TAPERING, OSTEOPOROSIS AND CALCIUM

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bevfromwa
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TAPERING, OSTEOPOROSIS AND CALCIUM

Post by bevfromwa »

I started budesonide 9/5/18, tapered to 2 a day on 11/8. On Dec. 15 all the signs pointed to tapering to one a day so I did.Then things got complicated--12/19 I ended up in the hospital for 5 days for back pain, and an MRI showed more than one compression fracture, the one on T8 was very bad, with a questionable mass that indicated a biopsy, which was fortunately negative. I'm still on one a day, probably for at least 2 months, depending on symptoms. The meds in the hospital are what complicated this, but I'm getting back to a semi normal taper. The doctors are exploring "bone cement."

Are you ready for your laugh for today? I kind of did my own thing, including using Alldaychemist for more meds, because my newest GI said I should taper to 2 a day for one week, then 1 a day for one week. Then I'm cured! Wait, what? That's why I, as usual, have taken charge of my own health, of course with much reading on this site, and some helpful feedback from members.

Tex, do we have a contender in the quest for hardest heads?

I'm seeing an Endocrinologist in Feb, meanwhile my primary wanted me to start Calcium--600 mg daily + 600 mg from food. I've read a lot about Calcium causing kidney & gall stones, plus possibility of heart problems. I asked my cardiologist and she responded: I think that the need for calcium in the setting of osteoporosis is more pressing than this concern (which is based on not very good data). 

So my question now is this--what kind of calcium? I see so many out there that include D3 and mag, among other things. I'm already taking D & mag, so want just a pure Calcium.

I'd appreciate any recommendations you feel will be helpful.

Thanks, Beverly
brandy
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Post by brandy »

Hi Bev,

I've taken Citrical calcium citrate in the past and had no problems in regards to MC. I'm not sure if it is considered
"pure" but just wanted to let you know I had no problem with it.
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tex
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Post by tex »

Beverly wrote:Tex, do we have a contender in the quest for hardest heads?
Not that I'm aware of, but your doc might be a contender with that 1-week per dosage stage "taper". :lol:

Supplemental calcium will deplete (use up) some of your magnesium, so you may need to increase your magnesium intake somewhat depending on how much calcium you take.

The only time in my life that I had a problem with kidney stones was when I became magnesium deficient. I'm pretty sure that if I had been taking more magnesium I never would have had the kidney stones.

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
dhouts
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Post by dhouts »

Hi Beverly,

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis a few years ago. A friend of mine who is a D.O., reviewed my dexa scan with me and said:

1) Do not take the drugs for osteoporosis. Fosomax and the like. They are counter productive and the side effects can be horrendous. She explained that K1 removes old bone while K2 rebuilds new bone. The drugs prevent K1 from removing old bone while K2 continues to rebuild. Your next dexa scan will show improvement but really your bones aren't healthy and you will be at greater risk of fracture.

2) She said to add K2, along with the vitamin D and magnesium to my diet. She also said that it was not necessary to add calcium, that it isn't helpful and we get enough calcium in our calcium fortified diet. To date, I have not added calcium in my diet and my latest blood work showed that I was in the normal range. Too much calcium can also cause anemia.

My primary care physician has been urging me for several years to start Fosomax and I'm refusing. I've done a lot of research on it and it is scary stuff. She's impressed with my research but she's also pro Fosomax so the debate with her continues. I've also done research on the calcium issue and everything I've read follows what my friend told me. My PC agrees that I don't need to add calcium and she is happy with what I am supplementing with. So, before you buy the calcium, please research. While I can't follow the diet prescribed by The Save Institute, they do have good articles on reversing osteoporosis and bone health in general. It's worth checking it out.

I'm one of the people her taking ReMag and I added ReMyte because it has all of the additional supplements needed for bone health. That's something to consider as well.

Be well.
Diana
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