How do you get calcium in?

I'm struggling with these horrible chewable calcium tablets I've been taking and was wondering how everyone else gets their calcium in everyday? It seems that any pills are just too big to swallow, so much so that you have to break it down to a million pieces, or the gross grinding it down to a powder. And I can't find any other chewables besides the ones I have (from bariatric advantage). I was looking at some of those chewable types, that have some chocolate in them (like viactiv). Most of them have about 2 grams of sugar, but their top ingredient is sugar and that makes me nervous. I do not want to get sick! Any ideas from you wise and wonderful people? It's to the point where the ones I'm taking right now are making me gag. Ugh.

Hi PJ! I've had a real problem with calcium since surgery! I first tried the liquid stuff, and GAG! That stuff is nasty! Then I got some of those cinnamon chewables from BA, and BARF! I did find some Citrical creamy bites in lemon cream. It's pretty good, much better than the advantage. They have 500mg of Calcium each. They do have chocolate and caramel too. I've only been taking about 1 a day, but it's better than nothing. I got them at GNC. I think I get to start taking pills again, I just have to call my nut. I really hope that is true, because all this chewable stuff is killing me! jacie

I looked at the citrical creamy bites but wasn't sure if there was too much sugar, but it's nice to know someone else has used them with no problems! I just got the Citrical pills that were suppose to be "smaller" and when I opened the bottle they were huge - if they are small it would be in an alternate universe where everyone is over 7ft tall!

It's my understand that Vicativ doesn't have the preferred form of calcium that WLS folks should take post-op. We need calcium citrate, and I think Vicativ has calcium carbonate. At the recommendation of my weight mgt counselor, I've ordered the Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium lozenges. Kaiser doesn't worry about the calcium supplement until six weeks post-op, so I'm just getting ready to start adding calcium, and the adult level multivitamin. If you feel like going over to Vitamin Cottage (I finally got the name right, I've been calling it Vitamin Barn since I moved here), I think TwinLabs makes a chewable calcium wafer, which I plan to try if the cinnamon lozenges don't light my fire! I use the TwinLabs sublingual B-12, which I really like a lot. Until I begin my calcium supplements, I'm just making sure I get some kind of dairy serving each day. Lucky me, I'm not lactose intolerant and I love dairy products! Kix

Are you using Kelly Elliott for your nutritionist? She's mine too - actually, I saw her first as a nutritionist and she was the one who suggested the surgery. I love her, she's great. And she also mentioned the whole citrate thing, so I have been trying to find anything within that category - not easy. I actually have the BA cinnamon one, as well as the mint one. Those are the ones that are hard to get them down, but you may have better luck. i might just look into the wafer, sounds better than what I am doing now!

No, since I'm a Kaiser person, I use their in-house folks, who seem to know what they are doing (so far). I hope the BA cinnamon ones taste OK, I'm kicking myself now because I didn't know that Citrical made a chewable form! Kix

PJ, I started taking a capsule at about 4 months post op.. Chewing up chalk tasting pills didnt work for me!! My surgeon suggested the capsules. I get them from vitalady.. Its what my surgeon suggested for me. You might check into them. Its not expensive at all either. I take one every morning and then another every evening.. They are calcium citrate so we do absorb it.. And being a capsule it dissolves quicker then pills, and doesnt have any taste! its worth a try.. Amber

Hey Amber, How big are the capsules? Do you dissolve them in water or just swallow? Just curious how it works.

PJ, they are "normal" sized capsules. They arent those huge ones! They are about the size of a tylenol caplet, but its a capsule.. You can contact vitalady and ask for more info.. You should probably get the info and then ask your surgeon since you arent very far out yet.. He might not want you to take pills yet.. Good luck with your search for calcium.. Amber

Just to clarify, the Citrical soft chews are calcium citrate, not carbonate.