Supplement Rant!

[revenant]

Uugh, as a teenager I don't have a lot of money, as a teenager who has to buy my own food it becomes even more difficult. I decided to pick up Vitamin D supplements because I get S.A.Disorder in the winter and I suspect my vitamin D levels are beyond low. So I picked some up for 20 bucks at the health food store, the one with the least ingredients, and then came home to discover.... That one of the ingredients, Tocopherols, are usually from soy. Seeing it says "Mixed tocopherols" I am not taking my chances. Looked at the receipt, no returns only exchanges. They don't have any other vitamin D...

So I went to a larger health food store, grabbed another supplement after inspecting them all, and discovered that this one has the same damn thing! I completely missed the 'non-medicinal ingredients" as it was in small print almost hidden, and this one was 33 dollars! Again, I discover afterward by my own stupidity that it's no refunds, UGGGGGGGGGH! And yet I still need my vitamin D, the only place I can find one in a pure base oil is online, another 30 dollars. Flushed 50 dollars down the drain!!! That measly 50 bucks might cost me an entire vacation I was saving for this spring, I had just enough + just enough to get by for food. Man I am pissed!!! At myself, mainly! Life is so difficult when you have to watch every single ingredient! Probably should have checked the refund policies.... SIGH

[psawyer]

Hello from a different part of Canada.

The Canadian Celiac Association, in their printed pocket guide to foods and ingredients, list tocopherols as safe.

Since this is a supplement, not a food, the label rules may not apply. In a food, wheat must be disclosed. Open Original Shared Link require all of the same allergens prescribed by FALCPA in the US to be disclosed, plus sesame and sulphites.

I have been at this for more than ten years. I don't worry about tocopherols.

[Mari]

One way to see if you can tolerate the supplements you bought would to put a small amount under your tongue. If no reaction add a little more each day until you can tolerate the whole dose.

Muscle testing (applied reflexology) can be useful. Maybe you can find somebody to teach you how to do this. I use this sometimes before buying a supplement or prepared food.

[Cheryl-C]

I know this doesn't help your current situation, but I take D Drops for vitamin D. (I'm in Canada too!) They are everything-free except vitamin D and a little veg oil. On the box it says this:

"Each drop (0.028 mL) contains Vitamin D3. Non-medicinal ingredient: Thin vegetable oil.

DOES NOT CONTAIN: corn, dairy, egg, gluten, lactose, peanuts, shellfish, soya, starch, sugar, sulphites, wheat, yeast, artificial colours or flavours."

The bottle is 5mL, which is 180 drops. You take one a day, so 180 days' worth. I think my bottle cost about 13 bucks, maybe 12, something like that.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation I hope at least this information will help you out in the future. This gluten-free lifestyle is tricky enough to sort out without the extra costs we always end up incurring.