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Vitamin D Supplementation

This post has 17 Replies | 4 Followers
 
 
 
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Posts 10
 
replied on 08-20-2009 2:07 PM
 

Here is an update which may explain my abnormal testing results.  After posting my original inquiry, I had my vit D calcitriol and 25 Hydroxy retested twice by labcorp and once at Mayo Clinic.  The results are the same.  My Calcitriol level is 111 and my 25 hydroxy ranged from 15 - 30 (higher as summer continued and I received sun exposure). I stopped oral supplementation of Vit D3 after the initial results were received and was not out in the sun until spring (initial testing was in February).  As you read, I went to Mayo Clinic because I was concerned and my local endocrinologist could not find a pituitary reason for the unusual results.  After a lot of testing, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a synovial cell sarcoma in my leg which was removed last week.  While sarcomas are not known to cause elevations in calcitriol levels, other cancers are known to cause an overactive conversion in the kidneys.  I will be followed by Mayo doctors for several years and my vitamin D levels (both liver stores and kidney conversion) will be monitored to determine whether the cancer caused the abnormal conversion.  Other causes such as fungal infections were ruled out.  If the cancer is not the issue, I am sure more testing will be performed.  For now, I have been advised to take a lower oral dose of Vit D3 for overall health (when I was supplementing, I took about 20,000 IU a week).  Fortunately, I show no signs of matastic disease. 

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replied on 09-14-2009 11:44 PM
 

I am so relieved for you!

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Not Ranked
Posts 7
 
replied on 09-24-2009 5:29 AM
 

I started taking Vit D3 in winter '07...gradually increasing the dose up thru 6000 iu / day until in spring '09 I took 10,000 iu per day for a week...right before taking a Vit D test...which came in at 72 mg/nl. This summer I dropped back to 8K iu....and will probably continue this level this winter...going down to 6K iu for next summer.  Can't justify the $40 cost for the test too often...guessing I'm in the ballpark now.  I don't get a lot of sun in the summer...but some in shirt sleeves...and little in the winter.  Do eat sardines and salmon...but take no cod liver oil. Overweight also.

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