Do Your Medications Hinder the Absorption of Your Calcium?

Calcium is absolutely vital for good health. The proper amount of calcium helps keep our bones strong so they don't break unexpectedly. The proper amount of calcium helps maintain weight, helps in muscle contraction including those regulating the heart, and blood clotting, protects against some forms of cancer, and elevates premenstrual moods. In fact, calcium is a vital component of most bodily functions. I know how important calcium is to the body.

I also thought I knew quite a bit about the interactions between calcium and my medications, but what I didn't know was undermining my health. During the summer my jaw began to ache. While my first thought was a problem with my teeth, the pain felt deeper. It also moved from upper to lower, right to left jaw, making it hard to chew at times.

On our vacation, my sister-in-law Jennifer, a dentist, insisted on taking a look. She checked me out pretty thoroughly, even doing some minor repair work. She found no answer for the pain I suffered-though my teeth looked better after that visit.

That vacation brought into my hands a magazine article that changed everything. Ever since I'd stepped down on my leg only to have it break beneath me, I'd been taking Fosamax to keep my bones strong. I knew that along with the medication, I needed to take a calcium supplement. Why? Because medications like Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva often siphon calcium from the blood to build up the bones. Taking calcium helps maintain proper blood levels of the mineral.

A few years after starting Fosamax, the doctor put me on a thyroid medication. I knew I was supposed to take the medications first thing in the morning with a glass of water (Fosamax on Monday mornings, the thyroid medication every other morning). I didn't consume anything for at least half an hour afterward nor did I lie down.

My regiment was to take my multivitamin, extra vitamin C, and calcium within an hour of taking my thyroid medication. Later in the day, I took glucosamine/chondroitin along with vitamin A (for my eyes).