WARNING: You can overdose on Calcium!

Hello All. I posted a few days ago asking if any of you experienced excessive fatigue. Well, I'll get the results of the blood tests tomorrow or Wednesday, but I think I figured it out. When I switched from chewable to tablet calcium I got confused on the dosage and it turns out that I have been taking 2000 mg of calcium citrate plus drinking 16 oz of skim milk with 1/3 cup of powdered milk every day! For those of you who don't know, YES YOU CAN overdose on calcium. I checked the internet and the symptoms include dizziness, lowered blood pressure, fatigue, shortness of breath, as well as nausea, decreased appetite, and some others that I've forgotten. It can actually be very dangerous. It said to drink a lot of water and electrolytes to flu**** from your system. It also said to call the doctor, but it was Sunday morning and race day. I figured they would just pump me full of fluids, so I did that myself. I had just been in the doctor's office on Friday. Yes, I'm hardheaded. However, I must tell you that I feel much better. I realized Saturday afternoon before I took the second dose that I had been taking too much. So I didn't take any on Sunday and I won't take any today. I'm going to call the Dietitian tomorrow to see how long I should stay off of the supplements. I don't want to go in the opposite direction and get too low. But I wanted to warn all of you. Especially the newbies that are liable to be on pain medication or like me, just get confused. Make someone aware of what you are supposed to be taking, both supplements and meds. Ask them to double check what you are taking once in a while. Save yourself the risks and the frustrations. I have been feeling bad for several days and Saturday morning I sat crying in the car after going to the Immediate Care Center to have my blood pressure checked again trying to figure out why I felt so bad. I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Cindy

Cindy, I'd be interested in hearing what your lab results indicate. We (those who are through St. V's anyway) are suppose to be taking in 1000-1200 mg of calcium supplement plus milk, etc for protein. Your 2000 mg tablet isn't that much more than that..unless you were taking 2-3 of them.? You aren't that far out post-op to be switching to tablet form, I would think. Besides, post-ops, with tablets, have a risk of not absorbing enough of the tablet. Many women have complained even of their birth control pills passing right through their systems, totally unabsorbed. Don't be surprised if it comes back that your calcium is fine. I would guess that you were probably dehydrated....which can cause fatigue, dizziness, etc (sound familiar?). By trying to flush out the calcium, you were rehydrating yourself. Unless you were told by your doctor/dietician to go to calcium tablets, go back to chewables. I would recommend at least 3-6 months. You are still continuesly trying to sip down your fluids at 8 weeks post-op. That sipping flushes things out of your pouch and into your intestines. Food....pills...everything. Chewables at least have an opportunity to dissolve quicker into your system to give you the nutrients you need. I'm going on 2 yrs post-op and I a still do the chewable vitamins & calcium...and my lab work looked great. Water is a big key to feeling good and maintaining a healthy post-op journey. Feel tired? Drink water. Feel hungry? Drink water. Water and wallking I should say. Just remember in this heat though, drink even more water. I read at SparkPeople.com that you should drink 8 oz of water for every 15- or 20 minutes you are walking/exercising. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=101 Good luck..and please do let us know what those lab results show. Sherri

Cindy, This is very interesting. I had my surgery at St Vincent and I was told not to take calcium tablets since I drink 24 oz of 1% milk each day. Dan

well good grief, i should sure have that then... i take now though1200 mg of calcium and had blood work done again and will know more on friday...then whatever is in my multi..see and then if we do not absorb it all....but you know at the same time each of us are diff and that has to be considered as well....