Vitamin D

Take calcium and Vitamin D as you get older, blah, blah, blah. Just some more stupid advice we need to follow to keep the vitamin companies in business. I have osteopenia which is getting worse over the years. My mother, aunts, and grandmother all have osteoporosis. My grandmother and one of my aunts also broke their hips.

Between the thyroid non-existence (which I think has impact on calcium absorption) and my family history, as well as being on Femara and a few other of my ailments, I have had bone density tests for more than five years now. The most recent one showed progression of my osteopenia. I do weight bearing exercises three times a week. I take calcium and Vitamin D. The next step will be some kind of medication. There is hope that once I am off Femara my bone density will come back a bit.

So as I diligently take my 3 calcium/Vitamin D tablets each day, I am hoping for the best. I take all three tablets together even though you are supposed to take them spread out. I tried that it meant I forgot to take usually two of them - my brain couldn't handle that many pill takings in a single day.

Now this new study has come out (because we needed another study) that shows that you need to take 800 IUs (International Units - whatever they may be) of Vitamin D for it to make a difference in preventing bone fractures. The article only came out last Wednesday and it has taken me nearly a week to finally remember to check my vitamin bottle to find out that I have been taking 1200 IUs of Vitamin D all along so at least I am doing one thing right.

Its nice when a study confirms that what I am doing is mostly right for once.