Reminder to check your vitamin D levels

[ChicagoDave]

A post on one of the CLL forums about checking your vitamin D levels convinced me to request that test from my primary doctor a few years ago. Although I felt fine, my D level was at 18.1 ng/ml.

The test was for “serum 25-OH Vitamin D” and described Vitamin D deficiency as an amount less than 20 and insufficiency as 21-29.

Since then I’ve taken 4000u daily and am back in the normal range, but still not very high.

I wear a hat with a 2” brim and avoid the sun (and live in a place with harsh winters) so don’t get much vitamin D from the sun. I have a fair complexion. I also am cautious about secondary cancers, particularly skin cancer, which has a higher incidence among CLL patients, since we have compromised immune systems.

So please add this to your routine testing. You may be deficient and not even know it!

[Phiphiminux]

HI I m 62 was dx in 2012 (30.000 Lymphocytes/mm3) watch and wait. I started long sunbaths (middle of France) in 2013 I decided to have tests in 2015 here are the results : february (end of winter!) 36,9ng/ml June 59,9ng/ml september 60,1ng/ml (without any suplement) I see my dermatologist every year since (and there is no skin problem !) I had allways avoid the sun since I was very young because my doctor told me so (i had/have some moles) I think now vitamin D has help me. But since 2/3 years my WBC climb to 190.000 lymphocytes/mm3. My onco wants now to try chemo, I m a little bit tired but not too bad. I decide to wait a little more (no visible lymph nodes)

Philippe

[virdieblue]

Here is something I found interesting. My D levels were very low and even taking 5000 iu a day I only reached 25. I started Ibrutinib 16 months ago. My last D check showed a 42 count. So my question/wondering is - does treatment by Ibrutinib allow the vitatmin D levels to recover?

Virginia

[gp7591 in reply to virdieblue]

VACooper63- Thanks for your post- and that is an excellent question. I hope someone knowledgeable here in the Forum can answer that, as it affects all people (including me) now on Ibrutinib. By the way, a noted oncologist- Dr. Keith Block in Ohio runs a clinic which tests for numerous vitamin deficiencies and levels in treating cancer patients. He has practiced for over 30 years and is well known. His book "Life Over Cancer" is excellent and I highly recommend it. It discusses changing your diet to make your entire body- and its biochemistry- antagonistic toward cancer cells. He is well respected in the medical community and thousands of people have gone to his clinic and done exceptionally well, even when confronting very challenging medical conditions. Do a Google search on him and the book- I think you'll find it quite interesting. Wishing you good health! -G