Calcium supplement

nornie

Do you recall what specific type of supplements you were taking? Was it calcium carbonate or calcium citrate? It may be that only one of them is giving you the problems and you'd be okay with the other.

I'm also almost positive I once saw in the store Calcium Tums or something similarly named. They were basically tums minus the antacid part. Have you had problems taking tums in the past? I guess I'm just not sure how to advise you without knowing more about what particular aspect of the calcium supplement was giving you the bloating.

I take calcium citrate pills and chewable caltrate (which tastes just like tums!)

Nornie

molly123

Hi Belle,
How much did your dr. say that you have to take? My GYN said I should be taking 1500mg a day! I am taking Oscal chewables now. AdvCal by Lane Labs was recommended by another poster here. I will give it a try once I finish the Oscal. There are different types of Calcium - such as calcium carbonate and calcium citrate - but I don't know what the differences are and why it matters (absorption maybe?).

Molly

Belle2003

I do not remember what kind of calcium I was taking, just that it contained magnesium too. It was about three years ago. I took it for a month or two before I started noticing the bloating. It was gradual and then came the sharp pains that progressly got worse. Since the side affects took awhile to appear I did not relate it at all to the calcium. When the ultrasound technician suggested it could be the calcium, I went right off of it. It took a week or two for the bloating and pain to subside. I have never taken calcium since.

At my visit the doctor told me to take 750 mg of calcium or one Tums. Then when I hit menopause I should take 1500 mg of calcium or two Tums.

I will try to find the Tums without the antacid, or I will look into the Citrical.
I had no idea they sold Tums without the added stuff.

Thank you for your suggestions. I really appreciate it.

nornie

Yes, I recently asked exactly that question about citrate vs carbonate on this board because I didn't know which to buy. The answer is that calcium citrate is better absorbed, so you get more calcium out of each tablet. However most citrate is more expensive than the carbonate. So what I do is take one calcium citrate pill, and then 2 chewable carbonates. I was also told that carbonate is better absorbed if you take it with some sort of acidy stuff like orange juice.

Oh, the other important thing I learned is to make sure the calcium supplement also contains vitamin D as that also assists with absorption.

Nornie

cloverberry

I keep reading during menopause we need around 1300 mgs per day. If the things you eat and drink total 1300 mgs I wouldn't worry about taking any suppliments.

kc1216

could it be that you are lactose intolerant? Sounds like the exact same symptoms my neice has and she is lactose interolerant. I take Prelief - same people who make Beano. I think there is magnesium in it though and you said you took something with that in it already.

Feel well soon,
KC

Belle2003

No I am not lactose intolerant. I have cereal with milk everyday along with glasses of milk at dinner. I have never had a problem until I took calcium pills with magnesium. When I stopped, after a week or so the bloating and pain went away. Meanwhile I was still drinking milk, and eatting cheese and ice cream.

ainfante

I read that you should not take calcium and magnesium together. In other words, take calcium in the morning and magnesium at night. They do not sit well together and both together will not absorb properly. Hope this helps. It's in the book, "Before the Change".