Question:
Calcium Citrate for newly post-op. Any recommendations?

I've purchased 3 bottles of *really* expensive Calcium Citrate pills, only to get them home and find out they are *really* large pills (I've tried cutting them up, but it only seems to make a mess and/or painfully jagged pills). I have two questions: 1) Are there any easy-to-tolerate-for-a-new-RNY-post-op calcium citrate sources? 2) Will I ever be able to swallow the horse pills, and if so, when? Thanks so much.    — Felissa L. (posted on November 9, 2001)

November 9, 2001
maybe try a pill crusher who reduce the pill into fine powder and mix it with a little yougurt or applesauce... follow this link for chewable citrate: http://www.nutripeak.com/Static/Products/calcium_citrate_chewable_wafers_0100851258.html
   — carou1313

November 9, 2001
Vitalady.com has calcium citrate CAPSULS that you can open and dump. Each one is 500mg.
   — Kim B.

November 9, 2001
My doctor has us take Tums EX (2 per day) or regular Tums (3 per day) in the evening as our calcium supplement. Believe it or not, this has become my evening snack!! :) Whatever works!!!
   — Sherri R.

November 9, 2001
I use a liquid calcium-magnesium-zinc supplement that contains 600 mg. of calcium citrate. It's made by MRM, and I get it at my local health food store. I mix it with my protein shake in the morning. I'm also taking vites from vita4life, which contain calcium citrate. Look them up on vita4life.net.
   — Karen G.

November 9, 2001
You can get Citrical Liquitab on drugstore.com. I used them newly post-op, they dissolve in water and have a nice citrus taste.
   — [Anonymous]

November 9, 2001
Hiya! I'm just over 9 weeks post-op (Open RNY) and was really nervous about swallowing big ol' horse pills too, but I finally broke down and tried one of the Citricals, and have had no problems. I even take 4 of those things a day, and so far so good. I say go ahead and try it and see if you can tolerate it.
   — blank first name B.

November 9, 2001
Just a word of advice on calcium citrate. Check to see if it is calcium citrate malate. The malate part makes it more absorbable than just calcium citrate. GNC and Walgreen's make a calcium citrate with malate. The suppliers that add malate are not plentiful. Absorption goes from 28% for calcium citrate malate to 21% for just plain calcium citrate.
   — clara M.