Vitamins

[Rosbud]

Please can someone advise me on the best time to take vitamin K2, zinc and magnesium tablets , I’m sure that the advice I receive will as always be the very best , thanks so much in advance xc

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I take my Vit K2 with my Adcal-D3 and other supplements - now in the morning as no longer on Pred.

When I was on steroids, I took with the Adcal evening dose.

Nothing scientific in it, just suited me.

is piccie where I think it is?

[Rosbud in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you so much xx

[Rosbud in reply to DorsetLady]

It certainly is , just across the road A five minute walk away x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rosbud]

I miss the view on the drive/to from work... having worked Southwell for 5 years in the days before "you know who" decamped to outskirts of Bristol.

[Rosbud in reply to DorsetLady]

5 minutes away from that place and now where my Great Grandson goes to school , am looking at the building now from my front window x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rosbud]

I worked right at the back, so good views! …but a long walk from the front door…..good job we had a car park at the rear! ..especially some wet and windy days ….

[bonio in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi, lovely view miles away from the Peak district but i have just been for a week to Pembroke. Not chalk there though. Notice lots of you are talking magnesium as well as k2, D3, calcium etc. I'm not. Would you recommend and how much? Thanks as always for your great shared experience and advice.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to bonio]

Steroids can deplete magnesium which helps the absorption of calcium, also good for muscle cramps…and some sources say good for high blood pressure (not sure)…

Good source, leafy green and some nuts - cashews and almonds.

I have taken in past, but not at the moment, so can’t really advise strengths…

HeronNS is our “go to” person on vitamins - so maybe have a look at this post - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Nextoneplease in reply to DorsetLady]

I have found the above link invaluable 😊Also I started taking magnesium regularly after my already occasional muscle cramps became dire after starting pred! So far, so good, magnesium has been like a miracle worker for cramps 👍

[PMRCanada in reply to bonio]

Just be careful of the type of magnesium you take (absorption is better with magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide can cause upset stomach/diarrhea). The dose recommended here for women (that I’ve read), is 320mg daily.

I was taking 500mg of magnesium oxide and I felt awful with stomach cramps, etc. I chalked it up to a recent diagnosis of diverticulitis, until I read a post from HeronNS about the types of magnesium. Sure enough I was taking the worst kind (for me anyway), and too much. I stopped it altogether for the past two weeks and feel so much better. Now I’ll slowly introduce a lower dose of magnesium citrate. Fingers crossed.

[Rosbud in reply to PMRCanada]

Thank you I’ll check the type I have before I take any more xx

[Nextoneplease]

I’ve wondered something similar. Currently I take Vit D, K2 and magnesium with potassium first thing with two prescribed meds (about an hour before pred); Vit B complex with prednisolone after breakfast; other prescribed meds after lunch; zinc after dinner; magnesium an hour after that with prescribed meds; and calcium and Vit C later in the evening, which is about half an hour before yet more prescribed meds. If anyone knows of any reason why that’s not good, could they let me know please? Many thanks 😊

Nextoneplease x

PS I’m amazed I don’t rattle!

[Rosbud in reply to Nextoneplease]

I know that feeling x

[TheMoaningViolet]

Hi, I take all supplements at lunchtime in order to space them away from Prednisolone which I take with breakfast in the morning. The only exception is Magnesium which I take just before I go to bed. Lovely photo.

[Rosbud in reply to TheMoaningViolet]

Thank you , I think that’s the way to go for me x

[Nextoneplease in reply to TheMoaningViolet]

Thank you TheMoaningViolet 😊 I feel the need to be a bit better organised with supplements but with prescribed meds five times a day, it’s difficult to find a free spot 😳

Nextoneplease x

[Nextoneplease]

I think what I need to know basically is : can calcium and magnesium be taken together and with a prescribed med (but not prednisolone).

Actually that’s helped me think it through - I’ll get on to Google x

[HeronNS in reply to Nextoneplease]

Best not to take calcium and magnesium together as apparently calcium interferes with magnesium absorption. I don't think there is a problem taking magnesium at same time as pred, although have to confess I've never checked as I simply never did. Calcium is the problem element as it seems to interfere with a lot of things, including iron, which I have to take. Maybe a rule of thumb could be to avoid taking calcium with other elements, or with pred, don't know about other drugs.

[Nextoneplease in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you Heron 😊

That’s it then - calcium will have to be moved to the middle of the afternoon when it’s least likely to interfere with anything else! I did try before bed by the way (as you suggested elsewhere), but a) I have prescribed meds then and b) I had some very sleepless nights! 😳

We’re all different - thanks again 😊x

[HeronNS in reply to Nextoneplease]

To the best of my knowledge you can take calcium with vitamins, it seems to be elements which are the problem. If that's any help! And some people take magnesium at bedtime instead of calcium and have found it helps with sleep, have not tried this myself.

[SnazzyD]

Nice photo of a big lump of calcium carbonate. That cliff is good for bones. Not very palatable but easy on the eye.

[Rosbud in reply to SnazzyD]

My go to place for peace x

[Frewen1 in reply to Rosbud]

Would you be willing to share where that lovely place is, or is it a secret? Can’t place it …

[Lutra2 in reply to Frewen1]

Looks like Isle of Portland to me - but I'm in the north of England

[Frewen1 in reply to Lutra2]

Thanks! It is

[Rosbud in reply to Frewen1]

Beautiful Portland xxx

[Frewen1 in reply to Rosbud]

Thank you! xx

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to SnazzyD]

True…but oolitic limestone sounds a bit more exotic!🙂

[Boss302Fan]

I take my Pred, B12, Folic acid, Omeprazole first thing in the morning with water 20 min before breakfast

After eating breakfast I take my K2, Ubiquinol, D3 (2,000 IU) & Vit C

Between 2 - 2:30 (at least 2 hrs after lunch and 2 hrs before dinner) I take Calcium citrate 500mg / D3 400 IU / Mg 200mg & extra 1,000 IU D3 - I take this with milk or food containing fat.***

20 min before Dinner - Probiotics, Omeprazole, After dinner - Zinc

***if I miss this window I take these 2 hrs after dinner.

[Sharitone in reply to Boss302Fan]

The pharmacist tole me the omeprazole should be taken at least 1/2 to 1 hr before pred. My problem is where to fit in the methotrexate!

[MrsNails in reply to Sharitone]

I have MTX INJ & do them about 11am on a Saturday - but not today - feeling rough after my Covid Jab 😵‍💫

[Sharitone in reply to MrsNails]

Thanks, that's when I've been taking mine, with the calcium, so it's good to know I'm not doing something daft. Hope you feel better really quickly❤️

[MrsNails in reply to Sharitone]

Thanks 😊

[Sharitone in reply to MrsNails]

Any better today?

[MrsNails in reply to Sharitone]

Thanks Sharitone - yes l started to pick up late yesterday afternoon & l’ve had a good sleep too. Going to take it easy though 😉Thanks For Asking x

[Boss302Fan in reply to Sharitone]

Interesting. The only minor drug interaction I’ve found is between Prednisone & Zinc not to be taken together (and obviously giving a 1.5-2 hr buffer around calcium). I use Drugs.com app and neither my GP or Rheumy have said anything.

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll check with the Head Pharmacist (and best shot giver ever) to see what she comes up with. Be curious as to what the issue is.

[Exflex]

I started taking Vit K2 when I read that it helped the body’s uptake of calcium in the right place, ie in the bones and not in the arteries. But further read that K2 can make the blood ‘sticky’, ie induce blood clots so stopped as I have recently received a stent in one of my heart arteries.Isn’t Vit K given to babies to help with blood clotting? Is there a difference between K and K2?

With regard to timing, during the daytime sounds best to me. That’s when your metabolism is working best.

[HeronNS in reply to Exflex]

Vitamin K2 and Vitamin K1 are different. There is some thought that they should be given different names to avoid confusion. I find a lot of what is on the internet tends to conflate the two, leading to further confusion, even when Vitamin K2 is mentioned specifically in the article.

Vitamin K2 should not affect your blood. It's vitamin K1 which is involved in blood clotting. As far as I know Vitamin K2 has a minor effect on blood, it's job is to direct calcium into the bones - and Vitamin K1 doesn't do that, nor does Vitamin D. On the other hand, if you have specific issues with regard to blood clotting, or on a warfarin type blood thinner, you should avoid taking Vitamin K2 supplements. Small amounts of vitamin K2 are available in foods like grassfed animals, their dairy products (never grainfed), and some fermented foods, certain types of cheese for example. The human body is also able to convert some of the Vitamin K1 we ingest in the normal course of life through our food into K2, but we do not reliably produce enough when there are concerns about developing osteoporosis.

Here is a reasonably good basic article although you will note that even in this one there is sometimes mention of Vitamin K without a number. You want to look at the sections on bone health and dental health. I can tell you first hand that Vitamin K2 has helped my previously very sensitive teeth a great deal, and also that I improved my bone t-score witout the use of bone medications.

healthline.com/nutrition/vi...

[Nextoneplease in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you again Heron 😊

The link is interesting too x

[Exflex in reply to HeronNS]

As I’m on anticoagulants following a stent to a heart artery, plus aspirin for blood thinning, I was concerned as you may imagine. Thanks for your comprehensive reply, plus the link.

[HeronNS in reply to Exflex]

That is perfectly understandable and in your situation I think I'd just try to get a bit of Vitamin K2 through food sources, like the products of grassfed animals. There really needs to be more research done to find out how safe, or not, Vitamin K2 is in such cases. But this is the sort of thing government labs need to do as big pharma wouldn't make a heap of money!

[Boss302Fan in reply to Exflex]

Https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Proper Calcium Use: Vitamin K2 as a Promoter of Bone and Cardiovascular Health

[healthfxr]

Vitamin K2 (the best type if the natural form of Mk7 there are some questions about synthetic K2 not being active) can be taken at any time.

Some people find that zinc can upset the stomach if it does take it with food. There are a number of different types of magnesium that will depend on the best time to take them. Magnesium oxide is often used but it is poorly absorbed and so you are missing the benefit. The other better absorbed ones are chelated, that means they are bound to another molecule to improve absorption, the "other" but does different things. If you struggle with sleep then magnesium glycinate crosses the blood brain barrier and the glycine bit helps to calm the brain and improve sleep (zinc can also have a calming effect). So take it at night if u want to help sleep too.

Mg threonate helps to boost brain sharpness.

Mg citrate is a good source of mg but it boosts the bowels... it's also used as a laxative!! So increase doses carefully!!

[LCHRISTOP10]

healthline.com/nutrition/be... fat soluble vitamin. Absorbed best with meal or snack containing fat. I use a topical Magnesium spray. Works. If I don’t use the spray twice a day I experience leg cramps. Avoids GI side effects of oral Magnesium.

[Rosbud in reply to LCHRISTOP10]

Thank you will look at this x

[LCHRISTOP10 in reply to LCHRISTOP10]

VIT K is fat soluble.

[Nextoneplease in reply to LCHRISTOP10]

So am I best taking magnesium, Vit D and Vit K2 together? And calcium separately from everything else?

You know there’s always one thing (just the one!! 😂) that you just can’t get your head around….?