Question:
Calcium Carbonate or Citrate

I am 19 days post-op, and my doctor has me taking two tums with calcium carbonate, and I just stopped the tums and started Calcium Caltrate with calcium carbonate. What is the difference? All that I can figure out is that the citrate helps the tummy obsorb more, and is better for the bones, but the Caltrate chewables say they reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Is it so important in 19 days post-op which one you take?    — cindy (posted on August 25, 2003)


August 25, 2003
I just passed my 1 month anniversary! My Dr and nutritionist have me taking the Caltrate 600 Plus chewables. 2 a day. I have also taken some of the flintstone chewables that my DD takes. They're pretty good.
   — Beverly S.

August 25, 2003
The nutritionist told me to take Caltrate 600 also. However, just before she told me to take that she said to take Calcium Citrate. I'm guessing she didn't know that Caltrate is Calcium Carbonate.
   — SJP

August 25, 2003
Calcium carbonate is safe early on as you will not lose very much calcium from your bones right away. However, as soon as you can handle larger pills you should be switching over to calcium citrate. Without a normal stomach and it's associated acid you will not absorb very much of the calcium carbonate. Hence the need for citrate form. Also as soon as you can handle very large pills ideally you should take calcium citrate with vitamin D. I now can actually take two at once and get and keep them down. <p>In my opinion, and most others, there is too much gamble with calcium carbonate long term. Once you have significant bone loss it will be very difficult to rebuild it, so why risk it. Get on citrate as soon as possible.
   — zoedogcbr

August 25, 2003
I agree-my doc and nutritionist both stressed to be on citrate. I just chop them in my pill cutter like my other meds. There is also an article on webmd about coral calcium, but basically said it is a waste of money, and besides it is carbonate, not citrate like us WLS patients need.
   — bethybb

August 26, 2003
Medical science KNOWS that we absorb calcium citrate. There is still some controversy over whether we adequately absorb calcium carbonate, so why take a chance? Get on the citrate. If the pills are too difficult, try a chewable form of calcium citrate. There are several out there. I use calcium citrate "wafers" by Twinlab--they are big chewable lozenges that taste kind of like SweetTarts. I've tried some other brands but they were very chalky. Chewables are easy to take, and very transportable.
   — Vespa R.

August 26, 2003
My Dr had me on the exact same vitamins as Beverly....Flintsont chewables and Caltrate 600 Plus. (I am 7 wks post-op.) But thanks to the information I got on www.vitalady.com, I have completely revamped my vitamin intake.
   — Michelle_S

August 26, 2003
Check the library- a ton of stuff on the carbonate vs. citrate. Most in the medical community agree that the citrate is better for us than carbonate though there are still some surgeons that advise their patients to take the carbonate (Viactiv and tums). Since you are such a new post-op, I urge you to get a baseline bonescan (dexascan) done NOW. Then a year from now, have another and you will see how the calcium is being absorbed or not absorbed into the bones-blood work will not give you an adequate look. Some have taken dexascans after being a year or more post-op and found early osteoporosis, then they are faced with, did I have it before surgery or because I am not absorbing the calcium since surgery. Better to have the baseline done now. As an early post-op, I met several post-ops in a support group who took carbonate and many suffered from early onset of osteoporosis, as early as 6 months post-op, perhaps because of it. My viewpoint is, why take the risk? We know citrate works so just start from the get-go with the citrate.
   — Cindy R.

August 26, 2003
Forgot to mention that I too switched to Citrate.
   — Michelle_S

August 26, 2003
I have read so much here about the citrate vs. carbonate debate that when my surgeons office prescribed tums which are carbonate I took them for a few weeks but at my one month post op appointment I asked about the citrate and which was better. My nutritionist said that citrate is better, it is more absorbable. She said however they prescribe it because we aren't completely malabosorbing like surgeries years ago and we do absorb some and we only need a suppliment not our total supply. She also said that the tums are chewable and easier for patients to get down. I decided then to switch to citrate. I think it's important. Carrie
   — Carrie D.




Click Here to Return
×