Taking alendronic acid with other tablets

[widan]

I also take levothyroxine and Vitamin D3.I take the alendronic acid first thing in the morning.How long should I leave it before I take the other tablets?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

widan

This is from NHS website

nhs.uk/medicines/alendronic...

8. Cautions with other medicines

If you've been prescribed alendronic acid, do not take other medicines that you have to take by mouth (orally) at the same time. This is because it enters the stomach, soaks up the alendronic acid and stops it working properly.

If you do need to take another medicine by mouth, wait for at least 30 minutes.

Some medicines can affect the way alendronic acid works.

Tell your doctor if you're taking:

supplements or multivitamins containing calcium, iron, magnesium or zinc

antacids to relieve indigestion or heartburn

laxatives containing magnesium

cancer medicines such as bevacizumab or thalidomide

steroids such as prednisolone or dexamethasone – these may increase the risk of damage to your jaw bone

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, which can increase the risk of irritating your food pipe, stomach or gut. Taking low-dose aspirin is OK

antibiotics such as gentamicin, amikacin or tobramycin – these can lower the calcium in your blood

deferasirox, a medicine used to remove excess iron from the body – this may increase the risk of bleeding from your gut

Also tell your doctor if you are having chemotherapy.

Mixing alendronic acid with herbal remedies or supplements

There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with alendronic acid.

So I would follow the general advice here and leave 2 hours (also remember that D3 should be 4 hours away from Levo).

[widan in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much. This is very helpful and reassuring.

[waveylines]

I've been prescribed Alendronic. Currently on a break. Its once per week. So empty tummy large glass of water & sit upright. My instructions said one hour before anything else. So that's when I'd have my thyroid meds.....then another wait. Late breakfast! Lol....So I always took it at the weekend when I wasn't working. Hope that helps.

[APAscot in reply to waveylines]

Exactly what I was told.

[widan in reply to waveylines]

Thanks so much...this is very reassuring.

[FearFracture]

Since 2017, I’ve taken levothyroxine daily. I took alendronate every Sunday from Jan 2020 to July 2021. My pharmacist told me to take the alendronate 1st in the morning on an empty stomach with a full glass of water and to remain in an upright position, wait 30 minutes, then take my levothyroxine with a full glass of water and wait another 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything other than water. Also vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium should be avoided for at least 4 hours after taking levothyroxine.

I no longer take alendronate but still take levothyroxine daily. I don’t take any vitamin D, calcium, or magnesium supplements w/i 4 hours of taking my levothyroxine but I don’t avoid foods that contain any of these vitamins/minerals. As a matter of fact, every morning approximately 1-2 hours after taking my daily levothyroxine, I drink 8 oz of milk. Because I dealing with osteoporosis and want to prevent further bone loss, I refuse to go too long with out giving my body some calcium via my diet. Also, the last thing I take before going to bed is a calcium supplement.

[widan in reply to FearFracture]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. It's reassuring that everyone is saying the same thing x

[FearFracture in reply to widan]

Since you are taking alendronate and levothyroxine, pretty safe to assume your are in the same boat I'm in, hypothryroidism and osteoporosis. Lucky us

Last January, when I started researching how to make my body absorb more calcium, I learned that taking more than 500 mg of calcium (via diet or supplements or both) at one time is a waste, the max your body can absorb is approximately 500 mg, so I changed my calcium supplements to Citracal Petites (each pill is 200 mg) and make sure that, between my diet and supplements, I get 1200-1500 mgs of calcium every day in small doses throughout the day. I also decided to make calcium the last thing I take before going to bed.

In November 2022, just before having my 1st BTM (bone turnover marker) blood tests, I was searching for info and found this nps.org.au/australian-presc... which pretty much confirms my decision to take calcium right before bed. The research states, "The intake of food influences bone turnover. Dietary calcium appears to inhibit bone resorption. Calcium supplements taken in the evening significantly reduce resorption markers, in the fasting state, the next morning."

Also, never exercise without getting a good dose of calcium first. I read the Calton's Rebuild Your Bones ( caltonnutritionstore.com/pa... ) and they recommend this and here's a study that seems to support their recommendation pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/359...

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in July 2019 at age 50. If you are interested my DEXA t-scores are posted on a link under my bio. Don't know where you are in your bone health journey but the osteoporosis groups on this website are very helpful and everyone is super-supportive.

[waveylines in reply to FearFracture]

That's interesting FearFracture. I've always taken my calcium at bedtime....mainly because it fits better with the rest of my daily regime. Really important that your vit D level is optimal. Too low & you won't absorb calcium.

Mine is a result of having had to go on an estrogen blocker.....7yrs. Known to weaken bones....lol.