I know many of us undergoing Lupron based ADT have been recommended to take 600-1200 MG of Calcium with a vitamin D supplement daily.
An MD friend sent out a blast on FaceBook yesterday about an article in the NY Times on vitamins and dietary supplements. It basically said most are valueless to someone on a healthy US diet. It also suggested that the Calcium/Vitamin-D supplement is to be avoided since it causes increased plaque buildup on artery walls and a greater chance of stroke or a heart attack.
So that begs the question - should we continue taking the calcium/Vitamin-D supplements?
Does anyone know of any papers or studies pro or con about it? Is the suggestion of taking them sort of like "80mg asprin therapy" - a common recommendation from MD's that is now being shown to be pretty much worthless. Is it just something passed on from MD to patient, or patient to patient without factual data, or do we have some facts at hand to help determine a reasonable course of action?
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Don_1213
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Datta and Schwartz reported (see below) that at 200-500 IU/day Vitamin D and 400 mg-1,000 mg calcium supplementation had no effect on men's bone mineral density. Calcium supplementation has been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (see below).
Thanks Allen. I had missed your posting on these links before. They do seem pretty definitive - especially the last paper. Guess it's deep-6 the supplement, and try to find some non-milk milk that's tolerable. So far the later has been a failure - but maybe I just have to try harder.
I'm actually more concerned about the potential for cardo problems caused by the calcium suppliment I'm taking. I think the first step will be getting a bone density test and a blood test to see if it's actually needed.
For healthy people vitamins may be a waist of money. We of the brothers here are not healthy. Cancer patients have low vitamin D3 levels. Plus those of us on xgeva are instructed to take calcium.
I agree with Magnus. My Doctor has prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D as part of my daily arsenal in the fight, he also said receiving the Xgeva plays a big part in why. I trust my Doctor unconditionally so Calcium it is. Never give up never surrender. Leo
Vitamin D is not a vitamin. "A vitamin ... must be obtained through the diet." [1] Also, vitamins cannot be made by the body - but vitamin D can. If a food is giving you adequate D, it is due to fortification.
A 25-D calcidiol test will determine whether you need to raise levels.
Calcium supplementation at high levels is associated with more aggressive PCa. This is probably because it stops the conversion of inert calcidiol to 1,25-D calcitriol.
If you are not taking vitamin K2 (or eating lots of greens at every meal), calcium may not be transported to bone & might end up in arterial walls.
my husband's oncologist's reply to the direct question, ''should i feed him calcium with his Vit D?'' was ''ABSOLUTELY NOT''. when i asked why, she said it would promote the growth of his cancer.
I have been taking the calcium for years, if I had not the bone mets would have been worse, it strengthen the bone. My dr would not let me stop taking it, I get my walking in at least 5 to 6 days a week, 3000 to 5000 steps, it helps to build bone density and strengthens the bones. My mom had spinal bone issues, it may cause coronary issues but my EKG was normal and the scan showed some build up, on a low fat diet ever since my father had a stroke years ago. My brother did not and he had stints, coranary disease and bladder cancer that has returned, both on lipitor, I watch my cholesterol numbers. Now I watch the psa numbers, .4,then .6, then 1.8 now 1.6, will know by the first week what the number is after my blood tests come back, hopefully back down, if not then when I see the oncologist the week after we go from there, my yearly scans showed improvement and no cancer, 4 bone met healed and the others skrunk so looking better, will be 68 this year.
The point that many are missing is that the bone health might be just fine if you eat a healthy diet. If you don't eat a calcium filled diet then you might need a calcium tablet once a day, probably not two tablets though.
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