Question about media report regarding calcium

Veteran support board users and new posters - use this forum to talk about whatever you want. Topics may be C. diff. related but are not required to be. Post here about posters' birthdays, holiday greetings, vacation plans, etc. If it doesn't fit in another forum, put it here.
Dobies#1
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 457
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:32 pm

Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby Dobies#1 » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:09 pm

I saw a media report about calcium on the forum. I can't post a reply on that forum so I'm asking here. Anyway, is that article saying that calcium is a known risk factor for C Diff? For example, if you take a calcium supplement can it cause C Diff out of the blue? Even if you don't take an antibiotic? My doctor has me taking Caltrate Calcium & Vitamin D twice a day. Each pill has 600 MG's of calcium carbonate and 800 MG's of Vitamin D. She said they could actually help with my IBS, which they have lessened my diarrhea episodes, but now I'm a little nervous! Can anyone shed any light on this? Thanks!

MKW
Regular Contributor
Posts: 392
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:49 am

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby MKW » Sun Jul 16, 2017 4:37 pm

I am really curious about this also. I had seen a couple articles about this finding in my Twitter feed over the weekend. As a 45 year old female, women in my age group and older are instructed to take calcium supplements always! I am now left wondering if this is something we absolutely should not be doing during and following CDI because it could increase likelihood of relapse.

grandma7
New User
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:19 pm

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby grandma7 » Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:38 pm

I also would like to know about the calcium.I have osteoporosis.I take calcium with Vit.D. I also take more vitamin D.
I have been drinking the kefir suggested,it says it has calcium.

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby beth22 » Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:50 am

When I first got c difficile, I had taken Tums (calcium carbonate) for about 10 days. Coincidence? I was using Cleocin cream at the time too. In 2014 I also took calcium and tested positive after not having tested positive for years. Last weekend, I took a Tums and my symptoms got worse (I am testing positive on PCR for about a year).

I sent the article to my GI and he said he was going to discuss it with a microbiologist and see what was said.

From what I understood with the article, it says that calcium is needed for the spores to "germinate". I would think that taking calcium would increase that risk. I also had hypercalcemia when I first got c diff - one of my parathyroid glands had an adenoma and was taken out years later, but I was producing too much calcium. Whether this had anything to do with my getting c difficile, I don't know, but it is interesting.

Dobies#1
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 457
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 9:32 pm

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby Dobies#1 » Mon Jul 17, 2017 5:16 am

Beth, will you please let us know what your GI says? I love that the Caltrate has helped my IBS-D, but I'd obviously rather have IBS symptoms as opposed to C Diff! My worry is it will cause C Diff even without taking an antibiotic! If anyone finds this out please let me know. I'm wondering if I should just stop the Caltrate now? Hate to do that right now, since we're about to go on a trip and have to fly, but I can always take Imodium if I have to.

AllisS
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1889
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:52 pm

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby AllisS » Wed Jul 26, 2017 1:07 am

I hadn't heard about a possible link between calcium consumption and C. diff, so will have to check this out. Recently, however, there have been articles saying that dietary calcium is better than calcium supplements since the latter seem to be linked to heart disease, though this is probably dose-dependent (and I don't know what what be "too high" of a dose). A confusing area has to do with whether calcium-fortified foods, e.g., OJ with calcium and vitamin D, count as "supplements." My endocrinologist had no idea! (He was the one who suggested dietary calcium when I told him I wanted to avoid the supplements.) However, my nutritionist said that food with added calcium is most definitely the same as a supplement. It's not that easy to eat a lot of dietary calcium unless you can consume a lot of dairy. Canned sardines and canned salmon, WITH the small, chewy bones intact, are both very high in calcium. (Have to check nutritional info on cans/packaging, as most of these canned fish are deboned before they are packed; if the bones are intact, the % of calcium is around 25% per serving.)
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Bobbie
Administrator
Posts: 12688
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Re: Question about media report regarding calcium

Postby Bobbie » Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:11 am

This is a question that affects all of us and we all need to research it. I have extreme osteoporosis and five broken bones already so it really impacts me. I am calling my osteoporosis doc this week. Damn, why do docs change their minds constantly and rarely agree? I am lactose intolerant and so take calcium pills.

Let's post what we find out here.


Return to “Free Form Discussion”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests