Doctors often recommend calcium supplements, especially for girls and women as they have a higher risk of poor calcium intake and bone loss. Calcium supplements contain calcium combined with other minerals. Different forms of calcium have different absorption rates and contain varying amounts of elemental, or pure calcium. While you take most calcium supplements in pills or tablets, calcium glubionate, also known as calcionate, comes in syrup form, while calcium gluconate comes in both injectible and oral forms
Calcium Gluconate Uses
While you can take calcium gluconate by mouth as an over-the-counter calcium supplement, intravenous or injectible calcium gluconate is also used to reverse high levels of magnesium, phosphorus or potassium. Magnesium, used during pregnancy to prevent preterm labor as well as to treat toxemia of pregnancy, can cause central nervous system depression as a side effect of high magnesium levels. Calcium gluconate will not reverse high potassium levels, but will reverse the effects of high potassium on the heart, which include irregular heartbeats. Calcium gluconate in pill form contains much less elemental calcium -- 58 milligrams in a 650 milligram tablet -- than calcium carbonate, one of the two most common forms of supplemental calcium, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium carbonate supplies 260 milligrams of elemental calcium in a 650 milligram tablet.
Calcionate Uses
Because calcionate comes in syrup form, people, infants and children who can't swallow pills can benefit from this form of calcium. Calcionate contains 115 milligrams of elemental calcium in 5 milliliters of syrup, according to Drugs.com. Use a dropper that measures small amounts of liquids medication rather than a kitchen teaspoon to administer syrups, since kitchen teaspoons may vary in the amount of liquid they hold.
Side Effects
Calcium supplements all have similar side effects. Nausea, vomiting and constipation are typical side effects of taking calcium supplements. You may also experience appetite loss, dry mouth, increased thirst or increased urination.
Considerations
Any type of calcium supplement can interfere with the absorption of other medications. Ask your doctor before taking calcionate, calcium gluconate or any other type of calcium supplement if you also take alendronate, a medication used to treat osteoporosis, since calcium may interfere with alendronate's absorption. If you take calcium supplements and antacids containing aluminum, you could develop high and possibly dangerous aluminum levels. Calcium also interferes with absorption of some types of antibiotics and anti-seizure medications. Separate your calcium dose and all other medications by at least two hours, Inova Health System recommends.
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