Do vitamins make you sick?

MariSama44
MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
This morning I took my usual multivitamin (A thru Z, womens I think) and a few minutes later while I was putting on my jeans I got extremely sick and had to sit down and close my eyes for ten minutes to keep myself from throwing up. Does this happen to anyone else? This doesnt often happen to me, but I read elsewhere vitamins can make you nauseous sometimes. Anyone have any luck combating it? I cant stop taking them and I hate to throw away the two bottles of them I got on sale for a great deal.
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Replies

  • mavsfan2009
    mavsfan2009 Posts: 261 Member
    Did you eat a decent meal before you took them? Did you drink a whole glass of water? In my opinion, those are the two MOST important things when taking any vitamin, especially a multivitamin...otherwise you'll probably get sick.
  • If you eat before you take it, usually it will help the sick feeling. I can't take vitamins in the morning or I'm the same way. I take mine at night time, so maybe that would be an option for you as well.:happy:
  • Gogo
    Gogo Posts: 9,942 Member
    I did stop taking them because they make me sick, and you should take them with food. It didn't work for me, but it might for you. :flowerforyou:
  • rachmj526
    rachmj526 Posts: 82 Member
    You could try taking them at night right before bed...I had to do that when I was pregnant. Or if you didn't take them with food, you could try that. I didn't have much of a problem with vitamins before being pregnant, but now no matter when I take them, they make me feel really sick. I've resorted to gummy vitamins. :laugh: ....along with a couple of separate things, such as calcium.

    Hope that helps!
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    I have to take mine with a full meal so I usually wait and take it with lunch. All those vitamins and minerals in large doses at once can really do a number on your stomach.
  • LOVEsummer
    LOVEsummer Posts: 304 Member
    i eat kids vitamins too haha they are they only kind that dont make me sick
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
    That's really interesting because the last two times I took my vitamins, I also felt really sick pretty soon after I took them. I figured I was just being silly or something else was going on, but I haven't taken them since then anyway. I would be very interested to know if the vitamins were the cause, or if it was just a coincidence.
  • That happens to me everytime I take my morning Multi-Vitamins. I always feel a little sick but I feel really sick if I haven't eaten breakfast and been drinking lots of water. One time I took one on an empty stomach and I actually threw up.
  • Emilydmo
    Emilydmo Posts: 101
    Flintstones chewables are the way to go! I have tried a lot of brands and many of them make me sick, ESPECIALLY the One-A-Day Women's formula, but generally do OK on childrens vitamins. No matter what brand, however, I try and avoid taking vitamins in the morning.
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
    Yup, I was taking women's one a day and I couldn't figure out why I was getting so nauseous, my doc said it has to do with the herd in them so I got a different one from a medicinal doctor, sorry I don't know the name of it!

    ~Leash :heart:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    I've never had any issues with vitamins but when I burp after having taken my omega 3-6-9 supplements the fishy taste grosses me out and makes me want to puke. I'm probably going to switch over to the lemon flavoured ones when I finish the bottle.:laugh:
  • stang41992
    stang41992 Posts: 129 Member
    I've never had that problem, but I took those gummi vitamins once and had hives!
  • MariSama44
    MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
    maybe I'll ask the doc next time I go in (not often, thanks to Uninted Health Care and my crappy pay). Thanks for all the great advice!

    I usualy take all my morning pills with a glass of water, or half a glass. I suppose I should increase the water, try that, and if that doesnt work take it with lunch instead.

    My big problem with eating breakfast is when I get up, I'm just not hungry at all. Food doesnt sound good, and I dont want to eat it. I ususaly just go to work and eat a banana, and I've gotten oatmeal too to have in the mornings. but still, i just have such a hard time eating in the morning. Usualy breakfast makes me sick. But I know I'm supposed ot eat it. Maybe I'll just bring my vitamins to work and eat em there when its lunch time.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    Yes, vitamins totally make me sick. When I was pregnant, I had to take flintstone's chewables because my stomach couldn't handle the prenatal vitamins. :(

    I know that Iron in particular can be very hard on the stomach. I had a really low iron count at one point and had to take about 6 iron pills per day- but they had to be spaced out just right, or they'd make me sick. I once was sick in the trash can at work because of iron pills.... how embarrassing!
  • Kelly11
    Kelly11 Posts: 75 Member
    I was going to post about the same topic!
    Even if I take my vitamin with food...I get soooo nauseated.

    I'll try the chewables :)
  • make sure you eat before taking vitamins. If the problem still persits look for one thats coated to dissolve in your intestine rather than your stomach(slow release) or chewables. Also consider taking your vitamins before bed when your stomach and metabolism is slower. Hope that helps!!
  • TuscanySun
    TuscanySun Posts: 3,608 Member
    Yes...If i take them on an empty stomach it does.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member

    My big problem with eating breakfast is when I get up, I'm just not hungry at all. Food doesnt sound good, and I dont want to eat it. I ususaly just go to work and eat a banana, and I've gotten oatmeal too to have in the mornings. but still, i just have such a hard time eating in the morning. Usualy breakfast makes me sick. But I know I'm supposed ot eat it. Maybe I'll just bring my vitamins to work and eat em there when its lunch time.

    Right, I had (have?) this same problem. At 270 pounds, I would go all day without eating because I was too busy or because I wasn't hungry. Then I would stuff my face right before bed. I have *never* in my life eaten breakfast on a regular basis. Until 3 months ago. I eat breakfast every. single. day. Whether I want to or not. Lately I've noticed I'm usually actually hungry in the morning & I can hardly wait until my workout & shower are through to eat breakfast. Sometimes I even have to eat half a banana or something *before* my workout because I'm so hungry. To me, this is a good sign.

    I know you already know this, but sometimes you just have to make yourself eat. Anything. A yogurt smoothie, half a banana with tablespoon of peanut butter, really any protein & carb mixture. :smile:

    Since, like you, I don't usually enjoy eating a big hearty breakfast, I actually do what you said and I have a bag full of multivitamins in my desk drawer to take with lunch. I just don't trust that I'm going to be able to take it in the morning and not feel sick.

    I think the gummy and kids vitamins don't upset stomachs as much because they're not "complete." Many kids vitamins don't have iron in them because iron poisoning is a real threat to children and iron is both the supplement I need the most and the thing that upsets my stomach the most. :ohwell:
  • MariSama44
    MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
    make sure you eat before taking vitamins. If the problem still persits look for one thats coated to dissolve in your intestine rather than your stomach(slow release) or chewables. Also consider taking your vitamins before bed when your stomach and metabolism is slower. Hope that helps!!

    You're always helpful :happy: thankyou!
  • This happens to me alot! It doesn't matter if I eat before, after, during, or how much water I drink. I do believe if you buy the more expensive vitamins like Centrum it helps. Also, some vitamins will now mark on the label that they are "easily digestable". I"m trying to save money so I buy the generic ones and push through the pain. Normally the nausea goes away after about an hour.

    I wish you luck!
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    if that doesn't work. Try taking half a vitamin in the morning and half with lunch or dinner. It is a lot to put in your system all at once
  • Mrs_Ford
    Mrs_Ford Posts: 44 Member
    Did you eat a decent meal before you took them? Did you drink a whole glass of water? In my opinion, those are the two MOST important things when taking any vitamin, especially a multivitamin...otherwise you'll probably get sick.

    This is VERY important. If you dont' have enough on your tummy the vitamins will overload your system. I always make sure my food has had about 20mins to settle & then drink a whole 16oz glass of lemon water. It almost gives you a "morning sickness" kind of feeling if you don't prep your body for the large amounts of vitamins. I recommend a banana too when taking a multi-V for breakfast. For me the potassium in the banana helps to really cut the effects.
  • samanthalynne21
    samanthalynne21 Posts: 140 Member
    happens to me! even when I would eat before I took them. I was taking one a day womens and I felt like I was going to throw up every time. I started taking the target brand womens vitamins and I feel fine now.
  • JJs25th
    JJs25th Posts: 204 Member
    This was a problem I had for years -- and to complicate things I have to take double the usually calcium recommended as I have oestopenia already and a family history of aggresive oestoporosis. The best solution I found besides those mentioned of eating first -- I take Viactive calcium and multi-vitamin chews. They do add to the calorie count if you are very strict in your count. But I found the trade off worth it as they don't bother my stomache. I take the multi-vitamin chew with breakfast, and one calcium chew each with lunch and dinner.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    you guys realize that you don't need to take your vitamins all at once right? You can cut it in half, and actually that's better, giving yourself a massive dose of vitamins is only going to ensure that some of those vitamins are never absorbed. Ideally, you shouldn't be taking vitamins (In a perfect world), as they don't absorb the same from pills as they do from food. But for those of you who do need them, I would at least do some research and find one that has a high rate of bioavailability, most of the generic ones that you get at CVS don't have a very high level of absorption. So what you see on the label isn't nearly what you're actually getting in your body.
  • I don't tolerate multi-vitamins very well. I found a liquid vitamin that I mixed with juice. I found that taking them at night really made a difference for me. Good luck!
  • mehapp
    mehapp Posts: 132
    Thanks for the post.
    I thought I was going crazy.
    The past few times I took my vitamins - and I admit, I changed my multi and I took all of them together (b12, d3, Flax seed oil, and a multi-vitamin) I was totally sick - shaky and nauseous.

    I will spread them out, cut the multi in half (thanks Banks) and take the flax seed oil at bedtime. I hope it helps. I really do feel better taking a vitamin, I just can't stand the side-effects.
  • NikkiDerrig386
    NikkiDerrig386 Posts: 1,096 Member
    You could try taking them at night right before bed...I had to do that when I was pregnant. Or if you didn't take them with food, you could try that. I didn't have much of a problem with vitamins before being pregnant, but now no matter when I take them, they make me feel really sick. I've resorted to gummy vitamins. :laugh: ....along with a couple of separate things, such as calcium.

    Hope that helps!

    Do not thake them before you go tobed if you are sensitive to viamin B. You will be up half the night!!
  • MariSama44
    MariSama44 Posts: 340 Member
    I'm going to try spreading them out from now on..and seeing about maybe investing in a better vitamin, I guess. I'm so poor. :sad:
  • For the omega 3-6-9 my doctor said that the best bet is to take it with lunch so that the burpy feeling doesn't happen when I'm going to bed. The other thing that helps with all vitamins is taking them with a handful of almonds (which you should be eating daily anyways, almonds are the healthiest but one serving of 12 packs 49 calories in) or another kind of nut and then you should be good.
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