Calcium supplement

This article is about the medical use of calcium. For more general information on calcium as an element, see Calcium.

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