 Posted 29/07/2010 10:03:21
|
|
|
|
| Hi, I was diagnosed a few weeks ago with osteporosis - borderline I'm told, but primarily in my hips and lower spine. I was put on to two-a-day Adcal-D3 and weekly Fosamax by my GP for a month in the first instance and have recently been back to discuss the medication and renew the prescription. I said I could cope with the Fosamax but wasn't entirely happy with it, But just got a lecture on the results of breaking a hip and wasn't it worth putting up with a once-weekly change in routine to take the Fosamax in order to avoid the problems. To a certain extent I agree, but my main problem is one I have only realised since seeing my doctor, which is I wonder if the discomfort I'm suffering is caused by the Adcal rather than the Fosamax, as it now seems to be there all the time. A sense of heartburn and acid in the gullet. I just wondered if other folk have this reaction to the Adcal or if it is my imagination! I also have to take asacol tablets to control colitis, and my doctor assures me that there is no interaction, but I'm not convinced and wish I understood the medical reasons behind all the restrictions with taking the Fosamax.
Chris
|
|
|
Posted 29/07/2010 10:29:07
|
|
|
|
| Fossamax can cause many many symptoms. please see various posts on Alendronic acid side effects. Also good idea to look it up on askapatient.com. Nothing would persuade me to take this drug again. adcal must be taken as advised on info sheet with tablets as 1 in morning and one in evening. If I follow this, I'm ok with it. But when 1 took 1 at lunchtime, I had problems.
|
|
|
Posted 29/07/2010 10:34:50
|
|
|
|
| Hi, I've tried Adcal-D3, Calcichew and Calforvit (powder) all of which upset my stomach, I'm currently not taking anything other than the once a week tablet, which I know is not good. I did source a supplement through a well established herbalist, Osteoplex (BioCare) which are capsules, easily swallowed to be taken 3 times a day and was taking these without any side effects. They contain Calcium & Magnesium with Beta Carotene, vitamins D, K and Boron. However my GP is not too happy with this as he informs me that the prescribed medication has six times more calcium but so far he's not been able to suggest one that can be swallowed whole, the powder is digusting! I really need to deal with this and keep having a go at taking the Adcal, I end up feeling unwell and then put it off again as I just don't want to feel this way all the time. I'm leaning more towards the Osteoplex again thinking it's better taking some supplement rather than none at all!
|
|
|
Posted 29/07/2010 10:55:10
|
|
|
|
I had really bad heart burn when taking alendronic acid (weekly) and the osteoporosis specialist nurse adviced to change to a monthly one, (Ibandronate) This is far better. However, still have a bit of dicomfort wiTH the adcal, but so easy to attribute any discomfort to medication. I just think it is all so much better than having a fracture.
Jilly
|
|
|
Posted 29/07/2010 11:06:34
|
|
|
|
tj50 (29/07/2010)
Hi, I've tried Adcal-D3, Calcichew and Calforvit (powder) all of which upset my stomach, I'm currently not taking anything other than the once a week tablet, which I know is not good. I did source a supplement through a well establishedherbalist, Osteoplex (BioCare)which are capsules, easily swallowedto be taken 3 times a day and was taking these without any side effects. They contain Calcium & Magnesium with Beta Carotene, vitamins D, K and Boron.
However my GP is not too happy with this as he informs me that the prescribed medication has six times more calcium but so far he's not been able to suggest one that can be swallowed whole, the powder is digusting! I really need to deal with this and keep having a go at taking the Adcal, I end upfeeling unwell and then put it off again as I just don't want to feel this way all the time.I'm leaning more towards the Osteoplex again thinking it's better taking some supplement rather than none at all!
I'm intolerant to calcium supplements, both the ones prescribed by my GP and the ones available from health food shops including Osteoplex and several others. My symptoms were severe diarrhoea and at first I didn't know this was due to the calcium. I had many investigations, colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy, to ascertain the cause of the diarrhoea. It was when these drew a blank that I experimented with the calcium and discovered the diarrhoea disappeared completely when I took none but appeared the next day after taking some, no matter what kind. My consultant told me that he wasn't surprised as he said the gut contains calcium channels and he told me to stop all calcium. He is happy that I get enough calcium from my diet which also excludes dairy to which I am intolerant.
I get my calcium from sardines with bones (a tin everyday which contains 400mg calcium), leafy green veggies such as kale and cabbage, nuts and seeds such as almonds and sesame. The calcium in food is in a much more absorbable form and comes with synergistic minerals, such as magnesium, zonc, boron, and vitamins - just 100g kale contains a massive 1000% the RDA of vitamin K ! I have calculated that I get an average of 1200mg calcium from food sources per day. If you go to a nutritional table you can find out the amount of calcium in foods and you'll discover that it is in most foods in at least small amounts so together with those foods which contain large amounts of calcium it soon adds up.
I am also intolerant to grains so cannot eat them which is just as well as they contain phytates which inhibit calcium absorption. I also take a high dose vitamin D3, 2,000 IU per day, which enhances calcium absorption. I get my levels of serum D tested every few months and it is in the optimum range.
I'm also prescribed Strontium Ranelate as I have a history of hiatus hernia so bisphosponates such as Fosamax are contraindicated for me.
Osteoporosis - Strontium Ranelate, Dekristol vitamin D3 20,000 IU/week, weight lifting, walking and vibration platform exercise, alkaline loaded diet, vitamin K2 MK-7 100mcg/d, K2 MK-4 5mg/d. Diabetes - Repaglinide, low carb diet and exercise. Congenital heart defect - Omacor and CoQ10
|
|
|
Posted 30/07/2010 09:49:39
|
|
|
|
| Thanks for all your help, but I'm now totally confused! I think I can tolerate the Fosamax, it is the adcal-d3 that seems to be the problem, but for the moment I would prefer to find a solution to continue taking it if I can before I go back to the gp. I would guess that it depends whether or not you take it with food, and which foods you eat that interact with it. I had a bad attack of acid reflux twice this week, something I have never suffered from before, but once I had eaten a curry and the other time I had eaten fruit salad with lots of fresh pineapple in it, both times taking the tablet with the meal, but the reflux was several hours later each time. Is it best to take the adcal tablets with a meal or away from food? There doesn't seem to be any advice on this in the leaflet, and it also doesn't seem to suggest heartburn and indigestion as a side effect - which it clearly would seem to be from this forum! How do I find a list of calcium rich foods, and those which inhibit the absorption of calcium? I guess I probably have the wrong kind of diet, as I eat lots of fairrly acidic foods.
Chris
|
|
|
Posted 30/07/2010 10:11:23
|
|
|
|
Hi Chrissie,
This website NutritionData.com has detailed nutritional facts about almost every food. You'll find the detailed vitamin and mineral content of any particular food lower down the page of that food.
The NOS has a small list of calcium foods here as well as other nutritional information. Bear in mind that some of the foods listed in the NOS leaflet are fortified with calcium, for example ReadyBrek actually contains no calcium naturally but has had calcium carbonate added to it making it appear calcium rich, ie it it has been supplemented with calcium, the same as you taking a calcium pill.
To find out which foods interfere with calcium absorption just Google phytates and oxalates.
Acidic foods aren't those which you would have thought acidic - pineapple and other fruits which taste acidic actually have an alkaline effect on the body. High acidic foods are protein foods, cereals and grains. You need protein foods to help make good bone so there has to be a balance between acid and alkaline forming foods...that's the theory anyway. Here's an osteoporosis site about this: Alkaline for life Also google acid alkaline food charts and you'll find plenty of links.
It can be confusing so do lots of research !
Osteoporosis - Strontium Ranelate, Dekristol vitamin D3 20,000 IU/week, weight lifting, walking and vibration platform exercise, alkaline loaded diet, vitamin K2 MK-7 100mcg/d, K2 MK-4 5mg/d. Diabetes - Repaglinide, low carb diet and exercise. Congenital heart defect - Omacor and CoQ10
|
|
|
Posted 30/07/2010 12:52:02
|
|
|
|
| I take my adcal tablets with half a pint of water. After breaking the tablet up first then chewing fully so all is semi disolved in mouth before taking the half pint of water. Then these days I have a banana smoothie made with 1/2 pint of skimmed milk. Used to have cereal but have abandoned that after reading one of Annabels postings.
|
|
|
Posted 30/07/2010 14:17:58
|
|
|
|
| Thanks Annabel, that's lots of info to launch myself into. Just wish some of this information could come from the GP! And thanks April. I will try that. I love bananas anyway but usually have one at lunchtime. I don't mind shifting it to breakfast, though, and turning it into a smoothie! I do usually have cereal, but only a small amount of whole oat cereal. What is the problem with cereal?
Chris
|
|
|
Posted 30/07/2010 15:07:30
|
|
|
|
| From one of Annabels postings I found on the search: "Phytates in the cereals bind to the calcium and inhibits its absorption". I also used to have an oat cereal for breakfast in Summer and porridge in winter. Not sure what i'm going to have for breakfast this winter but apparently I read somewhere that if you soak the porridge 1st, the Phytates will go/disapear but I can't remember details. I always soak it prior to cooking anyway. But dont know if I have to soak it 1st, drain it, then add milk and water. maybe too much of a rave! when I make my banana smoothie I warm to milk very slightly to take off the chill. Better for the system that way. I am enjoying the smoothie more than the oat cereal.
|
|
|
|