Drug & supplement interaction

Calcium + Dolutegravir

Dolutegravir brand name: Tivicay.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Major

Calcium has a major interaction with Dolutegravir. Calcium seems to reduce levels of dolutegravir.

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

Calcium and Dolutegravir

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

Major

DOLUTEGRAVIR (Tivicay)

Calcium seems to reduce levels of dolutegravir.
Advise patients to take dolutegravir either 2 hours before or 6 hours after taking calcium supplements. Pharmacokinetic research suggests that taking calcium carbonate 1200 mg concomitantly with dolutegravir 50 mg reduces plasma levels of dolutegravir by almost 40%. Calcium appears to decrease levels of dolutegravir through chelation.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

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

Here's the key thing with dolutegravir (Tivicay) and calcium: when they're in your stomach at the same time, calcium can grab onto the dolutegravir and bind it up. We call this chelation. The result is that your body absorbs less of the medicine, and one study showed dolutegravir levels dropping by almost 40 percent when taken together. That's a big deal, because lower drug levels can mean less control of your HIV and, over time, a risk of the virus becoming resistant.

The good news is that timing fixes this. Take your dolutegravir at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after your calcium supplement, and absorption stays on track. Calcium-rich foods are less of a worry, but please run your exact schedule by your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Jalloh MA, Gregory PJ, Hein D, et al. Dietary supplement interactions with antiretrovirals: a systematic review. Int J STD AIDS. 2017 Jan;28(1):4-15. 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 6 major, 143 moderate, 18 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Dolutegravir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 6 Moderate 143 Minor 18 No known interaction 2,663 (incl. Dolutegravir)
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 Dolutegravir

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 Dolutegravir, 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 Dolutegravir

This page covers Calcium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Dolutegravir page lists 65 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), St. John's Wort (major), Bitter Melon (moderate), Black Pepper (moderate) and Breadfruit (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 46 moderate · 16 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Dolutegravir page

“Dolutegravir (Tivicay) works only when its blood level stays high enough to keep HIV suppressed, so a supplement that drags that level down can let the virus rebound, and this list warrants genuine care. Three of the 65 entries are rated major.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Dolutegravir 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 Dolutegravir 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 Dolutegravir 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
Most looked up

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

29 days ago today
Medication Dolutegravir
Steady interest

#1,525 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
Medication

About Dolutegravir

What Is Dolutegravir Used For?

Brand name: Tivicay

Dolutegravir treats HIV-1 infection. Tivicay and Tivicay PD are used together with other HIV medicines in adults and in children who have not taken an INSTI before.

Tivicay is also used with rilpivirine as a complete regimen. This is for adults whose HIV is already well controlled on a stable regimen for at least 6 months, with no history of treatment failure and no known resistance to either medicine.

See full Dolutegravir drug information
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.

6Major
143Moderate
18Minor
2,662No known interaction
6 Major 143 Moderate 18 Minor 2,662 No interaction
Major

6 interactions

Moderate

143 interactions

Showing 60 of 143 moderate interactions — see all 143 on the Calcium page.

Minor

18 interactions

No interaction 2,662 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Calcium against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,662 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Calcium list.

See the full Calcium interactions page
See every supplement checked against Dolutegravir, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
Calcium monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Dolutegravir supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Dolutegravir, ranked by severity Dolutegravir drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Calcium and Dolutegravir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calcium with Dolutegravir?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calcium and Dolutegravir interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Dolutegravir 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.