Question:
As I sit here eating my calcium I want to vomit!
Help! I cannot stand the way my calcium tastes...sort of like a gigantic chalky sweet tart. Is there a great calcium citrate pill we can take? I've tried the liqidtabs but they make me vomit, and I've tried these and I'm afraid pretty soon they'll make me vomit too! I would so love to swallow a pill and get it over with rather than sitting here with calcium in my teeth! Thanks! — Pamela P. (posted on February 7, 2002)
February 7, 2002
Right now I am using Twin Labs chewable calcium citrate. I crush them up in
a pill crusher and put the powder on a spoon of applesauce, yougurt, etc.
It slides right down this way. No chewing and no ick in the teeth.
— Tina P.
February 7, 2002
The dietician at my nutrition classes suggested Citrical. She said you
could break it up and take a little piece now and again throughout the day.
— [Anonymous]
February 7, 2002
I used to take Citrical but it is TOO BIG and it dissolves too quickly in
my mouth then is rough going down (it takes me forever to swallow a pill:).
I now use CalSure which is a little smaller, doesn't melt right away, and
has more Calcium per tablet. It is Calcium Citrate Malate which is also
okay to take after WLS. I know what you mean about the chewables. The only
ones I could take were Viactiv which is Calcium Carbonate. Why don't they
come out with a citrate version? I would buy it!!!
— ctyst
February 7, 2002
Like Tina I use the Twin Labs Chewable Wafers. It's weird but I can't
stand them when I chew them but if I suck on them they are fine.
— Helen C.
February 7, 2002
I'm the anonymous poster. I didn't say the dietician said to take it
WHOLE. She said to break it up into smaller pieces and take it a small
piece at a time over the course of the day. Then it won't get stuck and a
small piece isn't all that hard to deal with.
— [Anonymous]
February 7, 2002
I'm the not anonymous poster :). I just wanted to say that I tried to take
the Citrical in pieces and the main problem for me is that they dissolve
too fast. (I can sit there for 5 minutes trying to swallow a pill no matter
the size.)That's why I went back to taking them whole. I, too, dislike that
grit calcium leaves in my mouth. YUCK.
— ctyst
February 7, 2002
Before I felt comfortable swallowing that huge pill (which I now do) I
would put the citrical in my protein drink and mix it with my BRAUN
handheld mixer until it was crushed enouch to get through a straw or drink
down. It worked for me . But I only used a straw on that drink. I know all
doctors differ on that issue.
— Rose A.
February 7, 2002
I take calcium citrate capsules which I purchase from www.vitalady.com.
500 g. per pill, and because they're capsules, they slide down smoothly.
-Kate-
— kateseidel
February 8, 2002
I have not had surgery yet, but when I went for my consultation, the dr.
told me that I could chew 3 or 4 tums with calcium a day and that would
give me plenty of calcium.That does not sound to hard, so I am gonna try
them.Good luck.
— [Anonymous]
February 8, 2002
Specially for RNY-ers! (if you are a DS-er or other you can ignore my post
=)<p>I know that there are differing opinions on the subject of which
type of calcium to take BUT . . . I did some looking and verified for
myself that RNY-ers need to take Calcium Citrate or Calcium Citrate Malate
because the carbonate form must first be activated by stomach acid to be
absorbed. (TUMS is carbonate-type)<p>Here's an excerpt from the
article:<p><cite>Calcium carbonate (found in limestone and
oyster shells) is one of the least expensive forms of calcium. However, it
can cause constipation and bloating, and requires stomach acid to be
absorbed by the body. Taking calcium carbonate with meals improves its
absorption because stomach acid is released to digest the food.
Nonetheless, a recent study suggests that even when calcium carbonate is
taken with a meal, the body does not absorb it as well as calcium citrate,
a different form of calcium.</cite><p>The full article can be
found at http://www.tnp.com/news/article/185/<p>From the ASBS
regarding
RNY(http://www.asbs.org/html/story/ch_4.html):<p><cite>Another
late problem which is fairly common, especially in menstruating women,
after gastric bypass is anemia. Since the stomach is involved in iron and
Vitamin B12 absorption, these may not be absorbed adequately following
bypass. As a result anemia may develop. The patient feels tired and
listless, and blood tests show low levels of hematocrit, hemoglobin, iron,
Vitamin B12. The condition can be prevented and treated, if necessary, by
taking extra iron and B12. Since the food stream bypasses the duodenum, the
primary site of calcium absorption, the possibility of calcium deficiency
exists, and all patients should take supplemental calcium to forestall
this.</cite><p>And from healthy.net
(http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=article&ID=2019):<p><cite>Gastric
hydrochloric acid helps calcium absorption. The duodenum is the main
location for absorption of calcium because farther down the small intestine
the local environment becomes too alkaline. A fast-moving intestinal tract
can also reduce calcium absorption. Exercise has been shown to improve
absorption, and lack of exercise can lessen it. Stress also can diminish
calcium absorption, possibly through its effect on stomach acid levels,
digestion, and intestinal motility. Though calcium in the diet improves the
absorption of the important vitamin B12, too much of it may interfere with
the absorption of the competing minerals magnesium, zinc, iron, and
manganese.</cite><p>The point of this being: do your own
research and don't assume that your dr (or nutritionist) is ALWAYS going to
give you the best advice. Hopefully they will 99% of the time but that 1%
could really cause you problems down the line if you are not your own best
advocate! Good luck and happy losing! (BTW, my own dr never told me what
type of calcium to take. I took Viactiv for 6 months and he never said a
word.)
— ctyst
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