Community Forums

Vitamin / Mineral S...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Vitamin / Mineral Supplements

9 Posts
8 Users
1 Reactions
4,324 Views
(@uctoostomy)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 42
Topic starter  

Hello my fellow ostomates and friends!

I am wondering what vitamin / mineral supplements you guys / gals take to help stay  healthy.  Our modified plumbing can make absorbing these nutrients tough and some people supplement to ensure their bodies are getting the vitamins and minerals it needs.  I've even read of people taking prenatal vitamins because of their high amounts of vitamins. Others swear by liquid vitamins.  What about Calcium  supplements?  Lord knows our bones have taken a beating from times on Prednisone (for us IBD folks).

Personally I take 2000 IU of Vit D with an omega 3 fish oil (sorry Eric)  one week on and one week off.  I am never consistent either.  Also I sometimes take a supplement called Chlorella. I love this stuff!  Took so much years ago my skin turned orange from the Beta-Carotene. Other than that, I take an odd B12 or a multivitamin.  Just want to know what you all think.  Thanks !

 


   
Quote
(@john68)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2058
 

Hi UCtoOstomy, My own thinking on this is keep it simple. Their are so many supplements and vitamins marketed at everyone not just Ostomates and most of them just make expensive pee!! Keeping hydrated, a little extra salt and a healthy diet of fruit and veg. Some of us have higher output and more problems to address and our own body will soon tell us if some thing is lacking.

ileostomy 31st August 1994 for Crohns


   
ReplyQuote
sjlovestosing
(@sjlovestosing)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 651
 

Good advice, John,

I keep it simple as well - a multivitamin and extra C - and try to eat a diet filled with nutritious food. Liquids are very important as well. Hope this helps, UCtoOstomy.

Stella


   
ReplyQuote
VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 4372
 

My advice is: Get tested first. Supplement second. 

Sometimes, there is harm in taking supplements you don't actually need, so I always base my supplement use on what my blood tests indicate. 

Currently, I take Vitamin D and B12 - both of which have been historically low since I was diagnosed with Crohn's. In the past, I had to take iron supplements because I developed anemia caused by bleeding in my gut, but it's been years since I've needed those. On occasion, I'll take a DHA (algae-based) supplement, but they tend to give me side effects. 

For most people who eat a healthful diet, supplementation isn't really necessary and most packaged foods are often fortified with nutrients that most people fall short on (B vitamins, folate, vitamin b12, iron, etc.). 

 

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
LK reacted
ReplyQuote
(@bubbles)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 244
 

Why do you skip a week . Stay consistent take everyday with food . Must be taken with food that is key . Vitamin D3 taken with a milk source absorbs best . Split vitamins up take at breakfast and at dinner . Half the dose AM other half PM . This is what nurtionist in hospital told me .  B-12 must be the Sublingual kind .

I don't take calcium supplements. I just drink milk . I suffer from kidneys stones that are calcium based . Supplements makes worse .


   
ReplyQuote
Dona
 Dona
(@dona)
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 832
 

Simple for me as well. I take a multivitamim multimimeral daily. Plus a D supplement. I think lots of us have lost the part of the illium that absorbs D.

Mostly I rely on eating really well, lots of fruit and veg. Lots of water. The only meat I eat is salmon.

Onset of severe Ulcerative Colitus Oct.2012. Subtotal colectomy with illiostomy July 2015; Peristomal hernia repair ( Sugarbaker, mesh, laparoscopic) May 2017.


   
ReplyQuote
 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1557
 

This is a great topic. I take a multivitamin with minerals. I am malnourished so my hair is falling out something awful. My doctor has me on B12 shots once every three weeks. He taught me to do my own. It is a prescription. Before the shots I was taking a B12 vitamin, but it only went right thru me. Because my guts are always so active, I often find meds. in the output. So he has me crushing some of them. I have now lost 50 pounds due to malabsorption. I have just been told to take an Iron supplement, because I  am anemic now too. I would strongly suggest you ask your doctor to test your vitamin standing and go back to get those results. Talk to him then about what you want to take and tell him why. If it is fatigue, you need your B12 tested. This affects so much of a persons health, just as iron does. Otherwise, I too rely on foods and vegies, especially to fill the bill. I eat very little red meat because it hurts like you know what, to digest it, no matter how much I mulch it down. I have always chewed my food down to almost powder because my guts are always so painful. ( I actually hate my guts! But, I try to be nice to them and not let them know!)  I hope things go well for you!  Being tested is so worth it! I take Melatonin for sleep help. My doctor knows absolutely everything I take. Added vitamins can actually mess with your blood results and are important to let even your surgeon know you are taking them.  I take  Aspirin for a clotting disorder, I had no idea how serious it was until they had to delay surgery because I needed blood thinners. The surgeon gave me royal you know what, and insisted I take a full aspirin daily. Last time I had blood taken, my blood would not even roll in the tube. I chewed two aspirin immediately. If a normal body takes aspirin before surgery, they could have bleeding problems. It is really important to talk to to your doctor about vitamins because of the other things that can result to something, you may not know about. I  drink a lot of  milk, whole milk to get the calcium and Vit. D I need.  Good luck with this! Thank you for the topic. I have learned something here too.

Dona, can we share recipes? I have a salmon pie recipe you might enjoy. Sorry Eric, I know you are open to those of us not Vegan, but I have to say, I really understand why you are. You are so very kind.

Linda


   
ReplyQuote
(@uctoostomy)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 42
Topic starter  

Thanks for the replies and input.  Bubbles, I skip a week because I travel for work. One week in one week out.  So I alternate what I'm taking based on if I'm home or working.  Also, I don't drink milk because I frankly believe it was a contributing factor in me getting UC.  And because of what I've read about milk and its contributions to our ailing health and cancer....  But these are only my opinions.  Some people can drink it fine and have no issues.  My next physical I'll ask for the tests and for now I'll just keep trying to eat healthy.  Fortunately I don't have much issues with food as an ostomate but I do avoid popcorn and corn.  Plus I'll continue taking my chlorella until I'm out.   


   
ReplyQuote
(@valerie)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 27
 

I take what I know I don't get in my very limited diet due to severe adhesions- chewable multiple vitamin/mineral, d in a capsule, a capsule of electrolytes, and chewable c. Others I have tried make me sick. I also use salt substitute for the potassium, as well as regular salt.

UC at age 18, 1981. Diagnosed at 20, proctocolectomy with permanent ileostomy at age 23, 1986.


   
ReplyQuote