Can I take Vitamin D at same time of day as Prednisolone?

[Roastcauli]

This is my first time posting here as I have recently been diagnosed with PMR at age 57. I was put on 15mg of Prednisolone initially which improved things dramatically within 3 days. I am now on 10mg and am still pretty pain free as long as I don't overdo things. I am taking Vitamin D but am sure I read somewhere that it should be taken at a different time of day from the steroid as steroids can interfere with it. I now can't find any confirmation of this. Can anyone confirm or advise on when best to take Vitamin D?

[piglette]

My pharmacist says you should leave at least two hours between taking pred and vit D/calcium tablets. It is actually typed onto my packets. I think some people leave it longer.

[Roastcauli in reply to piglette]

Thankyou that's very helpful

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Vit D is fine at the same time as pred - it is if you have a combination supplement with calcium that you need a couple of hours space between pred and the supplement. Calcium and pred interfere with each other,

[Roastcauli in reply to PMRpro]

Ah I see maybe that's why I coudn't find specific advice just about Vitamin D! Thanks

[alvertta]

I take drugs w breakfast. Vitamins lunch. Space them out.

[GOOD_GRIEF]

I try to keep my doses of anything at least 2 hours apart unless directed otherwise.

[ChinaWuntoo]

Another reason for me to be thankful to this forum. I knew about Calcium and Prednisolone but not about Vit D. Neither the rheumatologist nor the GP told me to take it at a different time. I'm on Adcal and Vitamin D o I will take these during the morning or at lunch time from now on. I wonder if this will alleviate some of my fatigue?!

Part of the problem may be that the GP prescribed Vitamin D and the pharmacy simply gives me a generic 'one fits all' container which has no instructions with it.

Ah, just thought - is that why the rheumatologist told me it was "dangerous" for me to take Adcal? My GP put me back on after I'd sacked the rheumy ('though he hasn't taken the hint yet - which was pretty direct, I thought!) because I told the GP that I thought I ought to be prescribed Calcium.

Thank goodness for experts here.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ChinaWuntoo]

How many AdCal? You shouldn't take more than 600mg calcium at a time - body won't absorb it so it is wasted.

[ChinaWuntoo in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro

I take Adcal D3 (600mg Calcium) twice per day, spaced out (no comments, please!).

I have wondered if I should ask my GP to prescribe ordinary calcium but I'm reluctant to push him as he has agreed to my slow slow taper after discussion. I suspect he knows little about PMR so I want to tread gently. I think 2000 units of Vit D and the 400 units in Adcal are ok?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ChinaWuntoo]

"Ordinary calcium"? AdCal is pretty ordinary - all the versions of calcium carbonate are much the same. And yes, 2800 IU of vit D a day is fine.

[ChinaWuntoo]

Thank you, that's helpful.

By ordinary I meant 'on its own without Vit D'. Sorry.

So you think it's not worth mentioning it to GP?

I'm having a bad day - left my diary in the DEXA scan room and have to go back on the underground tomorrow to collect it, swiped incorrectly on my computer screen and it went mad (Google is your friend and we're back to normal now), nearly spoiled the dinner, ....Ho Hum. I actually found the hospital quite stressful - the technician was not user-friendly and was impatient: I think my 'stress' was mainly due to the lockdown, not the fault of the strangeness of the hospital.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ChinaWuntoo]

You need both calcium and vit D so it makes sense to take it together. Some of the studies suggest that having vit D with the calcium reduces the claimed risks of cardiovascular problems. I could imagine AdCal is on their list - can plain calcium isn't...