Calcium Carbonate
Calcium Carbonate 500mg tablets, a mineral supplement for calcium deficiency and an antacid for heartburn, acid indigestion and upset stomach, in packs of 60 or 90.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500mg | 60 tablets | $49.80 | $0.83 |
| 500mg | 90 tablets | $64.80 | $0.72 |
- Category
- Bone Health
- Active ingredient
- Calcium Carbonate
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet, Chewable
- Strengths
- 500mg
You will receive a quality generic, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Calcium deficiency · Heartburn
- Therapeutic Class
- Mineral Supplement
- Pharmacological Class
- Calcium salt
- Minor Side Effects
- Constipation, gas
- Moderate Side Effects
- Belching
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet, Chewable
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Various
- Onset Time
- 15–30 minutes
- Duration
- 3–6 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Tetracyclines, Bisphosphonates
What you will receive
Calcium Carbonate is a generic medicine sold under the name of its active ingredient, Calcium Carbonate.
- The manufacturer depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
- It contains the same active ingredient, at the same strength, as the brand-name versions.
FAQ
What pack sizes of Calcium Carbonate 500mg tablets can I order?
Calcium Carbonate comes as 500mg tablets, in packs of 60 or 90 tablets. It is generic calcium carbonate, not a branded product. Each page shows the price per tablet in Hong Kong dollars; the larger pack lowers the price per tablet.
What if my Calcium Carbonate parcel goes missing?
If a Calcium Carbonate parcel does not arrive within the delivery window, or arrives damaged, it is sent again free. If that is not possible, the order is refunded. Every order ships in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing outside about the contents. Very large orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels.
What is another name for calcium carbonate?
Brand names for calcium carbonate include Adcal, Calcichew and Tums. Calcium carbonate tablets are a pure generic calcium carbonate product and are not any of those brands.
What is the difference between calcium carbonate and calcium citrate?
Both are calcium salts sold as supplements, but they are not the same weight for weight. Calcium carbonate packs more elemental calcium into each tablet, so fewer or smaller tablets cover the same amount of the mineral. Calcium citrate dissolves without needing much stomach acid, which can suit people who make little acid.
Does a 500mg tablet give me 500mg of calcium?
No — a 500mg tablet does not contain 500mg of calcium. The strength on the pack describes the whole calcium carbonate salt, and only part of that weight is elemental calcium. It is the elemental calcium, not the carbonate, that counts towards your daily intake.
Should I take Calcium Carbonate 500mg with food?
For calcium top-up use, yes: a meal gets stomach acid going, which helps the tablet break down and the calcium dissolve, and absorption is better with food than on an empty stomach. If you only take it now and then for heartburn, timing around meals matters far less.
How long does calcium carbonate take to work for heartburn?
For heartburn it goes to work as it dissolves, neutralising acid in the stomach, so relief comes with the dose rather than after days of use. Building calcium into bone runs on a much slower clock and depends on taking the tablets regularly over weeks.
What if I miss a dose of Calcium Carbonate?
If you take the tablets on a regular daily schedule, take a missed dose as soon as you remember. When the next dose is already close, leave the missed tablet out and carry on as usual — never take two at once to catch up. Occasional doses for heartburn can just be taken when symptoms return.
About Calcium Carbonate
A supplement or an antacid
A Calcium Carbonate 500mg tablet can be either, and how you use it decides which. Taken regularly with meals, it tops up calcium when your diet falls short; bones, muscles, nerves and the heart all depend on that mineral. Taken when heartburn or acid indigestion flares, it neutralises stomach acid and settles the burn or the unsettled stomach.
How to take Calcium Carbonate 500mg
For a calcium top-up, swallow a tablet with a meal or soon after eating, and wash it down with a full glass of water. Three or four doses spread across the day suit most people better than one large dose. For heartburn, take one when symptoms flare. This suits occasional burning rather than a long stretch — two weeks of continuous antacid use is the usual ceiling.
Side effects you might notice
Constipation is the one people run into most. Wind, belching, bloating, stomach pain, a dry mouth, a metallic taste, nausea, appetite loss and more frequent urination can also show up, and most of these settle as the body gets used to the tablets. Take far more than you need and calcium levels can climb too high, which may bring ongoing nausea, unusual thirst, heavy urination, weakness or confusion.
Other medicines
Calcium holds back the body's uptake of some other medicines, including certain antibiotics and iron tablets, so leave a gap of one to two hours between a calcium carbonate dose and anything else you swallow. That detail is easy to miss when these tablets sit next to your other medicines on the shelf.
Keeping the tablets
Store them in the pack they came in, sealed, somewhere cool and dry, and out of reach of children and pets — a sunny windowsill or a shelf above the kettle will not do them any favours.
Sources
- Calcium Carbonate: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Healthy Bones Guide - Calcium and Your Bones - Bone Health ... — bonehealthandosteoporosis.org