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After reading some of the advice here, including Linda's calcium thread, I decided to focus more on supplements and maybe OTC diarrhea drugs. Last week I started taking 600 mg calcium carbonate tablets with vitamin D added. However what I learned was that it's the elemental calcium that is important measurement to note.according to one source: When purchasing calcium supplements, ensure to look for the elemental calcium content, not the total content. For instance, a pill containing 500mg of Calcium Carbonate provides 200mg of element al calcium. Hence one pill in this example only provides 200mg of calcium, not 500mg.Calcium is absorbed in small intestines. Not all calcium we consume will be absorbed. The amount of calcium absorbed is dependent on a number of factors such as the acidic condition in our intestines, Vitamin D level, estrogen level and the type of calcium supplement.The Dietary Reference Intake DRI for calcium for adults is 1000mg -1300mg depending on age and gender. As one serving of dairy product provides ~300mg of calcium, those who do not consume enough calcium from food sources may need calcium supplements to meet their daily requirement.-------Now I talked to my pharmacist about taking calcium carbonate supplements along with a prescription medicine, and she said it was fine, as was taking Imodium. Talking to my doctor yesterday and indicating I started taking CaCO3 (calcium carbonate), I told him I experienced bloating and gas, and he explained that was normal, as stool is being produced it's filling up the intestines. Anyway, it wasn't very comfortable at all, and I didn't notice much benefit to stop my predominant IBS-D, so I stopped - but perhaps I will continue. Heather's Tummy Care says to use fennel tea against bloating, so perhaps that might help reduce some of the discomfort - I haven't tried it long enough to find out. Has anyone experienced bloating like this and will it go away after your body gets used to the supplement?When I mentioned how the soy milk I drink has calcium, he mentioned ...yes, but it's added. He recommended that if I was looking for natural solutions, I could try flax seed (I remember that caused me bloating though), and otherwise eat fish which has calcium, he said. I know I don't eat enough protein either, and understand protein helps digestion too, but I forget in what way. Lastly, I asked him what if I start taking Imodium (loperamide) on a regular basis and he said, well there are risks...if you rely on it too much, your intestines will get lazy and you'll depend on them. He added that one of his patients uses 4 (!) a day though. When I was at the pharmacy recently, I saw 12 packs for around $12 and packs with 12 regular caplets and 6 "bonus" Imodium Advance (in the U.S. it's called IMODIUM® Multi-Symptom Relief) for around $20. Eek! Pretty expense. So for now, rather than relying on Imodium (although I may consider mini doses just to try it short term), I'd like to try to reduce the D via food and supplement choices. I guess I'll have to search this forum a bit, but if something comes to mind you'd like to add here, feel free.