Vitamins and Supplements ?

[kristina]

Hello,

I have refrained from taking any vitamins or supplements (unless prescribed by the GP) and I do not touch any ready-made-food either, but through communication with other kidney-transplant-people I have noticed, that quite a few do take extra vitamins and/or supplements and I have been wondering, especially since I feel - most of the time - very exhausted, "worn out" and extremely tired ... But, at the same time I feel that I would take too much of a risk if I would start taking any vitamins and/or supplements adding to my vegetarian diet, especially since my blood-tests always seem to be pretty alright, except of course, my very reduced kidney function, which has been very reduced from the very start after the transplant. What do you think about vitamins and supplements? Recently I have watched a most interesting documentary about extra vitamins and supplements and it sounds pretty horrific...
Many thanks from Kristina.

Vitamins and Supplements: Magic Pills - the fifth estate - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmFu8GA-elc

[MooseMom]

Hi, Kristina.  The contents of the YouTube video are not available to me for whatever reason.

I think we all should re-evaluate our nutritional needs as our lives change, whether those changes are due to ageing or to being constantly submitted to dangerous drugs like immunosuppressants.

I know you have several severe and rare medical conditions, so for you, such a re-evaluation would be particularly beneficial. I do not know how those conditions may affect your nutritional status.

We know that long-term prednisone is not particularly great for bone health, and we know that other immunosuppressants can work to lower magnesium levels. I know you are a vegetarian, so it might be an idea to introduce/increase foods that are high in calcium and magnesium, particularly if you are hesitant about taking supplements of any kind.

I would normally suggest you contact a renal dietician at your transplant hospital, but I know your hospital has disappointed you greatly in the past.  I know the NHS is under great duress at the moment, so I'm not sure you'd get much joy out of them right now.

I really wish I could get access to that video!!

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Hi kristina,

Transplant patients can take a good brand of multi-vitamin supplement but none of the extra-strength tablets. Ideally, we should get our vitamins/minerals from our diets, but sometimes even with that we need some supplementation. 

I take a variety of vitamins/minerals from biotin to B12 to magnesium to iron. The magnesium and iron were prescribed by my GP. I was once on zinc tablets prescribed by my former nephrologist. I take B12 because I am a vegetarian and vegetarians are often deficient in B12. It has made a difference in levels of tiredness.

The Fifth Estate is a good documentary program. I watch it every weekend on CBC and I am familiar with the exposé that you shared. This program was not about respectable multivitamins brands that have purity checks etc, but rather the myriad of vitamin, herbal, or supplement products that enter the market without any regulation because they are "natural health products." It is also about the marketing of vitamins and how we're advised "more is better" and companies like to sell these unregulated products as "magic solutions."

I agree with Dr. Paul Offit that people "overconsume" vitamins and supplements these days. I also don't think that these people are taking the routine well-known multivitamin for general supplementation but taking doses or products that they see fit (rather than guided by a health professional). They think that taking massive amounts of Vitamin C or Vitamin D will do them extra good for such a large dose when that isn't the case. As well, people taking all sorts of supplements because they want a "magic solution." And I mean, there are unregulated supplements for all kinds of problems, with no evidence from male impotence to prostate problems to tablets that "help with memory." People just generally take these on their own accord.

Anyway, after that babble, the main points are:
1. A multivitamin is generally safe to take for transplant patients. Ask your doctor for advice if it is a good idea or not for you. See this document on the section about vitamins: https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/patient-education:-k-o/good-nutrition-better-health-after-your-kidney-transplant.pdf (St. Joseph's is a very good tx hospital.)

2. Transplant patients should avoid herbal supplements and products in general.

[kristina]

Many thanks MooseMom and UkrainianTracksuit for taking the time to explain your thought about vitamins and supplements, it is very much appreciated and I shall enquire about vitamins and supplements at my next appointment with the transplant consultant. Many thanks again for your kind thoughts.

... Before starting with my dialysis-treatments I took "multivitamins for children", hoping, that more medical care would be taken for giving multivitamins to the "little one's" and I had no problem with it & my blood tests were always perfectly alright, except for the failing kidney-function at the time.
But, as I have mentioned before, I was pre-dialysis for over 43 years and when finally I had to start my dialysis treatments in December 2014, I have not taken any multivitamins and/or any supplements either, because I felt that I had to be very careful that nothing could interfere with all the special medications I was given & prescribed during my dialysis-treatments and ... I also did not touch any multivitamins and/or supplements after my kidney-transplant either, because I felt that I needed to keep my food-and-liquid-intake etc. as "untouched" as possible to make sure that my anti-rejection-medications could not be interfered with, in order to keep my dosage of anti-rejection-medications as small as is possible in order to keep the side-effects of these anti-rejection-medications as small as is possible. This is also the reason for keeping my vegetarian diet as simple as is possible not only during my dialysis-treatments but also after my kidney-transplant in order to keep everything as simple as is possible, so that I can notice and react straight away if, medically speaking, something feels "not quite right", so that I can react and contact the doctor/specialist straight away... I do hope my thoughts on this make sense? In any case, I shall approach the transplant-specialist about vitamins and supplements etc. next time I see them and I shall act accordingly. Perhaps my constant tiredness, chronic pain etc. and total exhaustion could be connected with the fact that I have not taken any vitamins and/or supplements? Many thanks again for taking the time to answer, it is very much appreciated and I send you again my kind regards from Kristina.

[Simon Dog]

I always take "Not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease" seriously when I see it in pseudo drug ads.   I rank it up that with spurious spanish fly placebo.

[kristina]

Well said, Simon! Mind you, there might be a chance of preventing "added medical problems" by eating a balanced and healthy diet, in my case vegetarian? What do you think?

[Simon Dog]

Well said, Simon! Mind you, there might be a chance of preventing "added medical problems" by eating a balanced and healthy diet, in my case vegetarian? What do you think?

I think vegetarians should get medical advice regarding the necessary vitamin supplements that may be necessary as a non-carnivore.    I am a pesco pollo vegatarian.

[kristina]

Many thanks Simon and I shall ask my doctor/specialist about this a.s.a.p.
I also might have a problem developing because of "my" SLE I always need to wear a hat and therefore I obviously don't get enough sunshine, which makes me not "receiving" enough Vitamin D as a result etc. and I feel I must ask the doctor/specialist about this as well.
Many thanks again from Kristina.