Hi, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2023 and take Adcal D3 dissolve twice a day and alendronic acid once a week as proscribed by my GP. I can’t swallow tablets so have tablets that I dissolve in water. The Adcal makes me bloated but recently I’ve been getting stomach pain and the bloating has got a lot worse. I look six months pregnant. I’ve also recently discovered that one should take vitamin k2 so the calcium goes to the bones and not to the arteries so I also take this as well. I’m vegetarian but I have no idea if I’m taking too much calcium along with eating some dairy food a day. I was wondering whether to get a private blood test to see how much calcium is in my blood or stop taking the Adcal and look for another calcium supplement?
Hi Katy, like you I have been on Adcal & Alendronic Acid since my diagnosis in 2023. I have lost 5cm in height due to spinal fractures which has resulted in me also having a Buddha, or pot, belly. Constipation can also be a problem so I add prunes to my breakfast cereal. I understand that the daily amount of dried prunes for helping maintain or to build bone strength & to help manage constipation is 6 dried prunes. The Adcal should not be swallowed whole but eaten, I am not sure about dissolving in water. The ROS have an excellent video about calcium carbonate & calcium citrate, well worth watching https://youtu.be/4bxSW7o1ioo I hope that helps.
Hi Impeny,
Thanks for the link to the video, I’ll check it out. The Adcal I take is dissolvable in water. I also eat prunes as it makes me constipated too.
A couple of things about vitamin K2 and blood calcium.
Vitamin K2 is needed to absorb calcium properly, but unlike calcium, it is easy to get all the necessary K2 with food. Blood calcium does not reflect how much calcium goes into bones. Blood makes sure it has enough and can take calcium from bones, so you can have normal blood calcium and still lack calcium in your bones. The blood test is used to identify some other conditions, but it is not an indicator if someone should take calcium supplements, unless the blood calcium is too high. If you feel unwell with your calcium supplement, it is worth looking into either increasing it from food (Chronometer is a good app that can track your calcium. You can put all your food in it for a week or so see what you are consuming on average per day. Then only supplement that amount, which may mean half of your Adcal dose and see if that helps). Or to switch to a better absorbable form of calcium which is Calcium Citrate. But you will have to buy it yourself, as they would not normally prescribe it unless you are a bariatric surgery patient or have any other serious absorption problem. I will later post some resources to substantiate this.
Here is info from ROS on vitamin K:
And here is the nutrient calculator from Osteoporosis Canada, where you can assess whether you are taking enough Vitamin K from food:
Hi,
Thank you, this is all very useful. I’ve halved my Adcal dose and feel better already. I’m not so bloated, but will work out how much calcium I’m actually getting from my diet by using the calculator and then work out how much I need to supplement. I’m also thinking of finding a calcium supplement that’s more bioavailable, which I’m very happy to pay for.