calcium & iron supplements

[poodlebone]

So today I had an appointment with my primary care physician, the first time I've seen her in two years. She went through the list in my charts of medications/supplements to get it up to date. When I told her that I was taking iron tablets she told me not to take it with my calcium because they interact. Oops! Maybe that's why my iron levels have remained low all this time.

I did a quick search online and from what I've read it seems that even dietary calcium can interfere with iron absorption, whether it's iron from tablets or in food. One page said that if you need both iron & calcium then the best calcium to get was calcium carbonate (I think...).

So, any recommendations for the best times to take these? I also take Vitamin D 1000, a vitamin C tablet and a multivitamin. I had been downing the whole bunch after eating breakfast. Almost every day I have oatmeal with ground flax and fruit of some kind (either fresh or dried) for breakfast. I make it with water, so there's not a lot of calcium in the meal. Would it be best to take the iron in the morning and then take the calcium after lunch or dinner? I also take Levoxyl for my thyroid and I've read calcium can interfere with that, but I leave that by my bed and take it if I wake up before my alarm clock in the morning or as soon as my alarm goes off. I then hit the snooze button 5 or 6 or 7 times and it's always at least an hour between taking the Levoxyl and the time I eat breakfast.

[foxl]

I have always heard take your iron with your C or orange juice or other acidic substances that help absorption.

and take your calcium 12 hr away from it. BTW, do your math on total calcium intake -- too MUCH causes athersclerosis and when my Endo had me calculate what I was taking, vitamin, calcium suppl, whey shake, and diet, it WAS too much! Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot ... :eek:


So today I had an appointment with my primary care physician, the first time I've seen her in two years. She went through the list in my charts of medications/supplements to get it up to date. When I told her that I was taking iron tablets she told me not to take it with my calcium because they interact. Oops! Maybe that's why my iron levels have remained low all this time.

I did a quick search online and from what I've read it seems that even dietary calcium can interfere with iron absorption, whether it's iron from tablets or in food. One page said that if you need both iron & calcium then the best calcium to get was calcium carbonate (I think...).

So, any recommendations for the best times to take these? I also take Vitamin D 1000, a vitamin C tablet and a multivitamin. I had been downing the whole bunch after eating breakfast. Almost every day I have oatmeal with ground flax and fruit of some kind (either fresh or dried) for breakfast. I make it with water, so there's not a lot of calcium in the meal. Would it be best to take the iron in the morning and then take the calcium after lunch or dinner? I also take Levoxyl for my thyroid and I've read calcium can interfere with that, but I leave that by my bed and take it if I wake up before my alarm clock in the morning or as soon as my alarm goes off. I then hit the snooze button 5 or 6 or 7 times and it's always at least an hour between taking the Levoxyl and the time I eat breakfast.

[MCS]

How much was to much?


I have always heard take your iron with your C or orange juice or other acidic substances that help absorption.

and take your calcium 12 hr away from it. BTW, do your math on total calcium intake -- too MUCH causes athersclerosis and when my Endo had me calculate what I was taking, vitamin, calcium suppl, whey shake, and diet, it WAS too much! Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot ... :eek:

[foxl]

How much was to much?

Even ONE Citracal in addition to my multivitamin and other above-listed stuff! I only take Citracal now if I skip the shake ... but mostly not even then!

I think she set my upper limit at 1000 - 1200 TOTAL.