the AI's. Cabbott (a member here) has written about that. Another thought is prevention of osteoporosis. Some oncs believe that chemo can enhance bone loss. I was shocked to find I had osteoporosis and my friends still don't believe it. I had been taking precautions since the mid nineties. The main risk factors are being caucasian, a woman and of slight build. I was quite light before tx.

    I got the requisition from my family doc. If they are not saying "no" outright to you then maybe it just slips their mind when you leave. Yes, I definitely would pursue it. Good luck to you.
    love
    jan
  • rjjj
    rjjj Member Posts: 1,822 Member
    #6
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    Hi Moopy
    I am glad you brought this up. My Onc. has not said a thing about it but i intend on asking her. It seems i learn something new from this board everyday! Thanks for bring this to my attention.
    jackie
  • sausageroll
    sausageroll Member Posts: 415
    #7
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    rjjj said:

    Hi Moopy
    I am glad you brought this up. My Onc. has not said a thing about it but i intend on asking her. It seems i learn something new from this board everyday! Thanks for bring this to my attention.
    jackie

    Good subject
    I was just tested by diabetes Dr. He has me on the industrial amounts...50,000 units twice a week for 6 weeks and then once a week for 6 weeks afterwards. He did this because if the diabetes and te cancer. i sometimes think the oncologists just have so much to think about that these things might slip their mind. Mention it again. I have just also been tested for vitamin B12.
  • Jadie
    Jadie Member Posts: 723
    #8
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    Vitamin D
    I didn't know that my onc tested my iron and vitamin d levels until they called me and told me that my d level and iron is low. Both have been low before. She told me that could be why I am feeling so tired all the time. I am on a perscription vitamin d that I take once a week.
    Low vitamin d levels can cause joint pain. I was having toe pain before I started the supplement. The pain is gone now.

    Jadie
  • ohilly
    ohilly Member Posts: 441
    #9
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    insist!
    Moopy, my sister, who is a doctor, gave me an article from one of her medical journals about the vitamin D issue. Apparently it is an unresolved issue...it has not yet been proven if lower levels of vitamin D contribute to cancer, but other studies show there is a link. I had to push my onc to test me, and I was recently tested, but have not gotten the results back yet. My oncologist, who is a top onc at the University of Chicago, said my vitamin D levels were 'probably' okay because of the supplements I take, but 'probably' wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to be tested.

    You can also get this test from your primary care physician. It doesn't have to be an oncologist.

    Hope this helps.

    Ohilly
  • cats_toy
    cats_toy Member Posts: 1,462 Member
    #10
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    Vitamin D and bone pain
    Moopy, I had a lot of bone and joint pain, figuring it was the after effects of chemo and side effects of Arimidex, but the onc doc sent me to an RA doc because my mom has RA. He checked my D levels and they were a 4, I also tested positive for Lupus, but he thinks that is a false positive, he put me on a megadose to try upping the levels, then take another test to see how it helped along with more tests for the lupus thing. There is a site for people with low D levels, and they mimic RA, Lupus, Fibromyalgia and other side effects connected with cancer treatments. Get it checked or make sure you have 20 minutes in the sun each day (carefully). Good luck.
  • crazylady55
    crazylady55 Member Posts: 92
    #11
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    vitamin D
    In addition to bc I have lupus (long before cancer) so I am followed by a rheumatologist. I am extremely sensitive to the sun so I have to take Vitamin D supplements (1000 units per day). The Dr. told me that the Vitamin D level is important to help metabolize calcium and prevent osteoporosis. Anyone who has had chemo or radiation is at a higher risk for bone loss.

    don't forget that a sun tan might look good but it may not be the best way to get your vitamin D.
  • ohilly
    ohilly Member Posts: 441
    #12
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    Moopy23 said:

    Thank You
    Thanks, Mimi, very much. I will call the clinic today.

    vitamin D levels back
    Moopy, just wanted to let you know I got the results of my vitamin D level tests: they were at the top of the 'normal' range, so the doctor said I don't need to take any more supplements. Between Caltrate D and a multivitamin, I think I am taking about 1200 IUs per day. I also take Biotin supplements for my hair.

    Ohilly
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #13
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    ohilly said:

    vitamin D levels back
    Moopy, just wanted to let you know I got the results of my vitamin D level tests: they were at the top of the 'normal' range, so the doctor said I don't need to take any more supplements. Between Caltrate D and a multivitamin, I think I am taking about 1200 IUs per day. I also take Biotin supplements for my hair.

    Ohilly

    Good Test Levels
    Hi, Ohilly, I'm glad to hear your Vit D results were good. I have definitely learned from these posts how important Vit D levels are. Thank you for the information and encouragement you sent. My test has been postponed until next Tuesday. I sure hope to find out my results sometime next week.
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #14
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    ohilly said:

    insist!
    Moopy, my sister, who is a doctor, gave me an article from one of her medical journals about the vitamin D issue. Apparently it is an unresolved issue...it has not yet been proven if lower levels of vitamin D contribute to cancer, but other studies show there is a link. I had to push my onc to test me, and I was recently tested, but have not gotten the results back yet. My oncologist, who is a top onc at the University of Chicago, said my vitamin D levels were 'probably' okay because of the supplements I take, but 'probably' wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to be tested.

    You can also get this test from your primary care physician. It doesn't have to be an oncologist.

    Hope this helps.

    Ohilly

    Thank you all, my friends!
    I just want to thank all of you for your help. The information on Vitamin D deficiency, your experiences, and your tips on how to get the doc to test you were so helpful. Most of all, it helped me so much to know my sisters care!

    Ohilly and Jan, I took your advice on being persistent and called my onc yet AGAIN yesterday afternoon. HA! I'm getting a Vitamin D test along with my regular labs this Friday. Jackie, be sure and follow up with your onc or the three of us are going to come after you!

    Again, I really thank you all for being there for me and responding so soon!

    Love,
    Moopy
  • susieraph
    susieraph Member Posts: 12
    #15
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    crazylady55 said:

    vitamin D
    In addition to bc I have lupus (long before cancer) so I am followed by a rheumatologist. I am extremely sensitive to the sun so I have to take Vitamin D supplements (1000 units per day). The Dr. told me that the Vitamin D level is important to help metabolize calcium and prevent osteoporosis. Anyone who has had chemo or radiation is at a higher risk for bone loss.

    don't forget that a sun tan might look good but it may not be the best way to get your vitamin D.

    Vit D
    Hi All, I was found to be Vitamin D deficient. I take 3000 units per day now to go along with my calcium supplements. I was also found to have osteoporosis in my spine and osteopenia in my hips after chemotherapy (I didn't have rads). I was premenopausal! A bone density test might be a good idea even if you are on the young side.

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