Calcium qty to take daily for bone strength

[Bennijax]

Can someone help me with what is the best advised quantity of calcium to take daily and in what forms?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The usual supplement is 1200mg calcium carbonate, equivalent to 600mg calcium, and 400 IU vit D, and you take 2 tablets daily, at least 2 hours away from your pred and as 2 separate doses. That is all the calcium the body can absorb at one time so the 2x dosing is important. There are versions with single dosing - you will only absorb about 500mg of the calcium. The vit D level in those tablets is minimal - I take 4000 IU of vit D I buy separately and you need at least 2000 IU in the UK, summer and winter.

Some people struggle with calcium carbonate, it can upset your stomach as it is effectively just an overdose of Rennies and too little acid doesn't suit some people. It is best to take it with a meal which does seem to reduce that effect. My husband uses calcium citrate - more expensive and we have to buy it ourselves but he is fine on a single dose per day, the recommended 2x is too much and his blood calcium level goes up. It is worth keeping a food diary and working out how much calcium is in your diet - I stopped using the AdCal type supplement because I had bladder problems and just make sure I have plenty of dietary calcium. Too much calcium isn;t good either.

[Amkoffee in reply to PMRpro]

For what it's worth and I can't remember the source but I read that if you take omeprazole or a proton pump inhibitor you need to take calcium citrate because the PPI will keep you from absorbing the calcium carbonate.

[Rugger]

Have a look at the Royal Osteoporosis Society's website too.

theros.org.uk/information-a...

[Karenjaninaz]

I don’t take any calcium; I eat calcium rich foods. I reversed my osteoporosis using a study protocol which Included. strontium citrate., vit K2. There were 2 study protocols one in Canada the other in Duquesne University. The first study was a small study but had very good results; the second study was larger and they even studied the bone metabolites in the blood so it is more extensive. Presented the studies to my physicians before I tried it because I could not tolerate calcium of any type, I tried Forteo and ended up in the hospital with shortness of breath, and I couldn’t tolerate Fosamax. All this while taking prednisone. Measurements were on the same machine.