Taking vitamins??? - Anemia Message Board

Forensicmom · 02-05-2009, 08:43 AM

OK, I never really thought about this before but is it OK to take all of your vitamins at the same time? Are they being absorbed the right way? Am I overloading myself?

Right now I'm taking the probiotic 45 minutes before breakfast while I have an empty stomach.

With breakfast I take:
2 chelated iron
1 multi-vitamin
1 digestive enzyme
1 B-12
2 fish oil
2 calcium with vitamin D
1 CoQ10

And, as of this sunday, I'll be throwing a birth control pill in there.

bethsheba · 02-05-2009, 10:19 AM

It is not ok to take some vitamins "at the same time" as some interfere with the absorption of others. It is also important to take the right proportion of vitamins, because too much of one may interfere with the absorption of another.

Water soluable vitamins, theoretically, can't be overloaded providing one has healthy kidney (and perhaps liver??) function. However, one can acquire toxic levels of fat soluable vitamins. It is also possible to have too much iron in one's blood (and yes, I know it is not a vitamin but I thought I'd mention it anyway.)

It would be best to consult with your doctor AND a nutritionist regarding the answers to your questions as the answers would depend on your medical history and your body...

Bethsheba

FLFLOWERGIRL · 02-05-2009, 10:08 PM

Forensicmom--When taking supplements some will cause malabsorption of the others. A couple of things to note. Calcium inhibits iron absorption so you need to space them about 3 hrs apart, very important.

A multi vitamin is better absorbed if cut in half and taken twice daily as in half in the morning and half in the afternoon. This also helps in the making of new blood cells right now so you really need this one. And taking them with food is recommended because they are better absorbed with food, unlike iron supplements.

Usually, iron is to be taken on an empty stomach along with added vitamin C for absorption. But, in your case I do believe that the iron supplement that you chose needs to be taken WITH FOOD, (if I recall), not on an empty stomach, it is a totally different type of iron. Although, I am not sure about taking two at a time. I think this too should be spaced out for better absorption.

I would take the B-12 on it's own before I began anything because it's so easy and helpful with energy throughout the day. I hope that you got SB L B-12. What type did you get?

Regarding Fish oil and CoQ10, well, I have no experience with this at all. I would be ill by now.

A typical schedule might look like this:

7:00 am--SB L B-12 under the tongue.

8:00am--1st Iron supplement (with breakfast in your case), and Vit-C 500mgs if not added already, I don't think it is?

12:00pm--Lunch with 2nd iron tab.

3:00pm--Snack with multivitamin. There is calcium and iron in the multi so I don't know what you really are getting from iron here. Calcium inhibits iron absorption as you know.

6:00pm--Dinner with Calcuim and Vitamin D for best absorption.

Note: Digestive enzyme, 2 fish oil, 1 CoQ10, probiotic and BCP. Perhaps someone else can help you out with these. They should not be added until you know where and when.

Just a quick example. I know it sounds bad to spread this out as I have, but that is the real way to supplement. It does take all day to get through them. It will get better. I keep mine in my pocket when I leave the house and it soon becomes habit. Best of luck to you. FLFLOWERGIRL

susieq14 · 02-06-2009, 05:42 PM

can't really top Flowergirl's advice - ishe is always so thorough and helpful!!

just wanted to add that you should take calcium citrate and not calcium carbonate. the calcium citrate is more absorbable said my dietician. I take Citracal with D (if it is on sale and I have a coupon) or I use the CVS or Walgreens brand. exactly the same. also don't take the calcium at the same time you eat dairy products.

don't know about the other items you listed except the probiotic - I take one and I take it after supper since my worse time for my indigestion and IBS flaring up was at bedtime and first thing in the morning respectively. it seems to work for me.

When I was told to take iron supplements in November I did the same thing that Flowergirl did - made a list of when to take what med. I also take Nexium, an asthma med and a blood presure pill along with my calcium and centrum silver so it was and still is a constant worry to be sure not to miss one at the right time or else the whole schedule is messed up. I have to confess I will not be getting a gold star for my efforts. Last week I had a sinus infection and lucky me got to add an antiobiotic into the schedule!!!!!UGHHHHH!!!!

Audrey-B · 02-07-2009, 04:11 AM

Very smart FLFLOWERGIRL

i never thought of chopping the multivitamin in half

With all the stuff i have to take i've given the multivitamins the flick for now anyway.

Iron supplements are such funny things and perhaps it's an individual thing too, as i started off by eating right after taking my supplement. Later on i thought it might be best to eat half an hour after my supplement, but it didn't change anything. Much later on when i stopped caring as it was all too much, i began taking my iron even after my lunch or right before, basically whenever i remembered (it's hard when you are at work all day) and when i stopped caring so much, that is when it began rocketing up regardless of how/when i took it.

At the moment it's not rocketing, it's dive bombed, rocketed up, then dive bombed and i've not changed a single thing in my routine. this is what leads me to believe that you can take the supplement, take it religiously, time it right, eat the right foods, yet it wont rise due to whatever is going on inside our bodies, something is stopping it. By all means i'd not be taking it with zinc or certain other meds, or right after eating a bowl of cereal with milk or drinking a glass of milk, you still do need to take care, but don't take so much care that you stop enjoying your day or end up losing sleep over it