vital nutrients

[hopeful]

hello everyone i had a question for anyone who can help. Have any of you suffered from vitiman or mineral deficiency? Im wondering if i might be having this prob because i feel lately like a truck ran over me. ive gotton dizzy spells to where i feel like im gonna pass out, weakness and just blaaaaaa.....i know we are at risk because we have to cut so many good foods out of our diet. i started taking a woman's one a day multivt. but i noticed on there that it doesnt have everything like potassium ect and it has absorbic acid in it too. i have cut out all fruit except pears and sometimes honeydew. Im at a loss on what to do because i feel like im damned if i do and damned if i dont ya know. ive called a left a message for my doc to maybe run some lab work to see i dont know if hell go for it or not though, hell prob just say take a multi vt and ill be fine. i just know that a lot of these commercial vtms dont always get absorbed right. i know when people are put on diaretics that they also have to be put on potassium too because when they pee so much they loose the mineral....in that case wouldnt it be true for us too? I average about 12-20 during the day with peeing not including night. any suggestions thanks hopeful

[jen_dahling]

I became anemic during both of my pregnancies from the very beginning. I had the same symptoms that you described, too. It is great that you have contacted your Dr. for more information. In the meantime I would suggest that you try to get as much protein and iron as you can. I eat lean ham wrapped in a flour tortilla. Cereal is a good source of iron as well as peanut butter. The ICN diet book may help you find high iron foods.

Here is a lists of mostly IC friendly foods high in iron:

Bran flakes cereal
1 cup 24.0
Product 19 cereal
1 cup 24.0
Clams, steamed
3 oz 23.8
Total cereal
1 cup 18.0
Life cereal
1 cup 12.2
Raisin bran cereal
1 cup 9.3
Beef liver, braised
3 oz 5.8
Kix cereal
1 cup 5.4
Cheerios cereal
1 cup 3.6
Prune juice
1 cup 3.0
Potato, baked with skin
1 med 2.8
Sirloin steak, cooked
3 oz 2.8
Shrimp, cooked
3 oz 2.6
Navy beans, cooked
1/2 cup 2.3
Figs, dried
5 2.1
Lean ground beef, broiled
3 oz 2.1
Swiss chard, cooked
1/2 cup 2.0
Rice krispies cereal
1 cup 1.8
Kidney beans
1/2 cup 1.6
Oatmeal, cooked
1/2 cup 1.6
Spinach, raw
1 cup 1.5
Tuna, canned in water
3 oz 1.3
Green peas, cooked
1/2 cup 1.2
Halibut, cooked
3 oz 0.9
Whole-wheat bread
1 slice 0.9
Broccoli, cooked
1/2 cup 0.6
Egg, boiled
1 large 0.6

[rumbat]

Hi hopeful,

I would like to welcome you. I wish I had better advice, I too understand what you are going through. I started experiencing the dizzy spells before I was actually diagnosed with IC. I went to the Dr. and had all kinds of procedures done to try to figure out what was causing the faintness. It can be scary at times & in certain situations. Unfortunately, we can not take many vitamins due to the acidity of their content.

I have found Zinc is not too bad on the bladder – at least for me, everyone is different. LOTS of water is what really helped me the most with the faintness. I try to get nutrients where I can, some dairy, meats when I can, veggies (the few we can eat). It is not fun that we can not eat most fruits.

I also find taking vitamins right after a meal or milk helps absorb some of the acid, so hopefully they don’t irritate your stomach or bladder as much.

Wish you all of the luck!

[ICNDonna]

The symptoms you are describing is what sometimes happens with potassium deficiency. I take a prescription supplement, but there are also some over the counter potassium supplements that can be effective --- in this instance the OTC are more expensive, however. Many of the things rich in potassium, such as oranges and bananas, are a problem for ICers. A simple blood test will give you your answer.

Warm healing thoughts,
Donna

[hopeful]

thanks guys i was thinking the same thing icndonna that was my first thought. i have contacted my doc so im waiting for his response on this. i dont understand how we can live this way healthy when everything thats good for us is bad on our bladder. i feel like ok ill just eat the fruits that are high in vtms and suffer the bladder sx but it a aweful cycle because the more fruit and not so friendly ic foods you eat the worse your sx become the more you pee the more nutrients you pee out.....when you dont eat this foods you dont get the goot vtms you need so what the heck do you do? they say this illness isn't terminal but you know in my mind it can cause other serious problems like vt deficency.....which could put you in a really bad situation. i worry about dehydration too because it seem we pee sooooo much at least some of us that how do we keep ourselves hydrated the minute i drink i have to go pee. anyways im struggling to find the right balance and my body is feeling it to say the least. do any of you just eat the good foods even if it effects your bladder. thanks hopeful

[kadi]

I don't know anything about vitamins/minerals, but my doctor gave me the "goal" to increase my water intake yesterday. An ICA rep told me recently that taking a tiny sip of water every 10 min can allow us to drink more water without triggering off spasms... I guess I'll be trying that now...

[ICNDonna]

Actually, it's not difficult to get the nutrients we need, with the possible exception of potassium --- especially if you take a diuretic. I do drink a lot, but it's small drinks taken frequently. It actually helps keep me comfortable because it helps keep the urine diluted.

This morning for breakfast I had eggs and toast with low acid coffee. For lunch I usually have a salad with cheese, meat or fish, and sprinkled with nuts.

Dinner will be a meat dish, vegetables, and usually ice cream for dessert.

I don't drink much milk, so I supplement calcium with Prelief and the generic for Tums.

Donna

[hopeful]

thats the thing potassium is vital......and can cause serious complications without it. but im seeing my doc today so ill see what he says.

[hopeful]

yeah ive always eaten pretty healthy all my life. But i miss the fruits I usually have either kashi cereal with low fat milk, or brown rice cake with almond butter with a little honey sometimes or like an egg and toast. for lunch is a plain turkey sandwich or salad with cottage cheese and water or 1/2 pear juice, dinner ranges chicken alot with a veggie milk or water and my ic favorite cookies been eating a little to much of those lately hee hee....anyways so i think i just miss the fruit i was a big fruit eater before and i also have hypoglycemia so i snack a couple times a day and is usually cottage chees or a pear or celery something like that. well you guys are great always emailing back thank you it helps so much. wish me luck i have an 8 drive ahead tonight to LA taking my son to disney for the weekend im dreading the drive. saw that fold up potty Jill posted i about died with laughter when i saw it, its great i might get that. :)

[lindy lou]

Another train of thought, same sx. I was diagnosed as hypothyroid just a couple of weeks before the IC dx last week. Has your doc tested you for thyroid disorder? There seems to be a correlation with IC. Linda