What brand/form of calcium do you use?

Spiky Bugger

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I use 500 mg chewables and my last labs were fine. But I’m thinking about comparing prices, as well as what sweetner is used in chewables, and trying something different…even capsules.

(I’m okay with powders. I have some and right now they are okay. But once MiniSue lets me out of the house and I’m free-range again, using powders can be a bit more difficult.)

What do YOU use?
 
Calcium citrate...we get the BJ’s brand https://www.bjs.com/product/berkley...vitamin-d3-tablets-600-ct/3000000000000818598 which unlike Costco’s Kirkland brand is more like Citracal as it doesn’t have B6 in it which the Costco brand has.

Now I know BJ’s is only in the Northeast, except it is in FL, and creeping westward. But they also have a very inexpensive online only membership https://www.bjs.com/membershipEnroll?v=2&source=megamenu

And buying enough would get you free shipping.
 
Calcium citrate...we get the BJ’s brand https://www.bjs.com/product/berkley...vitamin-d3-tablets-600-ct/3000000000000818598 which unlike Costco’s Kirkland brand is more like Citracal as it doesn’t have B6 in it which the Costco brand has.

Now I know BJ’s is only in the Northeast, except it is in FL, and creeping westward. But they also have a very inexpensive online only membership https://www.bjs.com/membershipEnroll?v=2&source=megamenu

And buying enough would get you free shipping.

I’m on my first (tiny) cup of coffee, so I may be getting this all wrong, but your calcium’s label says it is a calcium carbonate.

That brings up the citrate vs carbonate debate. I originally used a carbonate, but was practically badgered into using citrate. At one point, a nurse who worked for a bariatric surgeon…and whose JOB it was to EXPLAIN the importance of taking supplements and to DISTRIBUTE free samples to patients…found herself with her teeth in horrid condition and labs that revealed that in spite of being surrounded by (free to her) calcium, she hadn’t been taking calcium. At an informational meeting after her omission was revealed, someone asked the “carbonate or calcium“ question and she answered that “the best calcium is the one you‘ll take.”

So...if it turns out you have been taking the carbonate, how are your labs? (Because the calcium carbonate tabs are, in my experience, not only cheaper, but they’re usually smaller and easier to take.)
 
I take Kirkland Calcium Citrate Magnesium and Zinc with Vitamin D3. Calcium is always on the lower end of normal, but I only take 2 500 mg tablets 1 time per day (when I know I should take 2 tablets twice a day).
 
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I’m on my first (tiny) cup of coffee, so I may be getting this all wrong, but your calcium’s label says it is a calcium carbonate.

That brings up the citrate vs carbonate debate. I originally used a carbonate, but was practically badgered into using citrate. At one point, a nurse who worked for a bariatric surgeon…and whose JOB it was to EXPLAIN the importance of taking supplements and to DISTRIBUTE free samples to patients…found herself with her teeth in horrid condition and labs that revealed that in spite of being surrounded by (free to her) calcium, she hadn’t been taking calcium. At an informational meeting after her omission was revealed, someone asked the “carbonate or calcium“ question and she answered that “the best calcium is the one you‘ll take.”

So...if it turns out you have been taking the carbonate, how are your labs? (Because the calcium carbonate tabs are, in my experience, not only cheaper, but they’re usually smaller and easier to take.)
This is what we found the first time and had been taking. https://www.bjs.com/product/berkley...0mg-with-vitamin-d-600-ct/3000000000000608600 Unfortunately the calcium carbonate looks much similar and apparently what we got last time. No labs yet since we started on it. Will be interesting to see.
 
This is what we found the first time and had been taking. https://www.bjs.com/product/berkley...0mg-with-vitamin-d-600-ct/3000000000000608600 Unfortunately the calcium carbonate looks much similar and apparently what we got last time. No labs yet since we started on it. Will be interesting to see.

Another quandry...theoretically, people with low stomach acid -- such as older adults -- tend to absorb calcium citrate better. But, what about those who have EXCESS stonach acid and take PPIs? Maybe I should LOWER the dosage of the PPI So that there’s enough acid to absorb calcium.


And totally unrelated to anything but absorption:
Me: When I take pyridium for urinary pain, say at 4pm, my urine does not turn orange until the next morning.
My uro: Oh, wow!
Me: How long should it take?
My uro: About two hours.
Me: So what does that mean?
My uro: It means it takes way too long for you to absorb that medication.
Me: Which explains why it takes 90 minutes for my opioids to start relieving pain?
My uro: Most likely.
Me: Well, I guess that means that I should take the pyridium as soon as there is a hint that a problem is coming.
My uro: That would probably work better for you.
 
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I’m bumping this because I’m still looking for a cheap, easy “out.”

Anybody take the tricalcium phosphate form of calcium supplement? I found a brand with tricalcium phosphate, with a little Vit D3, sweetened with 6g actual sugar…which equals 1.5 tsp per 500 mg calcium serving (but no sugar alcohol problems)…and they don’t taste bad.

My day starts with MANY* supplements and calcium is among the most obnoxious because of the size. I used Bariatric Advantage chewables, but they use a sugar alcohol sweetener, so I’d prefer something else. These are cheap enough, taste okay to me, SAY the are well absorbed but I haven’t found documentation supporting that claim.

Somebody needs to tell me that they will be a GREAT solution.





* hilary1617 Rereading this thread, I noticed that you take two 500 mg calcium tabs at a time and think you should do that again later in the day. But if all we can absorb at one time is +/-500 mg, what are chances that you are not absorbing one of those two that you are taking? IOW, if you split that into two separate 500mg doses at least two hours apart, might that improve your calcium numbers?
 
I’m bumping this because I’m still looking for a cheap, easy “out.”

Anybody take the tricalcium phosphate form of calcium supplement? I found a brand with tricalcium phosphate, with a little Vit D3, sweetened with 6g actual sugar…which equals 1.5 tsp per 500 mg calcium serving (but no sugar alcohol problems)…and they don’t taste bad.

My day starts with MANY* supplements and calcium is among the most obnoxious because of the size. I used Bariatric Advantage chewables, but they use a sugar alcohol sweetener, so I’d prefer something else. These are cheap enough, taste okay to me, SAY the are well absorbed but I haven’t found documentation supporting that claim.

Somebody needs to tell me that they will be a GREAT solution.





* hilary1617 Rereading this thread, I noticed that you take two 500 mg calcium tabs at a time and think you should do that again later in the day. But if all we can absorb at one time is +/-500 mg, what are chances that you are not absorbing one of those two that you are taking? IOW, if you split that into two separate 500mg doses at least two hours apart, might that improve your calcium numbers?

Spiky Bugger Maybe give them a try for a month or so and then pull labs to see if they are a great solution?

I wasn't clear above - serving size is two tablets - so each has half of the total 500 mg dose. I take the Kirkland Calcium Citrate Magnesium and Zinc with Vitamin D3 Combo.

The bottle says to take two tablets (one dose) daily, preferably with a meal, but my calcium numbers hover at or below the minimum so ideally I would add another dose, but honestly these days more than ever my schedule is overwhelming and I think one more thing to remember just might be the straw that breaks the camel's back....
 
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Costco calcium citrate has a whole bunch of extras in it, and many DSers found our B6 went sky high taking it. Which is a shame. I take Citrical extra strength, 2 tabs = 633 mg calcium, twice a day. It’s more expensive than Costco brand, but I couldn’t take that.
 
Costco calcium citrate has a whole bunch of extras in it, and many DSers found our B6 went sky high taking it. Which is a shame. I take Citrical extra strength, 2 tabs = 633 mg calcium, twice a day. It’s more expensive than Costco brand, but I couldn’t take that.
That’s why I like the BJ’s brand. It does not have B6 in it.
 
Wondered what the problem was... then found this at NIH


People almost never get too much vitamin B6 from food. But taking high levels of vitamin B6 from supplements for a year or longer can cause severe nerve damage, leading people to lose control of their bodily movements. The symptoms usually stop when they stop taking the supplements.
But it can also be permanent. It’s easy to stay in normal range of B6 even as a DSer.
 

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