Watch Out For Mineral Supplements After Beginning Gluten Free Diet

[Bevsis3]

For many years I have been taking both calcium supplements and Vitamin D supplements in the form of Calcitriol. This was to keep my Calcium levels within the normal limits. Noone was able to tell me why they were low, but when I was diagnoaed with Celiac, it all came together...After being diagnosed with Celiac in January 2006, I was concerned that if my bowel healed enough to start absorbing nutrients normally, I might actually overdose on Calcium since I was still taking the supplements per Dr. Orders. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened this summer, 7-8 months after instituting a gluten free diet. I started to experience a lot of joint pain, and did not feel good overall. My Calcium levels were way above normal and my kidney function was already adversely affected by the high calcium levels. Luckily for me, I am an RN and was on top of this situation and insisted on lab tests every few months. If you are taking supplemental minerals to keep your levels in the normal range and then begin a gluten free diet (which enables your bowel to heal enough to start absorbing nutrients normally), be aware of this issue and insist that your physician keep close tabs on your electrolytes. High levels of many minerals can be very dangerous, causing kidney failure, heart problems etc. You sometimes have to be your own advocate, since physicians today see so many patients and I don't believe they always think proactively ahead of what might occur, and also many are not very familiar with Celiac disease and what is entailed in the recovery phase.

[lindalee]

For many years I have been taking both calcium supplements and Vitamin D supplements in the form of Calcitriol. This was to keep my Calcium levels within the normal limits. Noone was able to tell me why they were low, but when I was diagnoaed with Celiac, it all came together...After being diagnosed with Celiac in January 2006, I was concerned that if my bowel healed enough to start absorbing nutrients normally, I might actually overdose on Calcium since I was still taking the supplements per Dr. Orders. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened this summer, 7-8 months after instituting a gluten free diet. I started to experience a lot of joint pain, and did not feel good overall. My Calcium levels were way above normal and my kidney function was already adversely affected by the high calcium levels. Luckily for me, I am an RN and was on top of this situation and insisted on lab tests every few months. If you are taking supplemental minerals to keep your levels in the normal range and then begin a gluten free diet (which enables your bowel to heal enough to start absorbing nutrients normally), be aware of this issue and insist that your physician keep close tabs on your electrolytes. High levels of many minerals can be very dangerous, causing kidney failure, heart problems etc. You sometimes have to be your own advocate, since physicians today see so many patients and I don't believe they always think proactively ahead of what might occur, and also many are not very familiar with Celiac disease and what is entailed in the recovery phase.

I haven't heard of this. What would I need to get tested for when I do go to the dr? I have been gluten-free for a about 4 months.

[Lymetoo]

Thanks for letting us know. With my Lyme disease issues, I usually have blood work done every 4 months. So is a CBC with differential all I need?

[AndreaB]

Is this just for high doses. My family is also dairy free so we supplement. I think the kids have 500 mg and me and my husband have that amount too. I'm afraid of being low since I'm still breastfeeding.

[Guest AutumnE]

How high of a dose where you taking? Im taking 1000mgs of calcium a day, I dont eat near enough dairy products and am going off them for a while also for diet reasons. I always thought they were water soluble and what your body didnt use it would pee out like b vitamins. Im taking caltrate calcium supplements along with b vitamins, zinc, and biotin because I lost half of my hair length and about 1/3 of its thickness.

I had a blood test and I'm awaiting the results of it regarding a vitamin panel. It wasnt part of a cbc.

[BeckyW]

I had my thyroid removed in February and the doctors could not understand why I was not absorbing the calcium supplements. I was put on calcium citrate 5,000 mg a day which still did not put me in the normal range and I suffered from symptoms. My endocrinologist started me on a prescription form of vitamin D. I found out in August, 2006 that I have Celiac and numerous food sensitivities but the endocrinologist right away said that explained why my body was not absorbing the calcium supplements. He said I have to be very careful now as my intestines start to heal that my levels do not go too high. I am currently down to 2,000 mg of calcium citrate a day with the prescription vitamin D at 2-3 pills a day depending on my symptoms. I go for bloodwork every 2 weeks to monitor the levels but I can always tell if my calcium level drops low. I am hoping it will continue to improve so I can get off so much calcium and vitamin D.

[lindalee]

I had my thyroid removed in February and the doctors could not understand why I was not absorbing the calcium supplements. I was put on calcium citrate 5,000 mg a day which still did not put me in the normal range and I suffered from symptoms. My endocrinologist started me on a prescription form of vitamin D. I found out in August, 2006 that I have Celiac and numerous food sensitivities but the endocrinologist right away said that explained why my body was not absorbing the calcium supplements. He said I have to be very careful now as my intestines start to heal that my levels do not go too high. I am currently down to 2,000 mg of calcium citrate a day with the prescription vitamin D at 2-3 pills a day depending on my symptoms. I go for bloodwork every 2 weeks to monitor the levels but I can always tell if my calcium level drops low. I am hoping it will continue to improve so I can get off so much calcium and vitamin D.

Could you explain the symptoms?

[gfp]

How high of a dose where you taking? Im taking 1000mgs of calcium a day, I dont eat near enough dairy products and am going off them for a while also for diet reasons. I always thought they were water soluble and what your body didnt use it would pee out like b vitamins. Im taking caltrate calcium supplements along with b vitamins, zinc, and biotin because I lost half of my hair length and about 1/3 of its thickness.

I had a blood test and I'm awaiting the results of it regarding a vitamin panel. It wasnt part of a cbc.

No! indeed you pee it out through your kidneys where it can form kidney stones.

[BeckyW]

Could you explain the symptoms?

Hi, my symptoms of low calcuim are numbness and tingling. It starts in my foot as the feeling as if I have been sitting awhile, or sometimes if it is not that low then I just get a tingling sensation in my foot. Then I will feel it in my hands. When it is really low then I get the numbness and tingling in my jaw and it hurts when I first chew food. I can always tell just about what level I am at and then I increase my calcium or the RX vitamin D. I have blood tests every 2 weeks now that my levels have been in the normal range a few times. You have to be extremely careful of low calcium and high calcium levels. The test itself is a blood calcium level and I don't believe it is part of a CBC but I could be wrong on that.