What Supplements Do You Take Daily?

[glutenfreemamax2]

What dosages and what?

I take a multi, that's it. If I remember i take the vitamin d. I need a good calcium, but I like the chocolate ones. Are any gluten-free?

I was also thinking if adding a b-12 sublingual. What dosage is normal?

[AVR1962]

Are you sure you're ready for this one?? I am a 48 year old female who had symptoms for 2 years before being diagnosed. By the time I started supplementing I already had bone loss and was in very bad condition so I think that influences the vits and the amounts.

Vit D- 5800 IU daily to help absorb calcium, to help dizziness, crawling senations on skin, joint pain, poor concentration, memory.

WSN Nerve Support Formula which is a B complex with has 103 thiamine (B1), 1000 mg methyl B12, B2- 2 mg, B6- 2 mg, 100 mcg folic acid, B3- 250 IU in each capsule. I take 4 a day for tingling in hands & feet, burning in feet, anemia, nerve damage, buzzing in ears. The only thing it hasn't stopped was the buzzing in my ears.

Magnesium- 250 mg twice a day for fatigue, disturbed sleep, muscle twitching

Zinc- 35 mg daily which support immune system, hair loss, and taste loss

Potassium- 99 mg twice a day to regulate nerve transmission and muscle contraction

Iron- lifetime of anemia issues

Silicon drops- 6 drops daily to support bones and for hair & nails

Triple Omega- prevents the hardening in the muscles that feels like a lactose build up

Vit C- 500 mg daily to protect immune system, also good for eyes and skin

Probiotic- 2 daily

Prenatal vitamin daily

Calcium- 400 IU daily

Vit E

L-carnitine for prevent stabbing pains in eyes and feet

All of which have been approved by my doc.

[glutenfreemamax2]

Holy crap! That's a lot! What do I start with? I was thinking calcium, d, multi, and sublingual b. (what dose is "normal")?

Isn't magnesium what they give you for pre term labor that makes you feel sick like you have the flu?

I'm motivates to feel better. I'm going to the store from getting the kids to get the b complex and maybe magnesium.

[jswog]

Isn't magnesium what they give you for pre term labor that makes you feel sick like you have the flu?

Magnesium is necessary for all muscle function, in conjunction with calcium at proper ratios. If magnesium is not supplemented at the proper ratios with the calcium, the calcium is pretty much just wasted.

[rosetapper23]

I take practically the same vitamins and minerals! I was also extremely ill for two years before being diagnosed at age 47. I'm now 54, and I still have some residual symptoms (night blindness, pernicious anemia, Hashimoto's, neuropathy, B12 and D deficiencies, ongoing zinc and manganese deficiencies, etc.).

Regarding magnesium, please know that this is an extremely important nutrient for good health. And, yes, calcium needs to be taken with magnesium. If your stomach is sensitive to it, there are several brands on the market that don't cause discomfort: Nature's Way Magnesium Complex and Blue Bonnet Liquid Magnesium are good examples.

If you take Vitamin D (a good thing to do), you should also take some Vitamin A (cod liver oil is a good source, since taking Vitamin A itself can be inflammatory for celiacs), because the two vitamins need to be somewhat balanced. If you take zinc, you should also supplement with copper. Vitamins sometimes have to be taken together, or you won't get any benefit. Quoting from "Primal Body, Primal Mind": "Vitamin E helps recycle Vitamin A, vitamin A needs zinc in order to be properly used, zinc and copper need to be in an 8:1 to 12:1 radio in order to function properly..."

So...in addition to the vitamins and minerals listed by the previous poster, I also take cod liver oil for vitamin A and copper so that my zinc can be utilized.

[AVR1962]

Holy crap! That's a lot! What do I start with? I was thinking calcium, d, multi, and sublingual b. (what dose is "normal")?

Isn't magnesium what they give you for pre term labor that makes you feel sick like you have the flu?

I'm motivates to feel better. I'm going to the store from getting the kids to get the b complex and maybe magnesium.

Very important that if you decide to supplement that you are linking your symptoms to the vits and minerals. The only reason I started all this was because in all of my initial bloodwork I had markings below normal everywhere. Unfortunately my doc said NOTHING which still amazes me to this day. (I no longer have that doc!) The only reason I found this out, is I requested my labs because I could not recall something doc had told me. Imagine my shock. Of course it was all mecially coded and I had not clue what all of it meant so I looked it all up on the Internet, linked the vits I needed to everyone of my deficiencies. Then I had to play with amounts, looked up safe amounts, read about the various deficiencies, read about pairing for proper absorbtion.

The only thing my doc said was not to take vit A as he said there is too many side effects that are not good so go with the cod liver oil instead. If I didn't have to take these vits I would not but they are what has helped me to gain my health back.

[AVR1962]

I take practically the same vitamins and minerals! I was also extremely ill for two years before being diagnosed at age 47. I'm now 54, and I still have some residual symptoms (night blindness, pernicious anemia, Hashimoto's, neuropathy, B12 and D deficiencies, ongoing zinc and manganese deficiencies, etc.).

Regarding magnesium, please know that this is an extremely important nutrient for good health. And, yes, calcium needs to be taken with magnesium. If your stomach is sensitive to it, there are several brands on the market that don't cause discomfort: Nature's Way Magnesium Complex and Blue Bonnet Liquid Magnesium are good examples.

If you take Vitamin D (a good thing to do), you should also take some Vitamin A (cod liver oil is a good source, since taking Vitamin A itself can be inflammatory for celiacs), because the two vitamins need to be somewhat balanced. If you take zinc, you should also supplement with copper. Vitamins sometimes have to be taken together, or you won't get any benefit. Quoting from "Primal Body, Primal Mind": "Vitamin E helps recycle Vitamin A, vitamin A needs zinc in order to be properly used, zinc and copper need to be in an 8:1 to 12:1 radio in order to function properly..."

So...in addition to the vitamins and minerals listed by the previous poster, I also take cod liver oil for vitamin A and copper so that my zinc can be utilized.

Goodness! 7 years later and you still have to supplement like this? I was hoping this was temp until my body started absorbing nutrients. If that's the case, I wonder now if this is more due to the nerve damage done by the glutens rather than villa damage that creates the lack of absorbtion??

[sariesue]

The only suplement that I take daily is b-12. But I don't think that I am taking enough any more since my fingers are numb again.

[Skylark]

I take a product called EmpowerPlus that has everything under the sun. Tons of B-vitamins, the RDA of fat soluble vitamins and iron, plenty of calcium and magnesium, plus chelated trace elements. On top of that I take an extra 2000 IU of D a day on my doctor's recommendation after I showed a mild deficiency, an extra 1000 mcg of B12 twice a week, probiotics, and fish oil.

[Bubba's Mom]

I take Calcium Citrate with D

a multi-vitamin

2 Fish oil capsules

B complex with C

CoQ-10 200mg

Folic acid

Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc combo pill

Glucosamine Chondroitin with MSM

L-Glutamine

Probiotics

Digestives enzymes when eating anything I think will be hard to digest

Melatonin to sleep some

Hmmm..that looks like a lot doesn't it? No wonder I don't have an appetite.

[IrishHeart]

I would humbly suggest that you have your vitamin and mineral levels checked before you start massive dosing with vitamins and minerals you may not need. Have a doctor or naturopathic doctor monitor your progress.

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN take too much of some supplements/herbals and create more digestive issues and an imbalance of vitamins. Too much B6 for example, CAUSES rather than cures neuropathy.

I took about 14-18 supps at one time for a while, including L-glutamine. No help whatsoever. Wondered why I still felt like crap, nauseous and no energy.

If you have a serious vitamin deficiency, like Folate, B-12 or D, which are common with celiac disease, then you may require injections or prescription strength supplementation. (this happened to me--I had all 3 deficiencies----and the pills I was taking OTC did nothing to raise my levels substantially while I was in the first few months of healing)

The sublingual B-12 works better than a pill, but again, make sure you are deficient before you take it.

In a gut that is totally ravaged, it is sometimes impossible for that many supplements to be absorbed --and you may just be wasting your $$$. Some supplements interfere with each other --or with prescriptions--and some cause gut issues.

Just my humble opinion, based on my own experience. I spent THOUSANDS on all that stuff and never felt any better--while my gut was still healing.

Take probiotics and heal your gut. Take a good multivitamin , the proper calcium/mag/Vit D ratio, and if necessary, a vitamin B complex.

I OVERDID them for 2 years pre-DX ---and my body was toxic. Nothing was being absorbed, just circulating....then, post DX, I dosed myself silly until I found a good doctor who took blood levels and corrected them.

ANYHOO....In answer to your question

--probiotics (essential for us celiacs)

-- a bone/joint formula with cal/mag/D, K (also a celiac-related deficiency) and glucosamine

-- fish oil for the EFAs (another deficinecy we incur)

--a multivitamin/mineral formula (for all the rest we need--but NOT iron, unless you need it as it can also cause problems!)

---D-3 2000 IUs (as I was severely deficient but it has come up substantially. I started with 5,000 IUs).

The long-standing B-12 and folate anemias I had pre DX--have been corrected through proper therapeutic doses. I actually feel better without all those extra supplements in me.

Wish I had all the money back I spent on that stuff for years---approx. $6K. geesh! (shaking my head in disbelief....) I could be taking a cruise right now with that money.

Just sayin....of course, it's your call. Best wishes!

[rosetapper23]

AVR1962,

Don't give up hope--you may heal and not have to continue taking so many supplements. I was fairly healed for nearly five years, but then I became so sensitive to gluten, even the slightest gluten contamination caused destruction of my villi. Because of a glutening in April 1910, I've developed a lot of severe vitamin deficiencies that simply do not seem to be getting any better. I have to take 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D...and even that doesn't help. I try to get out in the sun every chance I get, because that seems like the only way to raise my D level. I'm going to Australia next week and expect to catch some rays that might carry me through December. After that, I think I'll try light therapy.

[jswog]

Because of a glutening in April 1910, I've developed a lot of severe vitamin deficiencies that simply do not seem to be getting any better.

Wow! 1910? You've been dealing with this for a while...lol

[rosetapper23]

LOL! Apparently, my typing has been adversely affected!

[GFinDC]

Wow! 1910? You've been dealing with this for a while...lol

LOL! Apparently, my typing has been adversely affected!

Congrats Rose, you have been hanging in there pretty good!

I take Vit D pretty much every day.

CAL MAG Zinc every couple days.

Pro-biotics every other day.

B-complex once or twice a week.

Thyroid hormone (natural source) once a week.

No multi-vitamins as they all make me sick.

[glutenfreemamax2]

Should I take a b-12 everyday?

[jswog]

No multi-vitamins as they all make me sick.

When I was talking to someone at the healthfood store a while back (well before doing this whole 'gluten free thing'), she suggested to look for a multi WITHOUT iron, as it is frequently the iron in them that makes one sick. And then she suggested one specific iron supplement that uses a different type of iron in it that does not cause stomach upset. I can give you the brands that I've been using that have worked for me.

[IrishHeart]

No multi-vitamins as they all make me sick.

Me too. I thought maybe it was because nearly every one I tried had soy lecithin in it (damn soy--arrgh!), So, for 10 months, I skipped the multi and recently, I took one and ...no problem. I wonder if it is the COMBO of vits/minerals, rather than the product?...not sure. Everything I ingest is an experiment with me, anyway...geesh.

[IrishHeart]

Should I take a b-12 everyday?

It depends on if you are deficient or not.

[IrishHeart]

Because of a glutening in April 1910, I've developed a lot of severe vitamin deficiencies that simply do not seem to be getting any better. I have to take 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D...and even that doesn't help. I try to get out in the sun every chance I get, because that seems like the only way to raise my D level. I'm going to Australia next week and expect to catch some rays that might carry me through December. After that, I think I'll try light therapy.

1910... thanks for not editing that out when you could have...it made me giggle....

I hear light therapy works for some folks...

and BTW, thanks for your post about 2 months ago regarding Curaphen (it's new name---it was Curamen) it really DOES help a bit with the inflammation.

I had taken Turmeric/curcumin for many months pre-Dx and the first few months after DX, but becasue of malabsorption, it was a waste of $$$ and did nothing.

But NOW, I am seeing some benefits from this anti-inflammatory supp...so, thank you, Rose!! I have a long way to go before this chronic burning joint/bone/muscle pain dies down, but your suggestion was a good one and seems to be helping along with the bone/joint formula I take. My PT says she has suggested it to other patients as well.

Enjoy Australia!!

[rosetapper23]

IrishHeart,

Thanks so much for the feedback on Curamin (or Curaphen?). I had suggested it to another poster here, and she mentioned that it didn't seem to help her. It's helped my mother and me quite a bit....so I'm glad you're seeing some benefit from it, too. Yay!

If you're interested, there are several other things I take for bone/muscle/connective tissue pain. I take Dr. Christopher's Joint Formula and also his Tissue and Bone Formula. This combination was recommended to me by another celiac sufferer with joint/bone/connective tissue problems, and they have helped me tremendously. Whenever I stop taking them, the pain returns within a few weeks' time, so now I faithfully take one capsule of each daily. They're very inexpensive, by the way. In addition, I also take a ratio of Omega 6's to Omega 3's in oil form to help with muscle pain. To do this, I take 1/2 teaspoon of organic flaxseed oil and 3/4 teaspoon of either safflower oil or grapeseed oil. I mix these into a small glass of juice once a day. I suffered from muscle pain and lactic acid pain since I was a small child, but I started taking these oils at the recommendation of an author (Brian Peskin, who wrote, "The Hidden Story of Cancer"), and the pain has never come back. I hardly recognize my own body--no more pain!!

I wish you a long, healthy, and painfree life, my friend...

You can believe me because I've been around since 1910!

[GFinDC]

When I was talking to someone at the healthfood store a while back (well before doing this whole 'gluten free thing'), she suggested to look for a multi WITHOUT iron, as it is frequently the iron in them that makes one sick. And then she suggested one specific iron supplement that uses a different type of iron in it that does not cause stomach upset. I can give you the brands that I've been using that have worked for me.

Sure, sounds good...

Me too. I thought maybe it was because nearly every one I tried had soy lecithin in it (damn soy--arrgh!), So, for 10 months, I skipped the multi and recently, I took one and ...no problem. I wonder if it is the COMBO of vits/minerals, rather than the product?...not sure. Everything I ingest is an experiment with me, anyway...geesh.

Yep, lots of them have soy in them, or wheat or barley grass juice, carrot, dried lizard tongues etc.. Ok,I made that up about the lizard tongues. But it's almost Halloween, so who knows for sure?

I just find it better to take pills with fewer ingredients, and then if I react to something I can eliminate that one pill. This has happened to me more than a few times with the all you can swallow multivitamins, so I just don't trust them anymore.

.

[jswog]

Sure, sounds good...

Yep, lots of them have soy in them, or wheat or barley grass juice, carrot, dried lizard tongues etc.. Ok,I made that up about the lizard tongues. But it's almost Halloween, so who knows for sure?

I just find it better to take pills with fewer ingredients, and then if I react to something I can eliminate that one pill. This has happened to me more than a few times with the all you can swallow multivitamins, so I just don't trust them anymore.

.

The multi is Irwin Naturals Women's Living Green Liquid-Gel Multi (does, in fact, contain soy lecithin oil, though. just read that...). The Iron is from Enzymatic Therapy Ultimate Iron (was taking their Energizing Iron previously, but it was substantially more expensive and I liked this better) (does contain soybean oil and soy lecithin). My calcium/magnesium is Country Life Cal-Snack(nothing funky here, Certified Vegetarian, Certified Gluten Free, GMP). Carlson Super Omega3 Gems Fish Oil Concentrate. I've just (in the last few days) also added a digestive enzyme, Vit-D, and a B-Complex after a conversation with my OBGYN. I've been taking all of these for almost six months now (since before I went gluten-free, but all were gluten-free).

[AVR1962]

AVR1962,

Don't give up hope--you may heal and not have to continue taking so many supplements. I was fairly healed for nearly five years, but then I became so sensitive to gluten, even the slightest gluten contamination caused destruction of my villi. Because of a glutening in April 1910, I've developed a lot of severe vitamin deficiencies that simply do not seem to be getting any better. I have to take 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D...and even that doesn't help. I try to get out in the sun every chance I get, because that seems like the only way to raise my D level. I'm going to Australia next week and expect to catch some rays that might carry me through December. After that, I think I'll try light therapy.

You've just described me. I feel so much better if I can get the sunshine but I really struggle when I cannot.. 00We live in an area when we get alot of rain and clouds. I have tried the blue lights for people with light deprivation issues but it doesn't help. I have tanned and I do think it does help a little, and I recently heard of a palce here that has UV lighting that you can go and sit which I may try. We live in Europe and try to break away and seek out the sun. It actually feels like my body is absorbing nutrients (I know that sounds weird) when I can get some sunshine. Do your docs have any thoughts on why the low D levels? Thanks for the reply. Enjoy Australia!!!!

Annette

[AVR1962]

IrishHeart makes a very good point with the supplements. I think we are all uniquely different dealing with the same issue. I thought I'd share this link about vitamin toxity. We are all trying to heal and not make things worse!

Open Original Shared Link

A blood test will tell you what you need but make sure you get a copy of the results even if doc assures you that tests were good. I had this happen more than once where a doc said nothing or claimed I didn't have anemia (in particular) only to find out what I was told was inaccurate.