Forgive me, wrong topic , but you requested my story and I finally figured out how to complete the signature. I think it was in a fear of reccurence thread and I had posted my Onc told me I had a 100% chance of reccurence. Can you guide me to the proper thread ? They are so long sometimes. Karen C
2/25/11 BX Lft SNode/TN.Trial of Gemzar/Carb/Parp 3/31-6/31.BMX 7/11.Clear mrgns,6/30 nodes.TaxolX12,DD A/CX4 done1/3/12.25 Rads/Xeloda/bolus pad done 2/28/12.PET-7/12
Thanks for taking the time to post all the great supplement info. I thought I needed magnesium, too?
As always you are here to help everyone. You're an amazing lady and I love you to bits.
Mindy
Dx July 2011 56 yo Stage I IDC,TN,Grade 3 Grew to Stage IIa- No ev of node involve- BRCA1+ chondroid metaplasia Daughter also BRCA1+ Mass grew on Taxol FEC 6x better BMX 3/19/12 pCR NED BSO 6/2012
Ok, never mind my chemo brain moment, Donna. I see magnesium at the TOP of the list.. DUH!
Have a blessed Christmas holiday. I'm wishing you all the health and happiness in the world.
Love, Mindy
Dx July 2011 56 yo Stage I IDC,TN,Grade 3 Grew to Stage IIa- No ev of node involve- BRCA1+ chondroid metaplasia Daughter also BRCA1+ Mass grew on Taxol FEC 6x better BMX 3/19/12 pCR NED BSO 6/2012
Don't worry sweetie, you have your plate pretty full right now. Talk about chemo brain, I recently saw an article that women suffer from "foggy" brain due to diagnosis alone. The take from the article was that the emotional toll with the diagnosis is enough to make us forgetful and foggy at times. The way are brains process things are changed.
Hugs,
Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15
Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, Stem Cell Therapy, and spinal fusuion surgery have one thing in common. If the immune system of the patient is compromised, healing is difficult.
In a study of 313 patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery, orthopaedic surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that more than half had inadequate levels of vitamin D, including one-fourth who were more severely deficient.
The researchers reported their findings recently at the 26th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society.
“Our findings suggest it may be worthwhile to screen surgery patients for vitamin D,” says Jacob M. Buchowski, MD, the study’s principal investigator. “We think those with insufficient levels of vitamin D may benefit from taking 50,000 international units of the vitamin once a week for eight weeks before surgery as this may help the recovery after spinal fusion surgery.” (1)
1. Stoker GE, Buchowski JM, Bridwell KH, Lenke LG, Riew KD, Zebala LP, Vitamin D status of adults undergoing surgical spinal fusion. Presented Nov. 3 at the 26th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society in Chicago, Ill.
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15
Don't worry sweetie, you have your plate pretty full right now. Talk about chemo brain, I recently saw an article that women suffer from "foggy" brain due to diagnosis alone. The take from the article was that the emotional toll with the diagnosis is enough to make us forgetful and foggy at times. The way are brains process things are changed.
Hugs,
Donna
I KNOW this is true... and is putting it mildly. I'll take chemo brain over the days right after diagnoses. I had a hard time remembering my own name.
Dx July 2011 56 yo Stage I IDC,TN,Grade 3 Grew to Stage IIa- No ev of node involve- BRCA1+ chondroid metaplasia Daughter also BRCA1+ Mass grew on Taxol FEC 6x better BMX 3/19/12 pCR NED BSO 6/2012
Higher vitamin D levels correlated with less depression
The November, 2011 edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings published the results of a cross-sectional study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute which uncovered a protective effect for high serum vitamin D levels against depression. The study, which included 12,594 men and women, is the largest of its kind to date.
University of Texas professor of psychiatry E. Sherwood Brown and his associates analyzed data from participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, which enrolled patients from the Cooper Clinic from November, 2006, to October, 2010. Subjects were categorized as depressed in accordance with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, and serum samples were analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Dr Brown's team found a significant association between higher vitamin D levels and a decreased risk of depressive symptoms, especially among those with a history of the condition. For those without a history of depression, having a higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was associated with a 5 percent lower risk of the condition compared to having a low level, while among those with a history of depression, the risk for those with a high level was 10 percent lower.
Vitamin D's impact on neurotransmitters, markers of inflammation and other factors could be behind its ability to reduce depression according to Dr Brown, who is the head of UT Southwestern's psychoneuroendocrine research program. "Our findings suggest that screening for vitamin D levels in depressed patients – and perhaps screening for depression in people with low vitamin D levels – might be useful," he concluded.
It seems that Vitamin D is now being looked at more closely in the medical community. Stanford has a clinical trial looking at Vitamin D and Breast Cancer. Thanks Tania for finding and sharing this information.
Description:
This protocol is a randomized, controlled and blinded clinical trial in obese and non-obese subjects diagnosed with breast cancer in whom we will test the effects of vitamin D supplementation in the neo-adjuvant setting and evaluate the improvement in biomarker expression in blood and tissue comparing core breast biopsy to definitive surgical samples. Our goal is to determine whether dietary vitamin D can reverse the negative effects of obesity and insulin resistance as reflected by favorable changes in the gene expression patterns in the pathologic specimens as well as in serum biomarkers of insulin resistance and adipokine secretion. We expect that vitamin D administration will improve the breast cancer gene expression pattern from a high-risk configuration to a low-risk profile in the obese patients and will also cause improvement in the non-obese.
1. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 Aug;20(8):1708-17. Epub 2011 Jun 21.
Vitamin D-related genetic variants, interactions with vitamin D exposure, and breast cancer risk among Caucasian women in Ontario.
Anderson LN, Cotterchio M, Cole DE, Knight JA.
Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada. LN.Anderson@utoronto.ca
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D, from diet and sunlight exposure, may be associated with reduced breast-cancer risk. This study investigated if candidate gene variants in vitamin D pathways are associated with breast cancer risk, or modify the associations between breast cancer and vitamin D exposure. METHODS: Breast cancer cases aged 25 to 74 years were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry (histopathologically confirmed and diagnosed 2002-2003) and population-based controls were identified through random digit dialing of Ontario households. Saliva (DNA) was available for 1,777 cases and 1,839 controls. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in vitamin D related genes, including vitamin D binding protein (GC), vitamin D receptor (VDR), and cytochrome P450 type 24A1 (CYP24A1). Statistical interactions were assessed using the likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: Some SNPs were found to be significantly associated with breast cancer risk. For example, breast cancer risk was associated with the GC rs7041 TT genotype (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.51) and inversely with the VDR Fok1 (rs2228570) ff genotype (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.88). Few significant gene-environment interactions were observed between dietary vitamin D and genetic variants. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests certain vitamin D related genetic variants may influence breast-cancer risk and we found limited evidence that genetic variants modify the associations between vitamin D exposure and breast cancer risk. IMPACT: Variation in vitamin D-related genotypes may help to explain inconsistent results from previous epidemiologic studies and may lead to targeted prevention strategies.
Tasoula, Some doctors and researchers are looking into "supplement fatigue", which is another way of saying the body stops absorbing the sups sufficiently. I suspect it has something to do with overloading the small intestines with the fillers and excipients in most supplements, like magnesium stearate and vegetable stearates, which act like a type of chalk and which might possibly coat the lining of the small colon. I probably have a "river" full of fillers and it does concern me a bit. That being said, theoretically a break may help flush this coating out, if it even exists. But I do not feel good about not taking vitamin D and some other important sups for two long weeks. If you feel it is a good idea to take a break, I would not want to stop for longer than 5 days max. Just an educated guess on my part, based on nothing but a feeling and a touch of intuitive insight...!
Dx 3/09 stg1 BRCA neg, 1.4cm IDC + 7mm DCIS, ki67 70 -90%, lump w/re-ex for margin, no chemo/no rads due to delays from secondary health issues; SonoCine every 6 months plus CAM interventions
Doctor wants to put vitamin D to work in the workplace
Jackie Crosby, Star Tribune, Minneapolis Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
02-13-12
Feb. 12--Dr. Greg Plotnikoff has spent more than a decade evangelizing about the health benefits of vitamin D to his medical colleagues across the globe.
Now the Allina Health doctor is turning to corporate America, hoping his message will have new resonance amid soaring medical costs and a fragile economic recovery.
Because vitamin D is believed to be effective at treating or preventing such conditions as low-back pain, allergies, migraines, high blood pressure and depression, Plotnikoff argues that the inexpensive pills can play a key role in reducing "presenteeism," where employees show up for work but don't get much done. Some studies say the problem costs U.S. employers more than $150 billion a year.
In a soon-to-be published study, Plotnikoff, an internist and pediatrician, argues that companies can save $112 to $370 per employee per year in preventable illness and improved productivity simply by encouraging workers to boost their vitamin D.
"Vitamin D may represent the single most cost-effective medical intervention we have today," he said.
Donna, I just sent this to Arlene to post for me because I was having trouble posting....
ESP or what?
Guideline Issued on Vitamin D and Postmenopause CME/CE Faculty and Disclosures processing....
CME/CE Information Earn CME/CE Credit » Clinical Context According to the current study by Pérez-Lópeza and colleagues, vitamin D plays a pivotal role in maintaining skeletal health. There are 2 major forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. The major source of D3 is cutaneous synthesis requiring sunlight exposure, and other sources include gastrointestinal absorption of foods such as fatty fish, eggs and milk. There are 3 categories of hypovitaminosis D: insufficiency, deficiency, and severe deficiency according to the respective cutoff values of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels of 20 to 29.99 ng/mL, below 20 ng/mL, and below 10 ng/mL.
This is a review of hypovitaminosis D in postmenopausal women and recommendations to address low levels of vitamin D.
Study Synopsis and Perspective A European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) position statement on the role of vitamin D after menopause notes that the recommended daily allowance is 600 IU/day, or 800 IU/day for those 71 years of age or older. The new guidelines were published in the January issue of Maturitas.
"There is emerging evidence on the widespread tissue effects of vitamin D," write Faustino R. Pérez-Lópeza, MD, PhD, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, and colleagues. "Epidemiological and prospective studies have related vitamin D deficiency with not only osteoporosis but also cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, infections and neurodegenerative disease. However the evidence is robust for skeletal but not nonskeletal outcomes where data from large prospective studies are lacking."
Based on a literature review and the consensus of expert opinion, the position statement panel concluded that the leading natural source of vitamin D is sunlight exposure stimulating synthesis in the skin. Dietary sources, which are not as significant as cutaneous synthesis, include animal-based foods such as fatty fish, eggs, and milk.
Measurement of serum 25(OH)D levels allows determination of vitamin D status, with optimal levels ranging from 30 to 90 ng/mL (75 - 225 nmol/L). However, different countries vary in their recommendations concerning optimal vitamin D levels. Factors affecting vitamin D levels include season of the year (lower in the winter), latitude, altitude, air pollution, skin pigmentation, use of sunscreens, and skin coverage by clothing.
Obesity; malabsorption syndromes; use of anticonvulsants, antiretrovirals, or various other medications, skin aging, little sun exposure, and living in residential care facilities have been associated with low serum 25(OH)D levels.
The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU/day, but this should increase to 800 IU/day in those patients at least 71 years of age. Postmenopausal women can generally achieve healthy levels of vitamin D though exposure without sunscreens to regular midday sunlight for 15 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week. Ingestion of vitamin D–fortified foods does not necessarily provide sufficient amounts.
When supplementation is needed, either vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) may be appropriate. Depending on the dose used and the presence of renal disease or other comorbidities, monitoring may be indicated.
Specific summary recommendations include the following:
■Clinicians should recognize that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are widespread, affecting up to 70% of European populations (including those living in sunny regions). ■Healthy postmenopausal women may achieve adequate serum concentrations of vitamin D through either sun exposure (15 minutes per day, 3 - 4 times a week) or supplementation with 800 to 1000 IU/day. ■To achieve adequate levels, women with low serum 25(OH)D may need doses ranging from 4000 to 10,000 IU/day. ■Specific tailored doses of vitamin D supplements are needed for women with morbid obesity, both before and after gastrointestinal bypass surgery, malabsorption syndromes, and/or hepatic or renal diseases. ■Adequate amounts of vitamin D and specific bone-conserving therapies are indicated for women with vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis, and/or previous incidental fractures. If there are no associated risk factors for low serum vitamin D levels, doses should be from 800 to 1200 IU/day. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Maturitas.2012;71:83-88. Full text
Related Link The Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health provides an online Vitamin D Fact Sheet that includes references limits, information about dietary sources of Vitamin D, and an evidence based discussion of the role of vitamin D in health.
How much calcium is advisable to be taken with Vitamin D3? We have asked doctor and couldn't advise. My mum is taking 1200 mg of Calcium carbonate(Caltrate) but i have read that you have to be careful with calcium because if it is not needed in high amounts then goes in tissues. My mum's level is 9.3(normal levels 8.6-10.2). Do you know which source of calcium supplements is best( citrate or carbonate) and how much is safe to take)?
1200 mg of calcium carbonate is not an excessive dose. Note, however, that an increase in gastric acid production is a side effect of oral calcium. Obviously not what you need on top of chemo induced nausea. Many oncologists prescribe prilosec and other proton pump inhibitors to block acid production. If you are getting gastritis, definitely raise the issue with your docs.
I take Calcium Citrate + D3 (Citracal), 2 tablets daily = 1260 of calcium. I also take a multivitamin daily and 5k Vit D3 a day. My calcium levels have been in the normal range like your mother's.
Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09) 11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15
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