Calcium advice, please?

blondie859111

Hello

I'm 54 years old and have been on Femara for 3 years, 11 months out of a five year plan. Always had good bone density scans until my latest which showed moderate osteopenia.

Because of my good previous scans and the fact that calcium makes me nauseous and achy my onc in Boston allowed me to just use a multi vit. I eat kale 3x per week and spinach 2x a week at minimum as well as nuts daily.

I am now off Femara at my husbands request for a week or two while I gather advice from my oncs.

Am back on calcium- Citrical petites with D, and feeling awful- stomach upset and body aches. My normal vitamin mineral routine includes Centrum multi, 1000 vit D, magnesium twice a day and an RX potassium choloride.

Would anyone be kind enough to share their calcium types/brands with me?

Thank you so much.

Moderators

Hi Blondie,

We're sure there'll be some helpful advice soon from other members. In the meantime, the main Breastcancer.org site's section on Bone Health has a page on Lifestyle Changes for Bone Health that includes tips on what to eat to get more calcium in your diet that could be helpful.

Hope this helps!

--The Mods

dlb823

blondie, those synthetic vitamins always upset my stomach, but I've found the more natural ones don't. For the past two years, I've been using Solaray's Cal-Mag Citrate, which also has some Vitamin D in it.  It's available at many natural food markets and is relatively inexpensive.

About a year ago, a naturopathic doctor I started going to added Osteo-Mins AM (Progressive Labs) to my supplement regimen.  It has several minerals needed to ensure that calcium is properly absorbed -- things like boron, selenium and zinc.  

As you probably know, weight bearing exercise is also really important for building and keeping strong bones.     Deanna

wenweb

Hi blondie,  I am certainly not an expert, but will offer you what I know.  I took Arimidex for about 14 months.  Prior to starting it, I had a bone density test, which revealed that I was osteopenic.  This, after being in menopause for 6 years. After one year of Arimidex, I had another bone density that showed an additional 5% bone loss   My onc wanted to start me on a bisphosphonate which I declined because I needed to have a tooth extracted and was planning on an implant.  I switched to Tamoxifen which from what I have read  is supposed to be of benefit to the bones for menopausal women.  Although I was not able to continue on the Tamoxifen and have been off it it for 11 months, I just had another bone density and there was some improvement from the previous bone density.

I am in no way saying that it was the Tamoxifen which caused the change, (because I have also increased my intake of vitamin D) but I have heard that women have the most bone loss in the 5 years following menopause, after which it would be a more gradual decline.  Being on an AI sort of expedites the menopausal state IMHO.  

My intention is to say that perhaps in place of some of the calcium, you could ramp up on Vitamin D.  From all of the recent news, its seems that vitamin D is the new calcium.  Currently, I am taking 3-5000iu's of D3, and my levels have gone up.

There is no way to know whether stopping the AI, taking Tamoxifen, upping vitamin D, or being further along into menopause is the result of an improved level of osteopenia is the cause, but I'm not complaining.  Maybe some of this might help you decide what's best for your situation.  Sorry to ramble...hope this helps!!

ruthbru

I take three Viactiv Calcium plus vitamin D chews a day. 20 calories each, taste like candy. I also eat a serving of prunes a day (great for the bones) and make sure I eat/drink two dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese etc.). Also weight bearing exercises (walking, running, dancing, anything that 'pounds the bones' and lifting light weights builds the bones.

blondie859111

Thank you all so much for the wonderful answers. I appreciate each of your responses. My doc wants me to stay on the Femara for the remining year, and I have agreed to. I've been reading soem interesting info on vit K2 added to calcium and vit D. Have started the bone building exercise routine, with a bone building exercise DVD for ladies over 50. 

sdstarfish

I know I'm a little late jumping in, but here's my .02

It's really important to take calcium with magnesium, even better if you can find a supplement including phosphorus. These help the body absorb calcium. Also, calcium citrate is much easier for the body to absorb than other types. Natural vs. synthetic is much easier for the body to recognize and use effectively.