Calcichew D3 chewable tablets contain two active ingredients, calcium carbonate, which is a calcium salt used mainly to supplement calcium in the diet, and colecalciferol, otherwise known as vitamin D3.
Calcium is an essential mineral needed for many purposes in the body, including the formation of strong bones. Calcium requirements are raised in the years following the menopause, and when dietary intake of calcium is low. Calcium supplements have been shown to help prevent bone loss.
Calcium is found in milk and dairy products, as well as spinach, nuts and sardines. Usually, calcium requirements are met from the diet. However, there are times when the amount of calcium required is increased, such as during growth, pregnancy, when breastfeeding or with advancing age. When there is insufficient calcium in the diet to meet the body's needs, supplements are needed, otherwise calcium deficiency can occur.
Calcium supplements are useful in osteoporosis; a calcium intake that is twice the recommended daily allowance (RDA) slows the rate of bone loss and reduces the risk of fractures.
Colecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, is normally obtained primarily from sunlight acting on the skin. It is also consumed in the diet in oily fish and milk products. Vitamin D deficiency develops when there is inadequate exposure to sunlight, such as in elderly people with reduced mobility or who are housebound, or when there is a lack of the vitamin in the diet.
Vitamin D is needed for calcium to be absorbed from the gut, and deficiency can lead to low calcium levels and subsequent weakening of bones. This is known as osteomalacia. Vitamin D supplements correct vitamin D deficiency and improve calcium absorption from the gut.
Calcium and vitamin D supplements are used to treat osteomalacia and osteoporosis. By increasing vitamin D and calcium in the body they help strengthen the bones. They are also used to supplement the diet during pregnancy, when there are increased requirements for these nutrients. Calcium and vitamin D supplements are also given to prevent and treat dietary deficiency, for example in the housebound elderly.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.
You should not take any other calcium or vitamin D supplements (including those found in multivitamins) in combination with this medicine, unless specifically prescribed by your doctor.
Calcium carbonate may reduce the absorption of tetracycline antibiotics (eg tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline) and quinolone antibiotics (eg ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, nalidixic acid) from the gut and could make them less effective. If you are prescribed a course of one of these types of antibiotics it is recommended that you take the antibiotic at least two hours before or four to six hours after taking this medicine. Ask your pharmacist for further advice.
Calcium salts may also reduce the absorption from the gut of the following medicines:
To avoid the calcium stopping these medicines from being adequately absorbed, your dose of Calcichew D3 chewable tablets should be separated from these medicines by at least four hours.
Thiazide diuretics, such as bendroflumethiazide, reduce the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, and this can increase the amount of calcium in the blood. If you are taking a thiazide diuretic in combination with this medicine you should have regular blood tests to monitor the level of calcium in your blood.
People taking digoxin or other cardiac glycosides may have an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms if they experience abnormally high blood calcium levels while taking this medicine.
The following medicines may decrease the absorption of vitamin D from the gut and should not be taken at the same time of day as this medicine:
If you are taking any of the following medicines you may need a larger than normal dose of vitamin D. Ask your doctor for advice:
| Accrete D3 | Adcal D3 | Cacit D3 |
| Calceos | Calcichew D3 Forte | Kalcipos-D |
| Natecal D3 |
Calfovit D3 and Sandocal+D contain other salts of calcium in combination with vitamin D3.