Can I drink Calcium Citrate Powder in Water?

[TREESE]

Hello! My Main Question: I am changing some of my supplements and am trying out NOW Calcium Citrate Powder instead of my former Caltrate Tabs. The usual way they recommend taking it is in pulpy juices like Tomato or Orange juices. But, because of my MC, I don't drink those juices. So, will it be as effective if I just put the powder in warm water and drink it?

Secondly, must I also increase my Freeda Vit D3 and my Doctors Best Magnesium intake because this Calcium Citrate does not include Vit D3 like my Caltrate did.

Thanks! Have a Good Health Day!
Treese

[tex]

Calcium carbonate is a natural ingredient (created by nature), whereas calcium citrate is man-made. The key difference between calcium carbonate and calcium citrate is that the calcium in calcium carbonate has an alkaline basis, whereas the calcium in calcium citrate has an acidic basis.

Calcium carbonate is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world (most notably as limestone, but can also be found in chalk and marble). Its the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, and eggshells. It's formed in nature from carbon, oxygen, and calcium.

By contrast, the calcium in calcium citrate is complexed with citric acid for enhanced solubility.

I have no idea whether ingesting a calcium citrate supplement in water, rather than a citric acid-based beverage, will be adequately effective. I would suspect that if a citric acid solution is recommended, then it's probably a necessity, in order to get proper absorption. However, note that this is just a guess, because I'm not a chemist.

How your body reacts to the change will probably depend upon your stage in the healing process. Before we reach remission, most of us are unable to tolerate significant amounts of citric acid. But as our digestive system heals, we're able to tolerate increasing amounts of citric acid. That said, from a practical perspective, unless your immune system is still ultrasensitive, you should be able to easily tolerate the small amount of citric acid In a calcium citrate supplement. That's just a guess, of course, because we're all so different, that very few things about MC are chiseled in stone.

As far as vitamin D is concerned, if you're only taking a relatively small dose of vitamin D, separately, then you might need to increase your dose. But if you're taking the larger amounts that most of us take, the change shouldn't make a significant difference. Likewise for magnesium.

If we're taking adequate amounts of vitamin D and magnesium, then there's no real reason to be taking a calcium supplement, in the first place, because the vitamin D and magnesium will allow us to absorb plenty of calcium from the foods in our diet. Without adequate vitamin D and magnesium, we can take all the calcium supplements we see fit, but we may still have osteoporosis problems, because we won't be able to absorb a significant amount of the calcium in our food.

Tex

[TREESE]

Hi, TEX - If I may just ask a follow-up question, please - About the FREEDA Vit D3 and Doctors BEST High Absorption Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate 100% Chelated... since I have Not been taking the recommended amounts for CC, must I start taking them slowly and let my stomach get used to them? Or can I start at 600mg Magnesium spread over the day and 3000iu one time daily right away? And, are these the recommended daily amounts for CC?

I may just go back to my former CALTRATE D and forget the Calcium Citrate powder for now.

A Bit of Background - I do have Osteopenia and take Prolia Injections twice a year to keep it from going back to Osteoporosis. I also have Celiac Disease. I do not eat Gluten or Dairy, and I keep to eating only a few basic foods, which have kept the big "D" away for several years now. But, I still cannot gain an ounce. I am 5' 5" and only weigh 100lbs.

Tex, my gratitude to You and for starting this Forum is without bounds! I l eagerly look forward to your Reply!

Thank You!
Treese

[tex]

If your kidneys are truly in tip top condition, then 600 mg of magnesium daily might be a reasonable dose, if you're deficient. But most of us don't have perfect kidney function, especially as we get older, which makes taking high doses of magnesium somewhat risky.

Since magnesium is an electrolyte, the amount of magnesium in the bloodstream is carefully regulated by the body at all times. That's why the serum magnesium test that doctors have traditionally ordered for decades is worthless for determining magnesium reserves — it will virtually always show a normal amount, because of that careful automatic regulation. Too much magnesium in the bloodstream (abnormally high amounts) can cause cardiac issues, including cardiac arrest. It's the kidneys' responsibility to purge excess magnesium from the bloodstream, so if our kidney function is compromised, we are exposed to the risk of possible cardiac issues due to high blood levels of magnesium.

We can only absorb a certain amount of magnesium over a given time period, and that absorption rate varies, depending on our personal situation. Additionally, any unabsorbed magnesium in the intestines can act as a laxative, so we have to balance our needs with the risks. I weight about 150 pounds, and I take 300 mg of Doctor's Best brand of magnesium glycinate per day, divided up as a 100 mg tablet after each meal. In general, mineral and vitamin needs are in proportion to our body weight. Consequently, I would be surprised if you need more than 300 mg of magnesium per day. After using that dose for a month or so, if you still wake up in the wee hours of the morning with leg or foot cramps, then you probably need more magnesium. Otherwise, that dose should be adequate (for someone in remission).

Regarding vitamin D, humans use, on the average, about 5000 IU of vitamin D per day. Therefore, anything up to about 5000 IU as a daily dose, should be safe. There are horror stories posted on the Internet regarding the risks of vitamin D overdose, and most of these sites are associated with the big-name healthcare institutions. However, if you examine the research, you discover that all of these cases of overdose were associated with daily doses exceeding 40,000 IU, for many months. There are no documented cases of overdose for any daily doses below 40,000 IU, no matter how many months the doses are taken. Additionally, there are no records of any overdose problems caused by taking high daily doses (50,000 IU and up) for short periods (less than a few weeks).

I hope this helps.

Tex

[TREESE]

Tex, Your Replies are Excellent, thank you!
At 5'5", 100lbs, and 71yrs old, I will start my Doctors BEST Magnesium at 100mg or 200mg daily and see how it goes!

Do I have to also work up to taking 2 or 3000iu of D3 daily or can I start there?

Would I still need D3 even if I was not taking Magnesium or Calcium?

Lastly. and thank you for your patience...
In your Reply, you mentioned Kidney Function...I am, right now, for the first time Ever, seeing a Urologist for a one-time and on a single day blood-in-the-urine event first occurring in November, then February and finally again in May. Urologist says Urine analysis NORMAL, Blood Work NORMAL and the Cystoscopy to see if any tumors were hiding NORMAL. I am being sent for a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis in July and then a GYN.

Could any of that be caused by a deficiency in Magnesium, Vit D3 or Calcium?

I will watch eagerly for your Reply! Hoping you are well today!

Thank You!
Treese

[tex]

In general, vitamins and minerals, or any other nutrients found in food, don't need to be tapered when starting or stopping a supplement, because they vary so much with meals, anyway, that the body will automatically accommodate them at any reasonable level. Therefore, we can start or stop, or increase or decrease a dose at any time without any need to taper, unless we we're talking about megadoses. Normally, about the only thing that has to be tapered, is a treatment dose involving corticosteroids, because if not properly tapered, a corticosteroid can severely limit the functioning of our adrenals, which can upset our body's normal cortisol production.

Yes, we need to take vitamin D3, because adequate vitamin D is necessary in order to properly absorb the calcium in our food. And adequate magnesium is necessary in order to activate the vitamin D so that it can assist in the absorption of calcium.

As long as your eGFR is within the normal range, you should have no worries about taking magnesium, because your kidneys are functioning well. If your eGFR is below the normal range, it may be a good idea to ask your urologist for his or her opinion on taking magnesium supplements. Please don't be alarmed if any of your exams show abnormal growths on your kidneys, unless you're advised otherwise, by your doctor.

Years ago, when I had a chronic magnesium deficiency, and undertreated hypothyroidism, which led to an arrhythmia, that combination also tanked my eGFR, so that it was about half the normal value. Consequently, my GP sent me for an ultrasound scan of my kidneys, which revealed a relatively large cyst on my right kidney. When I asked, my Doctor told me not to worry about it, and although that was many years ago, I've never had any problems with it. And since I got my magnesium reserves restored, and take magnesium daily, and my thyroid treatment dose was doubled, I've had no further problems with my eGFR, arrhythmias, or anything else.

Could any of that be caused by a deficiency in Magnesium, Vit D3 or Calcium?

That's a tough question. I'm not aware that any of those deficiencies could cause a problem with blood in the urine, but I'm not a urologist. In the body, magnesium, vitamin D, and calcium are integrally involved in many, many chemical reactions, and in many intracellular actions that occur continuously, to keep our body in operation, and although many of their functions are understood, surely, many more, are not.

Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful.

Tex

[TREESE]

TEX, your Replies are Extremely helpful!

You mentioned the Normal Range for determining Kidney Function. This is my June 7th Blood Test reading by the Urologist:
EGFR 71 mL/min/BSA... >60 mL/min/BSA

From what you have said, this indicates that it is safe to begin Magnesium Supplements, which I did yesterday. I took 105mg from 2 capsules of Doctors BEST Magnesium Glycinate Chelated. Slight gassy reaction of some insistence several hours later, with a few small stool balls as a result. Is that appropriate? (pardon my description...awkward )

ALSO - I take a few medications daily at breakfast; for chronic pain (Lyrica), cholesterol (Crestor), and depression (Venlafaxine) and anxiety (Diazepam) in VERY Low amounts).

Is it ok to be taking the Vit D3, Magnesium, and Calcium at the same meal and at the same time as the medications?

I am so deeply grateful for your Replies, TEX! Hoping you are well!
Treese

[tex]

Your kidneys appear to be in great working condition — that's a good eGFR result.

Some of those medications, for example, the Crestor and the venlafaxine, interact with magnesium, so you need to delay taking any magnesium until at least two hours after taking your other medications. Hopefully, after taking magnesium for a few months, you'll be able to discontinue taking antidepression and anti-anxiety medications, because magnesium treats those symptoms.

Also, the Doctor's Best Magnesium Glycinate that I have shows 100 mg on the front label. On the back label, it lists a normal dose as two tablets, and below that it shows that a dose is 200 mg, so that means each tablet is 100 mg. I have no idea whether Doctor's Best Magnesium Glycinate is supplied in other dosage versions.

It should be okay to take the vitamin D and any calcium supplement at the same time as the medication, as long as the calcium supplement doesn't contain magnesium. If it does, then taking it should be delayed a couple of hours. Or, you can take the vitamin D and calcium supplement at the same time that you take the magnesium, a couple of hours after you take the medications.

Note that taking venlafaxine and magnesium together can increase the risk of bleeding. Therefore, I have a hunch that if you have been taking your calcium supplement (containing magnesium) at the same time that you've been taking venlafaxine, that might be the cause of your bleeding issue. I'm not surprised that your doctors didn't catch this, because most of them rarely catch drug interactions. Your pharmacist is a much better source of information, when checking out the possibility of drug interactions.

And I seem to be doing well, probably much better than I deserve, at my age (I'm 82 now). Thanks for bringing it up.

Tex

[TREESE]

Tex, what incredibly valuable information you have given me! I looked at the Ingredients of my "Caltrate plus D3" Supplement and it DOES have Magnesium in it, just as you suspected! Magnesium Stearate. Perhaps this IS why the occasional bleeding in my urine. What a great insight, Tex, Thank You! And I will speak more with my Pharmacist about these possible interactions with my medications in the future, as you suggested.

I'll take my Magnesium, D3, and Calcium with Lunch and my Meds with Breakfast from now on.

I think this will be my last question...Valium (3 1/2mg) and Lyrica (150mg) daily, broken down over the day to be spaced out and taken 3 times, meaning like 1 1/2mg Valium at a time and 50mg Lyrica at a time. Like 10am, 4pm, and 10pm. Those do Not interact with the Magnesium, D3 or Calcium, right?

I am glad to hear that you are doing well! Bless your 82 years! Your life is a treasure!

Treese PS Doctors BEST Magnesium Glycinate does also come in Capsule form, and its dosage amount is 2 capsules = 105mg. They are easier to swallow, should this information benefit anyone else on the Forum to know about.

[tex]

Lyrica shouldn't cause any interactions. Magnesium slows down the absorption of Valium, but the overall effectiveness shouldn't be affected.

Thanks for the information about the magnesium glycinate capsules.

Tex

[TREESE]

I have printed out all the information you have given me this past week TEX, and I am deeply grateful!

Your knowledge and your patience and the lengths you go through to educate a person about their condition gives one renewed hope and confidence to move forward.

So far, 105mg of Magnesium a day these last 3 days has not caused my stomach any disturbance. And 3000iu of D3 every other day seems fine, too. I think I will cut down on the Calcium (as Caltrate D 600mg) to 1x a day, since I get the Prolia Injection twice a year for Osteopenia/osteoporosis now, anyway.

So, in summary...I will increase the Magnesium to 200mg daily and the Vit D3 to 3000iu daily in 2 or 3 weeks.
Then, I will go up to 300mg daily of Magnesium for my 100lb frame and 71yr old body.
Is that enough D3 to utilize the Magnesium? How do I know if 300mg of Magnesium is too much?

Thanks a million, TEX!
Stay Well - Treese

[tex]

Too much magnesium will cause looser stools. And the experts claim that too much magnesium can cause the same symptoms as too little magnesium, but I've never been able to verify that, myself.

I hope everything goes smoothly.

Tex