Thanks NHS. I found some info on the topic
An adequate daily intake of calcium (1,000-1,200 mg) along with magnesium and potassium works to control blood pressure by helping to regulate the amount of sodium your body retains. Most of us get all the potassium we need from fresh fruits (especially bananas) and vegetables. (Don’t take potassium supplements unless a doctor has prescribed them.) Taking too much calcium can lead to such side effects as constipation, dry mouth, a continuing headache, increased thirst, irritability, loss of appetite, depression, a metallic taste in the mouth, and fatigue.
Of the many calcium supplements available, I recommend calcium citrate, because it is more easily assimilated than other forms, especially by older people with less stomach acid. Calcium carbonate is more easily available and less expensive but not as well absorbed. It is OK to use calcium supplements containing vitamin D. In fact, I recommend taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day to insure proper absorption and use of calcium. Along with your calcium supplements, be sure to take magnesium (half the dose of your calcium supplement); without it you may find that the calcium is constipating.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
ScienceDaily (June 1, 2010) — Negative health effects linked to taking too much supplemental calcium are on the rise, according to a commentary appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The incidence of the so-called milk-alkali or calcium-alkali syndrome is growing in large part because of widespread use of over-the-counter calcium and vitamin D supplements.
The milk-alkali syndrome arose in the early 1900s when patients ingested abundant amounts of milk and antacids to control their ulcers. This practice increased individuals' risk of developing dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood, which could cause high blood pressure and even kidney failure. The incidence of the milk-alkali syndrome declined when newer ulcer medications became available, but it appears to be on the rise again thanks to increased use of over-the-counter calcium and vitamin D supplements used mainly as preventive and treatment measures for osteoporosis. In many cases, patients with the syndrome require hospitalization.
Stanley Goldfarb, MD and Ami Patel, MD (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) recommend changing the name of the milk-alkali syndrome to the calcium-alkali syndrome because the condition is now associated with a large intake of calcium, not milk. Postmenopausal women, pregnant women, transplant recipients, patients with bulimia, and individuals who are on dialysis have the highest risks of developing the calcium-alkali syndrome due to various physiological reasons.
According to the authors, the obvious preventive strategy against the calcium-alkali syndrome is to limit the intake of calcium to no more than 1.2 to 1.5 grams per day. "Calcium supplements taken in the recommended amounts are not only safe but are quite beneficial. Taken to excess is the problem," said Dr. Goldfarb. "Even at the recommended dose, careful monitoring of any medication is wise and yearly determinations of blood calcium levels for those patients taking calcium supplements or vitamin D is a wise approach," he added.
So I suppose its really a matter of diet. If your diet provides enough Calcium, then supplements are not necessary. Yet I know my diet is lacking probably half the time. I'll give it another taper-test and see if it was coincidence soon.
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Calcium Citrate 1200 mg in the D3 Regime (Read 3614 times)
