All- I read this post on the acor mm listserv today and I thought it might be of interest to members.  I consider Dr. Berenson knowledgable on all matters of myeloma and therefore worthy of not.  Thanks Joanna.

David

Date:    Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:45:58 -0400
From:    Joanna FitzPatrick <fitz@WESTNET.COM>
Subject: Dr. Berenson's comments on Vit. D and Calcium

Jim's oncologist has also recently advised he start Vit D and calcium
w/magnesium supplements as a preventative for muscle cramps.  He also
suggested B12 lozenges before bedtime.

Jim's oncologist did not think it was necessary to test his urine calcium
level -  his serum calcium is in normal range and he takes bisphosonates
quarterly.

Here is Dr. Berenson's opinion:
"It's really imperative that you get enough vitamin D and calcium.  We've
only discovered this recently.  We used to think this was not a major
problem, but our bone endocrine colleagues, or our hormonal expert docs on
bone, have taught us vitamin D deficiency, very common in myeloma, calcium
deficiency, very common as well.  So I like my patients to take at least a
thousand milligrams of calcium a day and at least 800 units of vitamin D.

Now, that being said, there are occasional patients with myeloma that lose
so much bone their calcium levels rise.  In that circumstance you need to
lay off vitamin D and calcium until the levels return to normal.  That is
most uncommon today with the bisphosphonates such as Zometa and Aredia,
because they stop bone loss and as a result calcium loss.  So we're seeing
much less patients today who develop high calcium or hypercalcemia than we
did in the pre-Zometa and the pre-Aredia days of the mid 90s."