calcium supplements before zoledronic acid infusion

[Radars]

does everyone take calcium supplement before the infusion, I am due my second infusion tomorrow, I have had a blood test and they said calcium levels ok,they said ok after my first infusion but ended up peeing blood, a blood test doesn't show how much calcium in your bones, and with zoledronic acid infusions reduces calcium so its gonna be a bit dodgy again, I can't take a calcium supplement for my stomach. if I get a uti infection again I will go mad, and refuse anything else, 12 hrs in a/e not much fun.gp and oncologist said it won't be the infusion that caused my uti. rubbish.

[Blearyeyed]

Standard recommendation is that you have your kidney function, calcium and vitamin D checked with blood tests prior to your Z acid infusion.You should take Calcium and Vitamin D supplements for two weeks prior to your infusion , and for at least ten days after it.

You should drink 2-3 glasses of water over two hours just before having your infusion.

An infusion , in itself , may not have caused a UTI or blood in the urine , but it may have caused an effect on your immunity response , or, if your immunity was low or kidney and bladder function was below par when the infusion was done your bodies reaction to any treatment could cause an upset bladder especially if you already had a low grade bacteria sitting about in the urethra for various common reasons, any body stress or jiggling from treatment could bring on a UTI.

There is a lot of debate about Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation recently , with more precautions needing to be considered , especially in regards to patients with coexisting cardiac, gastrointestinal and eye issues because sometimes supplements are good , sometimes they aren't as good if you ranges become too high.

It's why regular monitoring of Calcium and Vitamin D ranges before taking supplements, or as part of an ongoing treatment like Z acid infusions, are so important.

Vitamin D , in the form of an active spray , which you need to purchase as it's not prescribed generally on the NHS can be a better option, and supplementing Vitamin D , even at a lower dose is recommended, even if you choose to get Calcium through other sources with certain treatments like Z acid infusions.

BetterYou do a good spray option.

People with Gastrointestinal issues, or whom have low stomach acid, are on PPIs, or get stomach side effects from taking Calcium Carbonate supplements are better using Calcium Citrate rather than the more commonly prescribed Calcium Carbonate.

Calcium Citrate has less of those nasty side effects like constipation and cramps.

Some GP surgeries may prescribe this with separate oral Vitamin D instead of Adcal D3 , especially if they are aware of your medical reasons which make Calcium Carbonate supplements unsuitable for you.

It's definitely worth ringing your surgery , getting a call back to discuss a alternative for your calcium supplements, and asking to have separate options required.

In the case of people with Gastrointestinal issues they are both better taken after an evening meal with some fat content.

If they don't prescribe Calcium Citrate , much like with the Vitamin D sprays, Citrate is available in animal and plant based forms from the chemist, health food shops and via Amazon.

If your Calcium and Vitamin D blood tests are well in range, there is also the option of taking smaller doses or doses of Calcium on alternate days for the weeks either side of your Z acid infusion just to prevent the risks caused by it.

Increasing your Calcium intake in your food stuffs may also be sufficient for some people , as well as doing some regular weight bearing walks or chair exercises in the open air which can also improve your vitamin D and Calcium levels in the bones.

Increasing your water intake each day and trying the male version of Kegle exercises a few minutes at a time , a few times a day can also reduce your risks of getting a UTI in general as well as reducing those risks when you are having a procedure.

The Bowel and Bladder Community have a website with a downloadable set of Pelvic Floor Exercises for Men or Women.

Just write Bowel and Bladder Community Pelvic Exercises into Google , the PDFs are at the bottom of the page.

They can literally be done without much effort , even while you are doing other things, during daily life but they are worth it.

Hope things go more smoothly for your next infusion, Bee