Drug & supplement interaction

Calcium + Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide

Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide brand name: Ascriptin Codeine #3.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Calcium has a moderate interaction with Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide. Calcium citrate might increase aluminum absorption and toxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Calcium and Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ALUMINUM

Why this applies to Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide

Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide falls under ALUMINUM — the group Calcium interacts with.

Calcium citrate might increase aluminum absorption and toxicity. Other types of calcium do not increase aluminum absorption.
Calcium citrate can increase the absorption of aluminum when taken with aluminum hydroxide. The increase in aluminum levels may become toxic, particularly in individuals with kidney disease. However, the effect of calcium citrate on aluminum absorption is due to the citrate anion rather than calcium cation. Calcium acetate does not appear to increase aluminum absorption.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the key detail for this combination product: it contains aluminum hydroxide, and your body normally absorbs very little aluminum. The catch isn't the calcium itself, it's the form of the calcium. If you take calcium citrate, the citrate part can help your gut soak up more of that aluminum than usual. Over time, higher aluminum levels can become a real problem, especially for anyone with reduced kidney function.

Good news: other calcium forms, like calcium carbonate or calcium acetate, don't appear to do this. So the simple fix is often just choosing a non-citrate calcium. Please check with your pharmacist before pairing any calcium supplement with this medicine, particularly if your kidneys aren't at full strength.

References
  1. Coburn JW, Mischel MG, Goodman WG, et al. Calcium citrate markedly enhances aluminum absorption from aluminum hydroxide. Am J Kidney Dis. 1991;17(6):708-11. PubMed
  2. Nolan CR, Califano JR, Butzin CA. Influence of calcium acetate or calcium citrate on intestinal aluminum absorption. Kidney Int. 1990;38(5):937-41. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Calcium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Calcium has 7 major, 142 moderate, 18 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Calcium

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Calcium. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Calcium or Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Calcium or Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide

This page covers Calcium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide page lists 293 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major) and Danshen (major).

By severity: 8 major · 246 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide page

“Bleeding dominates the supplement list for Ascriptin Codeine #3, which pairs aspirin and codeine with two antacid ingredients. Of 293 interactions on file, 8 are rated major, and this combination pill earns real caution.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Calcium as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 38,397 real supplement products containing Calcium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Calcium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide too, on top of Calcium — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Calcium and Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Calcium
Top 10

#2 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide
Top 25%

#373 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Calcium

What is Calcium?

  • Bone health and osteoporosis prevention
  • Dietary calcium deficiency
  • Heartburn relief (calcium carbonate antacids)
  • Supporting healthy teeth
  • High blood pressure support during pregnancy

Calcium is an essential mineral your body needs for strong bones, nerve signaling, and muscle function, and supplements can help fill gaps when diet falls short. Most people do best getting calcium from food, and supplements should be used at the lowest dose needed. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you have kidney problems or take other medicines.

Read the full Calcium monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Calcium

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Calcium — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

7Major
142Moderate
18Minor
2,662No known interaction
Major

7 interactions

Moderate

142 interactions

Showing 60 of 142 moderate interactions — see all 142 on the Calcium page.

Minor

18 interactions

No interaction 2,662 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Calcium and Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calcium with Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calcium and Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Aspirin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Codeine Phosphate, Magnesium Hydroxide and Calcium?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.