Get Informed: Calcarb
Active Ingredient(s)
Calcium Carbonate
What does it do?
This product is used as both an antacid and as a dietary supplement.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Jul-31 4:25 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Jul-30 9:03 PM
Other Names
- Calcium
- Tums
- Mylanta
- Caltrate
- CAL-500
- Tums Extra Strength
- Oscal
- Calcium Carbonate
- Citrical
- Tums EX
- Calci-Chew
- Tums Antacid
- Tums 500 Calcium
- Calcarb
- Oysco
- Oscal 500
- Oyst-CAL
- Rennie
- Cacit
- Setlers Antacid
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
- Please log in
- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category
- B
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 01 Jan 1930
- Est US Patients*
- 4,808,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- Yes
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Calcarb or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Calcarb
There have been no iGuard.org alerts regarding Calcarb during the past year.
Calcarb Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Calcarb interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Calcarb used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 35,500 patients that use Calcarb (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary Supplement | 48% |
mild
severe
|
| Osteoporosis | 41% |
mild
severe
|
| Heartburn/GERD | 22% |
mild
severe
|
| Menopausal Symptoms | 9% |
mild
severe
|
| Other | 2% |
mild
severe
|
How well does Calcarb work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 35,500 users taking Calcarb (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 82%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Calcarb outweigh the bad things.
- 8%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Calcarb.
Common Side Effects of Calcarb
iGuard regularly polls our more than 35,500 users taking Calcarb (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
8% of patients experience side-effects on Calcarb
< 1% of patients experience significant side-effects on Calcarb
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Constipation
-
Abdo Pain/Cramps
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Calcarb (Calcium Carbonate) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
In October, I had cortisone injections for my spine. Then, in November, I had a reclast infusion. By December, all my joints were popping and still are. I counted 54 pops in different joints in 15 minutes. This is a typical all day long. Now, I have pain in my wrists and shoulders. What's up? Does anyone see a relationship here?
65 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-06-29 14:14:17
Question/Comment:
I am taking levothyroxin first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. At lunchtime I take my first calcium pill and another at dinnertime. Is this enough time between the levothyroxin and the calcium? Also, I take magnesium to help prevent constipation. It seems to work.
78 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-06-03 07:02:49
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Spreading your medications out the way you currently do sounds fine. As long as there are 2 hours separating the levothyroxine and the calcium, you should have adequate absorption of both medications.
Posted: 2010-06-15 22:16:26
Question/Comment:
Does Calcium have any bad intraction with other medications? How much should I be taking? I currently take 1500ml/day.
45 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-04-27 04:31:50
iGuard Answer/Reply:
The daily recommended amount of calcium varies with age - 1000 mg daily for people age 19 to 50 and 1200 mg day for people 51 or older. Most individuals can easily get at least half of the calcium they need from food. Please talk to your doctor more about what dose of calcium is right for you.
Calcium can stop some medications from being absorbed into your body. These include certain antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), tetracycline, and doxycycline. Also thyroid medications are poorly absorbed when taken with calcium.
You should spread out your doses of calcium throughout the day - in fact, for best absorption, it is recommended to consume 500mg of calcium or less at one time. If you are taking other medicines, check your iGuard.org profile to identify interactions and talk to your pharmacist to find out how to best separate the dosing times of your prescription medicines from your calcium supplements.
Posted: 2010-05-16 15:10:49
Question/Comment:
At age 52 I found out I have osteopenia and my MD told me take 1200 of calcium and 800 units of vitamin D. I got Caltrate and took one twice a day with food. After 2 days I got a headache that wouldn't go away for 4 days and then I started vomiting violently. Another thing was my muscles started twitching. I stopped taking them and all symptoms went away. Is there another form of calcium that is better tolerated?
52 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-04-01 23:54:28
iGuard Answer/Reply:
You may want to try calcium citrate, as that is usually better absorbed. Check the labels of calcium and look for calcium citrate.
Posted: 2010-04-04 13:02:53
Answer/Reply:
I, too, was diagnosed with the beginnings of osteopenia. My doctor has me on 1500mg of calcium a day. I found Natural Calcium Chews 500mg with vitamin D & K. The brand I buy is Spring Valley, it has 90 chews in the bag and comes in chocolate or caramel. I get it at Walmart. They have other brands but this one was cheaper. I've been taking these for two years and I haven't had any problems taking this brand like I do with other Calcium pills.
56 year old Female
55 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-07-16 12:36:16
Question/Comment:
I take Atenolol and calcium. How many hours of separation should there be for each of them to be optimally effective?
66 year old female
66 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-03-20 12:00:49
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Atenolol and calcium should be separated by at least 2 hours to ensure optimal absorption.
Posted: 2010-03-24 11:57:55
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Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
92
Patient Comments About
Calcarb