Vitamins hurt...why?

So I recently have become very iron deficient and for all I know I could be anemic. I am trying so hard to get my levels up before being retested since 6 months ago I was very low (and my symptoms are worsening, hence my belief that I am in the anemia zone now) but when I take a small iron pill and vitamin c together they hurt so bad. I don't mean hurt as in stuck. I mean they sit in my stomach burning and immediately I start burping up a semi metallic flavor. For about 30 minutes I am in agony. I have tried taking them on an empty stomach thinking that maybe they are sitting in my pouch causing the trouble, I have also tried taking them on a full stomach thinking they would mix in and not cause so much pain. I have also taken them 30-45 minutes after eating hoping for a happy medium. Even drinking loads of water with them isn't helping. No matter how I take them its the same reaction. Oddly enough I can take tylenol and have zero problems. I don't get it. Does anyone have any similar experiences or thoughts on whats going on? It never hurt to take vitamins until now (though I can honestly say I have not really bothered for at least a year or more which would explain partly why I am deficient). I have taken vitamins since my surgery though and never had this problem.

I can't take any pills. They dissolve above the band and either send up nasty tastes or feel uncomfortable. Find liquid, chewable, effervescent versions. It may well be that the Tylenol are also dissolving above the band, just you don't realise it!

I could take pills for about a year post-op, then one day, for no reason, that changed. Some can always take pills, some can sometimes, some never can!  I never can now!

Kate

Thanks Kate, it sounds like I am experiencing just what you did. I dont know when it started since I got lazy for a chunk of time not taking vitamins but now this is really difficult. I may have to to take a trip to the health food store after payday but for now I have a pill crusher I might just see if I can crush these and put them in some soup or yogurt or juice.

I'd ask your Bariatric Dr or Nut about which iron product would be best for you. I get 9mg of iron (50% of daily req) in my Trader Joes High Potency Chewable multi vitamin and make sure I eat enough red meat and green veg and have had no problem with iron deficiency.
There are  flavored chewable iron tablets out there that you might want to try that won't "sit" in your tummy and have a fruity taste. After my surgery I bought Natural Factors Easy Iron 20mg chewable fruit flavored iron tablets that state on the label "easy on the stomach,easy to absorb and easy to take". I bought them at Whole Foods. They worked but I don't take them now since I get enough iron through my  multi vitamin and food.

Prior to my surgery I had hormonal problems which kept me from having my periods. I had about 2 per year. Now I have been regular for over a year and not taking any sort of vitamins let alone any additional iron. Plus I had been donating blood regularly every two months. Apparently it caught up to me because when I had some blood tests run about 6 months ago my iron was extremely low. Since then my fingers have been turning black under my gold rings, my periods have stopped again, and I have so little energy. I feel like my diet is primarily meat since I am on low carb but I realized I eat a lot of chicken. Now I am trying to have more red meat, shrimp, and other foods loaded with iron and take a suplement but its been so painful. I will definitely give the chewables a shot. Thanks.

When you eat red meat, eat something with vitamin C along with it. C helps absorb iron.

Here is a web site where you can research the nutrient content in various foods and do comparisons.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search

Good luck, iron in pill form is nasty even under the best of cir****tances.

Wow, excellent website! Thank you! I have recently begun taking vitamin C with my iron as well as drinking OJ with my meals, thanks for the tip.

 It was the blood donations that made you anemic. My daughter gets anemic each time she donates and has to take larger iron supplements, eats a ton of rare steak and spinach salads and now donates only every 3 mos. Take a break and get yourself healthy. Hope the chewable iron helps.

I actually dont think it was donating blood alone that did it. I have been donating for years. I think it was more that I started having periods again and combined with not getting as much iron in my foods my body just clearly could not continue losing extra red blood cells through donation. I had no choice but to stop but I will go back to it when I can get healthy again.

Thanks!

Hi  - I couldn't take vitamins before the lap band because of the same problem you are having. I discovered chewables.  I take a sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) iron, chewable multivitamins and calcium and a vitamin c that dissolves in liquid.  None of these hurt my stomach before or after the surgery.