Reaction to supplements - Vitamins & Supplements Message Board

OpenDoor · 03-19-2005, 05:21 AM

I just wondered if anyone has had similar experiences to me. I have had CFS for about 3 years and up until a year ago had been taking high strength multi-vitamins and minerals. A year ago I developed quite severe anxiety, vertigo and mild mental problems which lessened when I stopped taking the supplements.

A year later my CFS has become even worse and I have recently had a test for magnesium which showed I had a marked deficiency. However, when I take supplements, including magnesium and B-complex, my vertigo become unbearable, I get motion sickness, very bad dizziness, numbness and tingling in my face and mild auditory and visual hellucinations. The only supplements I have found which I can tollorate are Vitamin C/E, probiotics and Aloe Vera. I have tried NAET allergy desensitisation which has had no effect and am at a loss as to what to try next.

My doctor is completely unable to help me, has no idea what could be causing this and has told me she thinks I am just depressed and that its all in my head. I do not suffer from depression, before this happened I was a happy and fun loving person. I am getting no help but someone must have had similar experiences to me.

Any help greatly appreciated. x

NYCityGirl · 03-19-2005, 04:22 PM

I seriously believe you should go to another doctor for a 2nd opinion.

were you taking a serperate multi vitamin pill and then a mineral pill?

Did you know that multi vitamins already contain minerals in it also?

You might of been overdosing on certain vitamins and or minerals.

rheanna · 03-20-2005, 06:42 AM

OpenDoor,

The vitamins and minerals in supplements are VERY TINY quantities. In order to make a pill or capsule large enough to pick up with your fingers, the manufacturers have to put "fillers" of various sorts in them. And they also use various dyes to make them pretty -- B-Complex often uses yellow and/or green dyes. And they need binders to hold it all together. And they need oils to suspend fat-soluable vitamins (A, E, K, D) in the capsule. It may be that what you are reacting to is not the vitamin or mineral itself, but the starch, dyes, oils, binders, etc. Read the "fine print" list of ingredients on the packages you are having problems with, and if necessary, write to the manufacturers and ask for further information. Once you are able to figure out which of the "extras" are giving you problems, you may be able to find another brand which doesn't have those ingredients, and which you can tolerate.

Good luck on trying to supplement your diet with things that will build you up, not make you sick.

--Rheanna

rheanna · 03-20-2005, 09:39 AM

More about the extra ingredients:

I looked at my packages of B-Complex and Magnesium and this is what I found (translating from German as best I can):

Magnesium 380 tablets: Magnesium hydroxide (this is where the magnesium is!), filler cellulose, corn starch, thickener arabic gum, coating agent hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, stabilisor (vernetzte? don't know what that means) sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, separating agents talc and magnesium stearate, color Titanium dioxide.

B-Complex coated tablets: various b vitamins blah blah, lactose monohydrate (this comes from milk), copovidon (haven't a clue), sodiumcarboxymethyl starch, microcrystaline cellulose, cellulose powder, highly dispersed siliciumdioxide, talc, stearinpalmitin acid, calcium carbonate, magnesium stearate, shellack (excuse me???) saccharose (sugar substitute), tragant (haven't a clue), arabic gum, montanglycol wax, titanium dioxide (white coloring), riboflavin (a b vitamin that gives a yellow coloring.

This is just what's in the vitamins I'm taking -- yours will probably differ. I'm trying not to think about what I just wrote. As you can see, if you're reacting to taking the vitamin/mineral tablets, it could be ANYTHING in there, not necessarily the vitamins/minerals themselves.

--Rheanna

Veronicaberry · 03-20-2005, 11:34 AM

I take new chapter they are 100 percent natural. Stay away from that garbage sold in the drug store, or walmart. buy from health food stores only.