Gluten free vitamins

[llisa]

Looking for gluten free multi-vitamin for 70-year-old woman. Also D3, Calcium, and B complex. Thank you.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @llisa!

If you are near a Costco, their Kirkland Signature brand, Nature Made and others are often gluten free and, if so, will state so on the packaging. They are economically priced as well. 

[llisa]

Thank you. Not near a Costco. Near Jewel, Kroger, Walgreens,  Walmart,  Aldi's.  I just looked, and Jewel carries a Nature Made vitamin line. I wonder if it's the same?

[llisa]

Trents: I read the label and it does say gluten-free. I have used these before, so will be getting some from our local Jewel. Bonus: they are Buy One Get One right now! Thanks.

[trents]

Not sure if it's the same formulation as what they sell to Costco. Look for "Gluten Free" on the packaging. And realize that "Gluten Free" does not mean "no gluten". It simply means not more than 20 ppm of gluten. That's fine for most celiacs but if you are of the super sensitive subset it may not be.

Edited November 28 by trents

[trents]

Have you considered also supplementing with magnesium and zinc? We usually recommend these two as well. D3, Calcium and Magnesium all important for bone and nerve health.

[llisa]

I've tried magnesium before. Twice in 2 years. It really upset my stomach. And that was before this celiac disease diagnosis. (Finally, after 2 years of trying to find out what was wrong with me.) I have no idea how sensitive I am. When my stomach was upset, I'd go to my comfort foods: cream of wheat, cheese and crackers, scrambled eggs and toast...so, making myself worse by trying to feel better.  Just got results of biopsy yesterday, so today is first day of trying no gluten and reading that it can be hiding in vitamins and meds. So, I welcome ALL advice and personal experiences. No advice is too basic. I know nothing. Thank you!

[trents]

@llisa, back then when you tried magnesium and it upset your tummy, I'm guessing you were using the most common form of magnesium found on store shelves, namely, magnesium oxide. It has a reputation for having a laxative effect. It is not very well absorbed and so draws a lot of water into the colon, just like the laxative known as milk of magnesia. I'm guessing if you would switch to the "glycinate" form of magnesium you would not have this problem. Magnesium glycinate is absorbed much better. If you can't find magnesium glycinate at your local stores, you can order gluten free brands of it off of Amazon.

[llisa]

Thank you so much! I will look for that.

[trents]

The forms that vitamin and mineral supplements come in can be important. Bioavailability (i.e., how well they are absorbed) is often sacrificed for the sake of cost and shelf life. The vitamin or mineral you are targeting is always chemically combined with other elements to make them into a dispensable form (such as a powder, liquid or a pill) and to give them some chemical stability for shelf life.

Edited November 29 by trents

[Wheatwacked]

I order my vitamins from Pipingrock.com.

6 hours ago, llisa said:

cream of wheat

They also make Cream of Rice.  Clearly marked gluten free. Right next to the Cream of Wheat.

Stoneyfield Whole Milk Yogurt will help repoputate your gut bacteria.  It has lactase so is ok for lactose intolerance. 6 ounces has 210 mg calcium.

For magnesium I get the 10 ounce bottle of liquid Magnesium Citrate at the supermarket or drugstore ($3).  One or two ounces of it  in a glass of water.  Add ice and sugar if you like.  I like the Cherry or Grape best.

6 hours ago, llisa said:

cream of wheat, cheese and crackers, scrambled eggs and toast

Instead try: Cream of Rice, Cheese and Good Thins (rice crackers), scrambled eggs and gluten free toast.

Do you need Calcium supplement?  Calcium from supplements can cause hypercalcemia, a condition that can lead to serious health complications.  Vitamin D increases calcium absorption.  Monitor 25)(OH)D vitamin D plasma and  parathyroid hormone (PTH).

 

Quote

Calcium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

Hypocalcemia (serum calcium level less than 8.5 mg/dL [2.12 mmol/L] or an ionized calcium level below 4.61 mg/dL [1.15 mmol/L]) is usually a result of a vitamin D or magnesium deficiency

Some individuals who take calcium supplements might experience gastrointestinal side effects, including gas, bloating, constipation, or a combination of these symptoms.

A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (including one study that administered supplements providing 20 mcg [800 IU] vitamin D per day) in 28,935 healthy postmenopausal women found that calcium supplements providing 500 to 2,000 mg/day calcium for 1 to 7 years increased CVD risk by 15% and coronary heart disease risk by 16% [72]. In addition, when 132,823 adults (mean age 63 years) were followed for an average of 17.5 years, the risk of CVD mortality was 22% higher in men with calcium supplement intakes of 1,000 mg/day or more than in those not taking calcium supplements [48].

 

[trents]

Yes, I have concerns about the calcium supplementation as well. Sounds like a good idea on the surface if you are trying to address bone density issues but when overdone it can have the opposite effect. Calcium supplementation increases gut PH (i.e., lowers gut acidity) which can interfere with vitamin and mineral (including calcium itself) absorption. Often, bone demineralization is not due to lack of calcium intake but to low gut acidity. This is why you will often see calcium supplement products paired with vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Drinking OJ or tomato juice along with the calcium supplement can help with this as they are acidic juices. Calcium supplementation can also contribute to plaque arterial buildup I believe. I think it might be best to focus on rich natural sources of calcium.

[llisa]

I had bariatric surgery in 2018. My doctor put me on multiple vitamins, D3, and calcium (in the form of 2 Tums daily). My endocrinologist monitors my levels of these things, as well as my diabetes and Hashimoto's.

[trents]

@llisa, have you also been diagnosed with celiac disease? You don't actually say but we have assumed that.

[llisa]

Yes, through a biopsy of the small intestine. 

[trents]

So, you have a couple of strikes against you when it comes to nutrient absorption efficiency.

[llisa]

AND, just diagnosed abt 6 months ago with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. I was just feeling like I was getting that under control with Creon when I started feeling worse again. 

[trents]

Diabetes and Hashimoto's as well, huh? You are the epitome of the autoimmune cascade effect. That is, once you get one autoimmune condition you tend to develop others. But I am curious. In the sequence of these several autoimmune diagnoses, where did the celiac diagnosis come? You certainly have a lot of health issues to juggle.

[llisa]

Hashimoto diagnosed over 20 years ago after my daughter was diagnosed and told me to get checked due to similar symptoms. Diabetes diagnosed same time. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency this past summer. Celiac last Wednesday. Have been having the digestive issues for a couple of years, several doctors--thought we had it solved with the Creon. Then symptoms got worse. I have a theory about that. I have a stricture in my esophagus that has to be dilated every 6-8 months. When it is tight, I have trouble swallowing. Bread is one of the harder things to swallow, so I avoid it. Had the stricture stretched end of October and started eating bread again. That's about when the diarrhea, bloating, gas, and pain started getting worse. Went in for another upper endoscopy and dilation of stricture last week. (It had been so tight this time, he scheduled a second dilation one month after the first.)  I told him how miserable I'd been, and he did the small intestine biopsy. I know they did the blood test for celiac about a year or more ago trying to find source of my problems,  and it was negative.

[trents]

Yes, but if you had been avoiding bread because of the stricture, that might explain the negative result of the previous celiac antibody test.

[Wheatwacked]

@llisa, I am curious to know how much vitamin D you are taking and what is your plasma level in nmol/L or ng/ml what the doctor's target 25(OH)D is.

Hopefully with the gluten free diet you'll be able to feel better.