I am about to stop taking alendronate after weighing all the pros and cons. The general advice seems to be if a bone scan shows normal density wait until needed with the alendronate, as it seems a maximum of 5 years for medicating is advisable. I'm a complete novice and this is only my opinion.
So i believe it is possible to over dose on calcium, i have a good balanced diet and do try to take as much calcium rich food as possible but even then its not always possible to reach 1000 mg per day. So should i take a supplement or not ? I do take a vitamin D supplement. Thank you, Jud
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Jud666
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In common with many others I take chewable Adcal ( vit D and Calcium). I had a very good bone scan result and didn’t want to risk adverse effects from Alendronic Acid which seems to be prescribed routinely.
I also have a Calcium rich diet and take exercise. As I understand it I am taking all this Calcium because Prednisalone depletes it. I have not been warned of taking too much. I do experience urinary irritation from time to time and I believe that can be linked.
You’re probably better off getting as much as you can via your diet, and taking a small calcium supplement. There’s only so much we can absorb from supplements, so no point taking mega doses, better to split the dose through the day.
Also check out VitK2, prunes. And make sure your diet contains magnesium and phosphorous.
You can overdose on calcium but i have no idea what that takes in any one person because it is affected by a number of things including certain medications. I take 400mg calcium carbonate every other day and 800iu Vit D daily. This is hunch medicine and nothing scientific but my levels of both seem to be ok.
You need Vit D because they work in tandem. Have you had a blood test to see what your Vit D level is? If you are low, you will need a very high dose for a few months before going back to maintenance doses. I had a hunch I was low before all this blew up an asked for a test, to be told it was very low. I started to feel much better within a month. There has been some finger pointing at low Vit D being implicated in autoimmune disease.
Pred makes the body lose calcium through the kidneys because it interferes with absorption. A study found that the supplement level we are generally given protected from bone density loss. It worked for me for the first 7 years I was on pred - almost no change in bone density but haven't had a dexascan in the last year or so.
Definitely agree with SnazzyD to have your vitamin D level checked. In spite of taking a supplement of 400 IU every day for 8 months after I was diagnosed with PMR, my blood level was found to be too low. I was given a megadose of 50,000 IU once a week for 8 weeks. For the next 12 months I was on 1200 IU a day, only to find my levels had fallen again. My GP has now increased my daily vitamin D to 1600 IU a day.
My supplement contains 1200mg calcium a day, as well as a diet with a pint of milk, some yoghurt and cheese most days, as well as the calcium from other foods.
I've never felt any adverse effects, such as urinary symptoms.
Thank you, you have answered all my questions ! I do try to eat and drink as much calcium as possible so didn't want to overload. I shall now take my calcium tablets. I will speak to GP about a vit D check. I have three pages of blood test results here, but doesn't appear to include D. In this test i have 2 calcium results, not sure what either mean, can you throw any light. Serum calcium level 2.30mmol/L and Calcium adjusted level 2.26mmol/L (2.2-2.6). Sorry if i'm asking too much !!
Your calcium levels are very similar to mine! The figures in brackets show the normal range, so yours of 2.26 is within that. Calcium in our blood is not only a function of what we take in, but also affected by how we metabolise it. Our thyroid and parathyroid glands and our kidney function and many other factors affect the blood levels. If you feel you want further explanation and reassurance, then ask your doctor to explain it! However, as the figure is within the normal range, I wouldn't worry, if I were you. Definitely ask for the vitamin D check, as without sufficient vitamin D, we can't use the calcium to best effect for our bones.
Don't worry about asking questions - we'll try to help or say if we don't know. It won't be long before you're helping others!
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