Calcium Supplements

Have you considered increasing your dietary calcium instead of taking supplements? From what I've read, calcium eaten in food is more readily taken up by bones than calcium supplements which can cause health problems like calcium oxalates which can accumulate in kidneys and joints, especially when high oxalate foods are eaten. Calcium supplements are also not good for anyone with heart disease (me) or gastrointestinal problems. Good amounts of dietary calcium taken daily don't cause the same problems. I eat a generous amount of cheese, milk and usually yoghurt every day along with vitamins D3 and K2 to help the dietary calcium get to the bones where it belongs.

If you cannot eat enough foods to get your calcium I would like to suggest taking a supplement. I take Life Extension Calcium with K2. And I also take D3.

I’m whole heartedly in favor of getting calcium from food but I can’t reach the daily requirements with food alone. I take Osteo-K by NBI. It has vitamin D3 and K2-MK4. You need to be consuming some type of K2 along with D3 and vitamin A to make sure the calcium is probably absorbed and goes to your bones and not your arteries. MK7 does a better job of this than MK4 so I take it also.

Taking calcium was the first thing my Dr/ rheumatologist said to me, when I began taking prednisone. I’m a 67 yr old female and I have taken calcium since I was in my 30’s. I’m also having a bone density test in February. Prednisone depletes the body of calcium so osteoporosis can occur quickly. Dealing with PMR is enough let alone bone fractures.

Citrate cal with d

Taking a calcium supplement without a doctor's oversight can be dangerous to your health. If you get too much calcium in your blood it can cause kidney stones and no one in their right mind wants to deal with that. Please talk with your PCP and/or Rheumy and/or Endocrinologist about testing and monitoring appropriate blood levels of calcium and associated factors so that you don't cause more problems than the PMR they are treating.

I too have PMR, did 15 months of Prednisone and am currently in remission. I am in my 70s and have osteopenia so my calcium intake has always been important to me. I increased my daily calcium to over 200% of the recommended daily requirement. I take supplements but also discovered almond milk! 8 oz contains 35% of your daily requirement. Since I was looking for food rich in calcium, I also discovered that a simple 1" by 1" of asiago cheese has 20% daily requirement. Tums are also a good source of calcium. I had a dexa scan just before being diagnosed with PMR and then I had a dexa scan after stopping Prednisone. All of my bone density numbers were in the plus column! Hurray! I took my calcium supplement in the morning then supplemented my calcium throughout the day. I don't know if that was important but I think it worked at maintaining my bone density.

Who knew about almond milk and asiago cheese? Thanks. I've been trying to do all dietary calcium as it's better, making kefir, buttermilk but I think my guts don't like those probiotics. My dexa put me at 103% of my age and sex, not great but could be worse.
I have half strength PremPro (hormone replacement therapy) on hand and have taken about two a week for bones and other tissues. Before PMR started I had stopped for a few months so maybe that contributed to it. So I started a small dose again. My GP thinks it's too risky but my doctor husband does not. I'm 72.

What is K2?

Vitamin K2. I take it because it directs calcium to the bones and out of arteries. Statins and a few other meds stop the important action of K2. You do have to make sure it doesn't interfere with any of the other meds you might be taking.

"One of its most important functions is to regulate calcium deposition. In other words, it promotes the calcification of bones and prevents the calcification of blood vessels and kidneys."
This link is a plain language discussion of some of its benefits, which links to other information sources if you'd like to find out more.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k2#heart-health