I have been on Zoladex for 3yrs now & been taking calcium supplements for about a year to combat bone thining.
I take 2 x400mg of Calcium a day one in the morning & one in the night with meals plus I drink a bit of milk.
I am starting to get a bit of bone pain back again mostly hips but thighs & arms also, my previous Pet scan 3 months ago didn't show anything on my hips only my spine which has now been treated my PSA is 0.1.
Question is approx 1000mg a day of calcium enough I also take cod liver oil vitamin D & K.
I'm worried if it take too much I might get kidney stones.
Cheers
Written by
Chubby42
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hiya I did have a bone scan about a year ago which showed some bone thining which is why I started taking calcium supplements but I was hoping someone could tell me from similar experience how much they took, or should I be taking more than the 1000mg whilst on hormone treatment.?
What did your attending physician suggest? You should be getting calcium tested regularly by the attending physician. If you are on a plant based diet eating you are probably getting a good amount so what you are doing may be sufficient.
You should only be supplementing Calcium if your blood levels are low. Taking excess calcium has been associated with encouraging growth of prostate cancer:
Hi Tall Allen yep I have read that to much calcium can also cause cardiovascular problems.So how do you stop bone thining then if your not taking extra calcium. Just through the right food?
Did you have a DEXA scan to confirm osteoporosis? If so, you may need to take a bone strengthening agent (Zometa or Xgeva). Only supplement calcium (or anything else) if serum levels are low.
Hi m8 my scan showed some bone thining, I was advised by my Oncologist to up my calcium intake so I started with supplements, I should also eat more foods higher in calcium I guess.
IP6 has been proven in studies to dissolve stones and also prevent them. Read Dr. AKM Shamsuddin’s “IP6 & Inositol” availabile from Amazon. Also read my posts on Dr. Shamsuddin who is a professor at the University of Maryland Medical School.
Hello, The information you received from Tall Allen is good advice. Prolia (aka Xgeva) is a good drug to take to strengthen your bones and reduce the possibility of a skeletal related event (SRE). The medical name is denosumab. My oncologist prefers it to Zometa (zoledronic acid) because you don't have to monitor kidney function as closely. I take a maintenance dose twice a year (60 mg/ml subcutaneous). I have been taking this drug for seven years and four months and, so far touch wood, minimal side effects. I also take two Calcium and Magnesium tablets (333 mgs calcium/167 mgs magnesium per tablet) every day. In addition, I take two Vitamin D3 (cholocalciferol) tablets every day. Each tablet is 25 mcg/1000 International Units (IUs) or 2000 IUs per day. The reason for this is widespread bony metastases at diagnosis in 2013. Hope that helps.
Hi Ryderlake2 how long have you been taking the Calcium supplements for I have been taking mine for almost a year & just worried about the kidney stones & causing any cardiovascular problems , I'll make an appointment with my Dr & see if I can move to one of these drugs.
Hello, I have been taking calcium since diagnosis with PCa in May, 2013 (seven years and four months ago). This is the same amount of time that I have been on Prolia. I too was worried about kidney stones but was told by my family doctor to take calcium with magnesium and keep under 1000 mgs per day. In my case, I take two pills @ 333 mgs per pill or 666mgs per day. Over the years I have had many scans, a Gallium PET scan, and several bone density tests. No bone problems and no risk of a fracture or skeletal related event (SRE). Hope that helps.
You can stop thinning of the bones by receiving inhibitors of the bone reabsorption by the osteoclasts. Drugs like denosumb (Prolia, Xgeva) or zoledronic acid (reclast or zometa) are very effective to maintain or improve bone density. If your T score in a DEXA scan is low (-2.5) your should request treatment with one of these drugs.
If you're concerned about getting stones.............. Drink water, water and more water............ Stay off cheese and ice cream. Eat fat free plain yogurt (with toast).....
In addition to a bone protecting drug (denosumab or zolendronic acid) as others have said and you should be on - at least the six month Prolia shot. Consider adding Vitamin D3 to your regimen (4,000 IU daily). Search this forum for extensive discussion and references. You should choose a D3 supplement with Vitamin K-2 added. This keeps the calcium going to the bones and not to the cardiovascular system. Calcium supplements may need to be continued initially when you start Prolia or Zometa as more calcium will be taken up into the bones. Need to follow calcium levels regularly to see if normal, high or low and adjust accordingly. That is my opinion and approach.
Are you vigorously walking or even better jogging? The small vibrations transmitted through your skeletal system promotes stronger bones. Weight bearing exercises? Exercising your body will cause it to deposit the minerals in your bones needed to strengthen your bones and magnesium is as important as calcium. Personal trainers call it form follows function. if you want bones like chalk take calcium. If you want bones like ivory take calcium and magnesium. How is your diet? A good diet should supply most of your calcium requirements.
Type "vibration plates" into your search bar. Originally intended for the elderly who were unable to exercise to address bone thinning it wasn't too long before pro sports in particular, the NFL trainers began using the plates to speed up rehab and recovery!
The plates can be helpful if you aren't able to exercise. Some of the NFL players liked the results enough that they bought their own plates to use in their homes.
Reading magnesium is just as important as calcium made me think of potassium falling in a similar category. I could be wrong but I think potassium is needed to take the floating/free calcium and to push it in your bones and articulations where it is needed. Unless that falls under the magnesium's domain and I got potassium confused with magnesium for that.
Thanks Currumpaw I'll be increasing my magnesium, the only exercise I do is I walk the dogs for an hour. But am now looking at doing some more to help increase bone density.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Hormone Progesterone in the treatment of anorexia as an appetite stimulating agent
Hormone treatment questions
Best treatments for metastaic prostate cancer? (Non-hormone resistant)
Calcium and Magnesium supplements
