This is my take on bone health following a lot of research:

Beside calcium we need magnesium, boron, and other minerals, plus vit Bs and K2. K2 is responsible for helping with bone matrix, and incorporating calcium into the bone.  Just increasing calcium without increasing other factors may not work. 

I may have to go back to the hematologist.  My K level is a bit low, but we hesitate to do anythign with it because it screws up my PTT/INR because of the blood thinner.  It is higher than it was 2 years ago, but still not quite normal.

thanks.

There are different K. Many of them. As far as I know K1 is responsible for blood thinning.  I don't believe K2 should affect that. But K2 is critical for bone formation.  And like with some other vitamins and hormones, normal level of K2 may mean nothing. 

Just do some research about K2. Really interesting.

Love this post!

Execellent!

Hi Lora, 

This is my experience so far: 

Through a DEXA scan I was diagnosed with Osteopenia at age 55, just prior to my RNY surgery on March 22, 2010.

I have been taking 1500mg of Calcium Citrate in 5 doses of 300mg throughout the day since RNY on March 22, 2010.

Through another DEXA scan I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis at age 58, in December 2012. 

I was prescribed a 2 year regimen of Forteo from January 2013 to December 2014 that I just completed. Forteo stimulates new bone formation. Forteo is a daily injection of man made parathyroid hormone.  

Now, I will be taking a yearly infusion of Reclast at the end of December 2014. I will find out my latest DEXA scan results at this appointment. Reclast is a drug used to preserve existing bone.  Reclast is a annual infusion given for 3-5 years, and it's a bisphosphonate.

I haven't heard of the Forteo before.  Will you let me know what your latest DEXA shows?  I see the gynecologist again on Jan 2, and do want to talk to her about it.

Sure, no problem! My appointment is December 19th. I will contact you then.

It just really ticks me off that so many surgeons don't tell their patients that blood calcium levels are virtually meaningless. Every WLS patient needs to understand the dance that goes on with calcium, D, PTH, magnesium, etc.

I'm doing well with taking 1800 mg, but I also aggressively supplement D, K, and magensium, and watch my PTH like a hawk.

I'm not sure those surgeons even know the blood calcium level is meaningless in terms of if we're getting enough calcium.  They should understand it but it seems like they don't.  some don't even order a PTH unless you specifically ask them to, and they tell patients their vitamin D level is fine when it's really very low, etc.

Me, too!  

My surgeon gave us quite a bit of really good information pre-op, but she never mentioned getting DEXA scans and never said a word about the limitation of the serum calcium level.  Both of those were things I learned about here and then did some additional research on.

My PCP also had no idea (but he admits that his knowledge of the "details" of vitamin supplementation and dependencies/incompatibilities (even for non-bypassed patients) is limited).  I ended up printing off some information on the calcium issue for him.