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your surgeon is absolutely correct, divide it into three doses and we must have citrate

my surgeon and NUT state the same as you did.

ALSO,  I just read this in the past week on another board..... Read the label and see if your calcium comes with Vitamin D and Magnesium added.... You do need the D to aid in calcium absorption, BUT....   read the magnesium fine print.  If it has magnesium citrate, it is the same stuff they give you to 'clean out' before bowel tests,  Remember those green bottles of citrate of mag?     In case you've been having running stools,  OR in case you need a litle something to get you moving,  read the label!    I checked my Costco brand   (Kirkland Signature)  Calcium, and it says Calcium Citrate with Vit D, K, Magnesium and Zinc added.    The fine print says Magnesium Oxide, and Magnesium Gluconate, and Magnesium Stearate.  So, hopefully, it's not 'moving' me along.     Mary C

The following is from the BariatricEating.com forum regarding Calcium: Just about all of us know that we need Calcium Citrate rather than Calcium Carbonate as Calcium Citrate is more easily absorbed in low or no acid situations such as ours... so things have progressed from just a few years ago... good stuff is happening with Calcium education. There are no symptoms of osteoporosis or osteopenia... until you snap a bone like I did. Many of us are having bariatric procedures when we are YOUNG, and we are going to be in TROUBLE when we are 60... forget about 80! I have serious osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency and I am 46... if I didnt have the motorcycle accident, I would have not known until it was really too late. Just taking our 1500 - 2000 mg of calcium citrate isnt enough... we need to make sure that if we are going to the trouble, we are actually taking what we think we are taking. Many of us are confused or just are not aware of the differences in the labeling of our calcium citrate. We THINK we are taking in more than we actually are because of the wording that is allowed on supplement labels. 1000 mg Calcium Citrate 1000mg Calcium from Calcium Citrate 1000 mg Calcium (as Calcium Citrate) 1000 mg Calcium (from Calcium Citrate) Question - Do all of these bottles contain the same amount of calcium citrate? Answer - NO The first one contains only 210 mg of elemental Calcium Citrate... where we would think as per the label that we were taking in 1000 mg. The following three labeling methods are all accurate and if our bottle is labeled as such we would in fact be taking in 1000 mg of Calcium Citrate in the number of pills indicated. MOST calcium citrate is labeled in the way the first line is labeled because it SOUNDS like it contains the full amount. This is how we are fooled by supplement companies. Kirkland brand at Costco is labeled in this way. At Costco a couple of weeks ago, there was a huge display at the front entrance with Citracal versus Kirkland, and I took the time to show my husband the difference. NO ONE was buying the more expensive better quality Citracal brand... as it appeared that both contained the same levels of Calcium Citrate... but they didnt. You would have to take TEN pills of the Kirkland brand to equal the four of Citracal, when they seemed the same. So to clarify. 1000 mg Calcium Citrate WRONG - THIS CONTAINS 21% elemental or just 210 mg of the calcium we seek 1000mg Calcium from Calcium Citrate GOOD 1000 mg Calcium (as Calcium Citrate) GOOD 1000 mg Calcium (from Calcium Citrate) GOOD

Hi...I think that may have been me you are talking about....at least I know I said I do take Tums. I have already cleared this with my doctor though. I don't just take 2 tums a day.....I have severe reflux still even this far out and I probably take about 10 tums a day. Which equals 5000 mg calcium. Calcium bicarb is not as readily absorbed as the citrate...and the citrate is more absorbable. But due the amount that I take daily my doctor assured me that I am getting the required calcium that I need a day. You are absolutely right in that I would not recommend everyone to take Tums as their supplement. 2 a day just isn't going to cut it...or 3 a day. I should have clarified better on that last reply I had made. Calcium Citrate IS the better calcium to take. But I personally cannot take the citrate when I am ingesting 5000 mg of the other a day...lol. So sorry for the confusion....if this was me that you are referring to. Good post and a very great way to clarify. hugs Sherri

Yeah I love this forum....it has provided me with sooo much good information....and I am learning even more today by reading the replies here...I had no idea that there were soooo many different kinds of calcium?? I do have my labs checked every six months....not sure if they check calcium levels or not? I will ask though when I go back for my next set of labs. This has definitely gotten me to think....and even more so now that I have had a hysterectomy...I am at even a more increased risk for osteoporosis. Might have to do some googling this afternoon on this...:-) Thanks again for the great post. hugs again Sherri

Just a couple more notes on the calcium thing.  If you're going to use calcium carbonate (maybe you bought it before you realized there was a difference or what not), I was told by my surgeon that that's OK. Just make sure that you take it with food to increase absorption.  Also, no matter which form of calcium you are taking, my surgeon says NOT to take it at the same time as your multi, as calcium can block the absorption of certain vitamins/minerals. I don't remember off hand what it can block, but I'm sure a quick Google search would give you more info.  Hope that helps,  Nina

I was told not to take Calcium at the same time as Iron because Calcium interferes with the absorption of Iron.  Some mulit-vitamins contain Iron so maybe that is why you can't take them at the same time. 

Hmmm... Viactive chewables are calcium carbonate... we need calcium citrate

I know this thread is oooooold, but I found it while digging for some information about calcium. My pre-op manual says that either is fine for the sleeve. Yes, different surgeons say different things, but from what I understand, it's the acid in your stomach that turns the calcium carbonate into an easily absorbed product. RNY patients no longer have the benefit of stomach acid, but how I see it a lot of sleevers deal with huge amounts of acid (needing to take reflux meds and whatnot) so LACK of acid isn't a problem.


It's worth noting that your labs will never show you as having a deficiency in calcium because the blood will sap it out of your bones to maintain proper serum pH levels. The only way to really tell is to have a bone scan done.