--after parathyroid surgery, one is normally started on massive calcium doses in order to 'wake-up' the remaining parathyroid glands, which are considered to have been dormant while the ones that were removed were producing lots of hormone.

Generally, one is given 3000-4000mg calcium for the first week--I was given the upper end of that--combined with about 2000IU of Vitamin D to enhance absorption. My 500mg calcium/vitamin D pills were about the size of a dime--and I had to take 8 of them a day.

I will say that this is the single most constipating thing I have EVER done. I had to really up my raw vegetable intake and take some additional magnesium (at different times). Not having had this problem before (I'm as regular as clockwork normally) this was really disconcerting--I got more work done on a laptop than ever before, though.

I've been reduced now to 1000mg/day calcium and 6000IU vitamin D, which is much more tolerable; I've cut back to my regular magnesium dose (225mg magnesium citrate per day). When I get yesterday's blood work back we may adjust further.