Not taking your supplements is NOT okay - ThinnerTimes

LisaM · 08-01-2007, 07:24 PM

I try to stay pretty calm most of the time, but there have been too many people of late who have sheepishly admitted to not taking their supplements. THIS IS NOT OK!

Even after we are able to eat eat more food, the malabsorption component of our surgeries is still present. We must take vitamin supplements for the rest of our lives in order to remain healthy. What the heck did you risk your life for by having this surgery if you're going to throw the quality of your life and health away just 'cause you don't feel like taking a pill once or twice a day? You have a responsibility to yourself and the people who love you to take care of yourself.

I will get down off my soapbox now. But, just in case you feel I don't have a leg to stand on, here are some of the things the experts at Merck have to say about vitamin and mineral deficiencies:

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia develops gradually, allowing the body to adapt somewhat. Consequently, the anemia may be more severe than the symptoms indicate. Anemia causes paleness, weakness, and fatigue. Severe anemia causes shortness of breath, dizziness, and a rapid heart rate. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause nerve damage (neuropathy) even when no anemia develops, particularly in people older than 60. The legs are affected earlier and more often than the arms. Tingling is felt in the feet and hands, and sensation in the legs, feet, and hands is lost. Vibration and position senses are also lost. Mild to moderate muscle weakness develops, and reflexes may be lost. Walking becomes difficult. Some people become confused, irritable, and mildly depressed. Advanced vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to delirium, paranoia, and impaired mental function, including dementia.

Vitamin A

An early symptom of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness, which is caused by a disorder of the retina. The whites (sclera) and corneas of the eyes may become dry—a condition called xerophthalmia. Xerophthalmia is particularly common among children who have a severe deficiency of calories (energy) or protein (see Undernutrition), which includes an inadequate intake of vitamin A. Foamy deposits (Bitot's spots) may appear in the whites of the eyes. The dry cornea may soften and ulcerate, and blindness may result. Vitamin A deficiency is a common cause of blindness in developing countries.

Folic Acid

People who have folic acid deficiency develop anemia similar to that due to vitamin B12 deficiency. Fatigue may be the first symptom. In addition to the general symptoms of anemia (such as paleness, irritability, shortness of breath, and dizziness), folic acid deficiency may cause a red and sore tongue, a reduced sense of taste, weight loss, and diarrhea.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause anemia and inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) with redness and greasy scaling. The hands and feet may feel numb and prickling—a pins-and-needles sensation. The tongue may become sore and red, and cracks may form in the corners of the mouth. The person may become confused, irritable, and depressed.

Vitamin C

In adults, a few months of a diet low in vitamin C can cause bleeding under the skin (particularly around hair follicles or as bruises), around the gums, and into the joints. Symptoms may include irritability, depression, weight loss, fatigue, and general weakness. The gums become swollen, purple, and spongy. The teeth eventually loosen. Infections may develop, and wounds do not heal. Smoking increases the vitamin C requirement by 30 to 50%.

Iron Deficiency

When iron reserves in the body are exhausted, anemia develops. Anemia causes paleness, weakness, irritability, drowsiness, and fatigue. Concentration and learning ability may be impaired. When severe, anemia may cause headache, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), spots before the eyes, digestive upset, shortness of breath, dizziness, and a rapid heart rate. Occasionally, severe anemia causes chest pain and heart failure. Menstrual periods may stop.

In addition to anemia, iron deficiency may produce such symptoms as pica (a craving for nonfoods such as ice, dirt, or pure starch), spoon nails (a deformity in which the fingernails are thin and concave), and leg cramps at night. Rarely, iron deficiency may cause a thin membrane to grow across part of the esophagus, resulting in difficulty swallowing.

Calcium Deficiency (Hypocalcemia)

The calcium level in the blood can be moderately low without producing any symptoms. Over time, hypocalcemia can affect the brain and cause neurologic or psychologic symptoms, such as confusion, memory loss, delirium, depression, and hallucinations. An extremely low calcium level may cause tingling (often in the lips, tongue, fingers, and feet), muscle aches, spasms of the muscles in the throat (leading to difficulty breathing), stiffening and spasms of muscles (tetany), and abnormal heart rhythms.

Selenium Deficiency
In selenium deficiency, antioxidants are lacking in the heart and muscles. As a result, cardiomyopathy and muscle weakness may occur.

This is a terrific link, with a table on what foods supply various minerals, and what the safe upper limit is of what you can take for each mineral. Here's the link for the same kind of table for vitamins.

LyndasRoom · 08-01-2007, 07:53 PM

Thank you Lisa. I am really faithful with my vitamins, but these reminders with FACTS to back them up are always appreciated.

Rachel · 08-01-2007, 09:22 PM

I appreciate all the information. I never thought to research what would happen if I didn't take them , I just knew it was bad. So thank you so very much!

Andie · 08-01-2007, 09:29 PM

Great info...thanks!

coptergirl · 08-02-2007, 04:29 AM

I am also good about the sups, but this is a great reminder for when I am feeling lazy. Thanks for posting this Lisa

JenBear7 · 08-02-2007, 04:34 AM

I havent forgotten once since I started.. which is odd for me, but I guess, when you have your insides rearranged.. its something you think about every day.. (twice a day even)..

Thanks for the info tho... Its good to know the consequences if I screw up!

LisaM · 08-02-2007, 05:57 AM

There's another thread out there now where someone took her supplements faithfully and is still B12 deficient. She probably wasn't told by her doctor that she needed to take B12 separately, as a sublingual (under the tongue) or a shot.

Doctors don't know everything (except ours! Dyann is the best I've ever seen, hands-down), and B12, in particular, is one of those things that, while it's listed in your multi-vitamin, probably isn't being absorbed from it. Stomach acids destroy B-12, so you have to take it some other way than just orally. In other words, it's hard enough to get what we need EVEN WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT RIGHT.

More than anything, I'm saying just get in the habit of taking your meds and supplements--you SHOULD feel guilty if you miss a day... but if you miss a month or so, you can make yourself ill without reason.

As a group, we have not been good at taking care of ourselves and keeping ourselves healthy, or we would not have been morbidly obese. We need to believe that we are worth the money and the time spent taking our supplements, because we are!

Edit: Oh, and thanks for not trying to knock me off my high horse, guys. Can you tell I get a little passionate about this subject?

Jeanie · 08-02-2007, 07:39 AM

I thought that taking prenatal vits was enough.

Is that not the case? I do take beta carotene (sp) everyday and B12 two times a week on top of the prenatal. Should I be taking more? I don’t need calcium, as too much gave me kidney stones. Just wondering if I'm doing something wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

Duckie · 08-02-2007, 09:11 AM

Thanks! I hope everyone reads this.

Zenomia · 08-02-2007, 09:31 AM

Actually Lisa, I take B12 daily in pill form. Two pills is 1000mg's and my levels are really good. I just finished a report on B12 for my Nutrition class and it is one of the few vitamins that you cannot really overdose on. Which means, if you take it in shot or sublingual, you can also supplement with the pills on a daily basis and get extra coverage. Here is some info from my assignment that I thought would just add to Lisa's well thought Point!

"Symptoms/Deficiency:
Vitamin B12 deficiency is most often the cause of several forms of anemia. Alzheimer’s dementia has also been linked to Vitamin B12 deficiency. Deficiency in B12 can cause severe and irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system. Common early symptoms of deficiency are; tiredness, decreased mental work capacity, decreased concentration, decreased memory, irritability and depression. Sleep disturbances, and seasonal affective disorder. Other symptoms can be neurological such as sensory damage due to peripheral nerves caused by demyelination and irreversible nerve cell death. Symptoms include: numbness, tingling of the extremities, disturbed coordination, atatic gait, and subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord. Elderly, Vegans and Vegetarians are more likely to suffer from Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Low levels of B12 have also been associated with; Asthma, depression, AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, tinnitus, diabetic neuropathy, and low sperm counts.

Major Food Sources:
There are several foods that provide good sources of vitamin B12, however it should be noted that although you’re taking in high levels, they may not be utilized as B12 effectively by the body. Mollusks, liver, fortified (100%) cereals, trout, salmon, and beef (top sirloin) are all excellent choices for B12 (foods were listed in high B12 concentration to low concentration).
Overdose: According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies did not establish a UL for this vitamin because vitamin B12 has a very low potential for toxicity. The IOM states that "no adverse effects have been associated with excess vitamin B12 intake from food and supplements in healthy individuals". In fact, the IOM recommends that adults older than 50 years get most of their vitamin B12 from vitamin supplements or fortified food because of the high incidence of impaired absorption in this age group of vitamin B12 from foods that come from animals. [1.] Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. National Academy Press. Washington, DC, 1998