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PMR: Calcium and Vitamin D

Posted , 10 users are following.

Daniel1143
Daniel1143

I know we need calcium, but does it hinder absorption of prednisone? Should it be taken separately? Also, is Vitamin D particularly important, and can we get enough of it from exposure to the sun?

0 likes, 26 replies

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  • Anhaga
    Anhaga Daniel1143

    Posted

    Actually I think the presence of calcium can also interfere with the effectiveness of prednisone, no matter, either way they must not be taken together.  Depending where you live, what time of day you are outside, your own skin type, whether you use sunscreen or not, your age, you may or may not be able to get enough D from sunshine.  
    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 Anhaga

      Posted

      GEEEZZZ  Really hard to keep up with and figure out what and

      when we should be taking pills to help with whatever we need

      It's getting very confusing trying to keep up with and understand

      it all.  I sort of hoped that since I live in FL that I get enough

      sunshine to keep me okay.  I guess I should have doc do

      test for Vit D.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga faye______00403

      Posted

      Faye, you'll certainly be better off in Florida than I am in Nova Scotia.  BUT a lot depends on your behaviour as well - how much are you out doors and do you have at least half an hour of sun without sunscreen most days?

      Here I'm told doctors are not even allowed to ask for the Vitamin D test any more because too many people were asking for it. rolleyes  I can see maybe curtailing frivolous use of a test.  But someone like me, for example, I'm at risk of osteoporosis,plus I had a long ago diagnosis of sarcoidosis.  As far as I know this is completely quiescent, but I didn't know until after I got PMR that sarcoidosis, like PMR, never really goes away.  And there are mixed messges that too much Vitamin D can be bad for sarcoidosis.  You'd think I'd be exactly the sort of patient who should get tested for vitamin D level.  Sigh.

       

    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 Anhaga

      Posted

      Well.......fact is I grew up in Florida (Ft. Lauderdale when I was l0)

      and I'm now reaping what I sowed with years in the sun.   I've

      had several skin cancers taken off and am waiting for appt with

      Derma to enlarge area where he took off a squamous on my arm....

      .Not sure that I should spend too much time in the sun now but then

      I'm 79 how much more wrinkled can I get?  I found some organic

      plant based calcium on Amazon that also contains Vit D,  Vit K (I think)

      and magnesium.   Hope all this stuff is enough.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga faye______00403

      Posted

      That's the problem isn't it, the balance that gives us enough and not too much.  I now realize that I've been getting so little "unscreened" sun over the past few years that alone might have been enough to trigger a slew of health problems.  So this summer I am going to make sure I get some unscreened sun every day, during the "danger" zone, but only for a few minutes.  I think I read somewhere that the skin makes Vitamin D3, and that is the form now recommended and in most supplements.  
    • EileenH
      EileenH faye______00403

      Posted

      So you need a blood test to see what your vit D level is and then an appropriate supplement - the plant-based calcium stuff can't have plant-based vit D in it, doesn't come in plants which is part of the trouble looking for sources of it.

      But if you have skin cancer then there is no contest: supplements it is. It doesn't really matter as long as you have it. It's just there is this perception that DIY vit D from the sun must be better - possibly, but not if it then triggers more cancers, even the less nasty ones.

    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 EileenH

      Posted

      My daughter pointed put the plant based product to me after

      her gyno made noises like putting her on AA....she was horrified

      She found article telling the horrors of too much calcium so found

      this....

      Product listings are

      Vitamin D (D3 from lichen)                   1,000 IU  per serving

      vitamin k (K2Mk-7-from Natto)               80 mcg

      Calcium (from Organic Algae                 800 mg

      Magnesium (from Organic Algae)           60 mg

      Long list of Organic fruits and veggies

      These values are based on three tablets a day

      i realize none of the supplements are F.D.A. approved but

      lists USDA Organic.

      I also take a Centrum Silver for Seniors so there is some

      calcium in that also.

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga Daniel1143

    Posted

    You also need other nutrients to ensure optimum calcium absorption, notably Vitamin K2 which you will probably have to supplement unless your diet includes lots of products from exclusively grass-raised animals.  (Note it is not same as K1 which we get from our leafy greens.)
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