Prenatal Vitamin Problem

Updated on September 30, 2017
R.V. asks from Baton Rouge, LA
45 answers

I'm recently pregnant again, and prenatal vitamins are making me sick! I'm very lucky to not have any pregnancy symptoms other than lethargy, but since I started taking the vitamins I feel horrible! I am instantly nauseous, dizzy, 10 times more tired, and automatically get a huge headache that lasts for days. And when I don't take them, I feel fine and have more energy! I talked to my doctor about it, she prescribed another brand (the same vitamin I took with my first baby with no problem) and it does the same thing. I've tried taking them on a full stomach, with water, milk, crackers, taking it at night, morning, afternoon, same result. It's aggravating because it's really interrupting my daily life, I know my baby and I really need the vitamins, but it's getting harder and harder to take them! Any advice would be great!

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Thanks to Everyone for all the advice! I really appreciate it!

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S.S.

answers from Oklahoma City on

You should try just a multi vitamin. My friend had the same reaction with her prenatals. So she took two Flinstone vitamins a day for her pregnancy.

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J.C.

answers from Little Rock on

I did not have this problem, but one of my closest friends did, try the children's chewable gummies or children's one. You might even want to try to over-the-counter prenatal vitamins at wal-mart or any store with a pharmacy...they are the ones with the baby on the front....I took these even before I got pregnant due to low iron levels.....These were the only multi-vitamin that I could and can take because the others make me sick, doing the same things that you are doing! I hope this helps and hope you feel better!!!

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A.J.

answers from Little Rock on

My vitamins made me sick also so my doctor told me to try centrum chewables and they didn't make me sick. It has more iron in it than kids chewables.- A.

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J.J.

answers from Tulsa on

I experienced the same thing with my two preg. and after trying several things believe it or not the one that worked for me was just the generic brand that Dollor General carries, can't remember the name (youngest is six so its been a while :) But its the brand from their chain its cheap but contains the same needed vitamins. Hope this helps. Will be praying for you and your little one.

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B.F.

answers from Tulsa on

Taking them at night before bed is what worked for me.

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P.S.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I so had the same problem with my 4th child. Unfortunately for me it lasted the entire pregnancy. I got to the point during my first tri-mester of not taking them. You might check with a health food store for alternatives. It worked for me. Of course, talk to your doctor or his nurse before stopping the vitamins and/or beginning supplements.

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A.W.

answers from Little Rock on

Have you tried taking them at night? Mine never bothered me, but someone told me to try to take it at night if I got sick.

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M.H.

answers from Huntsville on

I had the same problem and was told that it was okay to take Children's vitamins...like Flinstones. This seemed to help. I also took them at bedtime with a snack.

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L.S.

answers from Little Rock on

Try taking some children's chewables. Now, they have gummy bear vitamins for kids - you can hardly tell you're taking vitamins. Also, make sure you're getting enough of the right nutrients. Iron is essential (Malt O Meal cereal is loaded in iron and tastes great) as is folic acid (orange juice) and calcium (dairy products). Go on-line and search for different sources of the vitamins you and your baby need. With some creativity, you can avoid the prescription prenatal vitamins.

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J.H.

answers from Tulsa on

My daughter-in-law was the same way. Fortified breakfast cereals were the only way she could get her vitamins.

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R.L.

answers from Shreveport on

Hi, I had the same problem with my last pregnancy. My doctor had me stop taking the prenatal and start taking chewable Flinstones. I had to take 5 a day, 2 in the AM, 1 with lunch and 2 in the PM. That really worked for me. Also, beeyoutiful.com sells a Super Mom vitamin that I take. It is awesome, did not make me sick and helped me maintain a pretty good energy level during my third trimester.

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J.S.

answers from Little Rock on

Hi R., I had the same problem with my vitamins. My Dr. told me to just take folic acid for the first trimester and then start the prenatal vitamins. I did not have any problems with the prenatals after the first trimester.

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J.D.

answers from Baton Rouge on

my friend has the same problem, her doctor told her to try the children's flintstones vitamins. He said that's better than nothing. Also another friend was getting sick like 5 times a day, her doctor prescribed her some kind of special vitamins for severe nausea.

Ask your doctor, they can definately give you a prescription! Also my doc told me to take 25-50mg. of vitamin B6 to help with my nausea, it really did!

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D.R.

answers from Huntsville on

Hello, i don't know if this will help since you said you had tried at night. I had an amazing pregnancy without a single symptom except a pregnant belly. However, i did get sick one day when i took my vitamins after a really good breakfast. I was sick all day. A freind told me to take them right before i went to bed. So, that's what i did and i never had another moment of nausea or anything else. Worth a try!

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L.B.

answers from Mobile on

Dear R.,

Stop taking the pills. Eat a balanced diet. Women have had healthy babies for centuries with out doing anything special.

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M.A.

answers from Lafayette on

With my first child, I had the same problem. You know what I did? I took Flinstone vitamins. My Doctor recommended it...I was never anemic or anything. took one everyday through the whole pregnancy. I didn't have the first problem while I was pregnant.

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M.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Do some research and find foods that provide the same nutrients as the vitamin. Eat lots of those then try the vitamins again after you get past your first trimester.

Chances are, the sensitivity to the vitamins will go away after a couple of months, so just replace with food for a while, since you don't have many other symptoms.

Good luck!

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B.C.

answers from Alexandria on

My doctor told me with both pregnancies to stop taking them for 2 months. So by month 4 I tried taking them again. Your body uses all the folic acid you have already stored so really the pills aren't doing that much. Make sure you are eating very healthy and getting all recommended food groups. Try taking them at night if you decide to take them again in a few weeks. It worked for me the first time. The second I still got sick when I took them, but I was sick most of the time.

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S.E.

answers from Tulsa on

Rainbow Light Just Once daily prenatals ... nothing artificial in them, made from whole foods. You can find them online or in a Whole Foods store. Works for everybody I've recommended it to, all having similar intolerance symptoms of Rx prenatals. You need to add a calcium supplement, and be sure you eat healthy and drink lots of water, of course. Best of luck!

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C.T.

answers from New Orleans on

Hi R.

I went threw the same thing with my son I went threw 3 different vitiamns that were prescribed, then my dr told me to try the over the counter ones and they worked fine. So maybe try some over the counter ones.

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L.

answers from Mobile on

Hi R.,

My friend's doctor also recommended children's chewables, and that worked for her.

Good luck!
L.

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M.L.

answers from Tulsa on

R., I would keep working on the vitamins. They don't have to be prescription by the way. What you need most is a good multi vitamin and a high quality fish oil. Take them at night with food. Split them up. Usually its the B vitamins that give you the most trouble with nausea. Try something from the health food store but don't give up. They are very important, especially the fish oil. If you want a smart, well-adjusted kid, make sure you take your fish oil while pregnant and especially while nursing. I can't stress this enough. Don't stop the vitamins when the baby is born but keep taking them for 2 years. Thats how long it takes to repair the damage of pregnancy.
M

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S.K.

answers from Birmingham on

Congrats on your pregnancy! When I was pregnant, I was very nauseas and my doctor prescribed me PrimaCare (with omega 3). This vitamin had two different colored tablets, which were to be consumed every day .... the morning one had calcium+other stuff and the evening one had iron+remaining stuff. So keeping the calcium and iron separate did the trick for me. Ask your doctor if it suits you. Ginger cookies or ginger tea helped me with the nausea.

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A.J.

answers from Little Rock on

R., have you tried the over the counter brand? Alot of women get sick when they take the RX brand, but are able to be fine with SpringValley for example. This brand you can get at Wal-Mart for about $3.00. It does have the high quality vitamins/minerals at the recommended daily values. I too had trouble taking the RX strength, but could take SpringValley fine. I hope this helps. Good Luck. A.

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L.W.

answers from Auburn on

I had the same problem. I refused to take them and told my doctor I wouldn't, and she just said, "O. k. That happens sometimes." My baby was perfectly healthy.
If you have a healthy, balanced diet, you should have enough folic acid to prevent neural tube defects and enough iron to prevent anemia, so if you want to be on the safe side, you could consult a nutritionist to make sure you are eating the vitamins and iron via your regular food.

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M.O.

answers from Tulsa on

Congrats!! Something that worked for me, try taking your vitamins at night before bed. Also, I did much better with prenatal vitamins that were in capsule form. The others would give me what I call "egg burps" ugh! It's nasty even thinking about that, it was horrible!! It kept me sick until I changed to the other kind. I can't remember the name of them but they were purple capsules. Good luck and again congratulations!

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K.W.

answers from Dothan on

Talk to your doctor first. Otherwise, I took One A Day vitamins for a while when I couldn't tolerate the preg-vitamins. Eat good food and drink lots of milk and water, do all the other things you're supposed to.

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A.K.

answers from Springfield on

I was pretty bad nauseous just the weeks 5 started of my pregnancy. I tried ginger tea, lemonade, and many other remedies but nothing worked. Now, I am drinking No to morning sickness tea and it's amazing to keep me cool.

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K.M.

answers from Tulsa on

R.,

With all of my pregnancies I tried taking the sample prenatal vitamins and had all sorts of problems: belching the taste, constipation, sick stomach, you name it. What I did was use store brand vitamins or ones from a health food store. I'm still using a generic brand to nurse a toddler.

K.

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J.G.

answers from Fayetteville on

Try taking your prenatals right before bedtime. It hopefully will help with sleep and maybe then you will sleep through the nausea.

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C.T.

answers from Little Rock on

I didn't have this problem with my son but this pregnancy I have experienced the same thing as you. My doc told me it was ok not to take the vitamins. I have been using a liquid vitamin that I add to orange juice in the morning instead just because it makes me feel better to be taking something.

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C.G.

answers from Oklahoma City on

You might ask your doctor for some sample packs so you can try a variety. My doctor did that and it worked well. Or if your doctor says its okay try some over the counter brands. I did with my second daugther or if nothing else works maybe you could just take some supplements of folic acid and a few other vital nutrients instead of the whole pill. Hope this helps! I'll say a prayer for you!

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D.H.

answers from Birmingham on

I always took my vitamin right before I went to bed, otherwise I also felt sick.

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J.M.

answers from Tulsa on

I used VitaLea with Iron by Shaklee in place of prenatal vitamins. I showed them to my doctor, and she said they were at least as good as prenatals. I never got nauseous at all, as I had with my first two, using the vitamins prescribed to me. See http://www.shaklee.net/janet_morain/product/20303 if you want to check them out. I hope things get better for you!

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N.W.

answers from Fayetteville on

Congratulations R.! I had the similiar problem and taking them with orange juice helped me tons! Good luck with it!

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A.C.

answers from Tulsa on

I saw where someone else said Flintstones vitamins. That is what I took both times and I was fine. I think I took 3 of them a day but I didn't get sick with them.
Good Luck!

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C.R.

answers from New Orleans on

I had to try quite a few to hit on one that wouldn't make me ill. My OB/GYN gave me MANY sample packs to try. One that worked through the first two trimesters made me sick later and I had to change them in my third...so don't give up! And try getting the "What To Eat When You're Expecting" book, also. It helps you get a lot of your nutrients through foods and drink...good luck!!

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B.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I had the exact same problem with all six pregnancies...actually the first 5, with #6 I didn't even attempt to take them. I got me some Flintstone chewables with Iron and took two of them. They worked great, stayed down, and my iron levels were great! I would take them in the morning with some OJ (or soda! LOL but the OJ helps the vitamins get into your body faster- I think its the folic acid). Congrats on your pregnancy.

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S.I.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I am with everyone else. I couldn't take the prenatal vitamin, but I could take another over the counter one. The doctor told me it was fine, just look for one with Folic Acid and 100 percent iron. So, I would recommend talking to your OBGYN and see what he/she thinks you need in your vitamins. No need to be miserable. With my first I didn't take any vitamins and had a healthy baby boy!

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J.C.

answers from Jackson on

I had the same problem at first during my pregnancy and my Dr suggested I take the vitamins with supper. I never had anymore problems once I started doing that. Good luck!

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A.W.

answers from Mobile on

I have the same problem!

Please pleaase please go to the health food store to purchase your vitamins. Walmart, Target, dollar stores, and drug store vitamins are substandard...and made of synthetics.
They are definitely cheaper...but you get what you pay for.

All prenatal vit's made me gag so I found a delicious adult chewable (from the health food store), I added a tiny folic acid pill, and an omega 3 (all of these from a natural health food store) and I feel great now.

I hope this helps!

And congratulations!!!

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R.H.

answers from New Orleans on

Dear R.:

My daughter had a beautiful baby girl 14 months ago. Her doctor prescribed the pre-natal vitamins and like you the vitamins would make her sick. Her doctor prescribed other pre-natal vitamins and they also made her sick. Her doctor then told her to take Flintstone Vitamins and had no side effects. She had a healthy baby. Speak to your obstetician again. Eat well balanced meals, drink milk, and ask about Flintstone Vitamins.

Let me know what happens.

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D.H.

answers from El Paso on

Place the bottle in the freezer over night and take one in the morning, but keep them in the freezer. My Dr told me to do this with the girls when I was pregnant and it worked. If that doesnt work, ask your Dr to test for an allergy to one of the ingredients, might just be something while you are pregnant that will pass after the baby is born. Also you can take 2 childrens vitamins a day, at least you will have SOME vitamins in your system for you and the baby. Good luck!

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J.J.

answers from Little Rock on

I have a very weak stomach and I got very sick and dizzy when I took prenatal vitamins. I had to take mine at night right before I went to bed, so that way if I felt sick I wouldn't know it b/c I would be asleep. That's the only way I could take it. I tried everything you have and this is the only thing that worked.

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M.E.

answers from Tulsa on

Dear R., Congratulations on your pregnancy. I felt the same way.I've found the BEST 100% BIOAVAIL. VIT.www.healthyanswersonline.com M. Erb (mom of12full births!)

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