SHELCAL-500 TABLET

Information about Shelcal 500 Tablet

It helps in keeping your bones strong and prevents osteoporosis. Calcium is used for building and maintaining healthy bones. Our body can get calcium from one of two sources namely food/diet or bones. When food fails to meet your body’s calcium requirements, it borrows it from your bones. If this happens over a period of time then it leads to bone loss.

It contains calcium as well as Vitamin D3. Calcium is also essential for heart, muscle, and nerve functions and also aids in the clotting of blood. This mineral also helps to treat and manage osteoporosis and to prevent calcium deficiency in pregnant and breastfeeding women. The primary function of Vitamin D3 in the body is to maintain healthy and strong bones. It does so by ensuring calcium absorption in the gut and by maintaining adequate levels of two minerals essential for bone health, calcium, and phosphorus.

Key ingredients:

Calcium: 500 mg

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): 250 IU

Key benefits/uses of Shelcal 500 Tablet:

1. To treat calcium deficiency due to:

Inadequate dietary intake

Hypoparathyroidism (reduced production of parathyroid hormones which regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorous in the body)

Kidney failure

Pancreatitis (Inflammation of the pancreas)

Certain medicines such as corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, and rifampicin

Liver disease, causing low albumin levels which might affect calcium levels

2. To treat Vitamin D3 deficiency due to:

Decreased function of the kidneys

Inadequate absorption of Vitamin D3 by the digestive tract (due to conditions like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis)

3. To increase the levels of Vitamin D3 in the milk of breastfeeding women. Vitamin D3 requirements of breastfed infants cannot be met by human milk alone. Hence, mothers are advised for supplementation of Vitamin D3.

4. To increase Vitamin D3 levels in elderly people because due to age and a long time spent indoors, their skin fails to synthesize Vitamin D3 efficiently.

5. To improve levels of Vitamin D3 in people with fat malabsorption whose intestine fails to absorb fat from the diet, thereby reducing the absorption of Vitamin D3 which needs dietary fat to get used by the body.

Direction for use:

Take Shelcal 500 as directed by your physician. In general, it is best to take it after meals, as the source of calcium in Shelcal 500 is calcium carbonate, which is absorbed well in the presence of food.

Quick tips for Shelcal 500 Tablet:

If you think that your diet fails to meet the daily dose of calcium, consult your doctor before you decide on taking supplements.

Do not take iron and calcium supplements together, as the absorption of calcium may get hindered.

It is not advised in people suffering from tissue calcification, malabsorption, kidney problems or blood cancer.

To avoid overdosing on these supplements, inform your doctor if you are taking any other product containing Vitamin D or calcium along with Shelcal 500 tablets.

Do not take these supplements if you are allergic to Vitamin D, calcium or any other ingredients present in this medicine.

In case you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it's almost time for the next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose at the scheduled time.

Side-effects of Shelcal 500 Tablet:

Some of the common side-effects of this tablet include:

Constipation

Vomiting & nausea

Loss of appetite

Feeling thirsty

Bone pain

Stomach pain

Frequent urination

Muscle weakness

High level of calcium in urine

Storage and safety information:

Read the label carefully before use.

Do not exceed the recommended dose.

Keep out of the reach and sight of children.

Use under medical supervision.

Do not take too much of this medicine as this may lead to overdose.

Why Do You Need Calcium & Vitamin D Supplements?

Your body cannot produce calcium on its own, so you have to rely on diet and supplements to meet your calcium needs. A lack of calcium could lead to a condition called rickets in children and osteomalacia or osteoporosis in later life. The symptoms of calcium deficiency include:

Weak nails that break easily

Dry and rough hair

Dry and scaly skin

Muscle cramps

Forgetfulness (in severe cases)

Confusion (in severe cases)

Feeling sad (in severe cases)

Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, smelling, or feeling things that don’t exist)

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods but is available as a dietary supplement. Vitamin D supplements are available in two forms: Vitamin D2 (“ergocalciferol” or pre-vitamin D) and Vitamin D3 (“cholecalciferol”). While Vitamin D2 is produced in plants and fungi, Vitamin D3 is produced in animals, including humans. Vitamin D3 deficiency is said to be associated with:

Difficulty in making decisions in old age

Increased chances of severe asthma in children

Increased risk of death from heart diseases and cancers

Increased risk of osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones)

Increased risk of osteomalacia (softening of the bones)

Increases risk of rickets (a condition in which the mineralization of the bone tissue does not occur properly which can lead to bone softening and occurrence of bone deformities)

How Much Calcium & Vitamin D Do You Need?

Calcium: According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, the RDA of calcium depends on the age. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Indians is as follows:

Infants (0-1 years): 500 mg

Children (1-9 years): 600 mg

Tweens and Teens (10 – 18 years): 800 mg

Adults: 600 mg

Pregnant and lactating women: 1200 mg

Vitamin D: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends a daily supplement of 400 IU/day of Vitamin D3 for Indians with emphasis on outdoor activities to achieve adequate Vitamin D.

If you are not meeting your daily requirement of Vitamin D3 or are suffering from Vitamin D3 deficiency, your calcium absorption may get affected. This is why supplements that contain calcium along with Vitamin D3, such as Shelcal 500 Tablet, are preferred.