The usual amount for a woman is 1200 mg. calcium and half of that of magnesium (but my dr. recommended 1500 for me, menopausal women need more anyway). Watch out for magnesium oxide (unless you suffer from constipation) because it will make you run to the B/R.

Although the MDR of vit. D is 400 I.U. it's really too little. Most nutritionist recommend 1000 mg/day. IMO the best way to get it, for those of us who are not too finicky (I still don't like the taste, mind you!), is in cod liver oil, I buy a flavored one and keep it in the fridge and a have either 2 tsps. or 1 Tsbp. a day. The added benefit is that CLO contains vit. A and the goodness of Omega 3. If the liquid is "out of the question" they sell it in capsules, just take as many as will make approx. the 1000 mg. Vit. C should be 500 mg./day or more if one's under stress or takes any medication (it gets used up in the detoxification of any substances in the body).

Let me tell you that I was very disappointed about the calcium carbonate myself because I too had bought the S/F Tums (or Walgreens equivalent, can't remember) and thought I was killing 2 birds with one stone, ha! Another reason for me not to have them is b/c of the aspartame in it. I loved my aspartame and for years didn't even want to hear that it could be bad for me... until I got sick and decided to avoid everything that could hinder my recovery! These days I use it occasionally, usually with a protein food to offset the bad "chemistry".