Should I continue taking my vits if my blood test results keep increasing?

[Bella33355]

Hey everyone, can you pls tell me what to do, I am checking my minerals every 3 months so this is the second time in recent years that my Calcium, Kalium, vit D, phosphorus and magnesium results are pretty good. Each time after checking I fix the dosage and either start or decrease/increase the vitamin usage, now I am hesitant about what to do next. I have osteopenia, I'm 37 (have been diagnosed a few years earlier). I am doing weight-bearing and body-weight exercises 3-4 times a week, my diet has been fixed drastically throughout the past year. So now not sure whether to stop using vitamins at all.

[Kitchenbuddy]

Your body is used to the vitamins and minerals and if you stop you could notice a change in how you feel. Its encouraging that your bone health is improving. I don't know what dosage you are taking so maybe you could cut down a little and see how that goes for you. Great job on the diet and exercise. Maintain and keep improving. Best wishes.

[Bella33355 in reply to Kitchenbuddy]

appreciate you answer, yeah I am thinking of taking half the pills maybe

[dcdream]

Are you working with a doctor regarding your supplements and osteoporosis? If not, it may help to find a specialist, etc. who can assist you on determining what to do next. Folks often forget supplements, vitamins etc are like meds and do impact our body in many ways. There are known facts and research on proper dosages of many vitamins etc. and each body is unique. I personally would seek assistance from someone familiar with your body and personal circumstances than folks on line in a forum. Just my opinion. Good luck with your journey on this.

[Bella33355]

No I don't have a doctor anymore, last time a few years ago she was subscribing me Fosamax, another one just told me to check my blood test results and take vitamins accordingly. In my country they don't take this "condition" seriously, or when you express fears about what's coming, they are prescribing bisphosphonates. That's not professional, that's why I have created a plan for me which helped me so far, but now since my test results keep elevating, I am in two minds.

[Arie4 in reply to Bella33355]

I applaud you for your actions & progress!

I do understand being ‘of two minds’ very well & I’m very sorry that I don’t have an answer I just wanted to say, that as a person who also took my GP’s recommendation to start PROLIA, you found a holistic path instead. I’m proud of you & happy for your successes. Best of everything to you.

[Bella33355 in reply to Arie4]

thank you for the pep talk

[yogalibrarian]

Supplements are used to make up the difference between your body's requirements and the nutrients you get from food. Sometimes people try to use vitamin/mineral supplements as a replacement for a good diet. (And sometimes people live in food deserts/food swamps where supplements are their best nutrition option.)

How much you need to supplement may vary from day-to-day for some nutrients. For example, the target amount of calcium FROM ALL SOURCES -- food and supplements -- is 1000-1200 mg/day. If your intake on a given day includes a couple of slices of 3-cheese pizza you might not need as much of a supplement.

Some of the calcium-related problems that have been observed occurred in people with a high calcium diet who also took a calcium supplement and a multi-vitamin -- putting them way over the 1000-1200 mg level.

On the other hand, it is almost impossible to get the needed amount of vitamin D from food alone. And for various reasons (including skin cancer concerns) many people cannot get their vitamin D from the sun. So many people will need to take a vitamin D supplement.

You've taken steps to get your nutrient levels into the recommended range. But the amount of supplementation needed to get you to the proper levels may be different from what is needed to maintain the recommended levels. So rather than stopping the supplements you may need to adjust them.

[99real]

Can you consult with a nutritionist? Or functional medicine doctor? These professionals usually don't take insurance but they treat people holistically and understand the role of vitamin/mineral supplementation more so than most primary care physicians.

[Bella33355]

appreciate your answers, will take the advice.

[StrongFuture]

You've received some great advice here and you are on top of this with your exercise regimen and trying to get most of your bone nutrients through food. I just wanted to add one additional piece for you to know. (I wish I'd known this when I was your age.) You are most at risk of significant bone loss in the years following menopause due to the decrease in estrogen. Be sure to be monitoring your bone density closely when you reach that point in life.

[Bella33355 in reply to StrongFuture]

I will thank you for the advice, because I know that my AMH levels are very low already in comparison to the women of my age

[Bella33355]

a quick update here: I have spoken with an endocrinologist she said I need to take the supplements when necessary depending on the blood test results, meanwhile I need to make sure to eliminate other underlying problems like hormonal disorders etc that affect my bone health, so I told her that in fact I do have estrogen issues, and last year I was trying to fix them, but because of the severe abdominal cramps caused by the lactose intolerance we had to stop the treatment.

[Tlflom]

K2 sends minerals to your bones rather than depositing them in vessels and organs. It is always a good thing.