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Medical Forum / General / General / November 2005Calcium suppliments - improve BP
Ever since my father was asked to take 1500 mg of calcium with 800 units of vitamin D he is finding great improvement in his blood pressue . It is gradually decreasing and there are no unwanted fluctuations as before . Wonder whether it is calcium / vit D ? / both ? s > Ever since my father was asked to take 1500 mg of calcium with 800 > units of vitamin D [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > s Both are involved in calcium physiology obviously. Calcium supplementation does decrease BP in some people. There can be problems in that calcium also stimulates stomach acid so sometimes stomach pain can happen and in those with propensity for stone formation obviously can be a problem as in occult hyperparathyroidism. Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. Regarding calcium and weight loss, studies have found diet-rich calcium helps BP, but have not thus far proven calcium supplements to be of benefit. I can't recall offhand what studies have shown, regarding BP, but it is known calcium helps control BP. [See DASH Diet, NIH recommended] Magnesium combo supplement would also be beneficial. Citrate better than carbonate, for both. > Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Citrate better than carbonate, for both. Yes , he takes calcium citrate ( Citracal ) 2 tabs twice daily . As far as hid diet goes plenty of low fat cheese , dairy , sesame seeds , almonds . walnuts and flax seed . My doctor told him that the calcium channel blockers and beta blockers doesnot interfere with calcium in any way , but he feels uncomfortable taking calcium with Metformin and so he gives a gap of an hour between the two and is well off . Regards , s >> Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. This may be an industry lie to sell an overpriced product. I believe the pk data show that they are quite similar when taken with food. The difference is not worth the price differential. But that's the supplement industry....like pharma, out to make a buck FIRST and then gosh if it helps, a bonus! George M. Carter Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. This may be an industry lie to sell an overpriced product. I believe the pk data show that they are quite similar when taken with food. The difference is not worth the price differential. But that's the supplement industry....like pharma, out to make a buck FIRST and then gosh if it helps, a bonus! George M. Carter calcium carbonate may constipate, while citrate does not. and I have read that carbonate will put you more at risk for kidney stones, relative to citrate. citrate is more expensive, and harder to find these days. but it is a better forumulation, in regard to side effects, unless you have diahreah, then it may be helpful. My doctor told him that the calcium channel > blockers and beta blockers > doesnot interfere with calcium in any way , but he feels uncomfortable [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Regards , > s I'm taking a calcium channel blocker and because of this I thought maybe I should stop taking calcium enriched trim milk as I thought it would make the CCB less effective. But my logic must be wrong as calcium supplements appear to reduce BP. What have I got wrong? > My doctor told him that the calcium channel > > blockers and beta blockers [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > would make the CCB less effective. But my logic must be wrong as > calcium supplements appear to reduce BP. What have I got wrong? No , it doesnot interfere with calcium - both work on a different ways . s > > My doctor told him that the calcium channel > > > blockers and beta blockers [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > s Do you have a cite that says calcium supplements do not interfere with CCB's? "Calcium supplements may also decrease the efficacy of calcium channel blockers. " - http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/calcium/index.html Regardless of whether you are starting to take calcium supplements, or stopping to take calcium supplements, if you are on CCB's you should tell your physician about the supplements you take. -elgoog Suddenly, without warning, Twittering One exclaimed (09-Nov-05 10:36 PM): > Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Citrate better than carbonate, for both. Actually I was in the doctors' office just a bit ago, and was reading an article about dairy and weight loss. One study had three groups - a control, a group taking calcium pills, and another taking three to four servings of dairy a day (yoghurt, milk or cheese). The pill group lost more weight than the control, but less than the dairy group. So, seems that they do work, but not nearly as well as real dairy does. I was in for this chest infection that just won't leave (steroids this time, ugh), but I'm happy to say that my BP, which was really high last week, has dropped back down. Not quite back to normal, but loads better. I think the higher BP is related to the infection in some way. Anybody know if antibiotics can interfere with Atenolol? jmc > Suddenly, without warning, Twittering One exclaimed (09-Nov-05 10:36 PM): > > Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > jmc My father was on anti-biotics for 10 days few years back for influenza and it didnot interfere with his Anenolol . s > Suddenly, without warning, Twittering One exclaimed (09-Nov-05 10:36 PM): > > Calcium citrate is better to take, vs carbonate. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > jmc Antibiotics may interfere with Atenolol. Discuss all medications and supplements with your doctor when getting a prescription. Fortunately, antibiotics are generally not prescribed for more than 10 days. Note that there are common OTC drugs like ibuprofen and Aleve that may affect atenolol. If you are on atenolol, you should check with your pharmacist about the OTC medications you use. "What other drugs will affect atenolol? · Before taking atenolol, tell your doctor if you are taking · a heart medication such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), reserpine (Serpasil), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR), clonidine (Catapres), digoxin (Lanoxin), doxazosin (Cardura), guanadrel (Hylorel), prazosin (Minipress), or terazosin (Hytrin); · a diabetes medication such as insulin, glyburide (Micronase, Glynase, Diabeta), glipizide (Glucotrol), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), or metformin (Glucophage); · a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, others), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), ketoprofen (Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail), and others; · a respiratory medication such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil, Volmax, others), bitolterol (Tornalate), metaproterenol (Alupent, Metaprel), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire, Brethine, Bricanyl), or theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theochron, Theolair, others); · the stomach medication cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB); or · prescription or over-the-counter cough medicines, cold medicines, or diet pills. · You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above. · Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with atenolol or affect your condition. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products. " - http://www.drugs.com/atenolol.html -elgoog Suddenly, without warning, elgoog exclaimed (11-Nov-05 2:51 PM): >>Suddenly, without warning, Twittering One exclaimed (09-Nov-05 10:36 PM): >> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > supplements with your doctor when getting a prescription. Fortunately, > antibiotics are generally not prescribed for more than 10 days. Do you have a cite that provides more info about the antibiotic/Atenolol interactions? I do discuss these with the dr, and I always read the insert for a new med. Been on 4 different antibiotics for a total of 28 days for a suspected respiratory infection (which is in its 8th week). FINALLY, saw one of the other drs in the clinc, and she expressed amazement and alarm that absolutely *no* diagnostics had been done. Blood tests and chest x-ray for next week. IMHO, they should have been done after my first appt, when I was really, obviously sick. I'm now taking steroids for a couple of days, which I've just read are counterindicated for bacterial infections (lowers the immune system). Welcome to NHS (UK). > Note that there are common OTC drugs like ibuprofen and Aleve that may > affect atenolol. If you are on atenolol, you should check with your > pharmacist about the OTC medications you use. Oddly, my UK docs says it's OK to take ibuprofen. In fact, when I had a bit of sciatia, one of them told me to take *3*, and in fact to take them before engagin in possibly damaging activity. Go figure. jmc > Suddenly, without warning, elgoog exclaimed (11-Nov-05 2:51 PM): > > [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > > jmc jmc, Here is a Physician's Desk Reference on atenolol, http://www.drugs.com/pdr/atenolol.html Unfortunately, despite the extensive testing performed on drugs it simply isn't possible to test every drug against every other for possible interactions. Imagine the complexities of the endocrine system and the millions of chemical reactions and hundreds of metabolic actions that occur in the human body - each of us is unique. Beta-blockers affect the heart and vascular system by imparting chemical messages that impact how the body regulates the hormones. We naively refer to side effects as elements of these interactions that are not helpful to the treatment of the targeted reactions; but, in reality effects and side effects are simply how the drug works. The manufacturers warn against the use of ibuprofen and aleve, this may be due to reported side effects from consumers, or based upon chemical analysis. They don't specify the frequency or nature of the specific risk probably because it hasn't been fully studied. When I say that antibiotics "may" interfere it is because there are many different types of antibiotics and no specific study that shows their safety with atenolol. This doesn't mean that you can't take them, or shouldn't - and certainly, most physicians don't worry much about what should be a very short term treatment. The manufacturer, of course, warns against the use of other medications in a non-specific way and I believe these may include antibiotics as well - your pharmacist can explain the chemical aspects of the drugs and how they may interact. But, even your pharmacist may not know what will happen in your body when mixed with all the other things you put into it, like supplements, natural remedies - even grapefruit juice and licorice, which are both proven to interfere with many prescription drugs. Nonetheless, I think you see my point; when taking drugs in combination, one should be extra attentive to potential side effects. Many believe natural remedies to be safer than pharmaceutically produced drugs, but this doesn't mean that the myriad of chemical compositions and mixtures that are created are safe. In practice, physicians seem to rely on anecdotal evidence nearly as much as practitioners of alternative medicine when it comes to the mixing of multiple prescriptions. Sure, they may rationalize this behavior based upon the body of evidence provided by case studies and specific drug studies, but these drug cocktails are as much a mystery to them as they are to us. In the end, the wise are made foolish and we are simply lab rats in a grand experiment, our cheese is longer life. Hope you feel better soon, -elgoog eat well, sleep well, exercise and live well >>Suddenly, without warning, elgoog exclaimed (11-Nov-05 2:51 PM): > In the end, the wise are made foolish and we are simply lab rats in a > grand experiment, our cheese is longer life. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > eat well, sleep well, exercise and live well Squeek! Squeek! Hey! Who moved my cheese? :) jmc > Ever since my father was asked to take 1500 mg of calcium with 800 > units of vitamin D [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > s "The relationship between calcium intake and blood pressure has been investigated extensively over the past two decades. An analysis of 23 large observational studies found a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 0.34 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) per 100 mg of calcium consumed daily and a reduction in diastolic blood pressure of 0.15 mm Hg per 100 mg calcium (31). A large systematic review of 42 randomized controlled trials examining the effect of calcium supplementation on blood pressure compared to placebo found an overall reduction of 1.44 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and a reduction of 0.84 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure (32). Calcium supplementation in these randomized controlled trials ranged from 500-2,000 mg/day, with 1,000-1,500 mg/day being the most common dose. In the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study, 549 people were randomized to one of three diets for eight weeks: 1) a control diet that was low in fruit, vegetables, and dairy products, 2) a diet rich in fruits (~5 servings/day) and vegetables (~3 servings/day), and 3) a combination diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products (~3 servings/day) (33). The combination diet represented an increase of about 800 mg of calcium/day over the control and fruit/vegetable rich diets for a total of about 1,200 mg of calcium/day. " - http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/calcium/index.html Calcium may play a role in reducing BP. IMHO it is not likely that calcium or vitamin D supplements alone would constitute a "great improvement" in BP or have much of an affect on "unwanted" fluctuations. Fluctuations in BP or normal, in fact, they are necessary. It is not uncommon for perfectly healthy weight lifters to experience systolic readings of 300 when lifting weights. One might well wonder if all those red blood cells careening through narrow passageways wouldn't cause problems. Actually, there is a risk, although rare, weightlifters may experience hematomes or even strokes. IMHO, treating hypertension is most successful when we utilize all the advantages at our disposal; a proper diet, exercise, weight-loss if needed, stress reduction, adequate sleep and medications for those who require it. Vitamin D is important in order to make use of the calcium. Back in the days where rickets were common, vitamin D was added to our food supply: flour, bread, cereal, milk, orange juice. -elgoog |
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