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Okay to take more calcium than recommended?

Page last modified on: September 11, 2008
Question from Magdalena: What can happen if we take more calcium than what you have recommended? I have osteoporosis.
Answers —Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.: Women with osteoporosis are often advised to take higher doses of calcium and also to take more vitamin D than what is recommended for the general population. Vitamin D is recommended because it helps with absorption of calcium. There's one very large clinical trial that is ongoing now to test the effect of calcium and vitamin D on fractures due to osteoporosis, and the results of that trial will be out in two years. But until that time, most physicians are recommending that women with osteoporosis do get a high dietary or supplemental intake of calcium and vitamin D.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Some women experience constipation from calcium, so if you take higher than the usual doses, this may become an issue for you. If you have any problems with your kidneys or form kidney stones, you need to talk to your doctor before you take supplemental calcium to make sure it's right for you.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Taking Care of Yourself. Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about exercise and nutrition, and other things you can do to nurture your body, along with strategies for finding emotional support, boosting your mood, and feeling good again.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. is a member of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where she is director of the prevention center.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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