Need advice about calcium

Hey everybody! I had been so blessed in that I had not had any nausea or gas.  (Note the use of past tense!)  Unfortunately, since I was cleared to begin iron and calcium...the Queezy Pixie has been paying me daily visits! My first battle was with the Repliva iron supplements.  I finally gave up on those and started Foltrin--much easier to swallow--problem solved.  Now my problem is with calcium citrate... I have tried everything I can think of to get these Citracal Petites into my pouch but so far...no go!  I have cut them, crushed them, hidden them in protein pudding,,,you name it.  I usually can get one of the pills in me but since they are only 400mg. each...it takes 3--at different times of the day.  GAG!  I know that you all take calcium too and I haven't seen any other posts about having trouble...am I just special? Okay now...here is your opportunity to share your wisdom with a newbie!  How do you get this stuff down?  Is there an easier to swallow brand?  I looked at Costco and they had some 600 mg. tablets but they were HUGE!  Any advice would be appreciated! Many thanks! Freddie

Hi Freddie. I take the Citracal Fudgy chews. They are very soft and taste really good. They have 500 mg of Citrate per chew. They also have a caramel chew but I really like the chocolate fudge ones. Have you tried these?

The lemon Citracal Creamy Bites are good too! I have tried all 3 flavors, chocolate fudge - YUM!; Lemon - equally YUM!; and caramel - eh. These are calcium citrate and they have the taste and texture of a soft candy chew. Except for the caramel flavor. I don't know if it's just the ones I've tried or if it's that particular flavor. They have been more dry than creamy. Just so you know, yes, you are special! But not because you are having a hard time getting some of your vitamins down.

God Bless you both, Misty and Susan!  I knew that there had to be a better way!  I'm on my way to Wal Mart to find these candy like calcium chews!  How many do you take and at what intervals? BIg Releived and Oh So Grateful Smile!!! Freddie

Wal-mart (at least MY Wal-mart) doesn't carry these. Walgreens doesn't carry them either. I get mine at CVS, Eckerd, Rite-Aid... whatever that "other" drugstore is called now. I take 1 mid-morning and another mid-afternoon. I am also taking 2 regular calcium tablets right now. Partly because I have them to get rid of and partly because I'm farther out and can handle the pills better. I also need the extra calcium and D because I had issues with vitamin D prior to surgery.

I get mine at walmart. I guess it just depends on the walmart. I take two a day - 4 hours apart (and at least 3-4 hours from my multi vitamin and foltrin because you do not want to take calcium  to close to taking iron). I only take two chews for a total of 1000mg because I am further out and get in more calcium in my diet to suffice. You probably will have to take 3 since you are so new post op. But hey -these things are so good I would not mind taking three or four!  I know we all have different tast buds but I had problems finding good calcium supplements and these have been my favorite. When I orginally tried these a year ago, they were more "hard" but they changed them since then and now they are soft and chewy and gooey and so good (at least the fudge ones I take). Ok, enough about them! I really hope you like them. Let me know if you do!

Hey Freddie, I agree with Misty and Susan about the Citracal Creamy bites being delicious BUT...since you are so new, really think about whether or not you want to burn 15 carb grams on three of these a day since they are five each!  I found they were way too sweet for me until I was over six months out.  I use Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges.  I really hated the mint, chocolate, and the cinnamon but they have a new flavor that is very yummy and tastes more like a sweet tart than a calcium pill...it is their new Wild Cherry flavor.  Best part about them is that since we absorb 600 mg at a time, you can take 1.5 lozenges twice a day.  I bite one in half and take it and a whole one in the morning and then again at night, I take the other half and a whole one.  That way I only have to remember them twice a day instead of three times.  I look forward to them because they actually taste so good.  I know this is a hot topic of debate, but the reason I was told not to swallow supplements is because they don't stay in the pouch long enough to dissolve but I know others have been told differently. As for the iron, I use Bariatric Advantage passion fruit flavored tablets.  They have 29mg apiece and taste like candy.   My regimen is my calcium and my multi in the am...I use a complete multi without iron so I can do this...then at noon I take my iron...then in the evening, I take my last multi and the rest of my calcium.  My labs were not good at six months but since I have been on this regimen, the last ones were perfect.  My calcium is great because it has Vit. D, Magnesium, and the calcium. Hope you figure out what works for you!

Thanks for the info Kym!  So far, you and Sheila are advocates of the lozenges and Susan and Misty love the chews...anyone else have an opinion?  I'm listening... :) Freddie