Calcium for IBS

by Andy
(Glasgow)

I was diagnosed with IBS around 6 years ago and have chronic stomach pains and diarrhoea a couple of times a week. Nothing the doctor prescribed has made the slightest difference so I did some research and found that a large amount of people are using Calcium (Caltrate from the US) to ease their symptoms. Calcium with vitamin D tablets has made a huge difference to my life and since October I have had two stomach upsets. I decided to try Caltrate as I started to have bad headaches (I also suffer from migraines) and Ocular Migraines (this is a new thing!). The Caltrate isn't working so I was considering going back to the calcium on its own. I went to my GP to ask if he thought the migraines were linked to the calcium and he said no. I am not convinced but am a bit nervous to go back to the calcium as the Ocular migraine and visual disturbances are very uncomfortable. I was hoping for a bit of advice or any suggestions?

Calcium in IBS

Calcium for IBS has been used for a while now, but is not evidenced based. It has the property of causing constipation through calcium effect on smooth muscle. It has been used by some sufferers with IBS-D to good effect according to isolated case reports. However, calcium has been linked to increased risk from cardiovascular disease (Heart attacks and strokes), presumably through its effect on blood pressure and calcium deposits in the blood vessels. However, this has not been confirmed. As far as the effect on your ocular migraines I can put 2 theories to you. The first is calcium can cause vasospasm, a condition that is associated with migraine. This is the reason why doctors use drugs called calcium antagonists (Nimodipine) in subarachnoid brain haemorrhage to reduce risk of cerebral vessel spasm inducing bleeding. The second theory is high calcium in the blood can cause dehydration through its diuretic effect causing excessive water loss through the kidneys. Dehydration increases risk of headache.

Dont get me wrong, calcium appears to be safe in the majority of people that use it and it may be fine for you. You certainly dont need the vitamin D component, only calcium. If you decide to take calcium again, make sure you drink plenty of fluids. It might even be worth your doctor checking your calcium levels before you start along with your magnesium levels which are interlinked.