OK, dairy’s been kicked to the curb and I need a supplement I can take with dinner - i.e.: as far away from my synthroid dosage so as to not interfere. Anyone out there take a supplement they tolerate? Soy is also out, so is broccoli. Other suggestions?!?
thanks!
AP
I’m also on Synthroid (and Cytomel - a nice little duo) and my endo recommended Viactiv chews for me along with a Vit D supplement. Not sure if the supplement is to help in the absorbtion of the Calcium or simply because we don’t get a whole lot of sun 8 months of year up here in the PNW. I take those two along with a multi every night I actually remember and haven’t seen any interaction with my thyroid meds.
When purchasing calcium supplements, ensure to look for the elemental calcium content, not the total content. For instance, a pill containing 500mg of Calcium Carbonate provides 200mg of elemental calcium. Hence one pill in this example only provides 200mg of calcium, not 500mg.
Calcium is absorbed in small intestines. Not all calcium we consume will be absorbed. The amount of calcium absorbed is dependent on a number of factors such as the acidic condition in our intestines, Vitamin D level, estrogen level and the type of calcium supplement.
Ashish
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Viactiv caramel calcium supplements are pretty tasty.
Ease into taking them; Ca supplements can cause constipation.
Avoid taking Ca with iron or citrus fruits - my N told me both interfere with its absorption. I knew iron did but vit C interfering with it was new to me.
Thanks for all the responses… v. helpful!~
AP
I use Life Extension Bone Restore and I also use their vitamin D supplement. I get my next dexa scan next year but my vitamin D level was 64, whatever that means, last month.
viactive tastes pretty good to me.
I have settled, for now, on OJ with Vit D and Calcium. I have a big fat pint of it before dinner, easy on my guts. So far so good. Seeing doc next week - we’ll see what she says.
Thx again.
AP
I don’t know how it jives with your drugs, but Jordan got me into drinking almond milk. It sort of tastes like milk, and has the right consistency - but isn’t soy or dairy. It’s also a good source of Calcium, A and D. I just wish I could find it in an unsweetened variety…
Really? We have no problems finding it in Nanaimo. I know that Island Naturals and Country Grocer carry it. I also think that Save-On has it. We pretty much buy it by the caseload whenever it’s on sale. When I lived in White Rock, I always bought it at Trader Joes though.
I never knew it had calcium and I’ve been having it pretty much every morning for 4+ years!
yeah, that’s next on my list to try… I eat a lot of raw almonds already, so not sure I want to add more into my diet… but again, always an experiment 
AP
Hi -
I also suffer from Hypothyroidism and take Synthroid - 115 mg to be exact. I also take calcium supplements but I just started taking them and I have been taking them at the same time - is that is no no??
I also take: Iron, B2, Vitamin D, Flax Seed Oil and Vitamin C - am I not supposed to be taking those at the same time as my synthroid meds??
calcium interferes with the uptake of synthroid, so no you don’t want to take them together.
you should be taking the synthroid on an empty stomach and wait at least 1 hr after taking the dose to eat anything. I would put other supplements in the “eating” bucket.
AP
Really? We have no problems finding it in Nanaimo. I know that Island Naturals and Country Grocer carry it. I also think that Save-On has it.
I checked at Save-On last night and they had regular (original?) and vanilla. The 2nd ingredient on the regular is “evaporated cane juice” - sugar. I don’t like vanilla flavoured things, so I didn’t bother checking it - but I’d guess that it has sugar added to it as well. There was only one brand available. The one in my fridge (Almond Fresh Original) lists “cane sugar” as the 2nd ingredient.
Maybe I need to look harder.
http://store.bluediamond.com/Almond-Breezereg-Original--Unsweetened_p_37.html
Khai - This is the brand that we’ve been drinking for years. I can’t remember if it’s carried at Save-On but pretty much everywhere else has it. I’ve never really had a problem finding it. At least three different store chains in Nanaimo carry it so I can’t imagine it would be that hard to find on the Mainland.
http://store.bluediamond.com/...nsweetened_p_37.html
Khai - This is the brand that we’ve been drinking for years. I can’t remember if it’s carried at Save-On but pretty much everywhere else has it. I’ve never really had a problem finding it. At least three different store chains in Nanaimo carry it so I can’t imagine it would be that hard to find on the Mainland.
Thanks for that - it’s the same brand that I normally buy, but I never looked at the UHT (shelf stabilized) stuff. I wonder why they make the original flavour available in an unsweetened form for the UHT, but not for the refrigerated? I don’t really like UHT cow’s milk because the UHT pasteurization process changes the flavour and odour of the milk. I guess I’ll have to see if it does the same for almond milk. I’ve also heard less than positive things about what the UHT process does to the milk itself - changing the physical structure of the proteins and killing ALL of the natural bacteria such that it cannot be used for making yogurt, cheese, etc. That’s not necessarily directly transferable to almond milk, but I wonder how much of the process and the outcome is the same?
Hmmm…
thanks for the reminder that OJ has calcium! I have been struggling to get enough lately.
Some brands are fortified with extra calcium, too. Read the label if you’re looking to boost your intake.
I’m talking about the ones with a LOT of extra added, not just “plain jane” OJ… check the labelling, but most prominently display “Added Vit D and Calcium”
AP
If you truly need calcium due to bone loss, you should be taking a supplement that is pharmaceutical grade.
I was taking AdvaCal 3 caps 2x daily + vitamin D + silica drops (BioSil) for bone health.