One generic multi-vitamin and -mineral supplement, and calcium/vitamin D. Just for insurance.
I also take creatine, and use protein powder when I want to gain weight (like now). Male, 56, very active physically.
Regards,
Shodan
In the US, I think they recommend that all pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant take a folic acid supplement.
I’ve been taking prenatal vitamins since I started trying to conceive, which is pretty standard advice. I also take calcium, iron, and a B complex vitamin. I started taking the iron when I had anemia a few years back, and that made it go away.
I take a proton pump inhibitor for acid reflux, and I’ve heard that proton pump inhibitors can also inhibit absorption of iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. I also don’t eat a lot of meat, particularly not a lot of red meat, so I’m probably not getting as much iron or B12 as a lot of people.
I take a daily multivitamin. The main improvement I have seen is that it makes people stop fussing at me to take a daily multivitamin. It doesn’t seem to be doing any damage, and they’re cheap, so I keep at it. I don’t buy anything fancy, just a bottle of horse pills that contain generic ‘nutrients for humans’.
Caffeine, on the other hand, I cannot live without. I tried going off it completely once, in an effort to lower my stress levels, and discovered after three or four months that it was making me worse – my natural sleep schedule doesn’t mesh well with business hours, and I felt like I was stumbling around freaking out and unable to handle anything, all the time. I don’t like coffee and I can only drink so much cola, so I generally just keep a bottle of tablets around.
Anne Neville good luck and best wishes with your trying to become a mama!
Your point about Proton Pump Inhibitors is interesting to me. When my kidney was removed, the tumour was so large ( but thankfully contained all within the kidney capsule) that it had to be removed from the front of my abdomen and the resulting damage to my abdominal muscles caused by the surgery means that the relevant muscles never now fully close off my gullet. Leaves me prone to acid reflux. I take omeprazole for the last 12 years. I didn’t know and wasn’t advised that such drugs ( and especially for a long time) may impact mineral and vitamin absorption.
ignorance fought. something I will research more thank you
No vitamins or supplements currently. I eat a lot of salads.
Cautionary note here: the more blood tests you get, the higher the odds that one or more values will be abnormal but not medically significant, leading to more tests (that may or may not be accurate) and possibly unnecessary drugs or procedures*.
Mrs. J. once had liver function tests that were grossly out of whack, leading to much angst until they were repeated and magically were normal.
Shotgun approaches to lab testing make me :dubious:.
*more than you probably want to know about matters such as sensitivity and specificity of lab tests and likelihood of errors here.
I take a number of supplements each day:
I have a history of 1) catching a lot of colds, and 2) when getting sick, getting really laid out (3 weeks is not uncommon). So a lot of what I take is to help bolster my immune system to try to battle cold viruses more effectively:
- Trader Joe’s (time release) multi-vitamin (also because my diet has been pretty bad)
- Vitamin Shop “From the Earth”
- Zinc
My doctor measured my low (possible side-effect of my cholestral meds), so I take Potassium supplements per recommendation.
Because I’m an old fart:
- fish oil to prevent heart attack
- low dose aspirin for heart attack
- Glucosamine to help arthritis/joint issues
Of all the supplements I take, I think the multi-vitamins and the “From the Earth” have been the most noticeable. The “sampling” is still a bit light, but it seems the “From the Earth” has helped with avoiding some colds, and lessenning the impact of colds (but only 2 so far).
The multi-vitamins seem to do “something” more because when I run out (on a trip or something), I notice a difference in energy level.
I take a daily multivitamin geared towards vegans…it has 100% RDA of B12, something my diet lacks.
Daily biotin supplement, cause I like having long hair and nails.
Effect of proton pump inhibitors on iron and B12 absorption
There’s a link between taking proton pump inhibitors and bone fractures in older women, which might be because they inhibit calcium absorption.
Might be worth getting checked for anemia, if you haven’t been checked and you’ve felt tired.
Thanks! I’m due to have our baby girl 8/13.
Despite eating a varied and relatively healthy diet, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago as vitamin D deficient. After browsing for a vitamin D supplement that didn’t have a goddam megadose per pill, I settled on a multivitamin that gives something like 100% of the RDA.
My deficiency appears to be familial. My niece is deficient, and so is my dad. My sister was diagnosed with MS four years ago, and vitamin D deficiency is currently suspected to be a risk factor for that disease.
Vitamin D is all I take. If I spent more time in the sun or lived in lower latitudes, even that wouldn’t be necessary.
As a physician, I’ve kept up with the scientific medical literature, and have concluded that unless there are specific diseases or deficiencies or really odd diets involved (or certain situations like pregnancy or trying-to-get-pregnant), supplementation with other vitamins is rarely necessary.
Each day I take a turmeric pill and a fish oil capsule (although recent research is making me less enthusiastic about the benefits of the latter) and in winter take Vitamin D3 supplement haphazardly.
I take a daily multivitamin (well, 4-5 days a week).
Vitamin D I take daily - I think it’s 1000 iu
Daily fiber supplement. I try really hard to get what I need through my diet, but this was recommended to me. Specifically, I use the metamucil powder that fully dissolves in liquid so I don’t notice it.
Cranberry pills - I have a history of UTIs, and these seem to help me.
I take a multivitamin “for women” with iron. Since I don’t eat much red meat or leafy greens, I just go for the extra iron.
I also take fish oil since I never ever eat fish, and try to work in 2 tbs of flax meal daily. The never-ending quest to try to straighten up my cholesterol.
I started taking a daily PPI and the one that made my stomach feel best (Protonix) made my heart race and my body tired. I read that magnesium depletion was a side-effect of the drug and the symptoms were similar. My doctor said it’s a rare side effect and taking magnesium wasn’t going to help me…but I wanted to stay on the drug so I got me some 500mg magnesium and yadda yadda I feel better than I have in months!
I take a variety - because my stomach was removed and I don’t absorb many of them. Over the years we’ve found me deficient in B12, potassium, iron and D (probably related to life style and not going out in the sun enough.) (I’m forgetting one, I’m sure of it.)
My doc told me that many other have the same or similar absorption mechanisms and so I take two children’s chewables. We test my blood 4 times a year.
I use 5 hour energy for the B vitamins and no longer need to go to a doc for a needle.
I also take SAM-E because some studies have found it helps with muscle pain and gives energy. I believe it has given me some relief on both, although if someone were to claim the relief is due to placebo effect, I wouldn’t care enough either way to argue the point.
Good luck!
I’m taking a prenatal vitamin also, since we’re still working on making a first kid happen.
My doctor told me to take a vitamin D supplement, so I’ll be starting on that shortly.
Multivitamin, biotin, and glucosamine. Sporadically, though - maybe 2-4 x week.
Multi: “just in case” (usually on days when I know I’ve been eating crap).
Biotin: made a noticeable difference in my splitting, peeling nails.
Glucosamine: chronic joint problems seem less noticeable when I’ve been taking them diligently.
I often take a probiotic and a simple A-C-D vitamin.
Occasionally a fiber supplement.
Not for any particular need. I just like them.
Yep, about 8 kilo. My goal is to lose another 10 kilo or so (22 pounds), although my doctor would be much happier if I lost another 40 kilo. I’m pretty happy with how I feel when I’m 200 pounds (90kilo), though, even though it still puts me at obese on the BMI. At that weight, I can run a mile, climb 2 flights of stairs without getting out of breath, my knees don’t hurt and my blood pressure is good. But I still have the squishy bits and curvy curves my SO loves. We’ll see. I wouldn’t be averse to going down to 180 (81kilo) if it doesn’t take too long and leave me feeling depleted.
Traditionally, it’s used to lesson cravings for sugar/sweets and aid in weight loss. Animal studies show promise for using it to reduce weight and keep it off, as well as some effect on some (but not all) lipids.
Possibly it helps level out blood sugar, and it may even have good effects on cholesterol, too. Here’s one study where it showed some pretty nice results in Type II diabetics. I’m not diabetic, but I had an A1C uncomfortably close to the diabetic range recently, so…
They’re cheap and have no side effects which concern me, and either they or the placebo effect they give me do make me less interested in food in general and sweets in particular. I’m a great fan of using the placebo effect in my favor. 
The wife and I both take a Centrum-brand multivitamin once a day. Just seems like a good thing to do.