Calcium supplement

Calcium supplement
500 milligram calcium supplements made from calcium carbonate
Clinical data
Trade namesAlka-Mints, Calcet, Tums, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
License data
Routes of
administration
By mouth, intravenous
ATC code
Identifiers
CAS Number
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII

Calcium supplements are salts of calcium used in a number of conditions.[1] Supplementation is generally only required when there is not enough calcium in the diet.[2][3] By mouth they are used to treat and prevent low blood calcium, osteoporosis, and rickets.[1] By injection into a vein they are used for low blood calcium that is resulting in muscle spasms and for high blood potassium or magnesium toxicity.[2][4]

Common side effects include constipation and nausea.[1] When taken by mouth high blood calcium is uncommon.[1] Calcium supplements, unlike calcium from dietary sources, appear to increase the risk of kidney stones.[1] Adults generally require about a gram of calcium a day.[1] Calcium is particularly important for bones, muscles, and nerves.[1]

The medical use of calcium supplements began in the 19th century.[5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[6] It is available as a generic medication.[3] In 2021, it was the 235th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[7][8] Versions are also sold together with vitamin D.[3] In 2020, the combination, calcium/vitamin D was the 215th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 2 million prescriptions.[9][10]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Calcium Salts". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b World Health Organization (2009). Stuart MC, Kouimtzi M, Hill SR (eds.). WHO Model Formulary 2008. World Health Organization. p. 497. hdl:10665/44053. ISBN 978-92-4-154765-9.
  3. ^ a b c British national formulary : BNF 69 (69 ed.). British Medical Association. 2015. pp. 694, 703. ISBN 978-0-85711-156-2.
  4. ^ Hamilton R (2015). Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2015 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 215–216. ISBN 978-1-284-05756-0.
  5. ^ Tegethoff FW (2012). Calcium Carbonate: From the Cretaceous Period into the 21st Century. Birkhäuser. p. 308. ISBN 978-3-0348-8245-3. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017.
  6. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  7. ^ "The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Calcium - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  9. ^ "The Top 300 of 2020". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Calcium; Vitamin D – Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2022.