I often have back pain, but my blood calcium level is normal. Can I take calcium supplements? Will it cause kidney stones?

An elderly friend told Huazi that he often had back pain. The doctor said that it might be because of his old age and excessive bone calcium loss, and asked him to take calcium supplements. He checked his blood calcium level and the result was normal. So he asked Huazi, if the blood calcium level is normal, can he still take calcium supplements? If he takes too much calcium, will he develop kidney stones?

Huazi told him that the doctor was right and that he should take calcium supplements. Because the blood calcium level of the human body is constant, it is impossible to tell whether the body is calcium deficient from the blood calcium level. In fact, "calcium deficiency" is just a popular term, and the official name of the disease is "osteoporosis."

1. People are prone to calcium deficiency when they get older. This subtitle borrows a slogan from a popular advertisement. Older men and women in menopause are prone to bone calcium loss, which causes osteoporosis. It causes pain in the chest, back, waist, knees and other parts of the body. Sometimes there will be body aches. The pain is aggravated when carrying heavy objects. Some people even feel pain when turning over.

People with osteoporosis may become shorter and hunchbacked. Fingernails and toenails may become soft, brittle, and prone to cracking. When sleeping, the calf muscles may cramp (commonly known as "cramps"). People with severe osteoporosis may suffer osteoporotic fractures (brittle fractures) after minor trauma or during daily activities, increasing the disability and mortality rates of the elderly.

2. Blood calcium cannot be checked for calcium deficiency. When it comes to calcium deficiency, many people's first reaction is to check the blood calcium level. But in fact, the body's blood calcium level is constant and will not decrease significantly due to calcium deficiency. Because calcium is an important element in the human body, the movement and life activities of various cells cannot be separated from the participation of calcium ions.

99% of the calcium in the human body is deposited in the bones, and only about 1% is free in the blood and body fluids. When the calcium ion concentration in the blood decreases, the calcium in the human bones will be released into the blood to maintain the stability of blood calcium.

To use an analogy, the calcium in the bones is equivalent to the "deposits" in the bank, and the calcium ions in the blood are the "cash" that can be used at any time. When the "cash" is not enough, it will be continuously withdrawn from the "deposits". In other words, calcium deficiency in the human body means that the "deposits" in the bones have become less.

The amount of calcium in the bones cannot be detected from the blood. Bone density measurement is needed to know whether you have osteoporosis. Bone density testing relies on X-rays, which test the absorption of X-rays in the bones to know whether the bones are calcium deficient.

3. Calcium supplementation usually does not induce kidney stones nor does it affect blood pressure. Regarding calcium supplementation, many people are troubled by these two things. The first thing is, will calcium supplementation induce kidney stones? The second thing is, the "dipine" in antihypertensive drugs is a calcium ion channel blocker, so will calcium supplementation affect the effect of antihypertensive drugs?

There are two main causes of kidney stones: calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stones. The reason for stones is that the body's metabolism of oxalic acid or uric acid is abnormal, and it has little to do with the amount of calcium supplementation. Because blood calcium levels are stable, only when the amount of oxalic acid that can bind to calcium increases, it is easy to cause stones. Drinking more water and increasing urine output can prevent kidney stones.

Dihydrotestosterone antihypertensive drugs work by inhibiting calcium ion channels on the cell membrane and preventing calcium ions from entering the vascular smooth muscle cells. In other words, dihydrotestosterone drugs close the "gate" for calcium ions to enter vascular smooth muscle cells. Even if calcium is supplemented, it will not enter the vascular smooth muscle cells and will not affect the efficacy of dihydrotestosterone drugs.

Moreover, calcium ions can counteract the increase in blood pressure caused by sodium ions. Therefore, from the perspective of preventing and treating hypertension, proper calcium supplementation can also help lower blood pressure.

4. Should calcium be supplemented by food or medicine? Huazi believes that if the problem can be solved by diet, try not to take medicine. Many foods are rich in calcium, such as dairy products, soy products, seafood, vegetables and other foods. Many people have symptoms of calcium deficiency because of poor absorption and deposition.

Calcium absorption: Calcium needs the help of vitamin D to be better absorbed. There are two sources of vitamin D, one is obtained from diet, and the other is synthesized by the human skin under the action of sunlight. Many people do not absorb calcium well because they do not get enough sun exposure. Only those who are not convenient to sunbathe need additional supplements.

Calcium deposition: Calcium absorbed into the body is "wasted" if it cannot be deposited on the bones. The best way to promote calcium deposition is exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise. When exercising, pay attention to gradual progress to avoid injuries. It is best to exercise under the guidance of a professional coach.

There are two types of cells on human bones: osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are responsible for bone growth and destruction respectively. When the human body enters old age and women in menopause, the activity of osteoclasts increases and the role of osteoblasts decreases. If calcium supplementation and exercise alone do not have a significant effect, it is necessary to consider the use of calcitonin and phosphonates. Menopausal women can use drugs such as estrogen to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts and promote calcium deposition on the bones.

To sum up, the "calcium deficiency" we usually refer to is osteoporosis. Calcium deficiency cannot be seen from the blood calcium level, and X-ray absorption measurement is required for examination. Normal calcium supplementation will not cause stones and will not affect the effect of dihydropyridine antihypertensive drugs. Calcium supplementation should be given priority to food supplements, and you should get more sun and exercise. When the effect of food supplements is not good, calcium supplements should be used under the guidance of a doctor. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.