We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Question for those of you familiar with Flintstones chewables?

BlondeBeauty5
BlondeBeauty5 Posts: 334 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm not sure where my old thread went. I'm trying to eat half a Flintstones vitamin with iron (I have an iron deficiency and 2 different doctors have recommended it) but I have really bad anxiety and a fear of throwing up. I'm very sensitive to smells/tastes. I tried the orange flavor a while ago and couldn't handle it. It tasted really bad and I thought I was gonna be sick. Today I tried the grape flavor. It tasted much better than the orange but still not that great. I moved it around in my mouth until I eventually spit it out. It took what seemed like 30 minutes for me to get the taste out of my mouth. I had to drink some water, eat a couple spoonfuls of chocolate ice cream, and brush my teeth/tongue. And even then I still felt like I could taste it and felt nauseous the rest of the evening (not sure if that was related or not since I didn't actually eat the vitamin). I feel ridiculous cause little kids eat these every day! For those of you who give them to your kids, are there any tips you can give me? What flavors do they prefer? Do they eat them willingly or do you have to hide it in food? What do you give them afterwards to get rid of the taste? Do they ever feel sick from it or get any side effects?

Thanks in advance!
«1

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    The whole point of Flinstones vitamins is they taste good to kids. I had one a day my whole childhood until I was old enough to swallow an adult vitamin. I would have to assume this is a psychological issue, which I am surely not qualified to comment on. Perhaps you should go back to your doctor and ask for recommendations on a non-chewable iron pill or a referral to a nutritionist?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited February 2015
    kimny72 wrote: »
    The whole point of Flinstones vitamins is they taste good to kids. I had one a day my whole childhood until I was old enough to swallow an adult vitamin. I would have to assume this is a psychological issue, which I am surely not qualified to comment on. Perhaps you should go back to your doctor and ask for recommendations on a non-chewable iron pill or a referral to a nutritionist?

    I agree with this poster.

    Saying that, I have no issues with food, and even I find the flavouring in most chewable vitamins a bit much. I believe Floradix makes some iron chewables. Haven't tried them, but they may be less acidic/sweet than the Flintstones vitamins.

    sorry not sure if that link was right. Floradix also makes a liquid, but not sure how it tastes. (do not work for Floradix)

    ok just checked, not sure they do the chewables :/ but maybe try a few other brands
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Try a non chewable iron supplement
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, if you can't swallow pills, you can't get over the taste of half a children's vitamin, and you won't take a supplement from a company that hasn't specifically been recommended to you by a doctor, you need to go back to your doctor and explain all this to them so they can recommend another supplement and refer you to a therapist who can help you with your anxiety. Good luck
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
    There are gummy vitamins with iron -- might want to check those out. Also, if you like oranges or other vitamin c rich food, take that with your iron -- it will absorb better & you will get more effect from it. DO NOT take your iron with calcium rich foods -- will block absorption.
    Can't speak to the psychological issue of it, as luckily, I've never had that problem.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
    try total cereal.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Floradix is very well known. It's been recommended to me by nurses often over the years at blood donor clinics. It's got a strong, fruity flavor....rather like plums but not quite. It works really well.

    Also, fortified cereals. A bowl of Shreddies has 50% of your daily iron needs, for example.

    You do seem to have some serious anxieties. I agree with the above poster that you need to discuss the iron issue with your doctor again and tell him all these things.

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I give my kid gummy vitamins. They make ones with iron.

    Don't fear brands you haven't heard of. They're FDA regulated and must contain what they say they do and be safe.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    Always preferred the bugs bunnies to the flinstones when I used them. Not sure if they even still make them, it's been a while. They're basically the same thing, just the flavors are a little different.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    I don't know if it's accessible to you, but you can liquid iron supplements called Spartone; one kind you mix with juice, the other you can slurp right out of the sachet. Not sure if that would be better for you, but may be worth a try. My GP prescribed it for me as iron pills make me both physically sick and really constipated (fun combo) so perhaps yours can do the same.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited February 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    If you cut up the chewy pill really, really tiny, like as small as is humanly possible, do you think you could get it down that way? Surely any you can manage is better than nothing.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    edited February 2015
    Flintstones chewable morphine?



    I used to smush my kid's vitamin tablets into powder and remove the teeny balls from the capsules he took and put them on spoons of whipped cream, ice cream or nutella. I know you've tried something similar and he used to gag too. It became easier for him eventually to just swallow them. Is there anything you can take as a syrup?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    I don't take Flintstones because they contain gelatin, but I do take a chewable children's vitamin from Earth Fare. They're called Bengal Bites, and they are way less tart than the Flintstones,IIRC. I take them primarily to up my iron.

    Taking it with food should help as well.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,033 Member
    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    I'm thinking maybe I should buy some sweet tarts since those are kinda similar and practice with those and then after that I think I'm gonna just have to chew it really quick and then eat something and go brush. The taste I experienced from just kinda sucking on it and moving it around in my mouth would probably be the same as if I actually swallowed it I would think. I assume it wouldn't be any worse.

    It says to take with a meal but when I feel nauseous and am very nervous, I like to have very little food on my stomach. Like 2 pieces of buttered toast and an apple. But Idk if that would be enough to prevent nausea from the vitamin since it does say take with a meal.

    I think you could consider that a meal or even a cracker at first if that's all you can manage to start out. How about if you crush the pill and put it in spaghetti sauce or something you're making as part of a meal. That would help in not tasting it?

    I used to have a difficult time swallowing pills as well, I would sorta gag and they felt like they stuck and wouldn't go down and I could still taste them. :# Made me feel sick to have that taste and smell (not nauseous but it was nasty). Some pills are coated with some nasty smelling/tasting 'stuff' (no clue what it is)..the Prenatal or One A Day (I took an off brand) seemed to have that smell and the pills seemed so big. Vitamin D and Calcium have that same issue and are big to swallow.

    I now take pain pills and in order to diminish my pain I take them.. but I take all my pills at once now. I drink some water then quickly and I do mean quickly toss the pills back. So the pills are not far behind the water. Seems to be the only way I can take them all at once.

    We all handle things differently...you're not the only one so no worries. :)

    Stick with the therapist and see if you can work through some of the anxiety..she may or may not focus on the pill taking but working in other areas that cause the anxiety will likely help with that as time goes on.

    The idea of practicing with sweet tarts is actually not a bad idea at all! ;)

    Best of Luck!
    Hearts <3
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    BlondeBeauty5 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    OP, if you can't swallow pills, you can't get over the taste of half a children's vitamin, and you won't take a supplement from a company that hasn't specifically been recommended to you by a doctor, you need to go back to your doctor and explain all this to them so they can recommend another supplement and refer you to a therapist who can help you with your anxiety. Good luck

    My doctor already referred me to a therapist for my anxiety. I've seen them a couple times and they've given me some tips like deep breathing and recommended a book for me. I haven't noticed a significant improvement. But it has only been a couple sessions.

    She hasn't recommended another supplement. She is strongly suggesting I take the Flintstones.
    Maybe ask her to clarify if there's something unique about Flintstones or if she's just strongly suggesting you take any flavored children's chewable.

    Have you tried hiding iron rich foods (or a Flintstone) in a smoothie? I personally would aim for the foods themselves. The vitamins always taste like vitamins to me.
  • goddessofawesome
    goddessofawesome Posts: 563 Member
    WalkingAlong wrote: »
    I give my kid gummy vitamins. They make ones with iron.

    Don't fear brands you haven't heard of. They're FDA regulated and must contain what they say they do and be safe.

    Um, no. The FDA doesn't regulate vitamins which is why they have their reports on how "dangerous" they are. They don't have any stake in the vitamin market and are trying hard to get in by regulating things like fish oil because you could "over dose" on it. If they did have their hand in the vitamin industry every single one that's out there -- including the flintstone vitamins -- would only be available through a doctors prescription.
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    Your therapy needs to be a bit more intensive, and not dealing solely with the anxiety. I would ask your doctor for a referal to an occupational therapist to help you learn to eat. They will help you become more comfortable with foods/textures/tastes. This is actually something that my kids deal with, certain food textures and tastes they just cant handle, and they have a very limited diet. Food therapy is becoming more common
  • MamaRiss
    MamaRiss Posts: 481 Member
    just for your info http://treatingeatingdisorders.com/obscureeatingdisorders3.aspx
This discussion has been closed.

Categories