Problems with supplements?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had any bad reactions to supplements? Like with the b vitamins or magnesium or calcium? We are about to have new blood work done to test for various vitamin and mineral levels but my pediatrician really just wants me to focus on a well balanced diet and avoid most of them but our developmental people are pushing the supplements.

[Anonymous]

There's no real evidence that supplements are helpful, and they can be very expensive. Do the developmental people sell you the supplements they are pushing?

[Anonymous]

With a kid that is a picky eater it is hard to get all your nutriants through food.

We have used supplements with some success, I agree that they are expensive though I think that they are worth trying

[Anonymous]

We use supplements multiple times per day with no problems. But, it depends what you are looking for. There is no such thing as a balanced diet any longer. They've taken "healthy" out of food.

[Anonymous]

The only supplement my DC has trouble with so far is magnesium (which is added to help with calcium absorption). It acts as a laxative for him even in tiny doses and he doesn't need a laxative.

With vitamins like D you need to be careful. On the one hand most kids are too low, on the other hand watch the levels you give, because too much D can be toxic.

I am a big believer in supplements as long as you get some baselines for vitamin levels so you know what is deficient.

[Anonymous]

I have tried large amounts of supplements after working with a nutritionist to help me manage a chronic condition. It ended up being trial and error. One supplement did not work well for me and and no matter the dosage, I felt ill after taking it. Others have been very helpful - I know I need high doeses all the B vitamins.

Also, some people say you can feel the effects within a month. In my case, it took about 3 months before the sustained work of the improved nutrition realy had an effect on me. It is sometimes a trial and error approach. Also, be sure to figure out who has the best and is standardizing the dosage. The Newshour just had a story on supplements and some that they tested didn't even have the "main" ingedient in it!

[Anonymous]

Which supplements have been the most helpful? Which ones have adverse effects and how have you been able to link those effects to the supplement and not something else.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP and no my doctors who suggest supplements are not selling them. I'm not taking medical advice from a door to door salesman. I give my kids a REALLY balanced and healthy diet -- my DC ate half a dinner plate of cabbage with hamburger and sweet potato for dinner. She eats lots of veggies and no processed food. I'm not bragging. my point is there are still some BIG deficiencies in her blood work --t hat can't be fixed with diet. I'm nervous about taking supplements because I know the best way to get vitamins is naturally but I'd also like to see if they can help.

[Anonymous]

OP, many times all you have to do is a cleanse in order to see results. If nutrients are being stolen, even though you're serving the right foods, perhaps there are parasites to deal with. What about candida yeast?

[Anonymous]

Is a medical doctor telling you there are problems with her bloodwork? If your daughter is healthy, thats all you need to know. The goal isn't to meet certain numbers, its to have a healthy child. Some folks just have a different normal. My calcium is always a little high, but so what? I wonder if you should rely on these "developmental people?"

[hedgehog]

How did you convince your medical doctor (ped) to do the bloodwork to determine deficiencies? I asked at our last appointment, but was not forceful. The doctor was not interested in pursuing, but I don't see how it can hurt to know if there's a deficiency.

[Anonymous]

Some developmental pediatricians are starting to recommend looking at levels of certain nutrients.

to 11:22, actually that's not the case. Many eemingly healthy kids have really low vitamin D levels which puts them at risk for a whole array of health issues in the future. In the present it puts them at risk for brittle bones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some developmental pediatricians are starting to recommend looking at levels of certain nutrients.

to 11:22, actually that's not the case. Many eemingly healthy kids have really low vitamin D levels which puts them at risk for a whole array of health issues in the future. In the present it puts them at risk for brittle bones.

Some OBs are now checking for Vit D deficiency in post partum mothers....it's been linked to depression, joint pain, and fatigue.

[Anonymous]

My internist has diagnosed me with Vitamin D deficiency. Frankly, I felt fine before knowing this and don't feel any different even though I'm taking Vitamin D supplements. IMHO, supplements don't hurt but I think the notion that they are going to cause conditions like ADHD or autism to vanish or greatly diminish on their own is baseless.

[hedgehog]

Anonymous wrote:My internist has diagnosed me with Vitamin D deficiency. Frankly, I felt fine before knowing this and don't feel any different even though I'm taking Vitamin D supplements. IMHO, supplements don't hurt but I think the notion that they are going to cause conditions like ADHD or autism to vanish or greatly diminish on their own is baseless.

I had a severe vitamin D deficiency. I had a whole list of complaints which I thought were the result of getting older and did not think I could change. All I can say is WOW! Vitamin D has changed my body. I have to respectfully disagree with you when you say a vitamin deficiency can't have a major impact on a body, depression and energy.