Question:
In what form do you take calcium? pill, liquid,wafer????
I am very confused only by the calcium. I have read that we should take calcium citrate and that magnesium and vitamin D will help to absorb better. I just don't understand how you can swallow a pill or 4 after surgery. What exact calcium do people take and in what form? — Carol S. (posted on January 7, 2003)
January 7, 2003
I take a calcium citrate with magnesium supplement in a liquid form. It's
actually a creamy liquid, the consistency of yogurt. It is strawberry
flavored, but comes in other flavors as well. I take a tablespoon a day,
and chase it with a sip of milk or juice. Hugs, Kim S. Open RNY Nov. 4/02
(-71)
— Kim S.
January 7, 2003
Carol,
I take calcium in a capsule form, I went on the internet searching for a
high dosage capsule calcium citrate form. I finally found one, I buy mine
from www.bodybuilders.com it's really good, 2 capsules and it's 500 mg, I
usually let it semi disolve or partially disolve in the mouth then swallow
haven't had a problem with them,.
Good luck and God Bless.
Post op 7 months down 109 pounds
— tannedtigress
January 7, 2003
Hi, after much going back and forth, I now take Citrical (they are pills,
kinda big). I also tried the TwinLab Calcium Citrate chewable wafers, but
found them to be too acidy as they are citrus flavored (like giant Sweet
Tarts, but not as good). Plus you have to take 4 a day and although
they're called "wafers" they are about the size of a quarter but
also 1/4 inch thick and hard as rocks. I cut the Citricals in half and
choke them down, and get it over with instead of sitting there chewing
wafers all day long. Hugs, Joy
— [Deactivated Member]
January 7, 2003
I'm taking the Walgreens Brand of Calcium Citrate with Vit D. It is a big
pill but I have a pill cutter that reduces the size but I can't cut it any
smaller than half because it crumbles. I take 2 halves in the morning and
2 more halves in the PM and that gives me a total of 1260 mgs a day.
— jocelyn
January 7, 2003
I take Viactiv. Not only is it chewable, it's chocolate and carmel
flavored.
— Jennifer R.
January 7, 2003
I take citracal liquidtabs, they dissolve in water and are 500 mg each,
they taste like tang!
— heathercross
January 7, 2003
I'm post-op (hoping for a late January surgery date). I just met with my
nutritionist last week and she recommends TUMS. I just bought a big bottle
of them at Sam's Club last night. They are the new, quick-dissolve tablet,
and the fruit flavored ones are pretty good... no chalky aftertaste.
— mindystarr25
January 7, 2003
Hi there! I went on Vitalady.com & ordered the calclium citrate off
her website...They're really cool cuz they are 500 mg per capsule &
they go down really easy. They aren't terribly expensive either!
— Binxalways
January 7, 2003
ORIGINAL POSTER HERE-thanks so much for your responses. Can future posters
be sure to leave brand names. I would really like to check everything out!
— Carol S.
January 7, 2003
There is a huge controversy among people about calcuim. Most all the docs
recommend calcuim citrate as it is easily absorbed. Viatac (sp_) chewables
and Tums are both calcuim carbonate. There is research here that says only
about 8% of the calcuim in those is absorbed. Calcuim citrate comes in all
forms. I ordered mine from vitalady.Capsules . One is 500mg . I am preop
and some say I have no right to answer questions here (per private e-mail)
lol but I have researched a lot and am buying my vitamins for my Jan.30th
surgery. Good luck.
— Delores S.
January 7, 2003
There is a huge controversy among people about calcuim. Most all the docs
recommend calcuim citrate as it is easily absorbed. Viatac (sp_) chewables
and Tums are both calcuim carbonate. There is research here that says only
about 8% of the calcuim in those is absorbed. Calcuim citrate comes in all
forms. I ordered mine from vitalady.Capsules . One is 500mg . I am preop
and some say I have no right to answer questions here (per private e-mail)
lol but I have researched a lot and am buying my vitamins for my Jan.30th
surgery. Good luck.
— Delores S.
January 7, 2003
There is a huge controversy among people about calcuim. Most all the docs
recommend calcuim citrate as it is easily absorbed. Viatac (sp_) chewables
and Tums are both calcuim carbonate. There is research here that says only
about 8% of the calcuim in those is absorbed. Calcuim citrate comes in all
forms. I ordered mine from vitalady.Capsules . One is 500mg . I am preop
and some say I have no right to answer questions here (per private e-mail)
lol but I have researched a lot and am buying my vitamins for my Jan.30th
surgery. Good luck.
— Delores S.
January 7, 2003
Try Tropical Oasis liquid calcium (citrate with magnesium and Vit D) - it
tastes like lemon yougart! Just remember, you can only absorb 500 mg at a
time, so take it 2-3 times every day and never with your iron or
multivitamin (it inhibits iron absorption).
— JoAnn B.
January 7, 2003
Kim S---I am very interested in the liquid calcium you say you use. What
is the name brand, where do you find it?
— Joanne M.
January 7, 2003
I use isotonix liquid Calcium which is a blend of calcium citrate,
magnesium, and vitamin D. It dissolves to form a tangy koolaid taste and
absorbs into the blood-sream in 5 minutes..My calcium levels are perfect!
Go to WLS.com and order them. They taste great! YOu only have to drink in 2
oz water too...fast and easy. I got tired of stuffing my pouch with tablets
and wafers that hardly absorb anyway.
— Carolyn G.
January 7, 2003
I chew 3 or 4 TUMS throughout the day. Recommended by my nutrion dept as
well as my surgeon.
— GPoynor
January 7, 2003
I just take the calcium citrate capsules from http://www.vitalady.com . I
take 3 of them and put them in my pocket in the morning, and by the time I
eat dinner, I have taken them all. They are a bit large looking, but I have
had no problem at all just downing the capsule, as the capsule seems to
dissolve very fast.
— Greg P.
January 7, 2003
To the original poster and to the others who asked where I get my liquid
calcium, I get it at "Morning Sun Health Foods", but that is here
in Canada. I did find the manufacturer's website, I will post it here. My
brand of calcium is from LifeTime/Nutritional Specialties Inc. USA. It is
called "Lifetime liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate", it says its
pre-acidified, easily assimilated and absorbed, natural strawberry flavor.
In the stores here it also comes in orange vanilla flavor, blueberry,
tangerine, lemon custard and a few others. One tablespoon has 6 calories,
400 IU vitamin D, Calcium citrate 600 mg, and 300 mg magnesium. I bought
it for $19.00 Canadian, so I don't know how much it is American. Here's
the website, it has a 1-800 number to call and find out where the products
are sold in your area. Hope this helps. Hugs, Kim S. Open RNY Nov. 4/02
(-71)
— Kim S.
January 7, 2003
Oops, I forgot to post the website, LOL. It is
http://www.lifetimevitamins.com/consumer/index.htm
— Kim S.
January 7, 2003
My doctor told me to chew Tums for Calcium.
— Lana Rush
January 7, 2003
It amazes me how many surgeons and nutritionists are still recommending
post-ops to take Tums or other calcium carbonate products when it's been
shown that we cannot absorb the calcium in the calcium carbonate because of
the little (if any) amount of gastric acid our pouches produce.
<p>
It certainly sounds like this should be discussed at the next ASBS
conference...JR (open RNY 07/17 -139 pounds)
— John Rushton
January 7, 2003
Even for non-WLS people, calcium carbonate is just as if you were chewing
and swallowing blackboard chalk. That's what it's made of.
— cddgo
January 7, 2003
hiya. i used to take citrical but hated the big pills so i'd dissolve them
in water but they were still gritty and hard to get down. i now take 2 tbls
of Nature's Life Liquid Calcium with Magnesium. It is orange flavored, a
bit tangy but a sip of water afterwards helps with that. i order mine
online from: www.vitamintrader.com
calcium carbonate is NOT absorbed enough in our post op bodies so i
recommend staying away from it (tums, viactiv etc)
good luck,
kate
open rny 6-14-01
pre op: 268lbs
goal: 135lbs
current: 124lbs
www.geocities.com/katebme2002
— jkb
January 7, 2003
I use liquid calcium citrate from www.vitaminworld.com. Lemon custard is my
favorite flavor with blueberry second on the list. I take one tablespoon in
the morning and one at night. It is sweetened with fructose (and not very
much of it) so it should be OK for new posties. I think it is $9 or $10 for
a 16 oz bottle.
— ctyst
January 8, 2003
Hi Carol. I take a liquid form of calcium that is 95% absorbed. I liked
it so much (and the multi, as well) that I became a distributor. Email me
directly if you are interested in more information, since I sell this also
I don't mention the name in this forum (some people get upset) So I leave
it up to you to contact me if you want at [email protected]. Renee D
— Renee D.
January 8, 2003
Hi there....maybe I am lucky or what have you but I've never had a problem
with taking the pills. I bought Citrate Calcium the weekend after my
surgery and I've been taking them for 3 months now - usually 3 a day but at
least 2 day. I also take Centrum Silver once a day. They are about the
same size and I take one vitamin and once Citrate every morning and then at
noon I take another Citrate and hopefully one more in late afternoon. They
don't make me sick on an empty stomach and they don't have a problem going
down. I was scared taking them at first but now in my 11th week I don't
think a thing about it. Hang in there!!
— [Deactivated Member]
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