Does my list of vitamins etc sound ok?
victoriavoodoo
Posts: 343 Member
I'm trying to do my own research and not fall into the traps of A. believing pseudoscience nonsense that "everyone knows" and B. whining for strangers on the internet to do my work for me. That being said, I've made a list of changes I want to make and if anyone else has already implemented some of them and can tell me how it turned out I'd be very grateful.
my problems: acne, i take forever to heal anything(acne/scratches/literally my body doesn't heal), thin hair, no energy. so many bruises. My legs freak people out.
What I've come up with:
1. a multivitamin. not sure which yet. probably a basic one that doesn't have the other stuff on the list so I can keep track of percentages.
2. folic acid
3. fish oil
4. zinc
5. vitamin a
6. some kind of electrolyte supplement regularly.
7. a serving of whey protein every morning with water. I don't do breakfast or work out but I also eat meat like once a week if that so it couldn't hurt to get some protein every day right?
8. eggs. thinking of boiling a dozen every sunday and eating them when I want them throughout the week.
9. way more water. not really questioning this one but it is a change I plan on making that should work with all the other stuff I think.
Thoughts on that/more suggestions? More info on me below if that's helpful.
I am 24, 5'3'' and about 130 right now. I'm a pescetarian who doesn't eat well;I know ideally these things happen on their own with a well balanced diet but I'm realistic about what I'm willing to change right now.
This is NOT geared towards losing weight. My issue is in the 160-175 range my skin and hair are lovely but below 140 I get oily/acne and my hair thins.
The best advice would be eat better. So I guess I'm looking for the second best advice. If any of these supplements are effective/how to make them more effective/ other ones I haven't thought of.
Also I am prescribed adderall 20mg a day. Took it for most of grade school then stopped when I moved out of my moms house a few years ago but it helps so back on it. When I'm off it I do poorly at my jobs/school and for some reason I can't stop getting speeding tickets/moving violations. But it also makes me feel kind of worn down and I think it makes my skin worse so I thought it worth mentioning. Or makes me not drink enough etc which then makes my skin worse.
my problems: acne, i take forever to heal anything(acne/scratches/literally my body doesn't heal), thin hair, no energy. so many bruises. My legs freak people out.
What I've come up with:
1. a multivitamin. not sure which yet. probably a basic one that doesn't have the other stuff on the list so I can keep track of percentages.
2. folic acid
3. fish oil
4. zinc
5. vitamin a
6. some kind of electrolyte supplement regularly.
7. a serving of whey protein every morning with water. I don't do breakfast or work out but I also eat meat like once a week if that so it couldn't hurt to get some protein every day right?
8. eggs. thinking of boiling a dozen every sunday and eating them when I want them throughout the week.
9. way more water. not really questioning this one but it is a change I plan on making that should work with all the other stuff I think.
Thoughts on that/more suggestions? More info on me below if that's helpful.
I am 24, 5'3'' and about 130 right now. I'm a pescetarian who doesn't eat well;I know ideally these things happen on their own with a well balanced diet but I'm realistic about what I'm willing to change right now.
This is NOT geared towards losing weight. My issue is in the 160-175 range my skin and hair are lovely but below 140 I get oily/acne and my hair thins.
The best advice would be eat better. So I guess I'm looking for the second best advice. If any of these supplements are effective/how to make them more effective/ other ones I haven't thought of.
Also I am prescribed adderall 20mg a day. Took it for most of grade school then stopped when I moved out of my moms house a few years ago but it helps so back on it. When I'm off it I do poorly at my jobs/school and for some reason I can't stop getting speeding tickets/moving violations. But it also makes me feel kind of worn down and I think it makes my skin worse so I thought it worth mentioning. Or makes me not drink enough etc which then makes my skin worse.
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Replies
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My advice is to visit your doctor.0
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See your doctor. Don't take supplements that you don't need.0
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My doctor wants me to take prenatal vitamins and eat better. I'm not pregnant.My advice is to visit your doctor.
Edit also birth control. She wants me back on the pill bc it basically eradicated my acne for all of high school but I'm convinced the reason it sucks since I quit the pill is because my hormones are messed up from taking the pill for so long.0 -
victoriavoodoo wrote: »
Then take prenatal vitamins and eat better. Skip all that other stuff.0 -
all that other stuff is basically what is in the prenatal vitamins. and protein. is there something unhealthy in my list?0
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In what, if anything, are you actually deficient?0
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victoriavoodoo wrote: »
Then take prenatal vitamins and eat better. Skip all that other stuff.
I did my homework. Prenatal vitamins have levels of folic acid that are harmful if a fetus isn't using some of it. Side effects include rapid heart rate and easy bruising. I already have these things. Folic acid is on my list but in the proper amounts for a non pregnant person.
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victoriavoodoo wrote: »
My doctor wants me to take prenatal vitamins and eat better. I'm not pregnant.My advice is to visit your doctor.
Edit also birth control. She wants me back on the pill bc it basically eradicated my acne for all of high school but I'm convinced the reason it sucks since I quit the pill is because my hormones are messed up from taking the pill for so long.
Prenatal vitamins are just vitamins with specific doses aimed at pregnant women. Taking them won't make you pregnant or have any strange effect, although you possibly want to warn any sexual partner who might happen to see them lying around. I suspect your Doc probably told you to take them because he/she knows they have the right doses of the vitamins that you need.
On the birth control issue. Do what you feel is right for your body. I hate being on hormonal birth control because I felt like it put my hormones out of whack but yes my skin was better and it helped with my low iron. You just have to decide what's more important to you. There's always non-hormonal birth control but it might not have the same affect on skin etc.0 -
Is there a way to find out definitively?brianpperkins wrote: »In what, if anything, are you actually deficient?
The only one I know for sure is chronically anemic but I'm already prescribed iron for that.
What sort of test would let me find out?
My dr and I agree that I need vitamins I just don't want to take prenatal vitamins based on what I've read and because its weird.0 -
My advice is to follow your doctor's instructions.victoriavoodoo wrote: »victoriavoodoo wrote: »
Then take prenatal vitamins and eat better. Skip all that other stuff.
I did my homework. Prenatal vitamins have levels of folic acid that are harmful if a fetus isn't using some of it. Side effects include rapid heart rate and easy bruising. I already have these things. Folic acid is on my list but in the proper amounts for a non pregnant person.
What you actually want or choose to do is, of course, up to you. If you would rather treat yourself that allow a doctor to treat you, I support your choice. It just isn't what I'd advise.
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Do you eat enough fat? Fat is good for your hormone balance. The guideline is .35-.4g/lb of body weight. It might help? Or it might not be your problem. When I started eating enough fats my skin cleared up and my hair is much shinier (and I shed less).0
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Also, I met a lady while travelling who used to grow her hair long and every 6 months or so cut it off and donate it to make wigs for kids with cancer. She swore that prenatal vitamins made her hair grow like crazy. Kinda makes sense when you think about it. Pregnancy is growing a baby, so generating new cells. So is healing and growing hair0
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I picked up a teen multivitamin once because I'm on extra Folic Acid for life. Like this one. You can get all the vitamins you need from a multivitamin, as these things are regulated for RDA.
https://sites.google.com/site/bestfoodsforacne/
After a dreadful bout of Montezuma's revenge on the road, I carry Gastrolyte with me on trips. It's a powder so it lasts a long time, and it has a good blend of electrolytes. It tastes like soapy, salty lemons.
Since you've already checked in with your doctor I'll skip that part and suggest the easy bruising could possibly be from low iron/vitamin B's/protein. I see you have a plan for that.
In order of priority to feel better, eat your macros, your fruits and veggies, water, then worry about vitamins, and lastly, electrolytes.0 -
Waste of $$$$. Eat healthy and those are all the vitamins you will need. Per my MD.0
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Prenatal vitamins are just vitamins with specific doses aimed at pregnant women. Taking them won't make you pregnant or have any strange effect, although you possibly want to warn any sexual partner who might happen to see them lying around. I suspect your Doc probably told you to take them because he/she knows they have the right doses of the vitamins that you need.
On the birth control issue. Do what you feel is right for your body. I hate being on hormonal birth control because I felt like it put my hormones out of whack but yes my skin was better and it helped with my low iron. You just have to decide what's more important to you. There's always non-hormonal birth control but it might not have the same affect on skin etc.
I am aware they won't make me pregnant; and also that I am a hypochondriac but when you look it up the general consensus is to not use them for off-label purposes because they contain things that are harmful if you get too much of them. I have a non-hormonal iud and with the exception of the acne I'm completely satisfied with this decision.
When I was heavier the acne didn't even matter much because it healed. It went away. I have scabs from weeks ago right now that aren't active infections but don't clear up in a week like they used to which has led me to the conclusion that there is some sort of nutritional deficit.Do you eat enough fat? Fat is good for your hormone balance. The guideline is .35-.4g/lb of body weight. It might help? Or it might not be your problem. When I started eating enough fats my skin cleared up and my hair is much shinier (and I shed less).
This is helpful; I'll look into this further. Thank you.
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I picked up a teen multivitamin once because I'm on extra Folic Acid for life. Like this one. You can get all the vitamins you need from a multivitamin, as these things are regulated for RDA.
https://sites.google.com/site/bestfoodsforacne/
After a dreadful bout of Montezuma's revenge on the road, I carry Gastrolyte with me on trips. It's a powder so it lasts a long time, and it has a good blend of electrolytes. It tastes like soapy, salty lemons.
Since you've already checked in with your doctor I'll skip that part and suggest the easy bruising could possibly be from low iron/vitamin B's/protein. I see you have a plan for that.
In order of priority to feel better, eat your macros, your fruits and veggies, water, then worry about vitamins, and lastly, electrolytes.
Thank you, I'll look into gastrolyte. =]0 -
The best advice is to eat healthy and hydrate yourself properly. I only take omega3 and magnesium because they seem a bit harder to obtain from food, unless you eat oily fish 3 times per week etc. Drink pure coconut water for electrolytes but only after a workout because you will lose it due to sweating, iodised salt in your diet also helps.0
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victoriavoodoo wrote: »
My doctor wants me to take prenatal vitamins and eat better. I'm not pregnant.My advice is to visit your doctor.
Edit also birth control. She wants me back on the pill bc it basically eradicated my acne for all of high school but I'm convinced the reason it sucks since I quit the pill is because my hormones are messed up from taking the pill for so long.
Prenatals are great for skin and hair, as is a diet rich in a variety of foods. I'd stick to your doctors advice.0 -
victoriavoodoo wrote: »
Is there a way to find out definitively?brianpperkins wrote: »In what, if anything, are you actually deficient?
Your doctor can order blood tests that will tell him/her what you are deficient in. In the meantime, I'd do what the doctor said to do.
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Keep doing as you are doing and nothing will change....taking a few vitamin pills also won't help you!! You are prepared to spend the money on 'a quick fix' rather than spending the money on wholesome foods that will fix your issues.......doesn't make sense to me!0
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I was taking all kinds of supplements like you were along with drinking a vitamin water everyday. It made me super sick.0
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supplementing with daily vitamins is what my doctor recommended and is long term hardly a quick fix; the part we disagree on is she wants me on prenatals and i want to control the amounts of the vitamins more than when they're all in one.summerkissed wrote: »Keep doing as you are doing and nothing will change....taking a few vitamin pills also won't help you!! You are prepared to spend the money on 'a quick fix' rather than spending the money on wholesome foods that will fix your issues.......doesn't make sense to me!
It's not like I'm looking at diet pills these are vitamins most of which my dr wants me taking
If you want to be helpful feel free to recommend foods that will give me folic acid, zinc, vitamin A and the electrolytes(sodium potassium calcium magnesium etc) naturally and I'd be down to add some into my diet if they fit my pescetarian no dairy lifestyle but I think the reason my doc is about the vitamins is because I'm a pescetarian who avoids most dairy.
I also don't think supplementing protein with whey shakes and eggs is a quick fix or drinking more water for that matter like did you read my post at all?
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Thanks, I'll look into the vitamin c and v8! I used to have some fizzy vitamin c things that were kind of funcatscats222 wrote: »multi-vitamin will contain all the folic acid, zinc, and vitamin a that you need
keep in mind that taking too much can be extremely dangerous (good example is vit A)
and i would not dare take zinc without the right amount of copper (a multi takes care of it)
forget about the electrolyte
foods high in fiber and protein will give you what you want.
i drink a low sodium v-8 from time to time (high in potassium and magnesium).
if you want to add anything to the multi:
add vit c (at a different time of day) and that fish oil you are taking. that's it.
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Lvictoriavoodoo wrote: »
supplementing with daily vitamins is what my doctor recommended and is long term hardly a quick fix; the part we disagree on is she wants me on prenatals and i want to control the amounts of the vitamins more than when they're all in one.summerkissed wrote: »Keep doing as you are doing and nothing will change....taking a few vitamin pills also won't help you!! You are prepared to spend the money on 'a quick fix' rather than spending the money on wholesome foods that will fix your issues.......doesn't make sense to me!
It's not like I'm looking at diet pills these are vitamins most of which my dr wants me taking
If you want to be helpful feel free to recommend foods that will give me folic acid, zinc, vitamin A and the electrolytes(sodium potassium calcium magnesium etc) naturally and I'd be down to add some into my diet if they fit my pescetarian no dairy lifestyle but I think the reason my doc is about the vitamins is because I'm a pescetarian who avoids most dairy.
I also don't think supplementing protein with whey shakes and eggs is a quick fix or drinking more water for that matter like did you read my post at all?
ok for starters that's what doctors will prescribe they don't know anything about nutrition!! Hence why they would put you on BC to stop acne!! (I have a lump in the nerves on my foot very painful I went to doc he prescribed pain killers and an epilepsy drug to help it, I thought no hang on so I went to a podiatrist and had a foam insert made up to take the pressure off till I get my operation.....get my point? The doctor said drugs the podiatrist is s specialist with feet!)
You have dietary deficiencies you need to see a reputable dietitian
1-drink minimum of 2lts water
2-eat lots of leafy greens with every meal (Folate and folic acid derive their names from the Latin word folium, which means "leaf". Folates occur naturally in many foods and, among plants, are especially plentiful in dark green leafy vegetables)
3-eat a variety of colored veg at every meal (do you have a rainbow on your plate?)
4-fish (oily fish like salmon) and chicken for protein (I rarely drink protein I don't like it! I get it from my food)
5-Almond milk or similar substitute (great for calcium) I don't drink milk!!
6-nuts and seeds (roasted sunflower seeds on a salad are so yummy) full of omega fats!!
7- my secret weapon......apple cider vinegar! A couple of teaspoons daily in water helps to flush toxins from the body!
You also may have some food intolerances that may need to addressed which can also cause acne! I had one and when I cut it from my diet I got rid of my acne!!!! Which also won't be helped by vitamins or the BC pill.
These forums you can't read emotion...I was in no way having a go at you but you need to change things in your diet to get what you need from good wholesome foods! I only use apple cider vinegar on a regular basis I do take a B vitamin once a month maybe at 'that time of month' if I feel run down and I take vitamin D during winter as I live in a cold climate and am unable to get it naturally from the sun in winter!
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Taking a multi and supplementing Vitamin A is probably too much. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and remains in the body longer than water soluble vitamins like C. It can be toxic at high levels. Please be careful!0
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Either you trust your dr, or you don't. If you do not, get a second opinion or change drs. Seeking validation from strangers that a random list of vitamins and supplements will help you deal with symptoms, instead of what the dr recommended, it makes no sense.
I also have a very hard time understanding why, if you know that your diet is not helping, you are willing to put all this effort and money into taking several supplements, but are not willing to fix the real problem and find a long term solution.0 -
I would listen to your doctor who can run blood tests to see if you are actually deficient in something. If you are looking for an alternative maybe more natural approach; maybe take your blood tests to a nutritionist and see if they can make some recommendations for your diet. Doctors dont get a lot of nutritional training in med school. I would be concerned with your fat soluble vitamins as they store up and if taken in abudant amounts (either from food or supplements) it can make you sick. water soluble vitamins arent as dangerous as the unusable nutrients are expelled in your urine.
Supplements are "drugs". You can get sick if you are taking the wrong ones. My boss' liver started to shut down because he was being super healthy and loaded up on vitamins he didnt need.0 -
victoriavoodoo wrote: »victoriavoodoo wrote: »
Then take prenatal vitamins and eat better. Skip all that other stuff.
I did my homework. Prenatal vitamins have levels of folic acid that are harmful if a fetus isn't using some of it. Side effects include rapid heart rate and easy bruising. I already have these things. Folic acid is on my list but in the proper amounts for a non pregnant person.
That's not accurate at all. Some doctors will even say taking a prenatal when you're of the age to get pregnant is healthy, it's no different than the folic acid supplement you'd probably take-I take 400IU daily.0
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