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Problem from multi-vitamin

ADKer
ADKer CSN Member Posts: 147
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I have been feeling kind of lousy lately - not real bad, just kind of lethargic, uncomfortable, not sleeping well. I also had discomfort in the middle of my stomach when I took a deep breath. Although I have a number of small lung mets and some elevated liver enzymes, the discomfort was not really in the area of my liver and definitely not in my lungs. I had a very recent CT scan showing a clear liver and my CEA, a good indicator for me, is less than 5. My chemo was decreased and I did not feel better. I finally figured out that I started feeling poorly not too long after I started a One-A-Day multi-vitamin for women (which my oncologist allowed but did not prescribe). I also take Zantac twice per day per my oncologist's order. Between the multi-vitamin and the Zantac, I believe that I was receiving a significant quantity of calcium, which I understand can be quite constipating. Less than a week after stopping the multi-vitamin, my system is back to (post-colon resection) normal. I am sleeping better and definitely on the upswing. Just a few words of caution about unexpected side-effects from supplements, even as innocuous as a multi-vitamin.
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Comments

  • nudgie
    nudgie CSN Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #2
    Could it have been a reaction from the two? I take a multi-vitamin, Folic Acid, Prevacid, Lipitor, and another calcium vitamin in a day. But I split up the pills. In the morning, I take the Lipitor and multi-vitamin and around 1:00pm EST I take the Folic Acid and then around 3:00-4:00pm I take the additional calcium vitamin.

    So far, it works for me, but it is funny how our systems react so differently. It's what make us special :)

    Glad to hear you are back to your old self
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  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia CSN Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #3
    Nudgie!!
    Written by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD.

    Only about five years ago, every patient of mine who finished chemotherapy was given a vitamin cocktail to further reduce colon cancer risk. It was calcium, selenium, vitamin E and folic acid.

    Over the last three years, folic acid has been shown to increase growth of polyps, and in patients with metastatic disease it may shorten life. The protective value of vitamin E has been questioned, and there was evidence that it might increase prostate cancer risk. Selenium did not show benefit.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Just a heads-up on Folic Acid!
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  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg CSN Member Posts: 731
    #4
    nudgie said:

    Could it have been a reaction from the two? I take a multi-vitamin, Folic Acid, Prevacid, Lipitor, and another calcium vitamin in a day. But I split up the pills. In the morning, I take the Lipitor and multi-vitamin and around 1:00pm EST I take the Folic Acid and then around 3:00-4:00pm I take the additional calcium vitamin.

    So far, it works for me, but it is funny how our systems react so differently. It's what make us special :)

    Glad to hear you are back to your old self

    Splitting calcium.
    Probably a lot of us are taking calcium+D supplements. My gastroenterologist told me I should take the pills at two different times (as you are doing), since an oral dose doesn't remain active in the system for very long.

    --Greg
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