Vitamins make my stomach hurt, give me headaches, alternativ

jesihovey
jesihovey Posts: 46 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
Hi there,
I really need to start getting better nutrition for several reasons besides the obvious. My fiance and I hope to start a family within a year or two of the wedding and I want my body to be as clean and welcoming as possible, and I also want to make my hair and nails grow longer/stronger/faster for the wedding and I've heard folic acid is great for that. So the other day I bought a prenatal vitamin to begin taking them. However, they made me really sick to my stomach and gave me a headache and put me in a fog all day. I took it at night before bed and right after dinner. This isn't an isolated incident either; I tried taking a woman's multivitamin a year or so ago and it made me sick in the same way for a week before I forgot to take it one day and felt 100% again. As soon as I started taking it again, the symptoms started up again. As a child my mom would give us zinc tablets during cold and flu season and I would regularly throw them up until we figured out they were the cause of my problems.

I'm desperate here. I absolutely need calcium supplements at the very least as I am lactose intolerant and cannot drink milk or eat a lot of cheese or yogurt to get my calcium in. If it comes down to it I can try to just take a calcium one, but I really could use the support in all other areas as well.

Could I try a child's multivitamin or would it not do much for me as an adult? Any other ideas for me to get my nutrition balanced out? I have tried taking them in the morning and at night, on a full or empty stomach, with and without a big glass of water...I don't know what to do!

Replies

  • jesihovey
    jesihovey Posts: 46 Member
    Bump...
  • barenda_101
    barenda_101 Posts: 18
    Hi there,

    Since you're sensitive to taking vitamins in pill form, it would be a good idea to try and get the majority of them from the food you eat. If you have a lot of fruits, veggies, and lean meat in your regular eating schedule you shouldn't have to worry about supplementing it so much. As for the calcium, have you tried almond milk or soy milk? Flavored almond milk is pretty delicious and is usually supplemented with calcium. The other important part of the calcium equation is vitamin D - without it your body has issues absorbing dietary calcium. Your body actually makes this in the coolest way - certain types of skin cells use sun light to make it for you! If you're in a profession where you're in the sun regularly (20 minutes of continuous direct contact a day) then you don't need to worry about supplementing vitamin D. If you're like the rest of us and tied to being inside of a building, make sure that what you buy also has vitamin D added to it.

    Really not sure how sound the science is behind the folic acid - hair growing connection, but here are some good dietary sources of it: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/5-foods-rich-with-folic-acid.html
  • lovelyl0ve
    lovelyl0ve Posts: 25 Member
    I have a friend who gets sick from prenatal vitamins because of the iron, and multivitamins also include iron. It might be zinc in your case, or iron as well, as it commonly causes nausea. You might be better off taking specific vitamins, like calcium and other ones you think you are deficient in. You can add them one at a time and see how your body reacts, and that way you can find ones that don't make you sick.

    Also, always take them with food, that helps. And a lower dosage (such as from a childs vitamin) might be good, it might not make you so sick. Good luck!
  • lovelyl0ve
    lovelyl0ve Posts: 25 Member
    Oh, and by the way, prental vitamins aren't what make your hair and nails grow, it's the hormones from pregnancy, thats a common misconception. :P
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,345 Member
    I react to vitamins the same way. I grew up taking them but had the same reaction in late college. It was unpleasant enough that I really didn't want to experiment to find out which was causing the problem. I just tell my doctors about the reaction. I typically eat healthy foods but like you would like to take some supplements once in a while. I even had a reaction to airborne. I am ok with emergenC though. I have had 2 healthy kids.
  • jesihovey
    jesihovey Posts: 46 Member
    Ah thank you for clearing some of that up for me :) I know most of it should come from my food, but as a broke college student, healthy foods can be difficult to come by sometimes. I try to get all I can in, but at the end of the day I'm still short most of the time. And I do use soy/almond milk in my cereal and whatnot, but I cannot stand drinking it. I don't know what it is, but I seem to have a better time with cheese (but the calories are much higher there, of course). I will definitely try going one-by-one and seeing what happens. Thank you :)
  • 21karensmith
    21karensmith Posts: 50 Member
    Vitamins make me sick too, but bc I have gastritis....when prego I took flinstones per my doc. You can try that :D Good luck!
  • barenda_101
    barenda_101 Posts: 18
    Ah thank you for clearing some of that up for me :) I know most of it should come from my food, but as a broke college student, healthy foods can be difficult to come by sometimes. I try to get all I can in, but at the end of the day I'm still short most of the time. And I do use soy/almond milk in my cereal and whatnot, but I cannot stand drinking it. I don't know what it is, but I seem to have a better time with cheese (but the calories are much higher there, of course). I will definitely try going one-by-one and seeing what happens. Thank you :)

    Broke grad student here too. Frozen veggies are a great cheap way to incorporate them into a budget diet - they maintain all of their nutrition and you don't need to worry about them going bad either. Frozen veggies can also work as ingredients for making stir-fry and other cheap tastey dishes. Salads for lunch and such are surprisingly affordable if you make them yourself (for me, a weeks worth of salad blend is about $5) and are an easy to way boost veggie intake while keeping calories low.
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    I took 2 children's vitamins and a vitamin C every day I was preg with my first. Text book pregnancy and a 9#1oz baby later... :)

    For folic acid, eat a grapefruit. It's the unspoken sure fruit. Or avocados, which are also high in folic acid.

    For calcium, drink almond milk. 8oz has 45% calcium compared to regular milk which has 30%.

    ETA: I craved grapefruit with my last child and ate one every day for the last 2 months. I also skipped even children's vitamins because my stomach was so sensitive through that pregnancy. She is also the picture of health :)
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    I am sensitive to vitamins as well. It's the iron supplemet in my case. A great gentle vitamin that doesn't have iron is oneaday vitacraves gummies. I took took the one with immune system support. It was great. No nausea or constipation.

    My sister recently turned me on to a good one that also has iron. It is called Alive! Women's Energy Multivitamin. I've found it to be very gentle on the system as well. I don't know what they do differently for their iron, but it does not hurt my stomach or back me up.

    Those are the two I've found that my system can tolerate.
  • rockchalkgrove
    rockchalkgrove Posts: 44 Member
    Multi-Vitamins and fish oil are very important. I used to get sick when I took vitamins, but I ALWAYS eat right before I take them. This will help. But if you are not taking supplements, I hope you are getting your nutrients in fresh fruits and veggies and lean proteins.
  • tiedye
    tiedye Posts: 331 Member
    I take them with food and several cups of water, and always right before bed (don't know if that's good but it helps me avoid the nausea I have with vitamins)

    I take B-complex, a multi for women, and the trader joe's greens supplement if that makes a difference.
  • KLWELL400
    KLWELL400 Posts: 22
    I use the Emergen-c as well, it is quickly absorbed and makes you feel better quickly. I live in southern Arizona and with the heat we have in the summer the emergen-c will replace vital minerals and vitamins fast. I use it in the winter as well and have not had a major cold or flu since starting it. Good luck on finding what works for you.
    Here is a thought, did you know that Boost and Slimfast offer the exact same vitamins and proteins as the other? When I had my back surgery they told me to drink Boost several times a day for the protein and vitamins, my husband compared the two and found that slimfast had the exact same ingredients in it but offered more to drink for less. I drank the slimfast everyday twice a day and healed faster than my orthopedic surgeon has ever seen anyone come back.
    Happy New Year
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Dairy is not the only good source of calcium. You can get calcium-fortified orange juice to help you reach your calcium goal. Some other good sources of calcium are:

    sardines
    tofu
    canned salmon with bone
    calcium-fortified cereals (eat with soy, almond, or rice milk)
    turnip greens
    kale

    You can also buy chocolate chewable vitamin supplements that might be easier for you to handle. They're very good, although you'll want to read the label to make sure you can handle them with your lactose intolerance.
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    I take Flintstones vitamins! They're the only ones that don't make me sick. Make sure you take your vitamins directly after a meal, and a filling one at that. :flowerforyou:
  • MelissaMcGinn
    MelissaMcGinn Posts: 13
    I take my multi-vitamins before bed. If I take them in the morning, I better have something in my stomach. I found that Trader Joes has a good multi-vitamin without iron. I saw the post about the grapefruit and avacado, good idea!
  • Najay
    Najay Posts: 273 Member
    I noticed that when I take my vitamins before I eat I get sick. But after I eat a well- balanced meal and take them I am ok. The more food on our stomach the better.
  • BJBLAINE
    BJBLAINE Posts: 5 Member
    Although food is the best source of vitamins, it is difficult to get to the amount you need on a daily basis.

    I have attended two sessions this year given by nutritionists. Both suggested natural vitamins - such as the one's sold at Whole Foods Grocery or Nature's Sunshine website. I am sure there are other natural vitamins, but these are the ones that I personally aware of.

    Vitamins upset my stomach as well - since I changed to natural 2 months ago - I feel no unrest.
  • alainagrisham
    alainagrisham Posts: 5
    I am the same way! I've never been able to take multivitamins. What I have found to work is taking individual vitamins and/or gummie vitamins for adults. You can get the packets at GNC or you can just get the ones you are deficient in; www.puritanspride.com has great deals! I take Vitafusion Multi-Vites as a multi and I haven't had a single problem...well, other than limiting myself to just two! Plus side to the multi-vites is that you can get a months supply for around $5 at WalMart.

    --Also Broke College Student
  • techteachergirl
    techteachergirl Posts: 161 Member
    Vitamins make me sick too, but bc I have gastritis....when prego I took flinstones per my doc. You can try that :D Good luck!

    I also have taken flintstomes, but i have found that the adult gummies made by one a day or the target brand dont make me sick. I also taake extra calcium in gummy form. I justed looked at the label and there is no zinc in the gummy ones i take
  • fitplease
    fitplease Posts: 647 Member
    Frozen veggies can also work as ingredients for making stir-fry and other cheap tastey dishes. Salads for lunch and such are surprisingly affordable if you make them yourself (for me, a weeks worth of salad blend is about $5) and are an easy to way boost veggie intake while keeping calories low.

    Eggs, beans, and shredded cheese can be added to the salad to give it some protein and extra calories. Chicken legs are also cheap. I will buy frozen corn and peas to toss into the salad as well.

    Could it be the dyes or other additives in the vitamins that are making you sick? Maybe you can try a vitamin without those things.
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