<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
For those of you having trouble swallowing the horse sized pills of
calcium -- here's the responses I received. Thanks to all of you!
Jill/Texas
1. just found a suppl't by Natrol - new! Called "Calcium Chewable with
vit D" Comes in 2 flavors (at Rite Aid anyway -)contain'g 250 mg calc
carbonate w. D per 'chew' - need 4/day at least! But tastes OK. Here is
Natrol's response to gf status: "Thank you for your interest in Natrol
products. I can understand why you investigate ingredients and are
cautious. Yes, the Calcium Chewable is free of dairy, gluten, yeast,
wheat, egg and soy. We exclude the most common allergens in almost
everything we manufacture.Thank you,Sheryl" please e-mail customer-
[log in to unmask] or you may contact a Consumer Relation Representative
toll free at 800-326-1520. "
2. crush & swallow with applesauce
3. I'd say look for a GF capsule form. I think Twinlabs has one.Verify
it is GF with them.Then dump the capsule contents in some apple juice
and stir it up and drink it immediately.
4. How about Nature Made? The tablet is scors, so you can bring it in
two before putting it in your mouth.
5. The first bottle of Citrical I purchased had rather large tablets.
Then I saw a sale and got a larger bottle and the tablets were 1/2 the
size of the first bottle. They may have reconstructed the tab in the
newer productions.
6. I am using Schiffs cal/mag/zinc with Vita D. They are coated and
shaped with a taper on both ends making them easier to swallow. The on;y
problem is that they don't give as much as I need for daily amounts.I
use two or three a day.
7. I use Freeda calcium lactate. You have to take a lot of them since
each one is only worth 100mg. I have no problem swallowing them but I
chew them up. They don't taste like anything and crumble in your mouth.
It also helps my body to break it down better.
8. Vitamin Shoppe, www.vitaminshoppe.com has capsules that are easy to
swallow.
I take 1500 mg of calcium a day so I break it down to 2 capsules at each
meal.
9. I use liquid calcium supplement. Not only easy to take but more
absorbable I think. Check your health food store.
10. Have you tried chewable calcium? Calcium pills tend to be big .
There is a reason, but I cant remember it right now. I've used a
chewable under my local healthfood store's brand name, but have seen
others on the shelf that are dairy and gluten free. I've also used a dry
form that you mix into water. Its extremely sour and pretty hard to
drink, but its not a horse pill! The brand I used was Thorne, though I
think its only available through particular pharmacies. You can find
thier products at http://www.thorne.com/proline.html. To order, just
click on the patient order form link. I used Cal-Mag Citrate Powder, but
they have other products that might work.
11. Caltrate 600 is chewable.
12. There is a gf Calcium supplement liquitab made by Citracal. I am
not sure how available it is in pharmacies, but you could ask the
pharmacist to order it. It is made by Mission Pharmacal Company.
13. I take calcium citrate in powder form from NOW Foods. The taste of
Ca citrate varies from pretty tasteless to a nasty fishy taste and even
crystals that burn the tongue. The latter was in a bottle of NOW Ca
citrate a friend bought some 5 years ago. I haven't encountered that
since, but bought some from Frontier with the same nasty taste. I have
to face it almost every evening. The funny thing is that it leaves a
sweet aftertaste most of the time, so I figure I need it. I take my
calcium in my drinking water, as Epsoms salts. This system works very
well for me, water tastes better to me, and I can fine tune my intake.
14. I get most of my vitamins and supplements at Trader Joe's including
calcium and cal/mag/zinc in pills that are relatively easy to swallow.
TJs claims that these are gluten free.
15. Brainchild Nutritionals. Brainchild makes a liquid calcium.
Autism Research and Treatment - Kirkman Laboratories Kirkman Labs makes
a powdered calcium that can be heated without affecting its potency.
You can put it in baked goods. It can also be mixed in "milk".
16. How about using a pill smasher to turn the pill into powder? You
could then either mix the powder with water and consume as is or make
your own capsules by adding the powder to gelcaps which you can purchase
in various sizes.
17. You might try powdered calcium. This is what I use and I order it
from Freeda. It comes in carbonate powder, citrate granular, and
gluconate powder. I stir in my soy milk or fruit juice.
18. I heat rice milk until it is warm, then drop 3 Citracals into it,
they melt and I drink the warm rice milk. The little powder at the
bottom of the mug I eat with a spoon.
19. Try calling Vitamin World 800-228-4533. They have stores and do
mail order. If their pills are too large you can probably cut them in
half. Their prices are reasonable and they have a number of gluten-free
viatamins and minerals.
20. Why not try the chewable calcium tabs from Freeda?
21. had the same problem with calcium supplement but luckily found
Calcium Softgels made by Nature's Life. They are easy to swallow,
contain no yeist, gluten, dairy products. Go to www.natlife.com to find
out where they are available in your loation.
22. I use citracal - because of the GF right on the box and yes they
are huge. What I do to take them is kind of wierd, but it works. I let
them dissolve in my mouth. Add a bit of water in my mouth and they
soften up - then I chew and swallow. Kind of gross because they are
grainy - but it works. I use them this way for an antacid, too - and it
works for me.
23. try Cal Snack... chewable, gluten-free
24. there is a liquid calcium you can get. I saw it at Tom Thumb last
week. You'd have to check the gluten content of course. Also check the
Freeda, Vitamin World, and Twin Lab websites looking for liquid calcium.
25. melt citrical in a little juice.
26. Try melting them in a hot beverage. This works well in tea or
coffee. My father-in-law also had trouble taking them and it worked for
him. Another idea is to smash them and mix them in applesauce.
27. Just before taking large pills I chew a bite of food until just
ready to swallow it. Then pop in the pill and down it goes along with
the food.
28. I just chew up generic ones. They crush easily in the mouth.
Currently using, Nature's Bounty--GF on label--600 mg w/Vitamin D. A
bit of grit and clayey, but no bad taste for me.
29. I use Twinlab's calcium citrate. They are in capsule form and I
have to take 6 a day (take 3 twice a day) to get in as much calcium as I
want to have. Then I take 1 teaspoon codliver oil, and it has lots of
vitamins A and D. This regime has brought my calcium level, which was
once low, to a good level, and my bone density is quite good for my age
too. I buy mint-flavored codliver oil and keep it in the refrigerator,
and it is not bad to take. I don't know that this is the least expensive
way to go; the capsules are not small, but they go down pretty easily,
and calcium citrate is easily digested.
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