Multivitamins

Gladiator.

Hi
Is it ok to take 1 multibionta probiotic multivitamin a day ,along with 2 seven seas joint care tablets( glucosamine & omega 3 & chondroitin)

Silly question probably:o

EileenG

Yes, unless you have a condition which means you shouldn't. So if you have haemochromotosis, don't take a multi with iron, for instance.

Otherwise, go for it.

Gladiator.

I would be lacking in iron if anything so I'm sure I will be fine then
Thanks for your advice

El_Dangeroso

Gladiator. wrote: »

I would be lacking in iron if anything so I'm sure I will be fine then
Thanks for your advice

How do you know you're lacking in iron? The reason I ask is that iron deficiency can be a symptom of very serious medical conditions or infections.

Believe it or not we often more than enough iron in the diet nowadays becuause of all the highly absorbable iron in fortified foods, even vegetarians. If you take more than you need there's no way of disposing of it so it just builds up over time and can play havoc with health later on in life. Best not to add in more.

I'd always recommend a multivit without iron.

Gladiator.

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

How do you know you're lacking in iron? The reason I ask is that iron deficiency can be a symptom of very serious medical conditions or infections.

Believe it or not we often more than enough iron in the diet nowadays becuause of all the highly absorbable iron in fortified foods, even vegetarians. If you take more than you need there's no way of disposing of it so it just builds up over time and can play havoc with health later on in life. Best not to add in more.

I'd always recommend a multivit without iron.

I had low iron levels before due to a condition, and I took some galfer to build the levels back up. I never said for certain my iron levels are low , but I was never told they were shooting through the roof either :pac:

EileenG

Gladiator. wrote: »

I had low iron levels before due to a condition, and I took some galfer to build the levels back up. I never said for certain my iron levels are low , but I was never told they were shooting through the roof either :pac:

The trouble is, they don't tell you. If your iron levels are high, they just smile approvingly and say "That's fine." You have to specifically ask them about high iron or mention a family history of haemochromatosis for them to tell you.

corkcomp

EileenG wrote: »

The trouble is, they don't tell you. If your iron levels are high, they just smile approvingly and say "That's fine." You have to specifically ask them about high iron or mention a family history of haemochromatosis for them to tell you.

mixed messages there.. you said while ago the op would be fine to take both unless she had haemochromatosis, but if they dont tell you without asking then should the OP not consult her doctor before taking the multivit containing iron?

Gladiator.

nobody in my family had haemochromatosis , anyway I'll pop into the doctors soon and ask for a bloodtest

EileenG

corkcomp wrote: »

mixed messages there.. you said while ago the op would be fine to take both unless she had haemochromatosis, but if they dont tell you without asking then should the OP not consult her doctor before taking the multivit containing iron?

No, I was saying that a one-a-day multi should be fine, unless you know you have a problem.

Then the subject of iron tests came up, and I said that if you are having one, you should ask specifically about high iron as well as low, because otherwise, they often don't tell you.

El_Dangeroso

Gladiator. wrote: »

nobody in my family had haemochromatosis , anyway I'll pop into the doctors soon and ask for a bloodtest

Get a test for ferritin levels, your body can 'hide' iron in muscle tissues leading to an artificially low test result when they measure haemoglobin.

The ferritin test will tell you exactly how much iron you have, hidden or not.

Gladiator.

Is it not going a bit far with these crazy sounding tests all I wanted was my vitamins and glucosamine .,

El_Dangeroso

Gladiator. wrote: »

Is it not going a bit far with these crazy sounding tests all I wanted was my vitamins and glucosamine .,

Haha! Well you did ask our opinion and you're guaranteed a detailed opinion round here for sure!

corkcomp

Gladiator. wrote: »

Is it not going a bit far with these crazy sounding tests all I wanted was my vitamins and glucosamine .,

Absolutely! Take the multi vit because if you have been on iron tabs in the past it's very unlikely you have gone to the other end of the scale

How Strange

I wouldn't take iron unless prescribed by a doctor. I seem to have a tendency towards slightly low iron levels so I include lean red meat and dark green vegetables in my diet.

Our family had no history of haemochromatosis either until an aunt was diagnosed a few years back.

I don't take multi vits but I take glucosamine and chondritin, garlic and cod liver oil capusles every day.

Sapsorrow

I'm sure if hemochromatosis was in the ops family they wouldn't have been prescribed Galfer at any point anyway, as far as I know it's prescription only no?

EileenG

Haemochromatosis is often not diagnosed at all. My uncle died of it, and it was only then that other family members were tested and found to have it. There's a high incidence in Ireland. Don't want to scare people, it's amazingly easy to treat (give blood) but you need to be aware of it.

lubie76

EileenG wrote: »

Haemochromatosis is often not diagnosed at all. My uncle died of it, and it was only then that other family members were tested and found to have it. There's a high incidence in Ireland. Don't want to scare people, it's amazingly easy to treat (give blood) but you need to be aware of it.

I had never even heard of this until quite recently. My Dad was only diagnosed with this recently and he is in his sixties. Its also called the "celtic curse" as its prevalent in Western Europeans with the highest incidence in Irish people. Thankfully he is fine as he discovered it in time and goes for regular phlebotomies but it would have eventually worn out his organs. I was going to get checked for it in case but was told both parents need to be carriers to pass it on and my mother tested negative a number of years ago

EileenG

Your mother could not have it but be a carrier, and you can't check for that. Or she could even develop it later in life. They can only test to see if you have H, not to see if you have a gene for it. In my family, the incident of H is very high. I've a bunch of cousins who have it in their early 30s, and their mother does not have it.

I go for regular checks. So far no sign. It probably helps that my mother is from a different part of the country, and that I'm a very regular blood donor. 115 pints at the last count.

corkcomp

Sapsorrow wrote: »

I'm sure if hemochromatosis was in the ops family they wouldn't have been prescribed Galfer at any point anyway, as far as I know it's prescription only no?

It can be bought over the counter but it's also frequently prescribed.. I'd agree there if the op was previously on galfer then excess iron is unlikely to be an issue.. Not impossible though.

Gladiator.

I'm sure there is loads of people who has taken galfer in the past and are now taking multibionta tablets , anyway after hearing this I think they should recommend people to get iron levels checked while taking multivitamins.

I'll get my iron levels checked for high/low next blood test I get , thanks