Vitamins make me sick. What am I doing wrong?

bethanyboomstick

It started when I started taking a multivitamin and an iron pill with breakfast. It made me sick, to the point I'd almost throw up, or actually throw up. After a few days (thinking it was a fluke), I realized I was doing something wrong. Research on the net told me I was overdosing on iron. Okie doke. I dropped the iron pill and made sure I ate iron-rich foods. Not a problem.

Then I went on to take the multi with breakfast. Still sick. I tried taking it after breakfast to see if that helped. Nope. Still sick.

I decided to try taking it with lunch, maybe more time would help. It didn't. My multivitamin makes me nauseated to the point I want to throw up.

What's going on and how can I fix it? :ohwell:

lemurcat12

It's not uncommon for a multivitamin to upset your stomach. Eat it with food (as you are), try halving it and taking it in smaller portions twice a day. I think some say the gummi ones are less of a problem.

I had that issue and found halving it helped some, but it was a hassle, so I just decided to work on making sure I got enough nutrients from my food (I was only taking it as insurance anyway).

Too much iron can be bad, so not supplementing iron unless you are tested and have a deficiency seems safer to me anyway.

PikaKnight

It started when I started taking a multivitamin and an iron pill with breakfast. It made me sick, to the point I'd almost throw up, or actually throw up. After a few days (thinking it was a fluke), I realized I was doing something wrong. Research on the net told me I was overdosing on iron. Okie doke. I dropped the iron pill and made sure I ate iron-rich foods. Not a problem.

Then I went on to take the multi with breakfast. Still sick. I tried taking it after breakfast to see if that helped. Nope. Still sick.

I decided to try taking it with lunch, maybe more time would help. It didn't. My multivitamin makes me nauseated to the point I want to throw up.

What's going on and how can I fix it? :ohwell:

What mutlivitamin are you taking?

itsbasschick

some brands of vitamins make me feel queasy - trader joe's multis, for example, but there were others including national brands. i found one that didn't - whole foods' 365 adult multis - and that's what i take now.

most vitamins have really high amounts of some b vitamins - 1600% or more is common. if you have a problem taking ultra high amounts of various b vitamins - and some do - you may have to search high and low to find one that doesn't have this, although if you happen to live by a whole foods, they have one of the few low potency vitamins still made - the 365 brand adult multis. but if you search the net you may find others.

have you tried vitamins with no iron at all? most multis have some - i know because my son throws up when he takes multis with iron. since he eats meat, he doesn't need the extra iron, and has been able to take vitamins since.

gail1961

I was having the same problem. Switched to taking gummie vitamins at night (so I wasn't taking them on an empty stomach). Problem solved.

earlnabby

I have a problem with multivitamins that are in oily capsules. Hard tablet types don't bother me at all.

helpimfalling

I have this problem with mine. I'm apparently sensitive to Niacin. So for me, I take the vitamin with food and a baby aspirin because Niacin can cause flushing and nausea, but usually not in the small doses that are in vitamins and aspirin helps with the flushing/nausea. Probably depends on what type you're taking. I never had this problem with gummi vitamins but I switched to a new one a few months ago.

twinteensmom

I used to run into the exact same thing. In fact, when I asked a pharmacist about it, he told me it was very common.
I take a lot of supplements(doctor approved, like calcium, fish oil and baby aspirin) as well as iron. I discovered on my own that if I separate the calcium from the multi vitamin and take the calcium in the morning and the multi vitamin in the evening after dinner, the vitamin didn't upset my stomach at all.

Maryam2014mfp

Try taking it before bed with a little food or switch brands. I had similar problems with nausea and switching times worked for one, and switching brands worked for another. Take care.

bethanyboomstick

I take Equate (Walmart) - One Daily (Women's Health). I haven't tried gummis or ones with no iron.

Thanks for the help, you guys. This was really bothering me.

PikaKnight

I take Equate (Walmart) - One Daily (Women's Health).

Thanks for the help, you guys. This was really bothering me.

Okay. So this one had iron in it already. I think that because you ended up overdoing it with iron, that the amount in your multi is still aggravating you. The only multi-vitamins I know of that don't have any iron in it are the gummies.

I'd suggest switching to a gummy for a month and just monitoring your iron intake from food. If you find yourself consistently low, then you might need to try re-introducing iron supplements (not a multi w/ iron) slowly..maybe taking one or two a week and finding one that's gentle and doesn't have the max amount.

socalkay

Unless you have a medical condition that would contraindicate it, you could just stop taking supplements and work at eating a diet that satisfies your vitamin and mineral needs. There's long-term research coming out lately that indicates multivitamins are doing little for your overall or long term health. Google for more info.

One exception would be calcium, although some research seems to indicate supplemental calcium isn't well used by the body. And don't forget sunshine for vitamin D.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Take it at the end of the day. I get majorly nauseated if I take them in the morning

jillian_fan2425

Yup, I've heard multis with iron can cause nausea for a lot of people.

I take Vitafusion gummies and adore them. They taste great, so taking my daily vitamin no longer feels like a chore. Also, I should mention that I take mine first thing in the morning after getting out of bed (so before breakfast) and do not feel sick to my stomach.

They make a women's version if you're interested. Just Google it.

cwolfman13

Gummy vitamins solved this problem for me.

mfesloca

I have this problem if I don't eat a big enough breakfast. If you want to take a multi and iron, I'd try a prenatal vitamin. I get one from Rainbow Light that I love. Plus, since pregnant women are prone to being queasy anyway, most are designed to be easy on the stomach.

VeryKatie

Oh... I was going to say take it with food. Did you try taking it with lunch instead of breakfast?

Jelaan

Can only take the gummie ones too, all the regular ones make me nauseous too. Incidentally, I had the same problem with calcium pills, now I take the gummie ones with vit. D with no issues.

jnv7594

I have problems with vitamins, too, but I don't get nausea. For some reason, they make me feel anxious after being on them a couple days. I told my doctor about this, and he said there must be something in them I am sensitivity to (well, duh, lol). I've never figured out what it is. All I know is I have tried to take them several different times in life, and they always have the same effect. After a couple of days on them, I am jumpy and jittery and have to stop taking them. I wish I could find a solution myself.

cjudesaenz

Multivitamins never gave me any trouble until on day it just made me so nauseous... and i used the same brand... but now i use gummies an ill never go back!!!!! lol

earth_echo

This is very common, unfortunately. Try different brands. Some of the fillers and/or binders can be bothersome. I'm not surprised so many recommend the gummy type of vitamins. Those types don't require binders. Unfortunately, gummies are often quite weak. Freeda vitamins are good. They've never made me sick. I really love their Freedavite mulit vitamin and mineral. They've never made me sick and they're TINY (8 mm to be exact). Huge pills suck.... Anyway, shop around. Go for the most "free" and/or natural/binder free kind you can find.

harpere87

I can't wake Women's One-A-Day. I switched to Meijer store brand adult gummy vitamins. For awhile I thought I was pregnant because I kept throwing up (seemingly) randomly. However, I kept a log of everything I consumed and I only puked when I had the WOmen's One-A-Day.
Sometimes its something like too much iron, sometimes its something that is used to hold the pill together that can upset someone's stomach. Who knows.
It's also possible that if you are eating a well balanced diet with lots of nutrients you're already getting the vitamins you need and may still be overdosing on some of the vitamins and that is making you sick. I did a lot of research when mine made me sick.

Sorry if this repeats what others said, I didn't read all the comments.

JoRocka

Take it at the end of the day. I get majorly nauseated if I take them in the morning

this- I forget to take them at night- so I was taking them in the AM- even if I ate- and popped one 5 minutes later- it wasn't enough- I had to eat wait- then take the pills... now I just don't take them but if I did- it would be gummy ones.

DjinnMarie

Flinstone vitamins ftw! Easier to digest.

Take it at the end of the day. I get majorly nauseated if I take them in the morning

this- I forget to take them at night- so I was taking them in the AM- even if I ate- and popped one 5 minutes later- it wasn't enough- I had to eat wait- then take the pills... now I just don't take them but if I did- it would be gummy ones.

suremeansyes

Multis make me barf. I switched to gummies, but now I don't even take them at all. If I am feeling particularly "deficient" I drink an emergenc.

MissHolidayGolightly

I call it the vita-voms. I get sick when I take my multi too early in the morning (stomach is finnicky) or without eating enough first. Try taking later in the day after eating. Set an alarm if you have trouble remembering.

shireeniebeanie

Same here--the cheap vitamins I could get from work upset my stomach.
I thought gummies were the answer, but they're lacking a lot of the minerals you find in regular multivitamins.

I read the labels and noticed that children's chewables at Costco are exactly the same as the adult chewables, but cheaper. Problem solved!

bugaboo_sue

My guess is that your vitamin has a lot of fillers that are making you sick. I used to take the Women's One-a-Day and it didn't matter if I had a full stomach I felt like I was going to vomit after I took it. After switching to a more expensive vitamin with zero fillers I have no issues taking them regardless if I have eaten or not.

castlerobber

Prenatal vitamins did that to me. Full stomach, empty stomach, time of day didn't matter. When I told the OB/GYN about it, he prescribed a chewable multi-vitamin, which worked great.

+1 to Flintstones!

jbee27

My guess is that your vitamin has a lot of fillers that are making you sick. I used to take the Women's One-a-Day and it didn't matter if I had a full stomach I felt like I was going to vomit after I took it. After switching to a more expensive vitamin with zero fillers I have no issues taking them regardless if I have eaten or not.

What brand do you use now?

mike_ny

Not all multi-vitamins are the same. Stick with a better brand since there's really not much if any control on what goes into the lower grade ones. Who knows what's in them as fillers besides the listed ingredients? There are several ways to formulate a vitamin or mineral to make it stable to include in a pill. Some formulations are cheaper and others may cost a bit more but get better absorbed.

That said, take them before bed and not in the morning. Between an empty stomach, increased stomach acid, coffee, and whatever, taking them in the morning often causes aftertastes and nausea for a lot of people.

And, it should be obvious, but getting your vitamins and minerals from food is preferred and better absorbed and you don't run the risk of taking too much of the fat soluble ones, like you can with supplements. Supplementing a bad diet with vitamins is still a bad diet if it's lacking in protein, essential fats, fiber, etc... Supplements are good insurance to get all of your micronutrients, but if you have a decent diet, then you don't need 100% of everything in your multi-vitamin. The ones I take are two pills per serving, so I only take one since that gives me enough of everything, but not too much.