Do I need supplements when blood tests show calcium levels normal?

@mkoch Maryann: My doctor did recommend Boniva to me. I refused after I did the research on bisphosphonates. In particular, I believe I was discouraged from using it from the book entitled 'The Healthy Bones' from Dr. Laura Kelly and Helen Bryman Kelly. Really getting sick of tired of traditional doctor's protocol of following 'the meds' instead of wondering how and why we went downhill to begin with. I also have the same questions as you about supplementation but willing to take my chances going that route. Have to be careful how to supplement as well when dealing with minerals. Take care and pray we can all help each other.

@jeepgrl : Yes, when my new family doctor found that I was diagnosed with osteoporosis more than 20 years before I became his patient, he did suggest one of the very popular medication specialized in treating low bone density. But I only took a few days and stopped on the ground that I didn't like the side effects came with it. My doctor seemed to be satisfied with my promise that I would continue my calcium and Vitamin D3 + K2 supplements plus regular exercise. I subsequently dropped calcium tablets after reading so many stories about calcium ended up in arteries instead of bones. I'm not as well-read as you are, mkoch. I guess I'm just a person who believes in what was given by nature and would become very uneasy when I cannot justify my taking more varieties of supplements each meal than foods. What puzzled me is: If something seems to be satisfactory in blood test still needs to be supplemented, are we going to supplement everything else in order to be healthy?

All valid concerns. And I think osteoporosis is a big umbrella and perhaps all of our situations vary, to some degree, under that umbrella. For some reason my blood calcium level is low (I suspect my celiac disease/absorption issue) so I have to supplement. When I was younger, in my 40s and diagnosed with osteopenia, and then in my 50s, with osteoporosis, I wouldn't take prescription meds but took hormones to maintain my bone heatlth. But after being diagnosed with b/c (who knows it it was related to taking the hormones-both my sisters had it, and none of us have the BCRA gene) after that my doctor pulled me off the hormones so I had to reassess what I wanted/needed to do. And I don't exercise much other than clean my own house, garden, run after the grandkids, wash the car, and paint my own house, when needed. My point being someone who exercises a lot to build bone might feel comfortable not taking any prescription medicine but maybe just some calcium and vitamin D, or not. No judgement here. I think the main purpose of this forum is to learn from others' experiences.

Hello all: I believe I have made great progress recently and wanted to share this information with all of you in the hopes that it may resonate with some of you as well. It's probably going to be a long story, and I'll try to shorten it but here goes. Ok, so, I was taking Cholestyramine for bile acid malabsorption for about 8 mos when I decided to stop because I felt it was detrimental to my health including oral health. Since I was losing nutrients (and weight) I decided to substitute it with acacia fiber. I needed a binder for bile salts. I have been taking acacia fiber for about a year now, once in the morning and also in the evening @ 1 TBSP per serving. Well, I noticed that even though it regulated the bile salt issue I was still suffering with loose stools no matter how much I increased the fiber intake (diagnosed with IBS and SIBO). I always remembered reading that you should take the fiber 30 min prior to mealtime. Since I felt it was perhaps too much of a stimulant sometimes (not always), I decided to wait 1 to 1-1/2 to 2 hrs to eat after drinking the acacia fiber solution. It did seem to get better but I decided to test it further and actually cut out drinking the solution in the morning and just drink it in the evening. No stimulating effects were happening in the evening. It appeared to improve even more. At that time, I noticed that I haven't suffered from any recurrences of any bile acid 'dumping' since July! Idk if my body has been healing with the help of the acacia fiber!!! Also, at the time, I decided to start taking calcium, magnesium and zinc supplements to help with osteoporosis. Big improvement! I mean we're talking normal BMs. SO, now I'm wondering if my body was just suffering from calcium, magnesium and/or zinc deficiencies the whole time and my doctors are writing it off as having IBS and SIBO???? Perhaps. Time will tell. I have also been feeding it with enough probiotics to make a difference and have been drinking 'tea' with 'marshmellow root' for leaking gut. Perhaps all combined are contributing factors. I'm glad so far that I didn't take the route of 'kill, kill, kill' that so many are promoting. It took me some time to get here after my gallbladder removal, about a couple of years. But, please understand that my blood tests 'appeared' to be all normal with regard to these minerals and nothing was mentioned to me earlier but during my last visit with my doctor I mentioned to her that I believed that I may have been calcium (and who knows what else) deficient due to the fact that I have osteoporosis, evidence that my calcium levels were being pulled from my bones to be used for the rest of my body. She agreed! Idk, food for thought for all of you. Important message here: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

Normal calcium blood levels do not mean you don’t need to supplement. The reason is that calcium and magnesium are so vital to heart rhythm and other body functions that stored calcium and magnesium in bones will be taken from the bone to maintain normal function levels. Of course you should try get as much of essential minerals from food as possible but 300-500 mg of calcium a day in supplementation should be ok. From what I have read, calcium hydroxyapatite is the most bioavailable form as it is the form already found in our bones. Easily absorbable and recognizable by our bodies.

I am currently off all calcium supplements but I am careful to get the recommended amount of 1200 mg through my diet. My 24-hr calcium was high while on the supplements meaning I was probably overdoing it. My serum calcium has always been on the high side of normal. Best to ask your doctor's advice on this, in my opinion.

There are lots of foods that have calcium. After finding out I had osteopenia a few years ago, I started a calcium supplement with calcium and other nutrients. After a few years and my second Dexa, my osteopenia shifted to osteoporosis, so the calcium did not help. I have given up calcium supplements and focus on food with calcium in it. There are a lot of veggies with calcium, such as kale and arugula (which I do like). I had read a recent study that claimed elderly women in nursing homes who took calcium supplements for bones were more likely to have heart attacks and heart failure. Just my opinion based on what I have read, but I will no longer take calcium supplements, but focus on food based calcium.

@blueberre not sure if/how blood calcium levels are factored into choices people make…but, am sure that broccoli with Parmesan cheese is a good way to get more calcium…1 of my docs recommends ricotta cheese, as it is quite high in calcium—I get half skim and mix it with all kinds of things, as it is very bland by itself. Some people also love goat cheese, easier on many than other cheeses.. i do take a supplement, chose one that comes in tiny tabs so I have control of the dosage… vitamin D3 and K2 can help bones…(not everyone can tolerate strontium and boron that are in many combo supplements, though usually in small amounts.) research is key, i use ConsumerLab.com.

@nycmusic Consumer Labs is my "Go To"