[smyrna]

Calcium supplements in smoldering myeloma?

by smyrna on Wed May 14, 2014 4:41 pm

Dear all,

I apologize if this has been discussed before--could not seem to find a previous thread on the smoldering myeloma forum. My mom has smoldering myeloma, with a blood calcium level that started with 8.1 and is now around 8.3. She is elderly and has had osteoporosis for more than 10 years. Had previously used Actonel for the osteoporosis (a type of bisphosphonate) but then her (regular) doctor had discontinued it at some point. Her hematologist has prescribed a regular Calcium+Vit D3 supplement of 1000 mg a day, but I am a bit worried that this might cause her blood calcium level to creep up. To my layperson mind, there seem to be two effects: a bone-strengthening effect that should help with the bone loss (and should in principle prevent calcium being leeched from the bone), and another effect of the calcium supplement that directly raises the blood level? I am just quite worried that there could be a "superficial" increase in her calcium levels (due to the supplement) that might induce the doctors to start treatment prematurely.

Have any of you been prescribed calcium supplements? Is there a consensus in the medical community about their use for smoldering myeloma?

Any responses would be most helpful...Many thanks in advance.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Calcium supplements in smoldering myeloma?

by Nancy Shamanna on Thu May 15, 2014 8:30 am

Hi Smyma, I had an experience with calcium supplements that might have some bearing on your mother's situation. Because of my bone damage due to myeloma, I did take bisphosphonates, ariedia, for about three years. Previous to that I took Fosamax, for osteopenia, which i was diagnosed with before the myeloma dx.

I was taking calcium/Vit. D supplements since I thought that my healing bones might need the extra calcium. Since I get my blood checked routinely as a patient, I can keep an eye on my calcium levels in the blood. Everything went well until a few months ago, when I had a blood test that registered slightly 'high' for calcium levels. I immediately stopped taking calcium supplements and am now just back to trying to get enough calcium in my diet. My blood calcium levels returned to normal again, thankfully.

I was never prescribed calcium supplements, was just taking them as an OTC drug (over the counter). A 'supplement', as it were.
Maybe you could ask your oncologist if your mother would be able to go back onto bisphosphonate treatments.

[smyrna]

Re: Calcium supplements in smoldering myeloma?

by smyrna on Thu May 15, 2014 3:35 pm

Nancy, thanks a lot for sharing your experience. My mother also took Fosamax for quite a while before the diagnosis, for osteoporosis and osteopenia. I am just not sure why they are not putting her on bisphosphonates again rather than prescribing calcium supplementation. I will definitely make sure to ask next visit, and meanwhile hope that her calcium does not increase so much that she becomes (falsely) symptomatic...