Spoke to our lovely pharmacist recently.I gathered a family member has PMR, I guessed her mum.
She kindly reviewed what supplements and medicines I was taking ( I only take stuff due to PMR and Osteoporosis). I take 2 tablets of Boneregen lunchtime and suppertime.
She was keen I introduce vitamin C daily feeling it, will help with the absorption of the other vitamins and minerals I take.
I questioned why do the NHS / Boots not have K2 in the calcium, Vitamin D mix they prescribe /sell ... she said they are behind the times...!
She suggested for me not to take any calcium supplement until the evening that I take Bonesto ( AA) also not to take my Lansoprazole that day, unless I get stomach acid effects that day.
Lastly she wanted me to include Manganese from food so I add a small amount of Maca powder to my morning Kefir. I thought the Boneregen had it in in but she pointed out no that's Manganese which is different...
I felt she was in top of the game and knowledgeable..
Written by
TandemTime
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Thank you, that’s helpful. I am having a second look at my supplements that I haven’t changed for a long time . Could you explain what you mean by not taking Lansoprazole “that” day. Do you not take the Bonesto every day? Also, do you take 4 tablets of Bonesto a day or do you mean 1 twice a day? One more thing, you said Manganese was different to Manganese. Did you mean something else? Sorry to be so confused. It’s still early in the morning for my brain🙂
And mine !! I just take the Bonesto ( Alendronic Acid prescription which is a fizzy drink I have found much kinder than the AA tablets on my stomach) once a week and now no Lansoprazole that day, I presume she thinks it might not help with the uptake of it.
Then just to confuse the other thing I take is ''Boneregen'' which I buy on the internet by Time Health as it has a mix in including the Vitamin K2 and some calcium plus things like Collagen . I do not want to take too much calcium as already take a lot from foods, but want a top up and this offers that for me. I was finding it hard to take one x 4 times a day and the chemist thought I could take all together ( I kept forgetting 1 x 4 a day) so I emailed Time Health and they suggested to take 2 x2 a day which is less to remember.
Weirdly you have made me look at the bottle again of Boneregen, I see it says it contains Magnesium on the front, but I think the chemist read what type on the back as she said its Manganese ( as Bisglycinate) to me. Honestly we seem to have to learn a lot with all this! May be someone else on this site knows more ? but I think I will Google when time allows.
The spelling is so close and I am dyslexic so I really have to look hard at it and Magnesium is very close in spelling to Manganese !
One thing I would ask do you really need vitamin C? Apparently over 90% of vitamins sold over the counter are not actually needed. On the other hand some are! In the case of vitamin C most people get enough vitamin C from a balanced diet. If your doctor says you need it that is a different matter. The thing with vitamin C is that you just pee the extra out, so it can be expensive pee!
Yes I appreciate what you are saying ...I never used to take it except, if I or someone else around me had a cold.
I think the slow release version at a guess might be best or to save money take half a tablet? She never suggested a big dose was necessary. This pharmacist was not selling in, as she was advising against the calcium and Vitamin D mix as there was no K2 in it on the shelf...so I can only presume she was trying to be helpful!
What I don't know is if some of the vitamins and minerals are not taken up the the same as they could be, without the Prednisolone. We seem to know our immunity is not so good so may be there is a link there?
Vitamins are taken up by the body in different ways. Some can be toxic such as vitamin A, calcium, iron or vitamin D. In fact vitamin D is not technically a vitamin, but rather a hormone or prohormone. Problems often happen when people take multi vitamins and also just one vitamin type together and so can overdose not having checked the contents of the multi-vitamin tablet. The supplement industry is VERY lucrative with the global market expected to reach $185.1 billion in 2025. That is an awful lot of tablets many of which are not needed.
Yes 100% agree I was taking a mix to get Omega 3 etc and realised I was going to get too much vitamin A..
Best to eat the right food is what I have always thought! Yet with my poor Dexa something has gone wrong quite quickly, some of which is down to the prednisone so I am having to re evaluate what it might be doing on the quiet. Now backing a few more horses with these supplements but at hopefully a sensible level... none of this high dose stuff !
Since your post about an hour ago I chopped the vitamin C into 4 portions. I think that will do me nicely twice a day. So only half a tablet per day...as you say the rest will just end up in the pan anyway!
She just said Vitamin C and not bothered if I was buying ( it was in Boots ) . Next time I go in I will ask for more information on the vitamin C as it does not seem here that others have had this suggested to them...This is why I put it here to get some feedback 😀
Just googled this ...May be it's because of collagen, that she thought it important? ( However you are getting it! )
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is crucial for various bodily functions, including forming collagen, aiding in wound healing, supporting the immune system, and helping the body absorb iron.
Thank you for sharing this. It is always useful to hear what people have been recommended. I am currently looking for a calcium alternative to the calcium carbonate (in Calci-D that I have been prescribed). I like the list of ingredients in Boneregen, I might give it a try.
Like some of the other comments I’m surprised at the notion of a vitamin C supplement unless you’ve been identified with a deficiency. I’ve always understood a varied diet including fruit and vegetables is more than enough for most people. My job in the long and distant past was working in the public analysts dept and one of the labs used to test urine from residents in council run care homes for vitamin deficiency invariably there was a good level of vitamin C because as piglet says you just pee out the excess. As for absorption of drugs such as iron pills you are always advised to take them with a piece of fruit or orange juice. Was the pharmacists implying that the medication you take for PMR and Osteoporosis is seriously depleting you vitamin C levels? I don’t think I’ve had anything that would test if my vitamin C retention has fallen to a low level.
I am going to try and ask her this week if she's in ! The only link I can find is for those taking collagen type 2 for in the hope of helping their osteoporosis. I notice they seem to add a small amount of vitamin C to the collagen preparation.
There is a study ( I think Italian , I will see if I can find again) which proved that the adrenals produce vitamin C when put under stress. It has led me to believe that my adrenals need all the help they can get , so I take it!
I just googled to ask the link between vitamin C and Adrenaline. This was an AI summary, that it came up with.
Vitamin C plays a crucial role in adrenal health, as it's a cofactor in the production of cortisol, a key stress hormone, and helps protect against oxidative stress, which can damage the adrenal glands.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Vitamin C and Cortisol Production:
Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of cortisol in the adrenal glands, a hormone vital for the body's stress response.
Adrenal Health and Oxidative Stress:
The adrenal glands are highly metabolically active and therefore vulnerable to oxidative damage. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect the adrenal glands from this damage.
Vitamin C as a Stress Buffer:
Some studies suggest that vitamin C supplementation may help reduce cortisol levels and improve subjective stress responses.
Adrenal Insufficiency:
In cases of adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisol, vitamin C deficiency could potentially exacerbate the condition.
Other nutrients for adrenal health
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is also necessary for adrenal hormone production
I was taught at school at vitamins A,D,E,K were all fat soluble, meaning both B and C will get flushed away if you have more than you need. As mentioned above its the fat soluble vitamins you don't want to 'overdose' on as they get stored...
I was recently advised to take Vitamin C by the chemical pathologist who is reviewing my high cholesterol. I was asking her about the connection between cholesterol and cortisol, particularly if lowering my cholesterol would effect adrenal recovery as I lower my pred dose, and she came up with this suggestion.
I don’t understand much about the curious function of the human body especially when it has gone a bit haywire, but I’m always grateful for recommendations from knowledgeable professionals (although we all know from this forum that there are plenty of professionals who don’t give good advice!!).
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Vitamin D and calcium
PMR and Vitamin D and/or D3 deficiency
Calcium and Vitamin D
Vitamin K2
Vitamin D confusion
