# IBS-C, calcium supplements and dry heaves



## steeddog (Apr 19, 2012)

I've been diagnosed with IBS-C 6 years ago. I am 63. Recently, episodes have become more frequent, probably due to stress in my life. My GI dr recommended Benefiber twice daily (which has helped, it seems to provide a cushion effect), and lots of dietary fiber. Along with trying to eat healthy, I take calcium supplements to waylay my osteopenia. It seems like when I take these supplements, they constipate me, then causing major cramping in my colon; and, of course, I missed my evening dose of Benefiber. My symptoms started to appear the next morning with, first, a stingy bm, then, after I ate some nuts, I had dry heaves and cramping. Has anyone had issues with calcium supplements like this? I am really flummoxed by the dry heaves. Any additional hints are welcome, I just want to pin down what it is that I need to do to keep this problem under control.Thanks!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Well you might want to try Calcium Citrate supplement as opposed to Calcium Carbonate supplements. Check the label of your calcium supplement and see which you are taking. And I would go with the Citrate not carbonate.The dry heaves?? Who knows... but if you have been taking the calcium awhile.. I doubt it would be that. Unless eating the nuts wasn't enough food in your gut beofre you took the supplements or other meds you may have taken.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

HI Steeddog i am 60, have (as the doc put it) full blown osteoporosis (thanks to heridity), and have had chronic constipation --slow transit--for fifty years now. BQ is right--calcium citrate is much better for us c-people to take than calcium carbonate. when i first started takiong calcium supplements (in my 40's) i unknowingly started out with calcium carbonate which made my c worse. when i switched over to calcium citrate i noticed a big difference.also it's good to take calcium supplements in small amounts throughout the day rather in one or two big doses. it's better absorbed that way and therefore less constipating. i take 250 mg calcium citrate tabs at separate times times during the day. and of course it's best to get as much calcium as you can from food--again, it's better absorbed that way although some foods high in calcium aggravate my c--like cheese--so that can be kind of tricky--and as you probably know it's hard to get all the calcium we need from food so we need supplements as well.also it's important to balance out the calcium with magnesium--magnesium helps counteract the constipating effects of calcium. the usual rule is the 2 to 1 ratio--for every two mg of calcium, take one mg magnesium.sorry--don't know about the dry heaves...unless it's triggered by the cramping, maybe?? or the stress.and you're right--stress can definitely worsen constipation.hope you feel better soon..


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## steeddog (Apr 19, 2012)

Thanks so much for your quick responses! I will switch back to calcium citrate throughout the day. Being kind of new to the IBS world, I am learning a lot from this forum. Trying to figure out what foods I should stay away from, and what seems to trigger an episode is similar to herding cats! I think the dry heaves thing was from my colon "spazzing" so violently. Thanks again!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh you're most welcome! and thank you!herding cats...lol--love it! as an owner of two --or rather, they own us--i sure do know all about that...good luck with everything---wishing you all the best.


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## AIRPLANE (Mar 15, 2004)

I don't know why calcium would cause dry heaves- only thing I could think is if it caused constipation to become bad enough that things were getting backed up that much more?What I wanted to mention was that I learned about a plant-based form of calcium on the Dr. Oz show recently. I can't remember the full name of it, but it started with 'algae'. He said that it was NOT constipating. The calcium supplements that we normally take comes from rocks.Anyway, I just purchased this supplement from New Chapter- it is called Bone Strength (I also get my ginger- which I take for inflammation- from them). They say that it contains Vitamin K2 which directs the calcium to the bones, not the arteries where we don't want it. I'm also trying to get my 82-year old mother to try it since she absolutely cannot take calcium because it is so constipating.There is another product I've come across with this called Algaecal.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Not sure about dry heaves, but to deal with the constipation from calcium supplements usually taking a calcium citrate supplement that has magnesium added can help. Magnesium loosens stools so that balances it out.Usually ones with 1 part Magnesium for every 2 parts Calcium (so if 400 mgs of Calcium in a tablet it will have 200 mgs of Magnesium) are the ones with enough magnesium to balance out the calcium. There are ones that come formulated this way if you don't want to take separate pills.


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