• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Calcium deficiency

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
I didn't realize I might be low in Calcium all these years. I do not consume any dairy products due to intolerance and it never occurred to me that I may be low in Calcium. It could explain my spinal pain, tremors, cognitive impairment, and heavy bleeding. I noticed when I take Magnesium I feel very unwell. My heart slows to a crawl. I want to incorporate calcium in my regimen but want to use the Calcium Hydroxyapatite form from cow bones. Does anyone know how much one would need to take if one is extremely low in calcium? I have the KAL bone meal powder and it gives around 1300mg calcium per teaspoon. After this bottle, I will move on to Now Foods Calcium hydroxyapatite which is a better product. I will be taking with Vitamin D3 drops. Thanks!
 
Messages
70
I didn't realize I might be low in Calcium all these years. I do not consume any dairy products due to intolerance and it never occurred to me that I may be low in Calcium. It could explain my spinal pain, tremors, cognitive impairment, and heavy bleeding. I noticed when I take Magnesium I feel very unwell. My heart slows to a crawl. I want to incorporate calcium in my regimen but want to use the Calcium Hydroxyapatite form from cow bones. Does anyone know how much one would need to take if one is extremely low in calcium? I have the KAL bone meal powder and it gives around 1300mg calcium per teaspoon. After this bottle, I will move on to Now Foods Calcium hydroxyapatite which is a better product. I will be taking with Vitamin D3 drops. Thanks!

Dairy actually takes calcium out of your bones believe it or not! This has been demonstrated in The China Study - people who had the highest intake of dairy products also had the highest rates of osteoporosis and much more!

You can try sesame seeds as they are high in calcium - 1 tbsp has 88mg of Calcium and it absorbs easily as well! You can also mix flaxseeds with sesame seeds and other seeds too, that's what I am doing every morning - I mix a bunch of seeds and then add 2 tsp to my food..but this is not medical advice! Talk with your doctor and see what he thinks about it!
 

Viala

Senior Member
Messages
639
I was wondering about calcium as well and how much should we get daily, there are different RDAs and many factors that affect calcium levels and how much of it we lose daily. From what I've researched it seems that best sources are plant based mainly vegetables, I eat little dairy like 50ml yoghurt or half glass of milk, my diet is set so that I don't lose too much calcium, so low in sugar, sodium, flours and rich in minerals that support homeostasis, I am not a fan of calcium supplements though. I agree with @Flnn on dairy.
 

Woof!

Senior Member
Messages
523
This is my favorite calcium (tho' not hydroxyapatite). My muscles ache and my legs and arms don't want to move unless I take 1 tsp of this flavorless (and easy to mix into anything) powder three times a day with 100 mg of Mg++ Citrate.

Additional Mg++ just before I go to sleep helps greatly with restorative sleep (and it prevents leg cramps & restless leg syndrome).

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Ca...5499&sprefix=calcium+citrate+p,aps,227&sr=8-5

I am definitely Ca++ starved, with osteoporosis and a long family history of these issues, but I can't take more than this or I get kidney stones (most likely Ca++ oxalate, since my Dad suffered from them, too).
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
Do you mean calcium deficiency in the plasma or in the cells?
I don't have blood tests but my situation is complicated. In 2014 I was floxed by antibiotics and then went into benzo withdrawal after 2 month use and haven't recovered since. My gut was ruined and I could not tolerate any foods or supplements without being sent into a mental wave. Muscles atrophied and I became very frail. So my diet was very limited and I had a strange edema weight gain. Spinal pain started around this time and also god awful tonsil stones that continuously showed up. I could not sit nor stand without being in pain.

My constant symptoms since withdrawal is mental fog, depression, tremors(parkinsons like), bone/joint pain, no memory retention, compulsions but mostly becus my brain can't sense when something is complete(nerves?), restless leg/cramps while sleeping, insomnia, palpitations, pressure in brain when exerting energy, and unable to handle change in temperatures. The list goes on. Through some organic acid testing my naturopath told me I had the body constitution of someone aged 90. No really Doc?? I'm 30 something. He never really gave me any solutions. Maybe cause I was intolerant to everything.

Then in 2018 naturopath gave me glutathione and it made me bleed profusely from woman bits (sorry TMI) for a year and I almost didn't make it. Bleeding issue is still with me today and I have to go to acupuncture every month to stop the bleeding. At some point gyno in 2018 gave me high dose birth control that almost killed me. I went to dentist in 2019 and he accidentally nicked my gums and said that my blood doesn't clot. (Never had this issue before the glutathione)

I tried Vitamin K and Magnesium and it made me feel awful. Tried more heme iron and vitamin C. Doesnt clot my blood at all. Currently, I've been bleeding for several months now and just started Bone meal and it looks like there's an improvement. Giving another week to see if it will slow down. I only recently learnt that Calcium helps blood clot and it's other processes. I have a feeling all these issues involve my gut and possibly parathyroid (is this where tonsil stones originate from?), which is why I suspect Calcium would help. Unfortunately calcium from foods would not be sufficient given my gut dysbiosis, especially with my casein intolerance. So only question is, how much natural calcium is the right amount needed to recover?? Sorry for the long read.
 
Last edited:

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
This is my favorite calcium (tho' not hydroxyapatite). My muscles ache and my legs and arms don't want to move unless I take 1 tsp of this flavorless (and easy to mix into anything) powder three times a day with 100 mg of Mg++ Citrate.

Additional Mg++ just before I go to sleep helps greatly with restorative sleep (and it prevents leg cramps & restless leg syndrome).

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Calcium-Citrate-Powder/dp/B0006ZF9NC/ref=sr_1_5?crid=NJUQVRV4LL6P&dchild=1&keywords=calcium+citrate+powder&qid=1627075499&sprefix=calcium+citrate+p,aps,227&sr=8-5

I am definitely Ca++ starved, with osteoporosis and a long family history of these issues, but I can't take more than this or I get kidney stones (most likely Ca++ oxalate, since my Dad suffered from them, too).


Wow you take it 3 times a day?? Here I was thinking 1 teaspoon at 1300mg would be too much for me. Have you considered Calcium Hydroxyapatite by Now Foods? Or Bone meal? Strange, I was taking Magnesium last month for constipation and it worsened the restless leg/leg cramps in my sleep. Maybe this is a sign of the imbalance. I never found Magnesium to help me sleep. I remember distinctly it caused me to jolt awake and I had to walk it off. I am curious if adding calcium to the mix would negate these effects.
 

Woof!

Senior Member
Messages
523
Wow you take it 3 times a day?? Here I was thinking 1 teaspoon at 1300mg would be too much for me.
Have you considered Calcium Hydroxyapatite by Now Foods? Or Bone meal?

1.5 tsp of Now's Ca++ citrate powder equals 600 mg of Ca++ (the maximum our bodies can absorb in one dose). Rather than take 1.5 tsp twice a day to reach the recommended amount of 1200 mg for my age, I split the same amount into three doses. My body likes that better, and it keeps the kidney stones down.

Haven't tried bone meal (which I would expect to be Ca++ carbonate for the most part?) or hydroxyapatite.
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
1.5 tsp of Now's Ca++ citrate powder equals 600 mg of Ca++ (the maximum our bodies can absorb in one dose). Rather than take 1.5 tsp twice a day to reach the recommended amount of 1200 mg for my age, I split the same amount into three doses. My body likes that better, and it keeps the kidney stones down.

Haven't tried bone meal (which I would expect to be Ca++ carbonate for the most part?) or hydroxyapatite.

Hmm I think my one teaspoon would be sufficient for now then. Bone meal should be hydroxyapatite and lower risk of kidney stones since it absorbs better. The Kal brand says Carbonate from bones and company confirmed via email that it is a natural occurring carbonate but I'm going to play it safe and switch to Now Foods Calcium Hydroxyapatite.

Wow!
In re: the bleeding...have you had your platelets checked?


Not recently as I can recover numbers once acupuncturist stops it. But in 2018 my numbers plummeted and hovered above dangerous level and my skin looked the colour of grey. My family doc asked why I didn't get a blood transfusion. But before I could consider a transfusion, I serendipitously found the acupuncturist. Now I'm counting on this Calcium to be the answer.
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
Ok this is just so frustrating. It’s great that im seeing improvement in the bleeding department with Calcium but I have now developed a zapping nerve pain in my ear that goes off every minute. It prevented my sleep last night. Energy runs up my left side and zaps my left ear and my body convulses. How do I undo this?? Should I take a Magnesium bisglycinate to offset it?? I wonder if heating the area will help. It’s making me so very nervous. Thanks.
 
Last edited:

Woof!

Senior Member
Messages
523
Tootsieroll, not to sound alarmist, but it's important to know: If you have chronic thrombocytopenia and it goes untreated, you may be putting your eyesight at risk. The eyes have the smallest blood vessels in the body, and when they hemorrhage, they can cause permanent retinal damage.
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
Thank you. I understand but I did have my platelets rechecked a year later and they were fine after those hospital visits. So this is something that goes beyond platelets that was left undetected. Now Ive caused myself this strange nerve pain that I have to rectify somehow. Do you know Magnesium Biglycinate may help nerve pain?
 

Woof!

Senior Member
Messages
523
I can't tell you anything about Mg++ biglycinate. Just not familiar with it.

Bloodwork is like a photograph. It tells you where you were at one point in time (or, in the case of titers, where you might have been at one point). The more photos (within reason), the better for making an accurate diagnosis, which ideally comes before treatment, if you want to be successful.

Also, have you read up on or been checked for bleeding disorders? While hemophilia is more common in males, it's not unheard of in women. Then there is Von Willebrands disease and Stuart factor deficiency, too.
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
@Dr.Lynne I have had more blood work in my lifetime than I would like to admit. Even have an indent in my arm to prove it lol. Tests always come back normal except for that bleeding instance. I know for a fact that my body has gone through some sort of iatrogenic damage. Even if I would like to go in for blood work, it will have to wait cause I have not been vaccinated for COVID and would need to minimize my contact with certain places.

I actually did extensive research on these bleeding conditions but I feel doubtful I have them because this wasn't an issue till I took that Glutathione. It somehow correlates only to certain substances I put in my mouth. I've never had this issue even at my worst in 2014. It truly is a mystery.

I took 400mg Magnesium Bisglycinate and the zaps have died down a bit. I wish I knew the ratio of Calcium to Magnesium that I need. Do you know if hair analysis tests are accurate. I can always have one done from home.
 

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
I can't tell you anything about Mg++ biglycinate. Just not familiar with it.

Bloodwork is like a photograph. It tells you where you were at one point in time (or, in the case of titers, where you might have been at one point). The more photos (within reason), the better for making an accurate diagnosis, which ideally comes before treatment, if you want to be successful.

Also, have you read up on or been checked for bleeding disorders? While hemophilia is more common in males, it's not unheard of in women. Then there is Von Willebrands disease and Stuart factor deficiency, too.

Well that Magnesium effect was very short lived. The zapping shocked me awake at night. I dont know if Magnesium takes a while to build up in body. I hope someone has some info.
 
Messages
14
My mom has a similar condition as yours. She has been taking Calcium Carbonate Powder supplements. The product contains pure calcium carbonate powder. Half a level teaspoon provides 600 mg of calcium. Because this calcium supplement comes in powder form, you can customize the dosage according to your needs. The manufacturers recommend mixing the powder into juices, such as orange or tomato juice, and taking it with a meal. Mom’s bones feel better now as she says and it helps her with arthritis problems as well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Crux

Senior Member
Messages
1,441
Location
USA
If Phosphorus is too high, it can bind calcium, preventing its use. Phosphorus is in some supplements, like hydroxyapatite.

Another mineral involved with blood clotting is copper. Its deficiency can present with neuropathy too, even optic neuropathy.
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
In 2014 I was floxed by antibiotics and then went into benzo withdrawal after 2 month use and haven't recovered since
That's a combo from hell..... what kind of floxacin ABX were you taking?


How long ago was the benzo withdrawal completed? Was it done under a Drs supervision and was it slowly tapered, or was the benzo just stopped suddenly?
Then in 2018 naturopath gave me glutathione and it made me bleed profusely from woman bits (sorry TMI) for a year and I almost didn't make it.
I have no idea why glutathione would create extreme bleeding. But it could well have exacerbated the effects of what sounds a lot like Protracted Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Drs like to think that this passes in as little as a few days, and no more than 3 or 4 weeks. But then, they like to think that benzo withdrawal is a snap and can be accomplished in a week or two.


Some people's systems are genetically more susceptible to the really crappy effects that benzos can have on the human nervous system, brain function, and neurotransmitters, and they can run into serious problems within just a few weeks of taking them, with protracted withdrawal effects lasting for a very long time, while your brain and neurotransmitters rebalance and adjust.
My constant symptoms since withdrawal is mental fog, depression, tremors(parkinsons like), bone/joint pain, no memory retention, compulsions but mostly becus my brain can't sense when something is complete(nerves?), restless leg/cramps while sleeping, insomnia, palpitations, pressure in brain when exerting energy, and unable to handle change in temperatures.
These can all be withdrawal symptoms, and they're truly miserable. Drs not only don;t know wht to do about them, they dont really want to, because they also dont want to admit the damage these fluckers can do, and they're the easy answer to everythng from getting thru a bad patch to sleep problems, bad divorces, difficulties at work, anxiety/panic attacks, you name it, there's a benzo for it.


Your naturopath was following the standard belief that glutathione would help your withdrawal symptoms. The ad truth is that, without going into a lot of tedious detail, it apparently did the opposite. The benzos shut down your GABA receptors, because they were providing exogenous GABA, meaning your brain figured that it didnt need to produce any on its own anymore. GABA is the calming neurotransmitter which is balanced by glutamate, the exicitatory neurotransmitter. When there's more glutamate than GABA, your brain is constantly firing glutamate which excites neurons and eventually kills them.

This is a very simplified version, but the bottom line is that if you're dealing with an imbalance of GABA/glutamate, glutathione is going to convert to glutamate, aggravating your symptoms and further destabilizing your brain.

You might want to be careful with calcium, which can trigger excessive glutamate and make thngs worse rather than better ....

And anything that triggers glutamate will also have a noticeable effect. Since MSG is a highly favored, cheap flavor enhancer, it's in almost everything, including occurring naturally in many veggies and otherwise healthy foods ... normally, most people dont have a negative response to it, but Ive noticed that a surprizing number of PR members are sensitive. If I had a fully functioning brain, I could connect the dots ....

Magnesium, along with Vit C, can bind to receptor sites and by doing so, block glutamate's uptake and help your brain slowly rebuild its GABA receptors and get you back on an even keel.

The type of magnesium is critical, and there are a lot of choices, some of them not particularly good, ranging from the famous bowel effects of magnesium to general creepy feelings of dis-ease. The safest one would be magnesium glycinate, and you'll need to take a fairly large amount of it.

Towards the end of the worst initial part of my ME, I went thru a period of extreme and really really bad anxiety for a little over 1 1/2 years, and no one who hasn;t been there will understand how lifekilling that can be. Drs offered me the usual assortment of deadly options, with Ativan seeming to be a particular favorite .... it's also one of the most addictive due to its very short half-life ("This'll fix you right up..."), but previous experience with some of their diagnoses and treatments made me look for other options.

I took mag glycinate, which at first did nothing, even at very high doses. I finally stumbled on the perfect dosing schedule for me, and it might work for you as well, in ters of getting over the apparent extended withdrawal: 50 mgs of mag gly every 30-45 minutes, with 300-500 mgs of Vit C every other dose or so. Vit C helps maintain homeostasis in your CNS. On my really bad days, I was taking as much as 2400 mg

It took a while, but it became clear that that unorthodox combo, with a little melatonin thrown in every several doses, was having a positive effect.

This may or may not help you, we're all different and can react very differently to the same thing, but I thought I'd put it out here in case it felt right to you.
 
Last edited:

tootsieroll

Senior Member
Messages
122
Wow I can't believe I googled my own post haha. I'm so sorry that I never returned to comment. I so appreciate the advice that was given and now looking back, we were all on the right track! I can't even believe that my hunch was almost on target. Right after I made this post, things got BAD...things got worse. Things are still pretty bad. I've bled for 5 years straight with no repreive in sight. I even had to ask that acupuncturist to teach me to pin myself because she went back to her country for 6 months and I was afraid of bleeding to death. It has kept me alive till today. I grew weaker with each day and no answers, too afraid to put anything into my mouth because it would cause bleeding. I came across a video on youtube where someone spoke about Vitamin D3 drawing calcium into blood and also how Calcium thickens the blood. My blood was coming out like water. Also noticed when I took Magnesium it caused Charlie horses, which seemed paradoxical.

Then it dawned on me. Being bedbound for over a decade has made me severely D3 deficient. That's why taking Calcium or Magnesium didn't initially help. They work synergistically but because I was afraid to take supplements, each one had to be taken individually and that was the problem. I quickly started with D3 first at 10,000 iu before adding the Calcium and Magnesium. I'm seeing the blood slow down on it's own for the first time in these last few years. I'm onto something but I know this isn't the end because K2 has to be incorporated only after I get my D3 up, to keep calcium from going to the wrong places. I react horribly to K2 with heavy chest. Bleeding is slowing down but I do have more back pain. I need to figure out the ratio that will work for me. I heard a 1:1 magnesium to calcium works while others think Calcium should be higher than magnesium at 2:1 ratio. I'm just so saddened that the doctors couldn't figure this out and immediately prescribed me birth control pills and clotting meds, which dang near killed me in 2018. If only I knew. I know I will eventually need to test my parathyroid gland and some gut testing. I wanted to give this little update but also so thankful for all you people on this wonderful board. Hopefully I'll be back with an even better update later on!