Check your vitamin label for content. I used to get some just general vitamins at GNC and they actually contained well over 100% of the FDA recommended daily requirement of most of the individual vitamins. Some of the ingredients were at 1,000% of the daily requirement. My mother said that made them a waste of money since your body would just absorb what you needed and you'd pee out the rest. One doctor told me that excess vitamins make your kidneys work harder since they have more stuff to filter out. Long term use of excess vitamins may or may not ultimately harm your kidneys, but if you are prone to kidney problems in the first place, it's definitely not good for them.
If you want to continue taking a generic vitamin supplement, don't take one that provides more than 100% of anything (remember you'll be getting some if not most of your vitamins from food in the first place) since it'll only go to waste and may upset your stomach. You may want to have your vitamin levels checked the next time you go to a doctor to see if you are defcient in anything and then only take what vitamins you are deficient in. Since you probably have to eschew certain foods because of your IBS and you have diarrhea, and maybe even because of certain medicines you take, you may need things that most people don't. Salt, for instance. Almost all Americans get too much, but if you eat healthy, unprocessed foods and lose a lot of water through bowel movements, you may actually need salt. So the best way to know what you need to stay healthy is to test for everything. But taking vitamins you don't need won't make you extra healthy or anything. Vitamin C is the only vitamin that has been proven to help prevent and treat a disease.
Michelle
Here's the link to lnape's calcium post:
http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=26&m=346137
Co-Moderator for the IBS Forum
I am one that cannot take any vitamins of any type either, have to rely on my food intake for that. I get as sick as a dog evn with a flintstone as bulseye mentioned, not just D but nasuea sometimes vomiting too, it doesnt matter what time of night or day I take them or with or with out food or water. But calicium may work, worth a try....
Anyway, I also had a reaction from taking a multi and it lasted about 1-2 days... now i'm fine. It had the following (I only take 50% of 1 serving per day):
VITAMINS
Vitamin A
Retinol (Palmitate) ...................................... 150 mcg 500 IU 16.70%
Beta-carotene (natural (D. salina)) ..................... 6 mg 9990 IU 3330%
Vitamin B Complex
B1 (Thiamine) ............................................... 12 mg 1000%
B2 (Riboflavin) .............................................. 13 mg 1000%
B3 (Niacin (as 63 mg Inositol Hexanicotinate)) .... 50 mg 313%
B5 (d-Ca Pantothenate) ................................ 100 mg 2000%
B6 (Pyridoxine) .............................................. 17 mg 1000%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) ................................... 24 mcg 1000%
Folic Acid .................................................. 800 mcg 400%
Biotin ....................................................... 300 mcg 1000%
Choline (from Bitartrate) ................................ 500 mg 36%
Inositol ...................................................... 100 mg *
Vitamin C (as Magnesium Ascorbate) ................. 450 mg 500%
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) .............................. 25 mcg 1000 IU 167%
Vitamin E Complex .......................................... 100 mg *
Tocopherols: .................................................. 90 mg
alpha-tocopherol ........................................... 15 mg 22 IU 186%
beta-tocopherol ........................................... 1.5 mg *
gamma-tocopherol ......................................... 52 mg *
delta-tocopherol ........................................... 22 mg *
Tocotrienols: .................................................. 10 mg
alpha-tocotrienol ............................................ 3 mg *
beta-tocotrienol ........................................... 0.1 mg *
gamma-tocotrienol .......................................... 6 mg *
delta-tocotrienol .......................................... 1.3 mg *
Phylloquinone ................................................ 80 mcg 67%
MINERALS
Boron (Citrate) .............................................. 1.8 mg *
Calcium (Citrate-Malate) ................................. 540 mg 54%
Chromium (Picolinate) ................................... 100 mcg *
Copper (Citrate) ............................................... 1 mg 111%
Iodine (Potassium Iodide) .............................. 150 mcg 100%
Magnesium (Aspartate, Oxide, Ascorbate) .......... 210 mg 50%
Manganese (Glycinate) ................................... 2.3 mg 100%
Molybdenum (Na Molybdate) ........................... 45 mcg 100%
Potassium (Chloride) ........................................ 99 mg *
Selenium (Se-Methylselenocysteine) ............... 200 mcg 364%
Silicon (Na Metasilicate) .................................. 50 mg *
Vanadium (Citrate) ........................................ 18 mcg *
Zinc (Citrate) ................................................ 11 mg 100%
Post Edited (whoa182) : 12/24/2005 9:06:40 PM (GMT-7)
I do take a small vitamin and extra B12,and lots of D3 if I am not out in the sun. I have been tested.