Different brands of calcium

I’ve talked to a lot of people about what brand of calcium they take, and notice a lot of people taking calcium carbonate or tricalcium phosphate, which we cannot absorb after gastric bypass because we no longer have enough stomach acid.  By the way, some people that haven’t had gastric bypass don’t absorb those forms of calcium well, either.  For instance, people on medications to reduce stomach acid, like meds for ulcers or acid reflux, won’t be able to absorb them.  As people get older, they produce less stomach acid, so older people won’t absorb those well, either.

Anyway, I thought I’d make a list of calcium citrate supplements that we CAN absorb, followed by a list of calcium supplements we CANNOT absorb.

Calcium CITRATE Supplements (stuff we CAN absorb)

Citracal Maximum (315 mg per pill)
Citracal Petites (200 mg per pill)
Citracal Regular (250 mg per pill)
Citracal Plus Magnesium (250 mg per pill)
Bariatric Advantage chewable calcium citrate (several different options)
Bariatric Advantage calcium crystals (put in any drink)
Celebrate chewable calcium citrate (several different options)
Calcet Creamy Bites from Celebrate (500 mg – yummy!)
Celebrate ENS drink mix (with or without protein)
Upcal D (powder, put in any drink)
Building Blocks chewable calcium citrate
Opurity (from the makers of Unjury) chewable calcium citrate
Spring Valley calcium citrate (chewable and tablets)
Lifetime Liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate (600 mg per ounce)
Tropical Oasis Liquid Calcium Citrate (about 500 mg per ounce)
Vitalady calcium citrate
Soloray calcium citrate (various doses)
Twin Labs Bariatric Support calcium citrate wafers
Generic versions available at most stores that sell vitamins
 

Calcium CARBONATE Supplements (stuff we CANNOT absorb)

Citracal Slow Release (has a combination of carbonate and citrate; more carbonate than citrate)
Citracal Plus Bone Density Builder (has a combination of carbonate and citrate; more carbonate than citrate)
Viactiv
Adora calcium chews
Caltrate
Os-Cal chewable calcium
Tums
Optisource all-in-one vitamins
Bariatric Fusions all-in-one vitamins (contains some calcium citrate but some calcium carbonate)

Tricalcium Phosphate Supplements (stuff we CANNOT absorb)

Citracal gummies
Vitafusion gummies
Wellesse (70% calcium citrate, 30% tricalcium phosphate, so we will get 700 mg calcium citrate per two ounces)

 

Thanks Kelly!

I take Citracal Petites (200 mg per pill). They're much easier to swallow. :)

Always, appreciate your postings about vitamins.

Thanks Kelly!  I'm just starting my 2 wk liquid diet today and am trying to get my vitamins & supplements in order and the calcium was the tricky one!

Marie

Thank you, Kelly. I needed this.  I had purchased the Citracal and the were huge and I could not take them.  I tried cutting, crushing and have not been taking any calcium.  I will order from Celebrate.

I ordered the Calcets based off of recommendations on this site. Very good! Highly recommend.

Eh.. ty gonna talk to my dietician about this tomorrow when i see her. I take Bariatric fusion only which is all in one 4x day.

Actually, the ASMBS says we need 200% of the RDA of most things, and four Bariatric Fusion only gives you 100% of most things.  so you'd need eight a day to get enough.  I would not want to take that much calcium carbonate, though, since it can cause kidney stones.