Calcium Supplements (Systemic)

Before Using This Dietary Supplement

If you are taking this dietary supplement without a prescription, carefully read and follow any precautions on the label. For calcium supplements, the following should be considered:

Pregnancy - It is especially important that you are receiving enough calcium when you become pregnant and that you continue to receive the right amount of calcium throughout your pregnancy. The healthy growth and development of the fetus depend on a steady supply of nutrients from the mother. However, taking large amounts of a dietary supplement during pregnancy may be harmful to the mother and/or fetus and should be avoided.

Breast-feeding - It is especially important that you receive the right amount of calcium so that your baby will also get the calcium needed to grow properly. However, taking large amounts of a dietary supplement while breast-feeding may be harmful to the mother and/or baby and should be avoided.

Children - Problems in children have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts. Injectable forms of calcium should not be given to children because of the risk of irritating the injection site.

Older adults - Problems in older adults have not been reported with intake of normal daily recommended amounts. It is important that older people continue to receive enough calcium in their daily diets. However, some older people may need to take extra calcium or larger doses because they do not absorb calcium as well as younger people. Check with your health care professional if you have any questions about the amount of calcium you should be taking in each day.

Medicines or other dietary supplements - Although certain medicines or dietary supplements should not be used together at all, in other cases they may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your health care professional may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking calcium supplements, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Calcium-containing medicines, other - Taking excess calcium may cause too much calcium in the blood or urine and lead to medical problems

• Cellulose sodium phosphate (e.g., Calcibind) - Use with calcium supplements may decrease the effects of cellulose sodium phosphate

• Digitalis glycosides (heart medicine) - Use with calcium supplements by injection may increase the chance of irregular heartbeat

• Etidronate (e.g., Didronel) - Use with calcium supplements may decrease the effects of etidronate; etidronate should not be taken within 2 hours of calcium supplements

• Gallium nitrate (e.g., Ganite) - Use with calcium supplements may cause gallium nitrate to not work properly

• Magnesium sulfate (for injection) - Use with calcium supplements may cause either medicine to be less effective

• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) - Use with calcium supplements may decrease the effects of both medicines; calcium supplements should not be taken within 1 to 3 hours of phenytoin

• Tetracyclines (medicine for infection) taken by mouth - Use with calcium supplements may decrease the effects of tetracycline; calcium supplements should not be taken within 1 to 3 hours of tetracyclines

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of calcium supplements. Make sure you tell your health care professional if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Diarrhea or
• Stomach or intestinal problems - Extra calcium or specific calcium preparations may be necessary in these conditions

• Heart disease - Calcium by injection may increase the chance of irregular heartbeat

• Hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood) or
• Hypercalciuria (too much calcium in the urine) - Calcium supplements may make these conditions worse

• Hyperparathyroidism or
• Sarcoidosis - Calcium supplements may increase the chance of hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood)

• Hypoparathyroidism - Use of calcium phosphate may cause high blood levels of phosphorus which could increase the chance of side effects

• Kidney disease or stones - Too much calcium may increase the chance of kidney stones