D3 and Calcium?

Hi again

I was prescribed vitamin D supplements on my last visit to doctor's, (had a Medichecks result that was slightly low, 36 nmol/L (50 – 200)

I began taking a supplement (on advice from folks here about dosage) soon after.

Just had a look at the prescription and realised it was a combination with calcium. My last full blood count was in March and my calcium levels were higher than the previous test in December 2017, near top of range.

Should I take them when present ones finished (in just under 2 weeks), or get advice and probably a blood test first? Here are the details:

Serum Calcium

Dec 2017 2.36mmol/L (2.20-2.60) “adjusted level” 2.39

March 2018 2.50mmol/L (2.20-2.60) “adjusted level” 2.52

At the moment I'm taking Vit D 5,000 iu with magnesium and K2 (“Loading dose”)

Prescribed vitamin D with Calcium. Vit D 200 iu and Calcium 750mg x4 per day = 800 iu and 3,000 mg

Thanks

[Hidden]

PS, I drink a lot of milk and like cheese very much, which again might increase calcium levels. There is no history of osteoporosis or even broken bones in my near family. Even when I had a heavy fall a couple of years ago (in my late 60s) and thought my hand might be broken it turned out to be only a bad sprain. So I probably don't need calcium!

[greygoose]

I very much doubt if you do need calcium! It's not the most important nutrient for bones, anyway. And taking vit D will increase your absorption of calcium from food - which is why you need the vit K2, to make sure it goes into the teeth and bones, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues. Excess calcium from supplements can cause heart attacks and kidney stones! Such a shame doctor understand nothing about nutrition, and just hand out supplements willy-nilly like that!

What was your vit d result? Because that looks like a very small amount of vit D to me. But, far too much calcium.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Thank you GG. My D result was 36 nmol/L (50 – 200). I think I will ring the surgery about it. Definitely won't be taking those tablets! Especially as I'm supposed to take 2 x2 a day (total 800iu, instead of just 1x5,000iu). When the 5,000 ones are finished I will have to take a lower maintenance dose and get another test.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

I wouldn't have said, personally, although I'm no expert, that 5 000 is a loading dose. I would have thought you needed a lot more than that with such a low vit D. But, as I said, I'm really no expert, and hopefully someone who really knows - like SeasideSusie will come along and advise you.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Oh, I'm almost sure that someone on here advised this amount (as long as it was with enough K2). Problem is the high dose D3 is so expensive, even at 5,000 units

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Well, as I said, I'm not an expert. Sorry, but I don't see what the amount of K2 has to do with your vit D being the correct dose. The K2 has nothing to do with the vit D itself, it's to do with the extra calcium that is absorbed from food when taking vit D.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

All I know is that a high dose of D3 needs K2 taken with it

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Yes, it does. So do low doses. Whenever you take vit D, at whatever dose, you should take vit K2 - MK7. But that does not mean that the K2 makes a low dose of vit D more adequate. And I don't think your dose of vit d is adequate. I think someone gave you the wrong information.

SeasideSusie , help! I'm out of my depth, here!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

"SeasideSusie, help! I'm out of my depth, here! "

Me too

I understand that K2 helps direct Calcium to bones instead of blood or other tissues where it can do harm. But that's about it!

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

[bantam12]

Your calcium is ok where it is you certainly don't need it any higher so personally I would ditch the combined supplement and just take a vitd.

[Hidden in reply to bantam12]

Thanks, I'm just glad I thought of checking my calcium levels!!!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jnetti

You're not taking a loading dose of D3. That would be prescribed by your GP if your Vit D level had been <30 and total loading doses would be 300,000iu over a number of weeks.

If you look back at your previous thread about low Vit D

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I mentioned that the Vit D Council recommends a dose of 4,900iu D3 daily to bring your current level up to their recommended level and that you'd need 5000iu as you can't buy 4,900iu dose.

I linked to a D3 5000iu softgel which cost £8.99 for 180, £13.95 for 360 or £23.95 for 720. I think those prices are very reasonable for such a good quality supplement.

I also mentioned the cofactors needed when taking D3 and that 90-100mcg K2 is enough for up to 10,000iu D3.

In your previous thread you said that you'd already bought some 25mcg D3 (1000iu) and I said to save them for when you needed a lower dose. You never mentioned being prescribed a prescription D3 with calcium, and with your results I wouldn't be taking that.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry, always had a VERY poor memory for numbers (used to absolutely dread mental arithmetic sessions in school, and still struggle with times tables) . I am still taking 5,000iu at the moment, as you recommended. Thought that was what they call a loading dose.

I forgot I had been prescribed D3, and only just picked up the script the other day. I was very surprised to realise there was calcium in it.

And of course they are too low a dose (NHS cuts no doubt)

[Nanaedake in reply to Hidden]

Just checking, but have you had symptoms of low calcium? If so your GP may have prescribed calcium for a reason, might be worth finding out? You can have normal calcium levels but not be getting enough calcium because your body will take calcium from your bones to keep your levels normal. Or your parathyoids might become too active during menopause.

It could depend on your age and other factors so might be worth just checking it out. I had no history of osteoporosis in my family and no lifestyle or health risk factors, except for thyroid disease, and took vitamin D3 and K2-MK7 but still got osteoporosis and it's a nasty disease. Of course, I've no medical training so I'm simply relating my experience and I'm thinking it's worth checking the reasons why calcium's been prescribed to find out whether it's really needed or not.

[Hidden in reply to Nanaedake]

Well my blood levels on the last test were almost too high, and higher on the second test than the first, so it seems unlikely. But you never know.

I actually saw a practice pharmacist not the GP (they are able to prescribe), so maybe she didn't notice the Ca levels and just assumed. I was 70 this year so well past menopause, so it could be...

Anyway, I went to the surgery this afternoon with the query, and hopefully they will check it out

[Nanaedake in reply to Hidden]

Yes, sounds like pharmacist made assumptions. Hope you get it sorted out.