Mothers Pride
08-01-2003, 03:52 PM
Hello, my mom has been taking Fosamax (70mg) going on three years along with two Caltrate 600mg calcium w/Vitamin D pills and she began feeling really bloated with gas, says she smothers from her stomach feeling so bloated and is now very constipated. I figure it must be the calcium for it really constipates me but she took the calcium for 10 years, long before she even heard of Fosamax and always had a healthy bowel movement, one, sometimes twice a day. She never had any trouble with her stomach or any bone pain before Fosamax. She has quit taking it going on 4 weeks now and her constipation is a little better and her bone pain is gone. Has anyone else had any trouble with constipation since taking this horrible drug?
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blondegal
08-01-2003, 06:34 PM
Try adding magnesium that should help but go easy at first.
Mothers Pride
08-01-2003, 11:56 PM
Thank you, blondegal, for taking the time to respond. As far as magnesium goes, she takes a multi-vitamin, Centrum Silver, once a day which I'm sure has so much magnesium, not sure how much though. Is that not enough or does she need more? If so, how would she go about taking it, is there such a thing as a magnesium pill? I noticed on her calcium bottle where it lists magnesium stearate as one of the ingredients. Not sure what that means though. Thanks again for the information and I hope to hear from you again.
merryk
08-02-2003, 10:36 AM
You might want to question the amount of vitamin D that she is taking. Centrum Silver gives you 100% of daily requirement. The calcium pills with added vitamin D puts her over the recommended level. If you get too much vitamin D it contributes to excretion of calcium. You don't need to take vitamin D with the calcium because it is stored in the body, you just need to have it available. I agree that calcium supplements can cause constipation, and if she has added foods to her diet to increase calcium intake this may have contributed to the overall problem.
If she has become more sedentary, it would also contribute to the problem.
If she has become more sedentary, it would also contribute to the problem.
Mothers Pride
08-03-2003, 05:27 PM
Bless you, merryk, for the wonderful information. You know, we both had discussed the fact that she might be getting too much vit D but just wasn't sure. And the doctor who told her to take that much (she said at least 600 to 800 IUs a day) has left her practice and moved away, so we did not have anyone to ask until we can find another doctor. She just turned 80 and has to walk around on forearm crutches which makes it hard for her to be as active as she used to be although she walks the treadmill at least 30 mins. a day, no matter how much pain she's in. But we think you are absolutely right about too much vit D and calcium along with calcium food. I have already bought her a huge bottle of Caltrate without the D in it. Hopefully that along with cuttimg back on some of the calcium will do the trick! Thanks again, your response means so much!
marciakeeney
08-03-2003, 11:21 PM
Although 400 is the usual RDA for vitamin D for adults, I have read in several articles (including the Consumer Reports Health Newsletter) that for elderly a larger amount (I think it was 600-800) is appropriate because they absorb less well. Also, as you age, your skin makes vitamin D from the sunlight much less effectively, so you are at risk for low vitamin D levels that way too. So 600-800 is probably OK and even beneficial for an elderly person.
merryk
08-04-2003, 12:32 AM
I agree completely with the last post concerning vitamin D and the elderly. I still think that caution should be taken in getting too much from supplements. While many elderly people are lactose intolerant, milk is still a good choice and eggs are another source of vitamin D, as is fatty fish. Often times the elderly aren't out in the sun enough to reap its benefits.
marciakeeney
08-04-2003, 01:53 AM
Just found the June 2003 Reader's Digest lying around. It had an article on vitamin D on page 140. Here is a pertinent quote from p. 145:
"Current daily recommendations for vitamin D suggest people under the age of 50 get 200 IU's per day; 51-69 year olds aim for 400 IU's; for those 70 and over, 600 IU's. That's enough to keep bones healthy, but Holick and others believe we need even more to avoid other diseases. In the absence of sunlight, the daily dose may be more on the order of 800 IU's to 1000 IU'sa day. (More than 2,000 IUs can be harmful, producing a toxic buildup of calcium in the bloodstream)."
"Current daily recommendations for vitamin D suggest people under the age of 50 get 200 IU's per day; 51-69 year olds aim for 400 IU's; for those 70 and over, 600 IU's. That's enough to keep bones healthy, but Holick and others believe we need even more to avoid other diseases. In the absence of sunlight, the daily dose may be more on the order of 800 IU's to 1000 IU'sa day. (More than 2,000 IUs can be harmful, producing a toxic buildup of calcium in the bloodstream)."
USAFMOM
08-05-2003, 07:43 AM
Before discovering Caltrate 600 with D and magnesium, and a couple of other minerals, I could not take any form of calcium without constipation. The DEXA tech recommended the Caltrate with magnesium, and this is perfect. Can take three a day with no problems at all GI-wise. Hope this helps!