Does anyone else take an absurd amount of vitamins?

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Desifreckle
Desifreckle Posts: 110 Member
edited May 2016 in Food and Nutrition
For several years I have dealt with cronic fatigue. It would be as bad as coming straight home from work and taking a 3 hour nap, only to be awake for 3 more hours then go back to sleep for another 8 hours before going to work again. Or just coming home and laying in bed the rest of the day. I had blood work done and nothing, doctors said my numbers were all good so they didn't really care to look further into it. Well, in the past year I've had 2 surgeries removing 2 different cysts (one as large as a watermelon, that filled my entire pelvis) immediately after that one was removed in May of 2015, another one began to grow and became almost 10cm. That cyst and my left ovary was removed in Febuary 2016. I still felt tired 24/7. Also, I was forced to take birth control to control the cysts and sloebthr growth, so the hormones were making me crave carbs like crazy in result this past year has not been a good year for my weight. (I went from 300 to 176 2 years before all of this happened)

I finally switched doctors (obgyn and weight loss specialist) and this guy has changed my life. Lol! The first thing he did was give me a mile long list of vitamins he wanted me to take, and just about everyone I know seemed skeptical about it. I was even a little hesitant because multivitamins never worked for me and some even made me sick. A few people told me not to bother, but I was willing to do anything so I bought EVERYTHING on the list and I had to get a 2 week pill organizer just to keep it straight....but.....I got to tell you.....I feel so much better already! It gives me hope that I may be getting out of this funk finally, hell I'll keep my granny pill organizer forever if it makes me feel like this! Hahahaha

I was just wondering, is there anyone else who takes a LOT of vitamins??? How long have you done it? Where do you buy them? What brands? Is Amazon a good place to get them?
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Replies

  • hassankarimi82
    hassankarimi82 Posts: 153 Member
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    I've taken a multivitamin & mineral and glucosamine for the last 3 years. They are a supplement to my diet, but if it gives me that extra 1% benefit then the cost to effect ratio is worth it. So there's no need to take more than the stated dose. They are synthetic anyway and won't replace what proper nutrition can give. That help?
  • Enjcg5
    Enjcg5 Posts: 389 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I take RAW one daily multivitamin and Minami fish oil supplement in the morning and magnesium at night. I love the way they make me feel! I buy them on Amazon and have it set to auto delivery.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    Most supplements are highly ineffective and outright useless. Which ones are they suggesting?


    My wife has a good amount of supplements (magnesium taurate, potassium, one a day, vitamin d, electrolyte drinks, does IV infusions) but she also has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I take a multivitamin in the am and zinc & magnesium before bed. Before my autoimmune disease was correctly diagnosed, I also took iron & vitamin c three times daily, 1/2 hour before meals and a B complex morning and night. If I am having a bad week, I take the B complex occasionally.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Nope, don't take any. I was taking fish oil for a while but my doctor told me to stop because it can affect cholesterol numbers and mine are optimal now. So nothing for me :)

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Been feeling better and got less sick since I stopped taking vitamins actually...
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I sleep a ton better stopping the multi vitamin I took. I still take a magnesium and calcium (peri meno).. But I too feel better not taking vitamin supplements...
  • kirstenb13
    kirstenb13 Posts: 181 Member
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    I only take prenatals currently because the usefulnes of folic acid is scientifically well established but other vitamins are probably mostly bs.
    This is an article about a study that even found an increased risk of mortality with multivitamin use http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2014/08/21/multivitamin-supplements-increase-mortality-risk/

    I just do my best to get them from food.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    edited May 2016
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    kirstenb13 wrote: »
    I only take prenatals currently because the usefulnes of folic acid is scientifically well established but other vitamins are probably mostly bs.
    This is an article about a study that even found an increased risk of mortality with multivitamin use http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2014/08/21/multivitamin-supplements-increase-mortality-risk/

    I just do my best to get them from food.

    Don't we all have a 100% chance of mortality anyways?
  • Sassie_Lassie
    Sassie_Lassie Posts: 140 Member
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    I do but only because the servings are broken up throughout the day. The main ones I take are:

    Daily multi with niacin
    Vitamin D
    Calcium
    Coq10
    Omega 3
    Endothelial
    Krill
    Macuguard (for the eyes)

    And a bunch of others. I also get my blood tested 2 times a year and adjust as necessary. I personally do no think you can obtain all of the necessary vitamins your body needs through fruits and vegetables.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    I take a multivitamin, super-b, biotin, and melatonin. Have done so for many years. Once when I slacked off for a few months, I noticed limp hair, less energy, etc. - so I don't slack off anymore.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    I take Vitamin D and that has made a quite difference to my life. Now I have added a multivitamin per my endocrinologist, that all. I eat very healthy, so I get most of everything else from what I eat.
  • williammuney
    williammuney Posts: 2,895 Member
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    Look up dr. Bruce Ames on YouTube if you really want to know how vitamins and minerals effect the body
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
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    Just iron occasionally when I know I'm not eating correct foods for me to keep my levels good. Years of dealing with this so I know before the Dr can tell me lol.

    Anything else I do well easily getting enough from foods. Multi vitamins and prenatal all of it makes me ill.
  • stefanwolf
    stefanwolf Posts: 11 Member
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    I take Raw One multi, fish oil, reservatrol, and glucosamine/msm. I also drink Shakeology after long workouts.
    Quality of the vitamin matters! I never take a one a day multi, but a 4 a day serving that a spread throughout the day. Ultimately, if you feel better, then despite the naysayers something good is happening. I do not know if there is a right answer. Someone on this post wrote that they stopped talking fish oil because it would affect their cholesterol, whereas my nutrition class in college it is recommended to take fish oil if you do not eat enough fatty fish because it raises your HDL (which helps lower LDL.) It was also recommended by my Husdands Doc to help his high cholesterol. Two points of science at odds with each other.
    Some people feel sick with vitamins, which could be because they are getting too much of something or because they are buying a low quality vitamin. I do wonder myself sometimes if I am getting too much, but as long as I feel better then that's the important part.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited May 2016
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    stefanwolf wrote: »
    I take Raw One multi, fish oil, reservatrol, and glucosamine/msm. I also drink Shakeology after long workouts.
    Quality of the vitamin matters! I never take a one a day multi, but a 4 a day serving that a spread throughout the day. Ultimately, if you feel better, then despite the naysayers something good is happening. I do not know if there is a right answer. Someone on this post wrote that they stopped talking fish oil because it would affect their cholesterol, whereas my nutrition class in college it is recommended to take fish oil if you do not eat enough fatty fish because it raises your HDL (which helps lower LDL.) It was also recommended by my Husdands Doc to help his high cholesterol. Two points of science at odds with each other.
    Some people feel sick with vitamins, which could be because they are getting too much of something or because they are buying a low quality vitamin. I do wonder myself sometimes if I am getting too much, but as long as I feel better then that's the important part.

    At the time she told me to stop the fish oil (last spring), my total cholesterol was 150/HDL was 58/triglycerides were 49/LDL was 82. There's such a thing as too low of cholesterol causing issues, so she recommended that I quit the fish oil. Fast forward to the fall and new blood work put my total cholesterol at 167/HDL at 69 and LDL at a 97. So while being off the fish oil my HDL actually improved. My total cholesterol went up a bit, which is actually a good thing, and my LDL went up some, but still within the normal range. Both my doctor and I are very happy with where I'm at, and there's no need for me to change anything or add any supplements to my diet.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    Multivitamins, probiotics, and fish oil make feel sick. Plus, multivitamins have so much stuff in them. I know I don't need all of it because I track what nutrients I am getting.

    That being said, I do take a calcium supplement because of the dairy allergy, and it's the only way I get close to my daily recommended amounts.
  • kissa714
    kissa714 Posts: 65 Member
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    I take a multivitamin, a fish oil omega-3 supplement and a B/C/zinc vitamin daily. im thinking about getting an iron supplement as well. I think vitamins are incredibly important, especially if you dont eat a lot of animal products.
  • emjay2345
    emjay2345 Posts: 1 Member
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    Do you mean at one time?
  • stillnot2late
    stillnot2late Posts: 385 Member
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    Yes I take a multi, with extra supplements. Two doctors recommended what to take and I did it. When I tell myself its all hype and I stop, I go right back to my lousy-ness and achy-ness and sleepless-ness - and having no strength to even exercise. So for about 20 years I've done it. Nobody told me that I didnt need to take them, to just get my nutrients from food, because its between my doctors and me. I know that I used some words that are not real, I did it on purpose. I also noticed that several of my friends' docs have been telling them to supplement their meals.