Calcium Chews anyone?

Happy Friday...

I need to purchase calicum and am thinking about the chocolate chews. Is there a brand that you all prefer over others? I've been looking at: Kirkland Signature SUGAR-FREE calcium chews. Has anyone taking these?

don

Hi Don!

Be careful when choosing your calsium.  Read the package.  The calcium that we can have is Calcium CITRATE.  If it says Calcium carbonate  on the package then I wouldn't get them because the calcium carbonate needs stomach acid to break it down properly and right after surgery, you don't have much if any stomach acid in the digestive process where it needs to be. 

I agree with Aaron!

I did find Citracal Chews which are the right ones but they are hard to find - I was even told Citracal doesn't make them anymore. So I bought every box the store had.

I like the Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Chocolate flavored lozenges

My bariatric team finds that those chews are just fine. Really check with your surgeon, etc. Everyone in our Support, etc. takes the Viactiv like chews and have no problems with their calcium levels, etc.

"Everyone in our Support, etc. takes the Viactiv like chews and have no problems with their calcium levels, etc."

That's because it is the job of the parathryroid gland to maintain serum calcium levels.  It does so by pulling calcium out of the bones and distributing it to the blood stream, where it is necessary for muscle contraction (the heart is a muscle!), among other functions.

In order to truly determine whether or not someone has a serum calcium deficiency, PTH (parathryroid hormone) and vitamin D levels must be drawn, in addition to serum calcium levels.

We get extensive bloodwork drawn every time including vitamin D levels... All very thorough.

Verify that the PTH levels are being drawn.  It is a very expensive test and not all doctors check it regularly.

Check the label and verify what form the calcium is.  Calcium CARBONATE is not readily absorbed by ANYONE, no matter their WLS status.  It requires an acidic environment for breakdown, and our RNY pouches no longer produce hydrochloric acid in sufficient quantities. 

As someone who has had WLS, we really should be taking calcium CITRATE.  It is better absorbed.