Would it be better to crush calcium?

Clematis

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I've had several abdominal X-rays in the past 6 months b/c of kidney stones and in most the radiologist made note of solid tablets in my bowels. I've seen them on these X-rays and they are still pill shaped. The only thing I take thats that big is calcium. I wonder if the PPI is not leaving enough acid to digest them so I am not truly absorbing calcium, which is bad in an of itself but also may be contributing to kidney stones. Would absorption be increased if I crushed them and mixed them in yogurt as I did for the first month or two post DS?
 
Where in your intestines were the pills seen? If still up high, there may have been lots more bowel to traverse for absorption. But either way, you could try crushing them, or the other product suggested, and see if it gets you better lab results.
 
What kind of calcium pills are you taking? Have you tried putting them in water and seeing if they dissolve and how quickly?
 
What kind of calcium pills are you taking? Have you tried putting them in water and seeing if they dissolve and how quickly?

I second that idea. I've dropped several different brands of Calcium Citrate in water. Some dissolve instantly. Guess it depends on the binders they use. If I recall correctly, the Ralph's (Kroger) brand dissolved quickly. Others were still pretty solid after 20 minutes. Find a brand that dissolves quickly in water, or use the Bone-up.
 
There is...or was...a fairly disgusting powder which, when added to water, made an effervescent, allegedly-orange-flavored, calcium product. I don't remember the name. I can go look at some Google images.
 
Amazon has some calcium citrate powders, not effervescent. Probably cheaper "per serving," but I'm too tired to do the math.
 
Upcal D is a fine powder and would be a good alternative, it's great in milk. Only problem is constipation, I've been doing the Bone up the last few weeks. Much easier on the digestive and it's a capsule.
 
Thanks all.

Hmmm I never thought to test how easily it dissolved. I just dropped a Citrical in water and it fully dissolved in about 5 minutes. But I forgot about the similarly-shaped Now magnesium citrate. It's been sitting in water for 10 minutes like a stone with only a slight haze so I guess that's the tablet that shows up on the X-rays. (And yet my magnesium trends a bit high so I'm obviously absorbing it eventually.)

I'm trying everything to reduce my kidney stone production and thought perhaps my calcium wasn't dissolving in order to bind with the oxalates in my intestine. Guess the issue is that the calcium prefers to bind with the unabsorbed fat, allowing the oxalates to be absorbed through the intestine wall and end up in my kidneys. No getting around having to eat a low oxalate diet. Rats-a-roni.

BTW, crushed Citrate in yogurt is not too bad. It has no taste, just makes the yogurt gritty. Never the less, I was glad when my guts healed enough to let me swallow them whole. Jarrow Bone Up has a lot of extra ingredients which differ, curiously, by whether one gets the regular 6x dose or special 3x dose. But with only 1000mg of calcium per dose, I'd have to take a (pricey) double dose which would result in me taking too much of the extra ingredients.
 
Thanks all.

Hmmm I never thought to test how easily it dissolved. I just dropped a Citrical in water and it fully dissolved in about 5 minutes. But I forgot about the similarly-shaped Now magnesium citrate. It's been sitting in water for 10 minutes like a stone with only a slight haze so I guess that's the tablet that shows up on the X-rays. (And yet my magnesium trends a bit high so I'm obviously absorbing it eventually.)

I'm trying everything to reduce my kidney stone production and thought perhaps my calcium wasn't dissolving in order to bind with the oxalates in my intestine. Guess the issue is that the calcium prefers to bind with the unabsorbed fat, allowing the oxalates to be absorbed through the intestine wall and end up in my kidneys. No getting around having to eat a low oxalate diet. Rats-a-roni.

BTW, crushed Citrate in yogurt is not too bad. It has no taste, just makes the yogurt gritty. Never the less, I was glad when my guts healed enough to let me swallow them whole. Jarrow Bone Up has a lot of extra ingredients which differ, curiously, by whether one gets the regular 6x dose or special 3x dose. But with only 1000mg of calcium per dose, I'd have to take a (pricey) double dose which would result in me taking too much of the extra ingredients.
My problem with Jarrow, too.
 
I divide my daily calcium between citracal and Jarrow bone up. I take 3 0f each daily. Do you think this makes a difference ?
 
Are you taking the Jarrow Bone Up version that is 6 tabs a dose or 3 tabs a dose @CaraOC ? If you are only taking 3 tabs of the 6 tab per dose, you're only getting 500mg of calcium.
 

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