Liquid Vitamins

Hi. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis this past summer after several months of nausea and then terrible non-stop vomiting. I ended up in the hospital and was given reglan and potassium as my levels were low from the constant vomiting. After a week, I went home with a prescription for Reglan but I found the side effects horrible and had to stop it. I did some research and was thrilled when I was able to eat strained soups, juices, and so forth. I was really progressing, however since then I have relapsed twice and for the past 2 months I have not even been able to drink the Boost ...rather I have been drinking a nutritional juice called Breeze. I just started on Domperidone this week, and today I had my first Boost and so far....no nausea or vomiting - whoppee! But as I am working towards getting back to drinking the Boost, I want to supplement with liquid vitamins. Can anyone recommend a good brand with all of the necessary vitamins? I have found very few that are complete. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to learning and contributing what I can to this community. Again, thanks for any help you can give.

By JoAllison
Posted July 25, 2008 at 9:34 pm

Probably easiest to find is Centrum has a liquid vitamin, but it's pricey & doesn't has as many vitamins as I would expect. My health food store had a green glop thing that had 100% of this & that but that worried me as too many vitamins can be dangerous too. I'm currently using Drinkables Liquid Multi-vitamins (a daily dose contains 100% of 13 Vitamins, Major and Trace Minerals, Lutein and Lycopene.). It doesn't have calcium. Since calcium is important for a woman my age I finally tracked down a liquid calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D supplement by Bluebonnet. I order both of these through Amazon.com.

Jo

By mphotographer
Posted July 25, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Hi JEM and Jo-
I am so glad that you are doing better JEM and that you are able to eat a bit more. I hope the Domperidone continues to work for you. I take Source of Life Liquid Vitamins on the recommendation of a nutritionalist. You have to keep it refrigerated and I think it's delicious! It's made of whole food concentrate. It has all the vitamins and minerals along with whole foods, bee pollen, etc. I have tolerated it well and make sure that I eat before taking it.

As you said Jo, generally women can't get enough calcium and magnesium through a general vitamin. Thanks Jo for the tip on where to get liquid calcium and magnesium. I had that down as a question to my doctor!

mphotographer

By JoAllison
Posted July 26, 2008 at 10:40 am

Typo in my first reply (& no edit button?), the healthfood store one (Nature's Way Alive! Liquid Multi Vitamin) had 1000% o & 1333% of various vitamins...which if you can't get much food in you at all might be a good thing [since the percentages are based on a regular 1800 -2000 calorie diet], but too many vitamins can be as dangerous as none. So since I can still eat real food to an extent & because to my taste buds it was horrible (everyone is different), I went looking for other options. And found the ones I mentioned above.

I stopped my pill vitamins right away after the diagnosis because I'd read they could cause bezoars and they weren't doing me any good sitting in my stomach & not getting to the intestines for hours & hours.

By NancyL
Posted July 27, 2008 at 10:44 am

I discovered a brand of liquid vitamins called Liquimax Complete Nutrition By YourLife. You can buy it at Cosco or perhaps find it on line? THe taste is not too bad (I think better then the Centrim. It is ironfree and I tolerate it well.

By screamer
Posted July 27, 2008 at 1:59 pm

I was on reglan and lost all muscle strength at random times in my legs! Then dompeidome was working and I ran out and it is not available in the usa. I can get it from canada and I am going to I had the test before and on domperidome and it defineitly improved my motillity. I don't remember side effects from it either. I did not realize how much problems were caused by the slow motility. I thought it was the fibromyalgia/epstein barr virus but reading this makes me realize it is the gastro problem exasperating everything else. So big Thanks to you guys. It seems like with 20 doctors one would have said that to me. They blow it off as functional pain!!!!! I want to hurt them when they say that I really get sad too. I am not functional with this pain. I know that they mean it wont kill me but each doctor takes care about that one section gut, brain, muscles, etc. They do not match up because painmeds slow motility. Viscous circle. Miralax has helped me TREMENDOUSLY. I hope to be back on dom... soon. Let me know Please how you feel about the drug and where you get it. Take care.
Jeni is my name I just was screamer because of the screamin pain.

By screamer
Posted July 27, 2008 at 2:01 pm

For vitamins I often use chewable childrens in larger numbers and it helps me a lot. Kids isnot as hard on the tummy and no iron of course and come in liquid too. just a thought not as expensive either.
jeni

By screamer
Posted July 27, 2008 at 2:09 pm

Also I have seen many aloe vitamin liquids coming around. Has anyone ever tried those liquid sprays. I use them and I feel better It is HGH EXTREME. and expensive as heck! Homeopathic and you spray it under your tongue three sprays three times a day. Check it out at least I don't know what all is in it and I cant read it on the bottle but it was stuff like llicoriceroot and vitamins and hgh. I had some antiviral IV's with the same ingredients and really was feeling better and shots of hgh. I was getting them at a clinic for fibro and fatigue. Let me know if you have tried any with success. they also have lots of combos for vitamins at the fibroandfatigue.om They had me putting scoops of powder in my drinks and it was mostly magnesium and potassium I think. So that might be an option too. Good luck. We are all trying to figure it out and sooner or later one of us will...haha.
Jeni

By mphotographer
Posted July 30, 2008 at 8:56 am

Hi Jo-
I am going through menopause and was concerned about my magnesium/calcium levels too, but my doctor said that they are both hard on the gut so not to take them now. Have you had trouble with the liquid form? Just thought I'd pass this on to you. Hope today is a good stomach day for everyone! I leave tomorrow for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration and it will be the first time that I will see my family since I was diagnosed with GP. It should be interesting...and fun. Take care-mphotographer

By JoAllison
Posted July 30, 2008 at 8:34 pm

M,
I don't think I've had problems with it. What should I be watching for, do you know? Unless maybe it's causing the diarrhea & not the Miralax? I didn't know there was supposed to be problems with it. Hmm. Osteoporosis runs in my family so I think I'd have to have some bad problems to totally skip it. Maybe every other day? What do you think?

Jo

By JoAllison
Posted July 31, 2008 at 1:45 am

Okay, I found this at a doctor's website: "Calcium supplement side effects
The most common adverse effects of calcium supplements are constipation, intestinal bloating and excess gas. Adverse effects occur most frequently with calcium carbonate. Switching preparations or increasing fluid intake may relieve symptoms. Patients who form calcium-containing stones are generally advised not to take calcium supplements. It is possible that a very, very low intake of calcium can aggravate the risk of stone formation by increasing absorption and urinary excretion of oxalate. However, a very high intake of calcium through supplements could also increase the risk for kidney stones. Therefore, it is best not to exceed 600 mg a day of a calcium supplement. Calcium is best taken during meals.
Another worrisome calcium side effect on higher dosages is an increased risk for hardening of the arteries and heart attacks."

I don't take calcium carbonate, I take a chelate of calcium citrate and a chelate of magnesium citrate and magnesiun aspartate and Vitamin D from lanolin.

I saw on forum boards for breast cancer and for celiac disease (I googled the brand & supplement name I take and "side effects") that people were saying that it increased the frequency of bowel movements but equalized out over time and that helped people sleep.

Which reminds me, I should be in bed. No wonder I'm so tired.

Goodnight,
Jo

By Adance
Posted July 31, 2008 at 9:51 am

If anyone is taking CENTRUM please stop now!!! I just read an article on the pharmacology of it and is has over the legal limit of lead in it, but the FDA doesn't regulate vitamins so some people don't know that.

By screamer
Posted July 31, 2008 at 10:49 am

hi. Magnesium is calming to the nerves and muscles and annoying on the gut. If you are constipated titrate up on magnesium until it subsides. It does soften the stool then the Miralax definetly causes loss of potassium and diarhea. It has helped my pain a lot though to keep everything soft inside. I probably have adhesions. How do you feel on domperidome? Hungry?
jeni

By JEM
Posted July 31, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Hi everyone,
I'm the one who asked the original question. Thanks to everyone for their replies. I just made a copy of all the posts so I can look into all your suggestions. I was taking Centrum and Cal Max but got out of the habit and haven't taken either in a long time. I do take E-lyte on a more regular basis. It has potassium, magnesium,sodium and other important electrolytes in it. I started taking it for the potassium as that was a problem when I went to the hospital. More recently I was able to drink about 3 boost/ensure a day so I figured I was getting about 75% of the minimum vitamins I needed. However, now I am having problems again. I think I have had a motility problem in my bowels too since the begining - I have problems going even though I only take liquids. So I was interested in what Jeni said about magnesium. Do I understand right? Will magnesium help with constipation? I am currently taking miralax at night, and the domperidone also seems to help the constipation as well - but I could use all the help I can get. Again thanks for all the replies

By JoAllison
Posted August 1, 2008 at 12:01 am

Adance, I'm wondering, where did you see that about the Centrum Liquid? I tried to look for it to read about it and couldn't find anything.

Jeni, I feel better (a lot better) with everything soft inside I'm discovering. I've only had the diagnosis a few months & am still sorting out what works & doesn't for me. I don't have the throwing up symptom which is a blessing. Initially on the diet my GERD diminished immensely, but it's coming back :( (I'm still on Nexium twice a day.) I get pain when I eat too much or too much fiber or something I don't know what goes wrong, ditto for the bloating & constipation & queasiness. Hypoglycemic crashes way too often for comfort (I'm not diabetic).

I'm not on Domperidome or Reglan or anything.

I'm considering going to a integrative specialist in my area because I've heard some good things about alternative treatments but I want to be watched by someone objective & knowledgeable while I try them, and someone who doesn't just look at one piece of me while not considering how what he's prescribing there will affect the rest of me. But I know the integrative specialist isn't covered by my insurance & I have to figure out if I can afford it.

Jo

By JEM
Posted August 15, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Hi. Jeni, I was just reading over all the posts again and realized I never replied to you. I am very grateful to be on the domperidone. It helps with overall motility of my stomach (for the gastroparesis) and I have noticed that it seems to help me with my bowels which are extremely slow. I too take the miralax and that does help too for that. My medication is prescribed through my doctor through a special program where I order the medication from Texas. I had to sign some forms for this. I do understand that domperidone is not approved in the U.S. but it seems that many doctors do prescribe it and direct their patients to order it from Canada. I personally have a backup supply that I ordered from the UK branch of Edrugnet - but I bought it without a prescription and have not had to use it so I can not say if it works or not. I not quite sure that I understand why they won't put you on the domperidone. I agree about the reglan - terrible side effects - couldn't stop moving my legs, couldn't sit down without having to get up, very anxious!! Anyway, I would see if you can get back on the domperidone. As far as side effects - none except my menstral cycle is now extended out longer - every 40 -43 days. However that said, I am going a little longer this month between periods and I am a little worried. I am 52 and could also just be experiencing symptoms prior to menopause. But I did look it up and I think this could be one of the side effects of domperidone. If you are put on the domperidone they will probably require that you get blood work done and get an EKG. I think domperidone has a low risk of affecting your heart so that's why they need to check. There are other side effects that I have read about like headaches and lactation, but I don't have those. Regarding your pain medications, I would think that would slow your whole system down ...but if you need them you need them. In my case, I also have another condition too. I get hives due to severe allergies to pollens, and molds...perhaps it is environmental too..... we just don't know. The hives are so bad that I am confined to my house year round. I took atarax and then doxepin for years for the hives to give myself a little freedom ........however now I will not even think about taking either as they really slow my stomach and bowels down and I suspect that the doxepin could have contributed (or even caused) my gastroparesis and bowel motility problems. So now I am very careful and I use a lot of cortizone cream. Is there any way to get off the pain meds? I noticed the same thing about the doctors.....they will give you medications that slow your motility and not even question it. Well Jeni, I really feel for you......I am not in any pain at present but I have been there. I was so sick last year when I landed in the hospital and then this last Christmas, I was having such a problem with bowel motility that I actually thought I was going to pass out. I had horrible symptoms all because over the course of a week I had a teaspoon of mashed potatoes (for Christmas )then a teaspoon of chocolate fondue and some creamed soups. What was I thinking! It was a horrible experience with terrible pain. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers - that you get on the domperidone soon. I hope I was of some help.
Jeanne
Jeanne

By mastiffpaws
Posted August 16, 2008 at 7:44 am

I was looking for a good liquid vitamin also, and I found lots of them, but they all had 500% of this and that. I don't want 500% of anything. Too much is not a good thing. I finally went to Vitamin World (they are in malls and online) and found one with just 100% of the US RDA of lots of vitamins/minerals, and they are derived from natural sources, not manmade. It's called Balanced Essentials, by Heaven Sent Naturals. It tastes way better than the Centrum Liquid, which to me tastes like bile, and I don't need to taste anymore of that, thank you. They also carry lots of liquid calcium in many flavors as well. Not expensive either.
~Liz in CT

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