Calcium Supplement

[Optimistic]

Hello everyone,
I had recent right hip bone resurfacing surgery with Dr. Gross.  Let me start by saying that Dr. Gross and his entire staff are truly amazing and I would highly recommend him.

Since I had marginally low bone density, they recommended I take Fosamax once a week for 6 months also with a Calcium supplement (1500 mg) and Vitamin D (1000 IU) daily.  I'm struggling to decide on what brand of calcium/vitamin D I should take.  I was told to take a plant based supplement as the body absorbs it better and they mentioned AlgaeCal.  However, in researching online, I see there is a bit of controversy over the lead in the product.  Also, I've read your body cannot absorb more than 500 mg of Calcium supplement in a day.  In order to get the needed dose of calcium, I would need to take 6 pills a day, which seems a bit excessive and not even sure this is safe as the recommended daily dose is only 3 pills and I've read excessive calcium supplement can lead to other problems.

Has anyone done any research on this and found a calcium/vitamin D supplement that they would recommend?

Many thanks!

[jwall07]

I am on Fosamax for a year and was given same supplement advice by Dr. Gross in May ‘19. I found Garden of Life myKind organic plant calcium on Amazon and take 3 tablets spread throughout the day to get 800mg.  I think the 500 mg limit you speak of is per meal not per day. I make up the other 200 mg of calcium with a tums if I have not had a good dose of calcium in my diet. I won’t do another dexa scan until I go back to Dr so I don’t know yet if this is enough to help my bone density

[Optimistic]

Thanks so much for your reply.  Just checked out on Amazon and this looks like a good option.  Hope all is well with you almost one year post op!

[petemeads]

Have a look online into the role of vitamin K2 - apparently necessary to assist vitamin D3 in getting  calcium into the bones rather than the arteries. K2 is hard to get from diet alone but pills are small and cheap...

[frigator]

I buy the New Chapter slim tabs whole food calcium....made from algae in Iceland I think, bought from Amazon.  I took the foamax for two years and my dexa scan scores barely moved. Dr Gross suggested Prolia, so now I get an injection every six months.

[Optimistic]

Thanks All!  @frigator - do you just take 3 pills a day of the New Chapter slim?  This would only be 780 mg of calcium or do you double and take 6 pills a day? 

[frigator]

 I was told to take two a day up until my 2yr checkup. I actually go to a doctor who treats osteoporis who says too much calcium is not good.   My bloodwork showed my calcium was too high after two years, so after starting the prolia I now only take one tab a day and skip every Sunday. If I had to do it all over I would not take the fosamax at all and go directly to the Prolia, but insurance may not cover it. But mine did because I tried the fosamax first and it didnt work for me.

[Optimistic]

I've tried the Garden of Life organic plant calcium and find they are very large and sometimes difficult to swallow.  Also, since the daily dose suggestion of 3 pills only gives you 800 mg of calcium vs 1500 mg suggested, does anyone else have any calcium supplements they would recommend that are fairly easy to swallow?  I also looked into the New chapter slim tabs but daily dose of 3 pills also only gives you 770 mg.

[frigator]

 I think the plant based  calcium absorbs better than the chalk pills which I started with then quickly switched. The first six months are the most dangerous for femoral neck fracture so you could swallow six a day if you want.  The are still pretty big pills but slimmer than most. I have osteoporosis and used a doctor who treats it to advise me and I was told the 1500 recommendation is too high for me and only take two, which I did with no problem. Of course he had checked my blood and used the level there to make his recommendation. You also get calcium through your food too.  Now I only take one a day.