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Bone protection

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Chiron
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2015
Posts : 228
Posted 3/21/2018 4:01 PM (GMT -7)
I need some advice on what I can take to give my body enough calcium while on prednisone. I can't consume dairy or raw vegetables. I also can't take calcium supplements. They all cause bleeding. So I'm having a hard time thinking of other calcium rich foods or alternatives.

There are calcium injections but I think they're dangerous, you need a doctor to do it, and the amount of small.

I'm definitely not getting the RDA of 1000mg right now. I already take D3, etc. I just need advice about calcium.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16389
Posted 3/21/2018 4:28 PM (GMT -7)
Potassium is another to take while on pred.
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Serenity Now
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2009
Posts : 2506
Posted 3/21/2018 4:33 PM (GMT -7)
I don't have good news for you unless you can eat nuts (almonds). Sardines? oh this is not on the list but I also heard that if you eat canned salmon if you don't remove the bones (just mush them up into the salmon after taking out the fatty skin) then you get calcium that way.

Top 10 Calcium Rich Foods

1) Raw Milk
1 cup: 300 mg (30% DV)

2) Kale (cooked)
1 cup: 245 mg (24% DV)

3) Sardines (with bones)
2 ounces: 217 mg (21% DV)

4) Yogurt or Kefir
6 oz: 300 mg (30% DV)

5) Broccoli
1 ½ cup cooked: 93 mg (9% DV)

6) Watercress
1 cup: 41 mg (4% DV)

7) Cheese
1 oz: 224 mg (22% DV)

8) Bok Choy
1 cup:74 mg (7% DV)

9) Okra
1 cup: 82 mg (8% DV)

10) Almonds
1 oz: 76 mg (8% DV)

In general, calcium food sources are found in the highest amounts in raw dairy and green vegetables.
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TroubledTurds
Veteran Member
Joined : Jan 2004
Posts : 8705
Posted 3/21/2018 5:08 PM (GMT -7)
have you had your levels checked recently ? if not, i would suggest having blood work done to establish a base line -

in some cases, cooked veggies supply more nutrients and are better absorbed versus raw -
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Chiron
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2015
Posts : 228
Posted 3/21/2018 7:16 PM (GMT -7)
Oh! I just found out that two tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds has 110% the RDA calcium. I can eat those!!!

iPoop said...
Potassium is another to take while on pred.

My doctor gave me a rx for potassium citrate 540mg pills and I've been taking 1-2 per day. It was light night and day in energy levels when I did that. I think diarrhea and bleeding really depletes a lot of potassium too.
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naturalcurl
Regular Member
Joined : Nov 2010
Posts : 254
Posted 3/21/2018 8:01 PM (GMT -7)
A very smart doctor, an endocrinologist, suggested that Reclast (zolendronic acid) protects the bones from pred. It is an infusion given every year or two.
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suchatravesty
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2017
Posts : 346
Posted 3/22/2018 2:10 AM (GMT -7)
I can't do a a lot of dairy either, but I drink unsweetened original almond milk (Almond Breeze) and it has 45% of the RDA. An ounce of chia has 18% if you can handle seeds (I can handle them if I soak them first).
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18985
Posted 3/22/2018 3:49 AM (GMT -7)
Chiron, do not forget exercise is very important to help keep your bones strong. I have osteoporosis from heavy steroid use. I went from osteopenia, which is the precursor for it. However, osteopenia can be reversed when not too far along. I was in my late 40's when dx'd. Several years later I did an injectable medication to see if it would slow down the progression. My results were not that impressive but better than nothing the way we looked at it. Talk to your dr about your concerns & see what he suggests.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16389
Posted 3/22/2018 5:33 AM (GMT -7)
Extra calcium, potassium, and exercise are the (3) three pillars that help reduce prednisone's impact. Calcium doesn't waste as much when you exercise lightly (NO power-lifting needed).
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Chiron
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2015
Posts : 228
Posted 3/22/2018 1:15 PM (GMT -7)
Just found out I was wrong. You need 1/4 cup of sesame seeds just to get 30% of your calcium or something ridiculous like that, and they're very high in copper. So it looks like you'd have to overdose on copper to get enough calcium. Arghhh

It's amazing how limited calcium options are when you stop having dairy!

TroubledTurds said...
have you had your levels checked recently ? if not, i would suggest having blood work done to establish a base line -

in some cases, cooked veggies supply more nutrients and are better absorbed versus raw -

My doctor said blood work is not very effective because when your body is low on calcium it will just start taking it from the bones so the blood test looks "normal" even though its your own bones being used up.

naturalcurl said...
A very smart doctor, an endocrinologist, suggested that Reclast (zolendronic acid) protects the bones from pred. It is an infusion given every year or two.

The side effects for that look gnarly and one of them is diarrhea!

suchatravesty said...
I can't do a a lot of dairy either, but I drink unsweetened original almond milk (Almond Breeze) and it has 45% of the RDA. An ounce of chia has 18% if you can handle seeds (I can handle them if I soak them first).

Almond Breeze has fillers in it like gums that make me bleed. It has calcium because it's fortified with calcium powder, the very thing I'm trying to avoid. Just look at the ingredients list.

straydog said...
Chiron, do not forget exercise is very important to help keep your bones strong. I have osteoporosis from heavy steroid use. I went from osteopenia, which is the precursor for it. However, osteopenia can be reversed when not too far along. I was in my late 40's when dx'd. Several years later I did an injectable medication to see if it would slow down the progression. My results were not that impressive but better than nothing the way we looked at it. Talk to your dr about your concerns & see what he suggests.

I exercise I do yoga every day and walk a lot. I love weight lifting but I've been avoiding it because of the bleeding. It somehow makes inflammation worse for me.
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princesa
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2007
Posts : 2204
Posted 3/22/2018 2:45 PM (GMT -7)
Don't forget weight-bearing exercise in addition to dietary supplements. I was able to go from osteopenia diagnosis back to normal ranges with weight training.
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Chiron
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2015
Posts : 228
Posted 3/23/2018 12:56 PM (GMT -7)
iPoop, we talked about potassium... do you know what kind is good? My doctor gave me 540mg potassium citrate pills, but I hear citrate isn't the best for the gut. It makes something called citrobacter grow too much.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16389
Posted 3/23/2018 1:11 PM (GMT -7)
While on prednisone, I'd eat a banana or two a day as a precaution. One banana is 422 mg of potassium on average. I'll take natural sources before supplements any day smile
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