IBS-C and Prenatal vitamins... HELP!
#146408 - 02/03/05 02:18 PM
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AmyM
Reged: 03/24/04
Posts: 3
Loc: North Carolina
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My husband and I want to start trying to have a baby and the prenatal vitamins that I have started taking have so much iron in them. My ibs-c symptems are at an all time high. My doctor even went so far as to prescribe me a particular prenatal vitamin that has a full dose of stool softener in them and still NOTHING! I want to quit taking the vitamins so badly but I know how important they are to have in your system during conception. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it going to get even worse when I finally get pregnant. Do I really need all of that iron? 
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Yes, you do need all that iron. It's critical. Don't stop taking the vitamins. Are you taking a soluble fiber supplement? IF not, I would start one RIGHT AWAY. It will help ease your constipation, but might take a week or so to work. Try acacia, equalactin, benefiber, citrucel....
If you ARE on a soluble fiber supplement, you need to increase the amount of insoluble fiber in your diet. Try cooked fruits and veggies, mashed, peeled or pureed.
Pregnancy throws your system off in more than one way. The constipation may get worse once you're further on in the pregnancy as the baby puts pressure on the digestive system and slows it down. So the best hting you can do now is get the soluble fiber working for you and increase your insolubles.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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Hello. I searched on this message board for a topic related to prenatal vitamins with IBS. I am currently 4 months pregnant & the vitamins I take are NOT helping my IBS-C. Would you mind telling me what the name of the vitamin was that your dr. prescribed that contained a FULL stool softener? The one I'm currently taking has some stool softener in it, but not nearly enough. I'd really appreciate it if you could provide that info. Thanks!
-Wendy in MA
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I'm not sure which vitamin you are asking about, sorry. I am also IBS C though and have been taking Elite Prenate and it hasn't seemed to made my C any worse. Although I do also take Miralax daily. You can add in an over the counter stool softner right along with your vitamin and if that still isn't enough, than ask your obgyn about miralax. Its technically a class C pregnancy drug but all it is is an osmotic laxative and I've been told by my internist, a gastro specialist (who gave it to his pregnant wife) two different OBGYN's and now my RE (reproductive endocrinologist) that it is perfectly safe for use during pregnancy.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Oh, I forget to ask, are you already taking a soluble fiber supplement like Heathers Acacia? This should help also, along with LOTS of water and whatever exercise you can manage while pregnant! 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I totally understand! I am C and the prenatal vitamins kill me! The only additional advice is to re-state what Alicia and Michele said take a soluble fiber supplement, drink lots of water, walk to get some exercise and maybe add additional stool softner to what you are taking. Look on the side of the box and see how much is in there. Mine only had 50mg and I was told I could take additional 150mg of colace which is the stool softner!. Routine helped me during pregnancy. I tried to make time in the morning to go and even if it was only a little it still helped! Hang in there. The results will be wonderful!  My son was worth all the agony!!
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Thank you very much for your suggestions and advice.
Unfortunately for me, I've tried just about everything there is & the only thing I can do to control my C at all is to stick to a regimen of taking milk of magnesia on the weekends. That's the only way I get any relief. If I don't do that, I don't go at all....until I reach a point where I'm ready to explode....then I get D. Not fun. The slower digestion part of my pregnancy is kicking in now & really having an affect on my IBS. I'm not sure if the prenatal vitamin I take makes it worse or not...it's hard to tell at this point. I'm just trying to AVOID adding contributing factors to my C. I don't take anything other than the MOM because everything else just upsets my stomach. Adding any kind of supplemental fiber to my diet just bulks my stomach up more. It doesn't make it active. I drink 2-3 bottles of water per day, work full time, and I'm a mother of 2-a 9 year old and a 6 year old...both going on 13...so I'm pretty active. I avoid eating things that I know will trigger an attack...and for the most part, I make it week to week all right. I do experience bloating and discomfort, which I can deal with (unhappily), but for the most part, that's the worst of it between weekends. My biggest concern is not allowing a bout of D to hit while I"m at work or something...and not allowing my C to get any worse to the point that I end up with hemmoroids & fun things like that. I'm just trying to maintain the middle ground I've found and therefore am trying to take preventive measures to keep my IBS under the control that I currently have it. I'm hoping that maybe someone here could recommend a particular vitamin that although may not help my IBS-C, would definitely not worsen it during the course of this pregnancy.
Thanks for all your time girls! Much appreciated!
-Wendy
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I asked a ? exactly like this weeks ago, only for me it's because I'm both breastfeeding and trying to get pregnant and deal with Anemia.
So my vits are through the roof with iron!!!
I have not read the replies yet, but will share what helped me.
First I made sure to up my fiber intake and fluid intake.
I never took the vits on an empty stomach or without drinking lotsa water before and after.
And I cut the pills in half.
Sometimes I'd take 1 half per day, or take both halves in one day depending upon how bad my C was. I quit gulping down one full pill.
Funno tho that I eliminated the vits and my C was still bad.
There is a good chance vits are not to blame here.
But YES do not quit taking them!!!
The Folic acid and such are vital now, all 9mos of pregnancy and even long afterwards!!
I'd say tho that if you are eating very healthy, then just take hlaf a pill a day. You should be fine.
Yes IBS can get worse in pregnancy, or entirely better!
Hormones determine that more than vitamins will.
My IBS was fine my first pregnancy, heck I ate like a pig and gained 65lbs then!
But it flared up very badly in the 3rd trimester of my last pregnancy. And then the Csection made it a royal nightmare! I've been in agony since.
But yeah....Iron helps in building healthy adaquate amounts of blood. Your blood volume increases 5 times more than pre-pregnancy. Going without Iron now and then is just asking for anemia and other health issues for you or baby.
When I got very bad C in pregnancy but had to take the vits I'd just down a cup of rich coffee lol, that is MY surefire laxative! And one cup even everyday isn't bad during pregnancy.
Well praying God blesses you soon!! Good luck! All the fun is in the trying! *wink*
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