Juggling Medications and Supplements

It is a juggling act with medications and supplements.

I take my levothyroxine in the early morning hours (usually 1-3 a.m.) when I wake up to use the bathroom. This hormone stopped my hair from falling out! 

I take my first dose of CBD and a probiotic with breakfast. 

I take most of my vitamins and minerals and my second dose of CBD with supper, my largest meal. These include my calcium/magnesium/vitamin D3 supplement, multivitamin, zinc, selenium, citrus bioflavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin D3, natural vitamin E, lutein with zeaxanthin and others. 

I take my SrC and simvastatin a couple of hours before bedtime and about 30 minutes apart. 

I get magnesium in my Ca/Mg/D supplement. I had been taking a magnesium glycinate capsule at lunch time for a while, but I stopped taking it due to multiple bowel movements. I still give it to my husband. It is best to take magnesium at bedtime, but lunch seems to fit in better for us.

I take sublingual methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12), 5000 mcg, one tablet per week. My husband takes this high dose every day around 3:00 p.m. to keep his canker sores from returning.  

Calcium Polycarbophil, Strontium & Other Meds

I am writing this post because of a mistake I recently made. I want to prevent others from doing the same. I have repeatedly written that, because products containing calcium may prevent your body from absorbing your strontium, you should not take products containing calcium within two hours before or after taking strontium. Yet, recently, I began taking calcium polycarbophil at night, with my simvastatin (statin drug for lowering cholesterol levels), followed an hour later by my strontium citrate. A week or two later, I realized I may have reduced the effectiveness of both the simvastatin and the strontium citrate.

I knew there was calcium in the polycarbophil laxative, but I simply forgot while trying to juggle all my over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, and supplements.  I also knew that laxatives can make it harder for your body to absorb other medicines. Therefore, you should avoid taking polycarbophil within two hours before or after you take any other medications.

Calcium polycarbophil is used to treat constipation. It is known as a bulk-forming laxative. Brand Names include: Equalactin, Fiber Lax, FiberCon, Fiberlax, Fibernorm, Konsyl Fiber, Perdiem Fiber Caplet.

I’ve been using Publix Fiber Caplets, which contain 625 mg calcium polycarbophil (active ingredient) per caplet. The list of inactive ingredients includes calcium carbonate. Each caplet contains 125 mg calcium, and the normal dose is two caplets up to four times a day. My one dose once a day contains 250 mg calcium.  FiberCon has 244 milligrams of calcium per two-caplet dose.