Vitamin questions-when to take & when do they start working?

[Mom2oneboy]

If one is taking supplements for iron, vitamin d, etc. when would you expect to see that reflect in your blood work? And let's assume the person taking them has no absorption issues.

Also, when do you take your vitamins/supplements....morning, night, empty stomach, with food? If you are on an antibiotic should the timing of that be considered?

I have no answers but plenty of questions .

Thanks for the feedback,
Shelley

 

[Irene3]

Sorry I can't answer any of that, but Im so glad you asked. Looking forward to the answers, especially considering antibiotics.

Is a probiotic good to take while on antibiotics? And on empty stomach in the morning?
Started garlic supplent to help candida, is this good before food. With a milk coaling of the gut, can you still absorb vit d fishoils ect??

 

[rygon]

with antibiotics yes they should be considered. Talk to your doctor (i was ciproxflaxin (sp?) and it told me not to take iron suppliments or milk)

I also had iron suppliments which took 3+ months before in saw any improvement (albeit slowly), so dont expect any miracles unfortunately. I do take multi vits everyday tho and do think they have helped me

 

[Jennifer]

I think the best time to take vitamins and the like are when you take the rest of your medication so you remember to take them (unless you're dealing with stuff like niacin where there's a reaction). I have a really hard time taking pills in the morning or during the day because I've always taken my medication in the evening (some of it makes me drowsy so it makes sense) so when I started taking vitamins, I took them at night with everything else and I haven't missed a day.

As for how long it takes, that can vary. You'll want to make sure you're taking them everyday and my GP tested my blood one month after starting the vitamins (this was back when we were checking my B12 for the first time). There was no change so we tried a different form of B12 with a higher dose too (dissolves under the tongue) and rechecked after another month yet there was still no change. Started having shots of B12 and checked the levels after 2 months and it was within the normal range.

You probably wont notice a sudden change as it will be quite gradual so just have your doctor check the blood every month (if possible) and see if it stabilizes and have it rechecked every now and then after (especially if your son is feeling poorly).

 

[Catherine]

With iron supplement you will get most benefit if taken with vitamin C. I would ask for a blood test after two months of iron supplement. I would get both hemoglobin levels and iron studies. Make sure you get copies of tests for your records if possible.

You are looking for two things, one the levels haven't got any worse, and hopefully some improvement.

 

[David]

1. How many IUs of vitamin D are you taking and what was your level when you were tested?

2. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. Taking it with food that contains a little fat can help with absorption. Please not a Big Mac, I'm thinking a healthier fat like olive oil

3. A lot of people will take iron with a fruit juice like orange juice. Rygon had excellent info about the antibiotics. I assume you're doing all this under the suggestion of your doctor?

4. Do not eat any of the following within 2 hours of taking iron: cheese, yogurt, eggs, milk, spinach, tea or coffee, whole-grain breads and cereals and bran. They can reduce its efficacy significantly. Taking iron with food is shown to reduce absorption by 2/3rds. However, if you experience a lot of gastrointestinal issues due to supplementing the iron, taking it with food is better than not taking it at all. If you do need to take it with food, take it with a meat as that can actually enhance absorption. Not a processed meat please.

5. If your iron is OTC pill form and enteric-coated, get a new one as that often causes it not to be released in the duodenum which is what you want.

6. If you supplement iron properly, a 1–2 g/dL improvement in hemoglobin every two weeks can be expected. The key is of course proper supplementation. Disclaimer: malabsorption, blood loss, and a variety of other factors present with IBD can affect that. It can take 3-4 months to get back to normal iron stores if you're severely deficient.

7. What is the "Etc" in your supplement list?

 

[Jennifer]

Try Zinc and B vitamins David. I believe they were mentioned in another thread and you know more than me.

 

[Beach]

* I take my vitamin D3 in the morning. It's known for keeping one awake when swallowed before bed time. It can take up to 4 months, sometimes longer, to reach top testing levels - or another way to phrase it, to fill up fully with D3. I personally aim for a testing level between 60 to 70ng/ml. When I first began taking D3 I was taking 8000ius a day. Now I only need 5000ius in order to keep within the testing range I'm looking for.

I don't know of D3's effectiveness level for bowel conditions. You might think of D3 and its many uses in the body as a multi stage water fountain. When first supplementing, the body uses D3 for helping with bone strength. Then once D3 levels go higher, it is helpful at preventing cancers. And finally near the top testing range, D3 is thought to help fight against infections, relieve depression symptoms, help with winter blues, etc.

The most noticeable effects I have felt from D3 are increased energy, relief from winter blues when I lived up north, and I stopped catching a cold during winter time. Some feel the reason why we have a flu season is during winter the sun goes away for a few months for many in the US, resulting in D3 levels to drop.

* Another fat soluble vitamin I take is K2. Unlike other fat soluble nutrients, K2 remains in the body for a short period of time. There are two forms of K2 sold in stores. K2-4, the type of K2 found most often in nature from animals sources that have been pasture fed, only lasts a few hours in circulation. K2-7, the type of K2 we are most likely to eat in todays modern world as it is found in fermented cheese, lasts for 2 to 3 days if I remember correctly.

I take K2 twice a day, once in the morning, and once in the evening. And I take a supplement that mixes both K2-4 and K2-7 together. There is no test for K2 levels that I'm aware of. There is also no known toxicity to K2. People have been known to consume massive dosage amounts with out causing health issues.

The most noticeable difference I've noticed since taking K2 is that I stopped developing dental cavities. I wish I had known about this vitamin when younger, as with many with bowel conditions, my teeth began to fall apart. Additionally I have a dentist that is aggressive at doing preventive dental work. So I had a number of teeth capped in the front of my mouth that I probably should have said lets leave alone. They look awful in my opinion. And had I known about K2 plus the importance also of limiting or eliminating grains from the diet, for dental health, I could have saved myself some grief.

I've seen several articles on the benefits of K2, but one I recall on a paleo sight I visit.

"Vitamin K2, Menatetrenone, Weston A. Price Activator X…or Whatever…It’s Amazing"

http://freetheanimal.com/2012/01/vi...-price-activator-xor-whateverits-amazing.html

* With many avoiding and not adding much salt to foods any longer, I began to supplement with kelp iodine rich tablets. Salt is fortified with iodine. Seems goiters are becoming more common once again with people not eating as much iodine, with thyroid testing level issues developing.

From what I've read it can take a few months of supplementing with iodine to notice a different in TSH testing levels. One example I recall where it took 3 months for thyroid levels to return to normal ~

"Iodine deficiency is REAL"

http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2009/08/iodine-deficiency-is-real.html

* Fish oil is another supplement I take. I guess for some it can take a few years sometimes to reach an optimal 10% omega 3 index.