EZorb and improved DEXA

Has anyone taken EZorb calcium to improve bone density? I started on that after getting a Dexa Tscore of -2.2 in spine and -3.2 in hip. Also started taking Strontum, Vit D3, DHEA, and a few others. I told my DR when it was time for my next DEXA that I had started on Strontum a few months earlier and she advised me to stop taking it. I did stop taking it about 4 weeks before the upcoming Dexa. Those scores came back improved at spine -1.74 and hip -2.89. I had also started water arobics and strength training 2 times a week earlier that same year. Now I am confused because those scores did not facter in that I had been taking strontum up until a few weeks prior to most recent Dexa. Would it still be in my system after 4 weeks? After reading all the positive results from this site I will start up again on Strontum and continue I guess with EZorb even tho it is expensive . Also after one year refusing to take meds I started on Boniva after my improved T score and would like to change to Reclast if it gets approved by my HMO this week. Any input would be great! Thanks Vikki

By BoneLady
Posted August 26, 2008 at 12:22 pm

Hi! vikkid,

I have never taken EZorb calcium, but I checked it out on-line and found that it is a patented form of anhydrous L-aspartic acid chelates of calcium. L-aspartic acid is an amino acid, and calcium amino acid chelates are excellent, assimilable forms of calcium. I take KAL Calcium Magnesium Extra Strength, which contains calcium as both calcium carbonate and calcium amino acid chelate, as well as magnesium. Calcium carbonate is absorbed if taken with food, and I always take it with dinner.

I would expect the strontium to still be in your body after one month because strontium is incorporated onto the crystal surface of bone. There is a formula for correcting a DEXA when a patient has taken strontium. For the formula, see the Links section of my blog at http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/. Even allowing a 10% correction, your score improvement at the spine was significant. Strontium is most effective at the spine, per Servier's website. (Servier is the maker of Protelos, i.e. strontium renalate.)

Why did your doctor advise you to stop taking strontium? It sounds like what you are doing is working very well! We should all be so lucky. I would continue with everything you are taking as well as your exercise program.
Before your next DEXA, let the radiologist know you've been taking strontium and take a copy of the research paper with the correction formula.

By vikkid
Posted August 26, 2008 at 5:57 pm

Thanks so much for your reply. The Dr told me to stop Strontium with no concrete reason except to say it was bad for me and something about it being a metal. It was my first time seeing her and last. I started back up on it this week tho. I will check out the KAL calcium online .

By MahaHaha
Posted August 27, 2008 at 2:00 am

Hi Vikkid – Thanks for mentioning your doc’s reaction to Strontium. I would not have mentioned this if you had not included it in your post. Maybe others have also received a similarly mix message or also been confused by insufficient information ~ I was. The Osteoporosis specialist I saw last week for my first appointment concerning lumbar fractures had a critical reaction when he saw Strontium on my list of supplements. I am not aware of any controversy concerning Strontium, so the doc’s scolding tone seemed even odder than his question. Without the effort to make eye contact, he peeved “Your taking Strontium, why would you take that? He did not follow with any details and did not acknowledge my reply. I am continuing to take Strontium.

By Alli
Posted August 27, 2008 at 6:50 pm

Hey Bonelady I have a question for you... the calcium from chelated amino acid would that amount taken be lower than say calcium citrate...I saw a product and it had calcium form 500 mg of calcium amino acid chelate but the potency is 100 mg per tablet and they recommend only 3 tablets per day.... it also contains magnesium, silica, boron vit d3 k and 200mg greenfood base per tablet.... guess the reason is because the absorption rate is 3 - 10 times greater absorption. If you know anymore about this type of calcium I would appreciate it.

By BoneLady
Posted August 28, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Hi!Alli, What you go by is the amount of elemental calcium, not the amount of calcium compound (e.g., Ca citrate, Ca amino acid chelate) in the product. This should be stated on the label. For example, my KAL Calcium Magnesium Extra Strength contains 500 mg elemental calcium and 250 mg elemental magnesium per tablet. The company states the recommended dose as two tablets. I take only one and get the rest from food and my multivitamin.

The label will say "x" mg calcium or "x" mg magnesium. It will not say "elemental" as that is implied.

Calcium citrate and calcium amino acid chelates are both excellent calcium sources. The amount of calcium one needs is the same from any source, but will vary for individuals based on sex, age, etc. I try to get at least 1500 mg calcium per day from various sources, taking about 500 mg at each meal, because our bodies cannot absorb it all at once.

I hope I have answered your question.

By BoneLady
Posted September 2, 2008 at 1:01 pm

Hi MahaHaha,

I also take strontium for osteoporosis and I promote it on my blog at http://strontiumforbones.blogspot.com/. You said that you are not aware of any controversy concerning strontium. Taken in recommended doses, strontium supplements appear to be safe and relatively free of side effects. However, there is always some controversy about just about everything.

Occasional mild gastrointestinal upset, including diarrhea, has been reported. I had mild constipation early after starting on strontium citrate; so I increased my fiber intake. There is some weak evidence that long-term use of strontium ranelate, the prescription drug unavailable in the U.S., could on rare occasions cause memory loss or seizures. Similarly weak evidence links strontium ranelate with increased risk for blood clots, although one small study was somewhat reassuring about the risk. Most of the studies involve strontium ranelate for obvious reasons.

Excessive intake of strontium can actually weaken bone by replacing too much of the bone's calcium with strontium, according to M.L. Brandi's article,"New Treatment Strategies:Ipriflavone, Strontium, Vitamin D Metabolites and Analogs," Am. J. Med. 1993;95:69S-74S. I would not take more than the recommended dose of 680 mg strontium per day. Maximum safe doses of strontium in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established. Finally, it is not known whether adding strontium to the various standard treatments for osteoporosis will enhance or diminish the benefits.

Your osteoporosis specialist would have served you better by pointing out the pros and cons of strontium supplementation so that you could make your own informed choice.

By Alli
Posted September 3, 2008 at 7:31 am

bonelady the brand name i was referring to was Enerex...it said from calcium 500 mg amino acid cheltate... potency 100mg so i am only getting 100mgs
magnesium from 500 mg..amino acid potency 100mg then it goes on to silica 35 mg
boron 1mg
Vit d3 100iu
vit k 30mcg
and greenfood base 200mg all this is per tablet they tell yu to take three a day with meal. Just wondering if the total amount of 300mg from chelated is enough for the day or is the chelated equal to more absorption???

By BoneLady
Posted September 3, 2008 at 10:49 am

Alli, 300 mg calcium per day from chelated or any other supplemental calcium source is sufficient only if you are getting additional calcium from a multivitamin and/or food to total 1200-1500 mg calcium per day. You should get calcium from various sources throughout the day.

The amount of elemental calcium, which Enerex calls the potency, is all the calcium in the product, so it is all you get if you absorb 100% of it.

What bothers me most about the product you describe is the 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. When combined with magnesium, the ratio should be twice as much calcium as magnesium.

By Alli
Posted September 3, 2008 at 1:36 pm

thanks bonelady I agree with you I switched to Now product called Bone calcium with 1000mg of MCHC
phosphorus 500mg magnesium 500mg zinc 15mg
copper 2mg and boron 3mg.... I would appreciate it if you have any feedback on MCHC .. I have read that it is very bioavailable so I will try it and find out.. Your strontium blog is a great idea i am also on that since last Nov... dexa in Oct so will you all know then

By BoneLady
Posted September 5, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Hi!Alli,

Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate, a calcium supplement derived from bovine bone, is very bioavailable and some studies have shown positive results in slowing bone loss and increasing BMD. However, there is some controversy. In the 1980s, bone meal calcium supplements were found to be contaminated with heavy metals, and some people do not trust manufacturers' claims that their products are free of contaminants. To read more about it and check out some references, look up "hydroxyapatite" in Wikipedia.

By NancyO
Posted September 6, 2008 at 5:44 am

Interesting info re calcium and magnesium products.
My Doctor was indifferent about me taking magnesium. Just stressed that I take calcium with D, 600mg twice a day.
Any thought?

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