Calcium Supplements May Reduce the Effects of Diarrhea

Calcium supplements may help ease diarrhea resulting from anti-HIV medications, according to a study presented at the 12th annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research. Seventeen patients at Ottawa General Hospital who had experienced antiretroviral-related diarrhea for an average of three years were given 500 milligrams of calcium supplements twice a day for two weeks. The study subjects reported having one third fewer episodes of diarrhea and having experienced no adverse side effects from the supplements. Diarrhea continues to remain a serious problem for HIV-positive patients taking anti-HIV drugs, according to researchers at New York University. About 40% of HIV-positive people experience at least one episode of diarrhea per month, about double the rate of the study's control group.