This one is OK, because the topic is still relevant and we don’t have to worry about any of the old posts having TOS violations - that’s the problem with a lot of revived threads.
Yeah- I take the 2 pills which is 630 mg calcium citrate.
Thanks for checking and reporting back! That seems to be a typical dosage.
My endocrinologist has told me not to take calcium supplements either. There are newer studies out that really show they’re not good for you. But if I had osteoporosis or osteopenia, I’m not sure what I’d do.
My specialist - who also has osteoporosis – has me taking a calcium supplement. I take this, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BSH3HC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s02, which is plant-based. I don’t take the full dose, though, because I get most of my calcium from food. I spread out my calcium intake, because only so much can be absorbed at once. I also take a lot of vitamin D – she just upped my dose, because she has some theory that I need more vitamin D than the average person.
I think maybe I should start logging my food so I can see how much calcium I’m eating on a regular basis - then I’ll have some proof to show the doc when we discuss meds/supplements further.
I take my calcium as a chewable. Same for my multivitamin. I can’t handle horse pulls.
abasket, that was one of the reasons I logged my food for a couple months, to track calcium. I was pleasantly surprised at how much calcium I eat. I did bring the log to my specialist when we discussed supplements.
My calcium pills are not horse pills and are quite manageable.
@fireandrain, what calcium tracker did you use??? Just checked MyFitnessPal and noticed that it does not track calcium - going to check out MyPlate - but open to suggestions to track calcium only.
I’m also not good at taking pills…I’ve found lots of stuff available as a chewable or as a mix with water (think Emergen-c) type.
@abasket, I use MyFitnessPal – calcium is there.
Wow, so interesting and confusing is all this information!!! Another anti-calcium supplement article:
http://time.com/4053338/calcium-supplements-bone-health/
I’m thinking that I will try to increase my calcium via diet and maybe take a dose of calcium (the 630 mg) but not the amount prescribed by my family doc - 1500mg.
abasket- that’s pretty much what I decided. I take the morning dose and that’s it. I get my blood levels checked every 3 months since I’m on Forteo, and everything looks good and there is some indication of bone growth.
I’m such a follower and do-righter. It’s hard for me to NOT do what is being recommended by a doc! As I mentioned, I hope to talk to another doc for another opinion…and I have not started taking the Fosamax. Picked it up, but just am not ready to start putting it in my mouth. Not convinced! Yet the bone density results are what they are - not good, and I don’t seem to have risk factors that are controllable.
What’s a girl to do?? 
I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it, but vitamin K2 is helpful if you’re taking calcium or D3 supplements. K2 acts like a “traffic cop”, directing the calcium towards the bones. Otherwise the calcium can have a tendency to end up lining the arteries casuing plaque (for D3, don’t know about calcium supplements).
There’s a recommended ratio of K2 to D3, but I don’t know how that’s affected by calcium supplements.
This calcium news is a bit startling.
@fireandrain curious how much vitD you consider high. What is your target level? Interested because I’ve been reading about dementia and correlation with low vit d levels.
@SouthJerseyChessMom. I was taking 2000 IU/day (on top of whatever is in the calcium supplements), and my doc just told me to take an additional 5000 IU boost twice a week.
Let’s see if I can explain – my blood tests show an above-normal level of parathyroid hormone. Usually a high PTH suggests hyperparathyroidism, but my other indicators are normal. I saw one specialist who did all sorts of tests and concluded that I don’t have hyperparathyroidism. My GP would really like me to have hyperparathyroidism, because it can cause osteoporosis and he thinks if we operated that would solve my problem.
My osteoporosis specialist thinks that although my vitamin D levels are in normal range, my body actually needs a higher level of vitamin D than most people, and that’s why my PTH level is high and may also explain my bone density score. No mention of dementia, although if boosting my vitamin D level sharpens my brain, I’m not going to complain.
@abasket – I have a vague memory that I had to go into the MyFitnessPal preferences to have it track calcium.
Ditto what anomander said about the importance of taking K2 with calcium.
It is confusing, and unfortunately there is internet support for every POV in existence, so that’s no help at all.
I made a decision a couple of years ago that I was just going to trust my doctors. Not blindly trust them, and I try to be an informed patient. If I run across some new study, or something that conflicts with what they’re doing, I ask them about it. Sometimes they are able to explain to my satisfaction why the internet doesn’t apply to my case, and sometimes they will tweak my treatment based on my input from outside. But I don’t have the expertise to decide that they’re wrong and the internet is right, and (for me) it’s just too stressful and exhausting to be constantly second-guessing them, or formulating DIY treatment plans for something as serious as osteoporosis.
I too have been the type to trust my doctors and take their advice, but I’ve gone in a different direction with osteoporosis. I found the National Osteoporosis Foundation website and forums, did research, and have concluded the doctors overprescribe bisphosphonates.
A friend has borderline osteoporosis – -2.5 in the spine, -1 in the other two readings. The specialist told her to take the bisphosphonates. I told her to run her frax score, directed her to the NOF forums. She discovered that the bisphosphonates are highly counterindicated for another, much more serious heart problem that she has. The doctor ran no additional blood or urine tests on her – I think he just automatically prescribes Boniva and the like for every woman. Given her bone scan, her age, her activity level (high), it makes no sense for her to take these drugs; throw in her heart condition, and it’s the worst thing she could do.
@fireandrain thanks for the details about vit d.
@lasma I wish I could be more trusting of drs advice but my experiences and stories of friends and family, have taught me the value of being your own health care advocate, and a little doubt not always a bad thing. I agree it can become true anxiety, and I’ve been there, too.
Fireandrain, could you explain bone density values. Is each bone density scan a comparison of the previous test, and therefore the values are a % of change? I’m a bit confused,