Adverse Effects of Calcium Gluconate, Patient States “getting really hot”

[Nurse-please, BSN]

Has anyone else experienced their patients get really hot (Subjective to the patient, not fever) or like a full body “heat rush” (as one patient explained to me) after giving calcium gluconate? It last for maybe 45 seconds and gets better. Patient at no point appears flushed or red.  I have had this happen with the past 3 patients I’ve given it to prior to insulin and d50 for hyperkalemia. At first I though I was giving it too quickly so I looked in the MAR and Micromedex to see administration time but there wasn’t any listed. So the next time I gave it slower, approximately over 1 minutes and it still happened. 
 

I’m now reading a peer reviewed journal that states both calcium gluconate and calcium chloride should be administered over 5-10 minutes. 
 

Has anyone else had this happen? How fast do you yourself administer and any ideas what would cause the intense “hotness” the patient experiences? 
 

After reading the study I’m going to start administering over 5-10 mins.  

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

It's a known side effect of calcium administration.  Micromedex actually states it should be given at a rate not to exceed 200 mg/min. In cardiac arrest situations from presumed hyperkalemia, calcium chloride is given faster (over 2 minutes).