This is a common misunderstanding and quite understandable. The problem with B12 and Crohn's is Crohn's can interfere with every step of the very intricate process that is required for B12 to go from food bound to successful absorption. In order for vitamin B12 to be successfully absorbed, haptocorrin (R-protein or R-factor) must first be secreted in the mouth and by the stomach's parietal cells and bind to the vitamin B12 in the stomach when hydrochloric acid and pepsin separate the B12 from protein. The stomach's parietal cells must excrete intrinsic factor and the pancreas must secrete pancreatic protease which separates the haptocorrin and B12 in the duodenum, then the intrinsic factor must bind there to the B12. Recirculated B12 is also released at this point via the bile duct. Then the cubam receptors must absorb the B12 in the terminal ileum. Once absorbed, vitamin B12 binds to transcobalamin II and becomes holotranscobalamin (active vitamin B12) and is transported throughout the body. Those with Crohn's Disease have potential issues at each point, especially the terminal ileum which is the most commonly inflamed area for people with CD. Resection increases the chance of deficiency, but anyone with Crohn's is at high risk and should be tested regularly. Based upon my research, everyone should strive to get their level well in excess of 500pg/ml and oral formulations are very unlikely to do that for many. If you take oral and your tests come back above 500pg/ml then great. But if not, then injections are necessary.
The B12 doesn't hurt like the Humira medication does and the needle is smaller than the one the pen uses. As always if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself you could have a nurse do it for you in the office. I have a nurse do it for me every other month (the option to do it myself was never given to me).
I'd also suggest you keep track of your B12 lab readings. Such data can be VERY useful and important over time.
They are the fat soluble vitamins, Vitamins A, D, E, and K. The only symptoms from overdosing are nausea and irritability. Mega over dose can cause more severe reactions such as skin rashes, vomiting, bone pain. However these rare more severe reactions happen almost exclusively in children.
I exceed all my vitamins even the fat soluble ones by a good amount and i don't experience any of these symptoms.
The other, water soluble vitamins can take just about any dose. There are cases in which patients will take 100,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day
Gianni
Gianni,
Taking too many vitamins is not good at all. Even though vitamin C does not get stored and needs to be replenished every day - taking more than 250-500mg/day can cause serious problems in the long run. The body can't use more than that and must work hard to get rid of the excess.
Vitamin C is an acid and consequently will acidify the urine as the body eliminates the excess. If the pH of the urine drops too low then minerals can precipitate out and form kidney stones. Another problem with having urine that's too acidic is that it can affect the elimination of certain drugs which can obviously lead to serious problems as well.
The fat soluble vitamins stick around longer and you have to be careful of them too. Vitamin D for example, is fat soluble and the current recommendations on dosing are between 1000iu to 4000iu daily, depending on your age. If you take 50,000iu/day for several months, your levels will get too high and you can develop a rare condition called Hypervitamosis D (Vitamin D toxicity). This will definitely cause fatigue, nausea, dehydration, anorexia, dehydration, irritability and among other things it causes elevated calcium levels in your blood which lead to kidney stones and/or irreversible kidney damage. Imagine what would happen if you took too much vitamin D together with too much vitamin C,,, Can you imagine peeing out that monster size stone? YIKES!
This is what could happen if you exceed the recommended limit of just two vitamins. Imagine the havoc wreaked in your body if you take excessive levels of all of them. :yfaint:
The long and the short of it is maintaining the proper balance of vitamins in your body will do you the most good. If you take more vitamins than your body can use, then more energy and resources are tied up to get rid of them. That is not a good thing. So be careful because overdosing on vitamins can even be fatal in extreme cases. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to find out what supplements if any, you should be taking and make sure you ask them about the proper dose.
I hope this helps
All of them?
Obviously some vitamins and minerals are worse than others and are easier to get too much of. And problems such as kidney or liver issues makes that even easier still. Common ones people take that I worry a lot about are zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin A. The problem with the vast majority of Vitamin A is it bypasses the body's mechanism for making sure you don't get too much. You can't really OD on carrots but you sure can on OTC vitamin A.
Gianni,
I assumed that you weren't taking 100,000mg of vitamin C because that would mean ingesting 100 tablets if they were 1000mg each... YUCK! :ylol:
As for causing kidney stones, I can assure you that acidifying the urine increases your chances of having kidney stones. They don't happen over night and the risk not the same for everyone -- however it can happen over time if your urine remains acidic. It not that Vitamin C causes kidney stones alone, it's just one factor that sets up a favorable environment for them to form and some people are more prone that others
There is plenty of documentation that acidic urine increases the risk of kidney stone formation. For example the sulfa drugs have been implicated in this, they can not remain in solution if the pH is too low and kidney stones are a problem particularly in acidic urine. That's what happens when calcium is elevated in your blood, only so much of it can stay dissolved before it precipitates out and collects in the kidneys. I know that you are not denying that kidney stones exist, I am just trying to make you aware of the conditions that promote their formation.
If you insist on taking 2000 mg vitamin C just make sure that you drink plenty of water, and remember that if your body cant absorb the vitamin C it winds up in your urine. So don't piss away too much money
I appreciate the links that you included. Don't get me wrong, I certainly agree that the RDA requirements are too low, and I feel very comfortable recommending 250-500mg/day of vitamin C supplementation. Remember that you do get additional vitamin C in your diet and extra from fortified food. However, I don't want to suggest taking too much because some people don't handle the extra load very well, especially older people.
Just like vitamins are good for you, Red wine is good for you as well, but what happens if you drink too much of it? Just ask the French. Red wine is very good for your heart. The people in France drink lots of it and have a lower incidence of heart disease despite the crazy amount of fat in their diet. However, the rate of liver disease is also higher and is directly proportional to the amount of wine ingested.
Just keep in mind, your body is constantly trying to maintain a delicate balance. Over loading it (even slightly) with one or two of the bazillion nutrients it needs will cause the body to react and deal with the excess to maintain homeostasis. Each person will react differently, it is by no means an exact science but this much is certain, as you get older you will find that your body is not as forgiving as it is now, enjoy being young. :cheerss:
Certainly it's important for us to have enough nutrients available for our body to function and is of particular importance with us since we are prone to certain deficiencies that can exacerbate our condition, just try not to over do it.
I am going to take my dog out for a walk before it rains. Have a nice day were ever you are.
Have a nice day as-well. Cute dog by the way. I still believe it was along the lines of if you take too much of one it makes it so you don't absorb or process another very well which can result in damage to your body or a particular organ. I don't really remember though. Oh well.
... thanks for the tip!
! Now I'm 45 min away, so my husband gives them to me weekly. I'm sure they are helping me . I also juiced for 3 days which helped me a ton. Then I ate. Anyway, hopefully they can get you levels to a norm so you feel better!
