Are some calcium supplements better for people with a history of kidney stones than others?
There is some evidence that calcium citrate may be a slightly better calcium supplement for calcium stone-formers. The theory is that the citrate portion of that particular supplement—being a stone inhibitor—tends to negate any stone-promoting effect from the calcium. I’m not sure how significant this is, but it seems to make sense, so usually I will recommend calcium citrate to my kidney stone patients who need a calcium supplement. If you’ve had kidney stones, it may be better to take the calcium supplement without vitamin D, which is usually recommended to improve calcium absorption. It is better to allow the calcium to stay in the intestinal tract a little longer, where it can help bind oxalate, which is a more significant promoter of stones. If you have the vitamin D, the calcium will tend to be absorbed further up in the intestinal tract, and you won’t see that added benefit. Why are kidney stones so painful? The degree of the pain has nothing to do with the size of the stone; it
