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November 18, 2020: SafeMedicationUse.ca Newsletter - Calcium and Medications Often Don't Mix

Calcium is a mineral that is needed to keep bones and teeth healthy. Calcium is found naturally in dairy products, and is added to some drinks. It is also available as a natural health product, either on its own (e.g., in the form of calcium carbonate or calcium citrate) or as part of other health products (e.g., multivitamins). Calcium interacts with some medications when they are taken together. When this happens, neither the calcium nor the medication will work very well. To prevent this problem, any product or food containing calcium should be taken at different times from these medications. SafeMedicationUse.ca received a report from a consumer who had prescriptions for two medications to treat an infection. The person took the medications at the same time as their calcium supplement. The consumer had not been told to take one of the medications separate from calcium products to avoid an interaction. It was later found that the infection was not properly treated. Read more …

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