I had my thyroid removed 5 year ago and have been on Synthroid and calcium supplements ever since.  My thyroid levels have been great but my doctor has a lot of trouble keeping my calcium level up.  I take OsCal plus D 1000 mg twice a day and my calcium is still low before starting Alli. 

My sister is a registered dietician and I asked her about the problems with my calcium and she recommends that I split the doses up by taking 500 mg four times a day.  She says the body cannot absorb much more than 500 mg of calcium at a time so divide the doses up.  I also asked her if she knew if Alli would effect the absorption of the calcium but she was not very familiar with Alli.  Before when I wask taking the calicum 1000 mg twice a day, I would take the first dose 2 hours before my first Alli capsule and the second 2 hours after my last capsule for the day.  Now if I am dividing the doses up I am not going to have that luxury of avoiding overlap of Alli and calcium doses. 

Any of you have calcium issues and/or experience in this area?

Fortunately, my doctor is closely monitoring both my calcium and my thyroid levels monthly at this point.  Like I said, my thyroid levels have been great, just the calcium that is the issue and I had the calcium problem LONG before starting Alli!

Hello. alli does not affect the absorption of calcium - although it may somewhat affect the absorption of vitamin D since vitamin D is fat-soluble and needs fat to be abosrbed. As long as you are getting at least 800-1000iu of vitamin D a day, and eating normal diet, you should be fine. alli is not associated with causing any type of vitamin D deficiency.

Your sister is correct in recommending that you take your calcium in divided doses. You should take no more than 600mg per dose. A calcium supplement like Os-Cal should be taken with food - it is best absorbed when the acid in your stomach is at its highest - which is right after you eat. Do you take any other medications? Some medications, like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, etc can prevent the body from absorbing all of the calcium from a supplement like Os-Cal. Let me know if this applies to you and I can help further.

Blood calcium levels are usually regulated by hormones - I am sure your doctor has tested you for other endocrine conditions that can affect blood calcium levels... like parathyroid issues?

Hope this helps! Best of health to you!