TTC multi-vitamins (TMI question coming up)

Hi there,

I bought the Blackmores Conceive well multi-vitamin the other day after wanting to try a different one than my naturopath was giving me (I had to take 4 huge tablets and it was doing my head in).

My question is, how does it make others feel? I think that I'm a bit constipated. I'm not the most regular person - it also depends where in my cycle I am, but at the moment I seem to be hardly going to the toilet at all.

TMI coming up - and when I DO get to the toilet, my number 2's are BLACK!! WTF?

I'm confused as to why this would happen when I've been taking a multi for the past 6 years. I mean, I know that iron supplements make it black but surely there can't be THAT much iron in the tablets?????

Just wanted to see what others thought. I didn't get the answers I was looking for from the sticky threads on supplements.

Thanks in advance
S X

I have only just started taking the Blackmores Conceive Well Gold yesterday (was previously taking something else) so it is a bit early to tell how they are making me feel... but before I started taking them I was warned to take with food and that they may cause some unsettled activity (constipation or the runs) but each person is different... sorry I am not much help... will let you know how I go after a week or so

Hiya Sue,

A couple of days ago I posted about this problem I think it was titled 'Embarrassing Problem" as I have exactly the same problem except I'm taking Elevit. I have been on it just over two weeks now and my number twos were black when I was lucky enough to actually do anything. I started alternating Elevit one day and only folic acid the next (just to ensure my folic acid was kept up). I am going maybe once every three or four days now and am extremely uncomfortable so I went to the pharmacy today a got some Metamusil sp? and took a glass this morning, I will let you know how I go (literally LOL).
Cheers Missy

tk1999 - those are the ones I am taking and have been since 1st Jan. I feel sick if I don't take them with food and sometimes even when I do. I think I'll stick it out though, it might just need some getting used to.

missya - it's a weird thing hey? I guess I'll just need to stick with the prune juice. LOL.

It's just that I've never heard of this issue with multi-vitamins before and I've been taking them for the whole 6 years I've been trying.

Very strange!!

Good luck girls!!
S X

I get an upset stomach with Blackmores but only mild. I had it worse when I was on straight iron supplements a few months ago.

ALW77 - how long did that last? Is it constant?

Thanks for replying

S X

It tends to be worse in the mornings and it's not constant...every few days I guess

Thanks for that.

I'm sure it will pass once I get used to it.

I'm just a bit over the constipation and black number two's :ROFL:

The things we have to do hey?

Yup - although I figure if I do get UTD I'm going to have to deal with a lot worse:rolleyes:

Hehe, I never thought about it like that.

Not only is it giving us the vitamins, it's preparing us for what's to come :ROFL:

S X

Hi Sue1979, I have the same problem. I have been taking Elevit for the last 5 weeks and within a couple of days of starting them I had the black #2's & have had them ever since, also find it harder to "go". I've found that taking Fybogel has helped a bit, altho they're still black! :rolleyes:

Not sure why it happens, but I HTH anyway!

Hey beanybub,

Thanks for that. I was beginning to wonder if it was just me. I have a sensitive reaction to some of the simplest things.

I'm going to ask one of the doctors at my work tomorrow about it all (I'm a nurse).

S X

hey guys, i am taking blackmores as well and i find the constapation is ALOT worse after i ov. the increasing progesterone in the luteal phase causes me the "jam up" as well.:redface:
this happens in pregnancy too. the black i guess is from the excess iron you don't need.
i agree with missya try altaneting between the multi and plain folic acid,
my stratagy (?sp) i take the multi up until about 5dpo then switch to the folic acid. i also always take with food and drink loads of water.
hth

Hi Sue,

I too am taking blackmores and have struggled with constipation. This is because of the iron in these supplements. The iron is also what is responsible for making your stools appear darker- don't worry- this is normal.
If you are looking for something to assist with this issue, I can highly recommend you add either 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk (ask at you local health food store) to a glass of water and drink- or spinkle it on your cereal every morning. You can also buy cereals & mueslis which contain psyllium (again- check out the health food store, or the health food section of coles & woolies). It has a weird consistency but you get used to it.

Linseeds are also brilliant. The muesli I buy has both linseed and psyllium husk in it and it has helped me a great deal. Also replacing white grains (white bread, rice, pasta etc) with wholemeal varieties will add additional fibre to your diet (not to mention extra nutrients!!). And eat lotsa fruit & veg!! High carb veggies like potatoes, carrot, pumpkin etc will not help much in the fibre department- you need to consume the more alkaline greens such as spinach, broccoli etc.

Hope this helps.....

XXX

im sure iv heard someone say its because there is more iron in them...dont shoot me if im wrong. hope you all get some relief
love rach xxxx

Hi Ladies,

I'm under the belief that as said the 'black' is from the excess iron that your body has not absorbed from the supplements.

Just make sure you don't take your vitamins at the same time as any caffeine - especially coffee. And including chocolate, tea etc. Caffeine hugely prevents iron absorption. Try to avoid caffeine at least an hour/two before and after taking your supplements to allow time for your body to absorb it properly.

I have been a vegetarian for more than 15 years and have always had supplements to ensure I get adequate iron & B vitamins. I always found when I increased my intake of caffeine my #2's were blacker from my body not absorbing the iron supplements sufficiently. This has been confirmed many times to me over the years from health professionals and they all recommend consuming vitamin c (ie glass or orange juice) with meals or supplements as this promotes iron absorption.

In saying that.. iron supplements definetely cause constipation so you must be getting some of it! I'm with the other girls and say go for Metamucil or something to help with the constipation.

HTH!

Mel x

Well, I've decided to stop the Blackmores. I've been having stomach issues for weeks (bloating and upset stomach) to the point where today I left work early and I'm convinced it's the iron in the supplement (I also had stomach problems that were even worse when I was taking straight iron earlier in the year). My iron levels were up when I had my blood test about a month ago so hopefully I will be ok. So I have bought some straight folic acid and I will try that for a few days and see if I feel better. Unfortunately I just bought some more Conceive Well Gold so I might see if my sis wants it. Otherwise I might alternate between the BMCWG and the straight folate. Has anyone done this? Also do you know if they check your iron levels when you get pregnant so I can make sure mine stays up when the time comes?

ALW77-
The symptoms you are expressing in response to the blackmores indicate that you have a lack of probiotic friendly bacteria in your digestive tract. This would cause your system to react by fermenting and bloating. I used to suffer from dreadful bloating in response to certain foods and supplements too.

I have cut and pasted a previous post of mine which may be of benefit to you;

Hi lotsa hugs,

I would recommend taking Blackmores conceive well- provided that you are not already taking a multivitamin. The blackmores alone will be sufficient. If you are considering taking anything else to assist with conception- I can strongly recommend the supplement 'In-Liven' by MiVitality. There is an article on it here on bellybelly.
It consists of the full spectrum (all strains) of the probiotic friendly bacteria lactobacillus as well as 26 Organic Wholefoods. Lactobacillus friendly probiotic bacteria live in our digestive tract naturally, and are essential for optimum immune function and the effective absorption of nutrients. Things such as alcohol, antibiotics, the contraceptive pill, pesticides and other toxic additives in our food kill off this essential friendly bacteria, making it harder to conceive. The 26 Organic Wholefoods make In-Liven a premium food-grade supplement rich in nutrients (the absorption of which is ensured by the probiotics), and taken prior to conception, will contribute to the production of healthy sperm (sperm take 3 months to fully mature). As it is cheifly a food/probiotic supplement- it is absolutely fine (and highly recommended!) to take In-Liven simultaneously with your pregnancy/breastfeeding supplements. You can purchase this online or from good health food stores, and it needs to be kept in the fridge once opened.
If your DH is not already taking a men's multivit- I suggest getting him onto a good Zinc supplement as Zinc is essential for sperm health. Ethical Nutrients do a good one (check out your local health food store).
If you are considering doing anything else- I would suggest you both do the Quick Cleanse 15 day detox available from most pharmacies and health food stores. Eliminating stored toxins in your liver, kidneys etc can significantly increase your chances of successful conception, as well as decrease the severity of nausea whilst pregnant. Just make sure you do not do the detox whilst you are pregnant, as the supplements are not recommended to take during pregnancy.
I hope this helps,

XX

My point being, when you have a full range of friendly digestive bacteria in your gut (probiotics) your system will be able to better assimilate these supplements, as well as the nutrients in your food. I hope this helps somewhat....

Best Wishes,

XXX

Thanks JellyBean. I will have a look for it

Hi

just thought I'd add my two cents :)

I agree totally with Jellybean about the linseeds. They are great. My naturopath put me onto it instead of having wheat bran for regularity as she said wheat bran can be quite harsh on the digestive system. It tastes really nice on cereal, but you have to make sure you get the linseed meal, not the whole seeds because they don't readily break down and you end up getting nothing from it.

hey guys,

I was taking blackmores conceive well before i fell pregnant too - and had the same issue! And i also found that it made my wee go fluro yellow! (WTF??) lol anyway it does have iron in it that will make your poo go black and can make you consitpated - try take it with orange juice and some metamucil that should help with the consitpation - but your poo will remain black!!

I am now on elevit and have the same problem but much much worse (the pregnancy hormones also contributing to constipation) i did a bit of reserch spoke to the dr and pharmacist - and they recommended taking metamucil capsules with the elevit - which is helping heaps, and will not harm the baby at all! I have also added a Pro-Biotic to the mix as well which seems to help - i dont know how but i ran out of them and missed about 4 days and i def noticed a difference!

Good luck darls! I was seeing a FS and they highly reccommended the blackmores vitamin and other friends were told the same thing by their specilists too - so it must be one of the better ones!! I also found that it increased my CM so i was able to predict ovulation easier too!

Thanks so much guys, all of that information has been invaluable to me.

Much hugs and baby dust to everyone.

Long live the black poo's!!! :ROFL:

S X

make sure you get the linseed meal, not the whole seeds because they don't readily break down and you end up getting nothing from it.

Good point MellyBelly- I should've mentioned that. There is also a mix you can buy called LSA- which is made up of ground linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds. Goodness to the max!! The linseeds & sunflowers are rich in essential fatty acids (Omega oils), and the almonds are rich in protein. Brilliant to spinkle on your cereal or even over a salad!!

Hiya,

I am so bloated that I have gone from a 28 inch waist to a 32 inch in 9 days. I feel like i'm 5 months pregnant not 6 1/2 weeks.
I have tried liqorice, plums, muesli, metamusil sp?, orange juice, alternating Elevit one day and just folic acid the next, vogel bread and warm baths where you massage your abdomin.
I spoke to my midwife again yesterday and she suggested I try kiwi crush and/or kiwi fruit which I did last night and I'm pleased to I had a small (very small LOL) success this morning so at least things might start moving again. I have cut out the elevit completely and am now going to just take folic acid for awhile till things get back to normal (which will be soon hopefully).

My midwife also suggested that I get Microlax which apparently is safe during pregnancy from the pharmacy and give that a go, and she also suggested Alpine tea (which is a mild laxative) although it states on the packet not to be used during pregnancy my midwife said 1 or 2 is fine in early pregnancy, so I have that as my next step if this doesn't work as well as I hope it will.

All the best ladies, as horrible as it is it's nice to know I'm not the only one having to deal with this.
cheers Missy

Hey Missy, have you tried prune juice?

That stuff goes right through me!!

Hiya Sue, I was thinking of doing that but I suggested it to a friend and she told me she was told by her midwife to drink it to bring on labour which she did and she was in labour within the hour.
I mentioned it to my midwife and she thought I should steer clear of it so now I'm just trying all the other suggestions. I'm going to get the microlax tommorow if I have no joy between now and then.

cheers Missy

My friend took prune juice throughout her pregnancy to help her bowels as she suffered awful constipation and it helped.
It certainly didn't bring on labour.
But I guess if your MW says steer clear then that is fair enough.
S X

even before i was UTD i used to get badly consitpated. I used to use microlax then when it got really bad. Hopefully you can just use it once, and it is enough to get you going and get the initial "lump" lol out and after that something more natural can keep you going. They are gross to use (i am assuming it is a suppositry?) but seriously you will go within halfa tops! - probably quicker!

good luck hun, let us know how you go!

Hiya Girls,

We have lift off!!!! and I haven't had resort to microlax, I have just kept doing the other 101 things and something has worked and started things moving YAY!!! I sat there drinking a cup of Alpine Tea last night sobbing because I was feeling sooooo sick and the drink was the most horrific thing you could possibly imagine, it amazes me that people will drink it by choice. I don't know whether that is what did it but I'd have to be dying to try that drink again!!! LOL.
Thanks so much for all your advice and support I really appreciate it, good luck to any that are still struggling. Cheers Missy