Psycho-Babble Health Thread 467106

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Urgent HELP needed

Posted by fires on March 5, 2005, at 18:28:13

I've had very strange symptoms for just over a week now. I've really been sick (mentally and physically) the last couple of days.

I just discovered that I've not been taking enough calcium for about 40 days -- I switched from Tums to Citracal as my source (I don't eat any milk products).

I've only gotten 1/3 to 1/2 of the MDR due to my misinterpreting the Citracal label.

Is there such a thing as a Calcium IV for acute deficiency? Should I pop a bunch of extra calcium?

Thanks

 

Re: Urgent HELP needed » fires

Posted by Larry Hoover on March 5, 2005, at 18:54:57

In reply to Urgent HELP needed, posted by fires on March 5, 2005, at 18:28:13

> I've had very strange symptoms for just over a week now. I've really been sick (mentally and physically) the last couple of days.
>
> I just discovered that I've not been taking enough calcium for about 40 days -- I switched from Tums to Citracal as my source (I don't eat any milk products).
>
> I've only gotten 1/3 to 1/2 of the MDR due to my misinterpreting the Citracal label.
>
> Is there such a thing as a Calcium IV for acute deficiency? Should I pop a bunch of extra calcium?
>
> Thanks

You don't have anything to worry about. Your bones are a massive reserve of calcium, in the form of crystals of hydroxyapatite. Your bones are constantly being dissolved and reformed, by the opposing actions of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Both are regulated by parathyroid hormone, which balances calcium ion content in the blood. If you're a tad shy on calcium in the blood, the parathyroid hikes the rate of bone resorption. It would take years and years of low calcium intake to make a serious effect on health, showing first as osteopenia.

What is vital is that you get sufficient vitamin D, in order to enhance calcium uptake from the gut. That is a critical supplement for most people (due to our sun avoidance and use of sunscreen). You can't do without vitamin D, but you can do without calcium (relatively speaking).

Lar

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