Calcium level in your labs

We all know we need to take calcium, right?  But lately I've seen a lot of posts from people either taking less calcium than the ASMBS recommends or a form of calcium we can't absorb (like calcium carbonate or tricalcium phosphate)

And when we get labs done, one of the things they check is the calcium level in our blood.  What we need to understand, though, is that the calcium level in our blood really tells us very little about our calcium intake/absorption.

See, if the calcium level in our blood drops too low, our muscles cannot contract.  The heart is a muscle and if it cannot contract, as in beat, we drop dead.  So if we don't take in enough calcium or don't absorb the calcium we take in for some reason (like if our vitamin D level is too low), our bodies produce extra parathyroid hormone, which sucks calcium out of our bones to keep that level in our blood good.  As long as you have bones and teeth to suck calcium out of, that calcium level in your blood will likely be OK. 

If it drops low, it may mean you have problems with your endocrine system or other potentially serious health problems, but it doesn't mean you aren't getting enough calcium.

For lab results that tell you about calcium, what you want to know is your D level and PTH.  If the D is below 80, that means you won't absorb calcium well, no matter how much you take. Doesn't mean you won't absorb any, you will.  But maybe not enough and you will be at increased risk for osteoporosis as well as other unpleasant things.

If the PTH is on the high side (even in the normal range, just on the high side), it suggests you are indeed leaching calcium out of your bones.

Some surgeons do not routinely order a PTH when they order labs.  If yours doesn't, ask for it.

At one year out, you should get a bone density scan to see the true state of your bones.  However, you don’t want to wait ‘til then to at least try to get enough calcium and keep your vitamin D level above 80.  If you get a bone density scan and find out you’ve suffered bone loss, you’re already in trouble.

 

Good to know Kelly, thanks for posting   I can't wait for my first blood tests in about three weeks.  He claims all the vitamins I will need are in his bariatric vitamins which I take four times a day.  They are $25 a month so I don't consider that bad, but from all I've read....I'm expecting to have to add supplements.  I ordered the calcium chews and B12  sublingual last week, waiting to take them until I get results though.   I got a sore throat last night and am not feeling too good this morning, so I'm going to take vitamin c today (all I have).

I don't know of any of those four a day vitamins that have everything the ASMBS says we need.  With most, you'd have to take eight a day to get enough of most things.  But most of them have calcium carbonate, or at least some of the calcium in them is carbonate, so you'd need extra calcium citrate, too.  And you won't absorb the B12 in them because it's not a sublingual.

I'll have to look for that Kelly.  Never thought a bought the B12 in them not being sublingual!  Here is what my bottle says:

Hmmmmm.....  I copied from my word doc but can't paste here....  Maybe because I'm on my IPad.  I can't go on laptop until my SIL is done working on a problem for me remotely.

Just be aware that your first set of post-op labs might not show much since those first few months you can utilize some stored vitamins (not for all, though).  I suggest that people get a copy of their PRE-OP lab results so they can compare the two for trends of things dropping rather than relying on just a value that is "within range".  If something has dropped a lot in 3 or 4 months, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will drop even more by the time you get your 6 month labs.

Also, anything that is on the low wend of normal needs attention, even if your surgeon's office doesn't tell you to increase that particular vitamin.  Our levels can drop VERY quickly, so by the time you get the next set you may very well have gone from low normal to quite deficient.

Lora

Thanks Lora,  I guess I'm going to be really proactive. 

if you use quest for your lab they have an app that you can get all your lab results on your phone/tablet. 

Wow, that is great to know!   I do use  Quest because I don't  have to pay anything then.  Thanks 

i have not started Calcium yet. What are some good options, or what should I look for ?

Any calcium citrate is fine.  If you want chewable, you'll probably need to order online.  Most stores carry the tablets you swallow but not chewable citrate.