High Fives: Our Take On Vitamin D3 Was Justified
Once in every little while, I read something that reassures me I am still cooking with gas when it comes to connecting the dots, figuring out what might help our guys stay just a bit healthier over the long haul. For several years now I have been preaching the importance of Vitamin D3: Essential for Health . Now you don’t have to take just my word for it, Mayo Clinic reports the results of a large study which concurs with my take on it.
It is hard to get sufficient amount of vitamin D3 just from the foods we eat. Milk in developed countries is fortified with small amounts of it, but few adults drink sufficient milk to get enough vitamin D3 by that route. Over many millennia, our distant ancestors learned to synthesize this important vitamin from raw materials in their bodies and one other crucial ingredient: sunlight. As you can imagine, running around the plains of Africa hunting wild animals for food with little by way of clothing meant plenty of sunlight exposure. Our ancestors did not suffer from vitamin D3 deficiency!
So what’s wrong with a little bit of sunbathing, you ask.
Well, it would work fine in terms of getting your vitamin d3 levels up, no question about it. Problem is that at the same time it may also increase your risks of skin cancer. I hope you know by now that skin cancers (squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma) are all a whole lot more dangerous when they occur in immune compromised hosts such as CLL patients. I know there are a lot of ill-informed shamans and cancer “gurus” out there that prove their contrarian street creds by suggesting sun-bathing as a way of improving your health. I strongly urge you not to buy into that nonsense. Skin cancer is directly linked to excessive uv-exposure, which in turn means excessive sun exposure (or tanning beds, if you are vain enough to think that is the way to look sexy!) is not good for you. Skin cancer is the single most common secondary cancer in CLL patients. You are smart to avoid this risk to the extent that you can. Case closed.
Anecdotal Stories Painted an Interesting Picture
I got interested in this whole business of vitamin D3 and CLL after tracking anecdotal stories from several of our members who live in the frozen tundras of Minnesota, Nebraska etc. As any sensible person would do given the chance, these guys went down to sunny Florida or Arizona over the winter. And along with the rest of the “snow birds” visiting warmer and sunnier places, many of them spent hours basking in the sun, playing golf, fishing, sailing etc. Here is the interesting bit: often they noticed that their CLL seemed to slow down a bit while they were having fun out in the sun. Their inexorable upward climb in lymphocyte counts took a breather, their lymph nodes became squishy and indolent. Sure, many of them also got bad cases of sun burn and there were the invariable cases of SCC and BCC that had to be treated later on. A mixed blessing, as it were, and not somethng I would recommend.
As a consequence of these anecdotal stories I got interested in disease epidemiology. A number of cancers and autoimmune diseases (Multiple scelrosis is one of them) are much more prevalent in northern climates where there is not much chance of sun exposure over the long winter months. I cannot take credit for this observation, I am not the first one to notice the possible link between lack of sun exposure, vitamin D3 insufficiency and a variety of illnesses. Other researchers have spotted the connection long before I got interested in it. Cancer is one of the diseases that seems to thrive when there is little sunlight. The latest results from Mayo confirm what I have suspected all along, there is a link between vitamin D3 insufficiency and B-cell cancers.
What do you think guys, should I get me a crystal ball and hang out a shingle as a prescient cancer healer? (Not!)
To cut to the chase
We need to make sure we are not deficient in this very important vitamin. These days doctors can do a simple blood test to check for it. If you are a tad low on vitamin D3 (the Mayo press release below gives you the levels you should shoot for), you should ask your doctor about putting you on a vitamin D3 supplement and monitor you until your levels are up to par. You can buy vitamin D3 (“cholecalciferol“) capsules over the counter, no prescription needed, at very reasonable prices. The solution to this particular problem is not increasing your UV and sun exposure – that is an unacceptable route since it increases your risk of skin cancer. For a change, the solution lies in swallowing a daily capsule of the stuff and making sure your doctor is monitoring your levels while you do it.
Without further preening of my ego, here is the breaking news from Mayo researchers. I suggest you click on the link and watch their YouTube video footage as well.
Vitamin D Associated with Survival in Lymphoma Patients
A new study has found that the amount of vitamin D in patients being treated for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was strongly associated with cancer progression and overall survival. The results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans.
“These are some of the strongest findings yet between vitamin D and cancer outcome,” says the study’s lead investigator, Matthew Drake, M.D., Ph.D., an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “While these findings are very provocative, they are preliminary and need to be validated in other studies. However, they raise the issue of whether vitamin D supplementation might aid in treatment for this malignancy, and thus should stimulate much more research.”
The researchers’ study of 374 newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients found that 50 percent had deficient vitamin D levels based on the commonly used clinical value of total serum 25(OH)D less than 25 ng/mL. Patients with deficient vitamin D levels had a 1.5-fold greater risk of disease progression and a twofold greater risk of dying, compared to patients with optimal vitamin D levels after accounting for other patient factors associated with worse outcomes.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Iowa. These researchers participate in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), which is funded by the National Cancer Institute. The 374 patients were enrolled in an epidemiologic study designed to identify predictors of outcomes in lymphoma. Since this was not a clinical trial, patient management and treatments were not assigned, but rather followed standard of care for clinical practice.
The findings support the growing association between vitamin D and cancer risk and outcomes, and suggest that vitamin D supplements might help even those patients already diagnosed with some forms of cancer, says Dr. Drake. “The exact roles that vitamin D might play in the initiation or progression of cancer is unknown, but we do know that the vitamin plays a role in regulation of cell growth and death, among other processes important in limiting cancer,” he says.
50 comments on "Vitamin-D3: Make sure you are not deficient!"
Thanks, Chaya–I’m heading out to buy my D3 supplements today!
Chaya,
Is there any data available, besides anecdotal, that shows the incidence of CLL type cancers may be lower or less severe in people who live year round in warm climates?
This could trigger a mass population exodus to Sedona, just kidding.
Fred
holly:
Please check with your doctor first. Over-dosing on vitamin D3 can be dangerous, it can cause your blood calcium levels to spike to unhealthy levels. It is important to get a blood test done to see what your level is now, then follow up with periodic blood tests to see how it changes as you inctease your uptake of vitamin D3 by means of supplements.
This is the part of patient advocacy that frightens me. I do not want to do harm in the process of trying to do good. Please read the article “Vitamin D3 – Essential for Health” that I linked in my review. It has a lot of details that you should know before you get started. Self medication is never a good thing, talk to your doctor first. That is what you hire him for, to give you medical advice.
Chaya – thanks for the info. This sounds like a no-brainer way to help ourselves.
Fred:
I exchanged emails with one of the Mayo researchers. It seems many of the patients in this study were actually CLL patients and the inferences hold for our guys as well!
Anyone interested in supporting a formal clinical trial to nail this sucker down? We did the green tea trial at Mayo, it is not a stretch to think of a vitamin d3 clinical trial. You guys up for it?
By the way Fred, to answer the second part of your question, CLL and autoimmune diseases such as MS are much less common in tropical countries. But interestingly enough Eskimo populations do not have much MS or CLL either, because seal blubber has tons of vitamin D3 in it and these guys consume lots of the stuff I am told.
Chaya—you really SHOULD get yourself a crystal ball. Just saw your response, after coming back to this page from the very article you suggested. Revised post:
Thanks, Chaya–I’m talking to my doctor about D3 next time I see him!
I’ve had loads of skin cancers so stay out of the sun. I take 1,000 IU of Walgreens vitamin D. Maybe that’s why My CLL has “gone to sleep”.
Thanks Chaya.
Cary
Thanks, Chaya!
I’m spreading the word — and I’m for pushing a study on this, for sure!
Karni
Chaya,
I would be willing to volunteer for a clinical trial.
BW
A good place for information on Vit. D is the Vit. D Council. The Mayo study seemed to use above 25. The Council recommends 60-80. According to their observations, it is very difficult to reach toxic levels of Vit. D. My husband, who has CLL since ’04, now has a level of 67. We wish we had all this Vit. D info years ago. Maybe he wouldn’t even have CLL. Now we are watching to see if this level stabilizes his counts. For the 1st time since previous to treatment, and now since out of remission, his levels have not changed in 3 months. Incidentally it has taken many months to get his levels up. There is a strong indication that chemo blasts the Vit D levels too.
Hi Chaya,
I have been taking 5000iu per day of vitamin D3 for the past eight months and my 25(OH) reading is up from 27 to 68 now. But remember that D3 is more absorbable taken in oil. So I take mine for breakfast with two soft boiled eggs, 4000 mg of wild salmon oil and 2600 grams of Lecithin oil.
Chris W
Chaya,
A good heads-up on D-3. Good highlighted article. You not only get a High-Five, you also get an All-Net a-n-d…a Three Pointer.
William Bates
I talked to a nutritionist about 3 years ago when I was first diagnosed. He put me on a regimen of vitamins (including 8000 units of Vit D) daily and associated pills along with a diet to stay away from starches, red meat, cheeses and milk (use soy milk). Since my doctors weren’t excited about this whole thing, I went back to my old diet, but continued with vit D, 2000 IU/day, then to 4000 IU/day and now 5000 IU.
Doctors don’t seem to have a problem with this vitamin or the 500 mg of Vit C I take daily.
Hello there, Oh Holy Seer,
Thanks for everything you do for us, you truly are the best. I will see Dr. Kipps in January and will make sure to ask about the vitamin supplement and will let you all know what the Chief has to say about this very important and confusing topic.He respects you a lot and will certainly agree with your very educated opinion.Be well Sweet Princess and thanks again,
Patricia in Huntington Beach,CA.
BicycleRider
Hello. I have follicular lymphoma, but follow this site avidly because of all the good info generated for a cancer “cousin”. I also admire Chaya’s dedication and feistiness.
I thought I would chime in to say that vitamin D, being fat soluble, should be pre-dissolved into a fat for proper absorption. Some D-3 supplements do come in an oil base. But if you get a powder in a capsule, you can open the capsule and mix the (tasteless) powder into a fat. I mix the powder with almond butter (yum!). Avoid D-3 supplement in a hard tablet.
All the best,
Jill.
Chaya
Yes, I am interested in participating in a study & to help, if we need it with a study. Please ask Mayo if you get a chance whether or not it makes a difference using a powdered capsule versus a liquid vitamin D-3. Trader Joes makes a very reasonable liquid capaule, which I would think would get into your system faster. I do take 2000 IUs a day, but I am going to ask my doctor for a vitamin d test to check if I am taking an adequate amount.
Thanks as always for your information!
Anne
The life extension foundation’s most recent magazine covered the need for Vitamin D rather extensively. The recommendation is to have a blood test but that from their findings most people should be taking 7000 IUs a day. I was taking 3000 and have boosted to 5000. It would be nice to know what Mayo thinks is optimal for CLL patients.
I’ve been taking Vit D 3 once a day for quite a while now..1000 u
doc told me it was very important – But I wasn’t told that until I started to see Doc CH!
thanks aaain for keeping us on our toes!
Darlene
Chaya
Now that I am being treated with bendamustine, my oncologist has me off vitamins, as she feels vlitamins effect the chemotherapy. but since Vitamin D and calcium work differentlly, I am still on them. Thank goodness.
Thanks for your updates.
rita
Chaya
Thanks for this valuable data. I would be interested in a Mayo clinical study. I have not had my levels checked but will do so when I have my quarterly blood work and Oncology appointment in a couple of weeks.
David
Chaya,
I’ve been taking many supplements (as you probably know from prior posts) but I have been following the D3 story closely over the past few years. Just about one year ago I bumped up my intake to 3000 IU’s daily. All I know is my absolute lymphs and WBC were significantly down at my NIH study at Bethesda last July.
Jim
Chaya,
Low Vit D levels are very common even among my patients in sunny southern California. We doctors have been hammering about sunscreen and protective clothes to prevent skin cancer, but the low Vit D may be an unintended consequence.
On the days I don’t get sunshine (most days) I take about 12,000 IU of D3. and my levels are in the middle range of normal. I recommend OTC Vit D3 to my patients and that is the blood level that should be checked. I would not take a high dose like I do unless you are monitoring your level.
Vit D is fat soluble and so should be taken after a fatty meal for best absorption. Perhaps I need such a high replacement level because of my raw vegan diet
I am a big believer in the important of Vit D, especially for those us with CLL.
Thanks for this good work.
Brian
Hi Chaya,
Love how you take care of us!
Would be interested in participating/contributing to a study.
Is there a recommendation on how often should one have blood levels for Vit D checked? I also eat a rather low fat diet. How much fat does one need for Vit D to be absorbed? Almond butter sounds great…but would that be enough?
Many thanks, as always!
A.
Hi Chaya,
I was found to have extremely low levels of vit D. My blood calcium was also borderline low. After supplementation of 500 IU for many months the levels were up only slightly. I now take 2000 IU daily and will have my blood tested in a few months to see where I am at. I would be willing to participate in a study. My blood counts have been stable.
Thanks for all you do.
Debbie
Count me in on the test. I have been taking 10,000 IU for several months. Currently I’m in the Watch, Wait and Worry group. My WBC hovers around 16,000.
You are the best Chaya and the CLL world is a much better place having you in it! :-)
Steve “theExtremeone”
Chaya
Thank you for all you do for cll patient.
Forever grateful.
Monique
I had been taking 1,000iu/day of D3 for the last year after having three basal cell carcinomas removed. This past October I had a kidney stone, and the urologist I saw said he couldn’t rule out the D3 as a contributing factor. Though I’m still taking the D3 supplement, I’m also drinking more than twice as much water as I was previously. So don’t forget the H2O. (And compared to a kidney stone, a BMB is a walk in the park on a beautiful spring day. . . .)
True, vitamin D3 is fat soluble and it makes sense to take it with a meal. However, I do not think you have to up the ante all the way to a Big Mac cheeseburger in order to do the trick.
I am glad to see some of your physicians are beginning to recognize the problem, monitor you for your Vitamin D3 levels and prescribe supplemental amount if you need it. On a personal note, I take 4,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D3 each day, along with a couple of fish oil (high in omega-3 fats) capsules. But I am a life long vegetarian and this is one of the ways I compensate for my dietary choices.
As for getting a clinical trial going: I was being almost facetious. It takes an incredible amount of work to get a clinical trial going, I know this from personal experience after getting the green tea trial up and running. The “Jab & Dab” clinical trial was a real disappointment.
We also funded the green tea trial to the tune of $75,000. We were a non-profit organization at that time and could solicit your dollars for that purpose. CLL Topics is no longer a non-profit. It takes a different skill set to manage fiduciary responsibility for a non-profit, one that I do not have. PC’s death left a big hole in our “staffing situation”.
Hello Chaya,
You always seem to be one step ahead!
You may like to know that at least one British Doc (haemo) has studied your site after having been pointerd in your direction! I came upon and have stayed with your lot since giving up on God known how many entirely depressing searches, and having been scared witless by reading up pn umpteen trials!
It does seem you have the gift of getting the important essencials from the aticles; I presume you have long practise!
Thank you! The doc described your site as clear and concise, unsentimental and honest! How is that for cum laude! Factual and non-scary too; the lattter from me, not easy when handling such a scary topic!
Gratefully, Mette
Hi Chaya
What a surprise when I saw this email today. After blood tests. Two days ago my doctors office called to say I have a Vitamin D deficiency. I was put on 50,000 units a week for 8 weeks and then 1000 units daily. Im 3yrs CLL watch and wait. I do take IVIG treatments monthly.
We can always depend oon you to keep us informed
Thank You Barbara
Don Eggleston
According to the Vit D Council and popular doctors like Andrew Weil and Memmet Oz, a person should stay away from ordinary vit D and D2 and look for Vit D3.
The idea is to get D3 from a fish oil source (not vegetative). The SOURCE on the bottle should say: cholecalciferol, NOT ergocalciferol.
The virtue in D3 is that it is anti-inflammatory.
I have been dealing with vitamin D for years. The key thing to remember is that once you begin taking vitamin D the number to watch is the serum calcium level — which is pushed upward by vitamin D. Ideally, you want to be taking as much vitamin D as possible AS LONG AS your serum calcium level is not higher than the upper limit of your lab’s “normal range”; if your calcium level is pushed higher — that is, if you become hypercalcemic, the most common presenting symptoms are irritability and forgetfulness. [The second number to watch, at least yearly, is the 24-hr urine calcium level.]
If you are NOT taking vitamin D already, the initial blood tests would be a calcium level [usually part of a “CMP” — “comprehensive metabolic panel”] and a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level; if you ARE talking vitamin D already, the initial blood tests would be a calcium level, a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level, AND a 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D level.
Simplistically, if your physician has no idea what a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level is, then you probably are dealing with the wrong physician on this issue. That being said, one should be quick to acknowledge that this area is complex, and that once one has begun correction of a vitamin D deficiency then one might want to consider consultation with an endocrinologist regarding the patient-specific optimal mix of D3 and D2.
[Myself, currently I am on calcitriol/D3 0.25mcg three times per day plus calciferol/D2 1,250 mcg [50,000 IU] per week, which is the maximum amount my body can handle without becoming hypercalcemic and without dumping too much calcium in my urine.]
The benefits of high levels of Vit D (above 50 ng/ml) are now so well documented, including for preventing and fighting infections, that no should want to get in the arm of a trial that did not maintain above this level. The level in the blood needs to be monitored at least mid-summer and mid-winter as sun exposure changes. Then you and your doc will know much supplementation is needed in the different seasons…assuming the amount of blubber in your diet stays constant. Reports are that 20 minutes a day of full body exposure at the equator is enough for most light skinned people to make all the Vit D that is needed. More than that only contributes to skin cancer. As mentioned above, there has been lots of discussion of this on Life Extension Foundation’s website.
I live in Alaska and have CLL as well as do biomed research. It is true that VItamin D in certain age groups of Eskimos is sufficient and not deficient but actually age seems related to lower levels because the population has less exposure to other vitamin D rich foods, are less active and stay in the house more. We are far North so it is dark and I supplement under my doctor’s guidance and monitor it with a blood test every 3 to 6 months. It is a rather inexpensive test and is very important to monitor given potential toxicity at very high levels. If people want to read more about Eskimo nutritional levels google Luick or Bersamin. But it is only on levels. We are doing a study now with colleagues that might relate it to cancer types if everyone gets on board.
The problem with sun exposure in the winter is whether it is direct enough to provide enough exposure for those in raining overcast climates or places with short days. An osteoporosis research/clinician told my wife if your shadow is longer than you you are not absorbing enough sunlight. Don’t know the studies on this but she lives in a raining place and does lots of research on prevention and treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis.
I appreciate Chaya calling our attention to this important issue.
Gerald
Dear Chaya,
As usual thanks to you for looking out for us with CLL/SLL.
I have been hearing from my internist that I should increase my intake of Vit D3 and at present take 3000/day. My oncologist has never mentioned anything about the relationship between Vit D3 and the immune system for those with B cell disease.
Glad you are safely back in the US and by now maybe back in beautiful Arizona.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Murre
<<>>
Chaya – My offer to volunteer my legal background to help reestablish and run the nonprofit is still open. Please let me know if you can use my help. Thanks!
Vitamin D really helped (almost immediately) with fatigue..
Good timing with this article. On 22 Dec I begin a Chemo series, (third since 2002), and it will be preceded by a bench marking blood draw.
I will be calling the VA Infusion clinc here in Portland Oregon to be sure that they include a measure of my D3 levels.
This series will start with a 2 consecutive day once a month infusion of Bendamustine and adding Rituximab only if treatment results are slow or not as expected.
During the next 6 months, my condition will be closly/frequently monitored and I will be checking in a bit more that usual to share my experience with Bendamustine and the VA here. This VA Hospital has clinical staff working with Oregon Health Sciences University also especially for MS and CLL chronic diseases. Both facilities are located on the west side of Downtown Portland about 1,000 feet above the River running through town.
This coop arrangement has resulted in great skill and knowledge base, I hope as my 1st two chemo runs were with the Northwest Cancer Clinic in Vancouver Wa. When I retired it became necessary to move to the VA inorder to afford my treatments for MS and CLL.
Frank
Hi Chaya:
I love it when you are right. Which is often. Thank you for all that you do, Beth Havey
Hi Chaya:
Can’t thank you enough for all you do for those of us with CLL. I am still watch and wait after five years and even though I live in the “sunshine state” I have been taking vit D3 supplements (1000 iu)daily. You can also add to that list: omega 3’s,selenium,b-complex,green tea,curcumin and an 81mg aspirin. It’s like chicken soup for a dead man, it may not help but it won’t hurt. My WBC hasn’t changed at all during this time.
I know you have said in the past how important exercise is and as a member of Team in Training I do at least two 1/2 marathons a year in my efforts to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Hopefully some of your readers will check it out,find a local chapter and do something good for themselves while helping to find a cure. People should not be intimidated. They really will “take you from the couch to the finish line” and give you a life-changing experience as well. In only twenty years, Team in Training has raised nearly 1 billion dollars for the leukemia and lymphoma society. I think we all need to think about ‘paying it forward’.
“Saving lives one mile at a time”
PETER
Dear Chaya,
My September CBC took a dramatic 20% drop in the WBC and I thought that my carefully planned eating habits, my water intake and my new rest patterns were paying off. My latest CBC, taken in November, had a staggering 40% increase in the WBC. I was a little taken back and have been struggling to understand what happened. Well, this article seems to answer my dilemma with a rational and logical solution.
During the month of June I was in Africa, July and much of August I was out on my sailboat and then I spent the last week of the summer in Mexico. I came back to find my WBC had dramatically dropped 20% and my 1-2cm lymph nodes had disappeared. My oncologist placed me back at a Rai Stage 0. I now think that over the course of the summer I was receiving adequate amounts of Vitamin D.
During October and November I have been busy with work and my Masters Degree and have spent very little time outside. I don’t drink milk in an attempt to keep my mucus levels down. My latest CBC, taken in November, had a staggering 40% increase in the WBC. I believe I have become deficient in Vitamin D resulting in my counts climbing back up to where they would have been at this time if they had not declined two months earlier (my counts are climbing steadily and rapidly).
I have requested and received a requisition to have my vitamin D checked and will begin my oncologists recommended dosage immediately. It will be interesting to see if my WBC drops significantly over the next two months as it did this summer.
Thank you again for your tireless and informative work.
You are a blessing to us all.
Paul
Hi Chaya and all,
I’m a novice at vitamin supplements, but asked my PCP to add a vitamin D test to my quarterly labs. Can someone please help me interpret the results:
Vit D, 25-OH, Total 26
Vit D, 25-OH, D3 26
Vit D, 25-OH, D2 <4
In the results notes, it says my total is "insufficient". My PCP is gone for several weeks, so wonder if someone can explain how "total" is calculated from D2 and D3 or is D2 a subset of D3? What is considered a good D2? Am I correct that D2 is the result of supplementation while D3 comes from internal creation and supplementation?
Thanks !!
Lynn
As for me, I’m sending a copy of this article to my Dr. She said I could go ahead an up my vitamin D but now I’m want to show her the facts. I increased it to 5000 a day. My vitamin D level only came up from 35 last year to 37 and I wanted it higher. My sister is a diabetic and her Dr in Idaho says even diabetics should take 50,000 iu each week because they don’t synthesize vitamin D levels. So what do we need to do to sponsor a trial for the vitamin D levels. I’m in what should we do.
Lynn,
The total is the sum of the D3 (26 in your case) and D2 (0 in your case)
Can’t give medical evidence, but here is how I handle this.
All that matters to me is the D3 level and yours is low, so I would start on supplementation immediately. Most endocrinologists like to prescribe D2, but I like my patients to simply take D3 OTC. Certainly a 1000 of D3 a day would be a safe start, but you will probably need much more
Be well
Brian
Lynn:
I agree completely with Brian. Your total Vitamin D is the sum of vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. At 26 you have insufficient level. Again, I agree that the better path is to take vitamin D3 (cholecalceferol, see the link to more about this in the article). Vitamin D3 capsules can be purchased over the counter without a prescription.
1000 IU (international units) per day is considered safe (but again, I cannot give you medical advice, please be sure to check with your doctor). If upon monitoring after a while your level does not come up to a healthy value, your doctor may suggest you take much higher levels (often on a once-a-week basis).
Chaya and Brian,
Thanks so much for the input. I see my hem/onc doc tomorrow and will get his blessing.
Lynn
Great discussion. Sorry I’m late to join in.
My last vitamin D levels were checked 6 months ago (prior to my CLL diagnosis and were normal). My levels will be rechecked next month. I have a skin disorder called Pityriasis rosea and believe it or not, the treatment involves going to a tanning salon.
My mom (10yrs CLL W&W) is on vit D supplementation. She just went in for a bone density scan and results of the scan are much better than her previous scan. She thinks it’s from the vit D therapy. So there you go ladies; an added bonus to taking vit D!
As a CLL sufferer in Stage 0 watch and wait, my hematologist couldn’t explain constant lethargy and joint aches and pains. She suggested a visit to a rheumatologist who noted a couple of blood tests showing low Vitamin D levels.
A high (monthly) Vitamin D dose early in December has made a significant improvement with the aches and pains – it will be interesting to see my WBC count when I next see my hematologist in early January.
Ian
(Australia)
My Vitamin D level dropped during FCR treatment but taking 10,000 IU D3 a day brought it back to a normal level quickly.
A year on from Chaya’s report, Dr. Hamblin has added thoughts that include a caution to monitor serum calcium levels if taking megadoses of D3 (not the RDA). I have seen many posters on other sites report taking these doses but without mention of monitoring calcium. Dr.Hamblin’s evaluation is on his blog Dec.1, 2010 under Vitamin D and CLL.
Leave a Comment