II. Indications
III. Dosing: Calcium Carbonate
- Background
- Calcium Carbonate is 40% elemental Calcium (20 meq elemental Ca++ per Calcium Carbonate gram)
- Formulations
- Tums: 200 mg/tab elemental Calcium (extra strength 400 mg/tab)
- Viactiv: 500 mg/chew elemental Calcium (also contains Vitamin D 500 mg, Vitamin K 40 mcg)
- Os-Cal: 500 mg/tab elemental Calcium (also contains Vitamin D, from 200 mg to 800 mg depending on preparation)
- Caltrate: 600 mg/tab elemental Calcium (also contains Vitamin D 200 mg)
- Administration
- Take with meals or citrus juice
- Absorption reduced with Fasting or achlorhydria
- Dose
IV. Dosing: Combination Agents
- Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide (Tablets contain 700 mg/300 mg)
V. Background: Calcium Supplementation
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Only 35% of Calcium supplements are absorbed (contrast with much better Dietary Calcium absorption)
- Constipation
VI. Adverse Effects
- Constipation
- Metabolic Alkalosis (longterm use)
- Hypercalcemia
-
Milk-Alkali Syndrome
- Rare complication of combining chronic use of Calcium Supplementation with milk or bicarbonate
VII. Drug Interactions
- Calcium Carbonate decreases absorption of drugs better absorbed at lower gastric pH
VIII. Resources
- Calcium Carbonate Chewable Antacid
IX. References
- Olson (2020) Clinical Pharmacology, Medmaster Miami, p. 90
- Hamilton (2020) Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia