I used to take a multivitamin tablet daily, until my heart stent age 44 two years ago.
My Cardiologist asked me to stop taking them as there were certain vitamins that became not good to take e.g. ones on there linked to clotting.
I want to start taking vitamins again. My diet is as good as most others but I’m often lethargic from underactive thyroid (which is treated and regularly monitored by GP).
Just want to give thought to vitamins that are great for heart health and avoid the ones that are not.
Was thinking Magnesium., to start with.
Does anyone here have any knowledge on what us hearties can take, and can’t?
Thanks all, Sal.
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Truth is that if your diet is varied and healthy, you don't really need to take vitamins or supplements in pill form. All you do is make expensive urine.
If you are concerned that you are deficient in something, a blood test (via GP) would confirm that and then you'd know what you needed and could either adjust your diet or take a targeted supplement as required.
Something else to bear in mind is that the supplements industry is not regulated in the same way as medicines, so you could be buying and taking a pill/powder/liquid that claims to have vitamin of choice, but it may not be in the quantity stated - there could be less or more, or it might not actually be present at all. There could potentially be other ingredients in the dose that interact with your medication.
If you are determined however, please do speak to your local pharmacist who will be able to advise on interactions with your medication. They may also recommend a trusted brand - backed by evidence. If possible, look for brands that state their product is GMP certified - as products manufactured to GMP are subject to more rigorous production controls and testing.
In spite of a reasonable diet, I see that lack of exposure to sunlight can mean we can be low or deficient in Vitamin D and it needs supplementing, particularly in winter. I have it prescribed all year ‘for your pills to work well’ were my Consultant's words, and, I understand, for bone health.
See NHS recommendations for a Vitamin D supplement. Below.
My cardiologist told me I must not take Vitamin D unless my bloods were low. Had them tested and they were fine even in winter despite being cooped up after surgery. The year before they were low after I'd been out walking all winter! The body is a strange thing. Apparently Vitamin D can interact with some meds too.
I think this is especially true if you take a statin, because statins interfere with Vit. D synthesis. For the same reason I think, CoQ10 is recommended.
Yes , PPIs also cause the same issue with B vitamin synthesis. Various drugs including statins , PPIs, Steroids. NSAIDs and different types of antidepressants ( no matter what you use these for) also cause absorption and metabolism problems for various vitamins .
You have had some really good information from Captain_Birdseye. I like the comment about making expensive wee!
Kristin made a good point too.
My GP checked my Vitamin D levels which were found to be low.
I cover up under lots of layers to keep warm so even though I go out everyday, walking my dog I am not exposed to enough sunlight.
I take a daily dose of vitamin D on the advice of my GP, Cardiologist and Neurologist. I take no other supplements for the reasons Captain_Birdseye has given.
Perhaps discuss whether supplements would be beneficial for you with your GP or Pharmacist?
Maybe ask for a review of your thyroxine levels as you have a history of hypothyroidism.
Despite a good diet and not having illnesses that cause vitamin deficiency, some of us can still have low or borderline vitamin or mineral levels , and can feel more of the symptoms of lower levels than other people .That can happen for people with no illnesses at all not just people whom have chronic illnesses or are in recovery.
Age , hormone levels , infection, injury or activity can impact on nutrients for all of us.
If you would prefer to use a combined multivitamin or mineral there are a few on the market that do not contain Vitamin K1 and other nutrients that your cardio would not recommend, you just need to look at the list of nutrients in them to find the right one, individual supplements may be better.
It's always a good idea to get your baseline nutrient blood tests done by the GP before you make your supplement choices . On the NHS you can request the blood tests for Vitamin B12, Folates, Ferritin,Iron, a Kidney function test to check sodium and potassium and a full blood count if you have not had them in the last six months. You can request a Vitamin D test once a year. If you haven't had one a Diabetes blood check and Cholesterol test are also beneficial. You can also get a Magnesium test.
When you have you results , request a copy of view online.
You can make decisions about whether you feel you need to increase your nutrients from oral supplements as well as increasing their intake in the foods you eat and with support or guidance from your doctors. If you are actually deficient the GP will give you a prescribed course of supplements anyway.
If all of your nutrients are in mid to high range you don't need supplements but should still get the levels checked once a year. Especially if you are over 60 or on medications that are known to reduce how well you absorb nutrients from the diet.
Increasing your hydration and having the recommended fluid intake is also vital because you can be dehydrated even if you are not thirsty and this causes many different symptoms including Fatigue and less well managed symptoms.
Some supplements that are beneficial for people on mid / low range and taking certain medications are separate B 12 (take with water after a meal with no Vitamin C) and Folates/ B complex( taken after a meal with Vitamin C.) B vitamins are vital in maintaining most systems, including improving your absorption of the other vitamins in the body and reducing Fatigue . Getting enough B vitamins often helps improve the amount of other nutrients you absorb from a good varied diet and helps prevent deficiency in vitamins and Iron.
Vitamin D can be toxic if you have too much but many people with chronic conditions use a lot of Vitamin D in daily recovery and may not get as much as they need at certain times of year.
If you are not deficient and are in normal /mid range Vitamin D can be taken and is beneficial in the winter months. Choose a lower dose if you are in mid range. If your test was high you should not take Vitamin D. People with low or Deficient levels will get guidance from a GP and may require a daily dose.It is better taken just after your fattiest meal of the day because it is fat soluble so you absorb more.
Vitamin C can also be beneficial, especially in the winter months or after an infection or period of ill health. It also helps to take this at the same time as Folates and Iron supplements if you require them. Active iron supplements are gentler on the stomach than Ferrous ones.
Calcium is better taken in foods as part of a well balanced diet because of its association with plaques not as a supplement even if you are managing bone health. Magnesium is better taken at night so that it doesn't effect your salt balance in the daytime , and it can help reduce symptoms of things like restless legs and pins and needles at night.
Topical Magnesium lotions or sprays put on the feet and ankles can also relieve these symptoms.
Pure Omega 3 can be beneficial, again after a fattier meal for joint stiffness , inflammation and heart health in moderate quantities. You may not be recommended to use it if you have Prostate issues.
Steer clear of the combined Omega 3,6,9 though, especially if you also suffer from illnesses that cause inflammation like Arthritis as Omega 6 is a inflammatory. You usually get more than enough 6+9 in a balanced diet , just as you do with the trace minerals and metals.
These are guidelines though , every one is different and what is needed by one person may not be required , or may even need to be avoided by another. Supplements may be sold over the counter but they are still chemicals just like prescribed medications that can effect your health and have side effects.
And of course , as the name implies , they are a supplement and not a substitute to a well balanced diet.
Finally, always choose supplement brands that are UK made , tested, or recommended by professional medical health care providers not just in online reviews or articles.
Hope that helps you to make the choices you need , take care , Bee
There are a lot of pieces of medical research studies that these guidelines are based upon , unfortunately, I am not that technically gifted and I'm not good at adding in the links.The blood test availability is part of that listed in NICE guidelines.
As you probably noted , I did repeat that everything needs to be checked for the individual as everyone is different ,and, we can have so many types of illnesses in our medical history that our needs must be checked for all our conditions not just heart related issues.
The amount of a supplement anyone takes if they require them also needs to be specific to a person's individual need which is why I haven't included any specific dose guidelines, and again need discussion with your doctor before you proceed.
I also received guidance from my Hospital Dietitian.
I double check what I can take with my Cardiologist, Neurologist and Pancreatic Specialist and we should always check with them before using any form of self care both therapies and supplements.
I have various studies featured on the BMJ and NiH research publication lists which I can add in but it might take some time to add them . I've needed to do quite a bit of research over many years to improve my self care as I have a number of chronic health problems.
Found your comments very interesting. Eight years ago I developed colitis after a severe bout of food poisoning to a restaurant meal. Now on a limited diet and take a multi vitamin with iron in each day, plus a B12 tablet. Also two calcium and vit D tablets each day. I have a full blood count test every three months but my GP told me if I wanted other tests done I would have to pay for them. I did that a couple of years ago, £120 for a private GP to raise the request and a fortune for the tests. My Cardiologist and GP know I am taking a multi vitamin and have never indicated a problem.
Yes, I believe the issue for some with a multivitamin is the inclusion of Vitamin K but there are options that don't include it.Had you had a set of vitamin tests in the previous six months within normal range?
I know I and my GP had a problem with getting a Vitamin D test in under a year even though I had a Vitamin D deficiency. They just assume the supplements will work. When I could get the year check I was still deficient. The GP tried to get it done after three months on higher doses but it was the lab that refused to test it , despite his explanation for the request because of their guidelines.
Separating the vitamins and taking them after meals , or with the right foods just helps to increase absorption of the supplement which is helpful for people with deficiency or digestive problems.
If I asked my GP for a vitamin blood test, she would tell me to see a private GP and get the tests done privately because they are not available on the NHS, the same as before when I asked for some to be checked. It cost me a small fortune and I am sorry to say I don't feel inclined to do that again with everything going up in price in current times. I have been told GP's are trying to trim their costs the same as everybody else.
Oh yes, they definitely are , in everything from the brand or type of your medication ( often statins and PPIs) suddenly being changed without them checking if you had that brand for a particular reason, to the amount of tests they "say" you can have and where they " say" you can be referred to.I must admit when I was advised to get the blood tests regularly by the NHS Dietitian I was initially refused.
So , I went back home and checked the NICE guidelines because I thought to myself, why would the Dietitian tell me to do that when I can't.
Next week I went in and took the NICE info with me, and they did them from then on.
Sometimes it's an intentional mistake , they just don't know the guidelines and follow the in house budget saving rules that the Practice Managers decide upon instead.
When it comes to my B 12 injections the GP (whose also a partner) sorted out the increased injections following the guidelines but even disclosed that we needed to keep it on the QT so she didn't get a telling off from the other partners for following the medical recommendations instead of their Surgery budget rules. All of this stuff is a minefield.
Thanks for your help, but I know I don't stand a chance with my GP. Nothing about vitamins has been mentioned by my Cardiologist, Cardiac Support or the Cardiac Clinic. I have been taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement twice a day for 8 years due to my colitis and they have never been tested.
Hi There..In reply to your question, I take Magnesium, Co Enzyme Q10 (which was recommended by my Specialist Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse) Zinc and Multi B vitamins. Dr Sanjay Gupta, Cardiac Consultant at York hospital is on Utube and there is lots of information on his site, one on Magnesium and the Heart
I take Dapagliflozin, Nebivolol, Spironolactone and Perindopril for heart failure with reduced EF. My condition has gone from severe Left Ventricular Systolic Disfunction to moderate and my EF from 25 to 38 in three years.
I would recommend you chat with your team and or your pharmacist before you take any supplements just to make sure.
After having had thyroid nodules for many years I had long suspected that my thyroid levels were dodgy and had also toyed with magnesium because of other problems Having only just got access to my GP records I was able to see ALL my test results in detail. Full thyroid including TSH were in normal range although at the low end, magnesium was fine, vit D slightly low but not bad. The only thing below normal range was iron but nothing's been mentioned about that.So I take no supplements at all. Anyone wondering whether they need supplements should check all their blood test results. I was never given any results by the G P. It was a case of if normal ignore them so being able to see all of them has been quite a nice eye opener.
I've always been told by all Health Professionals that the vitamins were absolutely fine & safe to continue on after my op so have done. The only thing I had to give up was the Cod Liver Oil capsules because something in the coating (so not the CLO itself) interferes with one of the tablets I was put on after the operation. Thus may have been Ticagrelor which I'm now off so will need to check. As always, get a second opinion.
I have to agree with Captain_Birdseye on this question. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding in any supplements to your daily regimen. I would say that this is especially true with minerals such as magnesium or calcium or potassium, etc. A blood test should indicate whether you might be deficient in any of these minerals and your doctor can advise if you need a supplement. For example, my last blood test in February 2023, showed that I had low levels of potassium. My doctor prescribed a supplement that I took for about 4/5 weeks. Tests then showed that my levels were in normal range, and she asked me to stop taking the potassium.
On the other hand, my doctor did ask me to take 8,000 IU (not all in one day) of vitamin D per week. This was following a diagnosis of osteopenia. My doctor suggested that this vitamin might help keep me from developing full osteoporosis sooner.
I also added in an Occuvite vitamin for eye health, but that was on my own initiative. I have read on this forum that some people add in CoQ10 for heart health. Again, I would check with your doctor first before taking any additional vitamin or mineral supplements.
I hope that you can get it sorted as to whether, or not, you should add any supplements to your diet. My doctor really pushes eating green, leafy vegetables. 😊
This confuses me ! I'm chronically unwell so decided to try some vitamins ,individual ones instead of a multivitamin. Staged them in slowly one at a time because my body has turned into a literal demon that hates everything I ingest, was told my magnesium was slightly low by one dr ,another one says to take it only for 2 weeks , neurologist says to take it all ,then another dr said don't bother with any of it ,I'm afraid of all meds at this point never mind over the counter stuff ,my reply will be of no help to you at all 😅
That can be the problem can't it . Although they can see the full list of your medications and medical history in front of them their advice can often differ a lot because they just give the advice based on what works for the condition they are treating rather than the whole person and all of your issues.
It took ages for me to work out how to adapt all the differing opinions against what advice was given for each health condition.
It was also necessary for me to do when it came to medications too , as they sometimes forget to check and can prescribe a drug which can interact with my other meds . I usually check with my pharmacist on that one now or just remind them to check before I leave the office.
I had to do quite a bit of research for my own self care over the years and always check everything , it's worth it in the end but it does make managing your chronic health conditions feel like a full time job in itself.
Yes but the thing is they all know my history it's just different opinions I suppose , so I now have spent a fortune for nothing because I'm too afraid . No idea what might help & what could make me worse , take care x
I suffer from palpitations and have an ASD. I started taking magnesium which seemed to help with my palpitations, I take it in the early evening as it can make me a bit tired if I take in the day. I also take a medium strength vitamin d but this was recommended after a blood test. I sometimes take Co enzyme q10 w/Vit E. and I sometimes take berocca which is full of b vitamins if I am feeling low on energy. I may take omega 3 on occasion as well. Remember some of these can lower blood pressure such as omega 3 and magnesium. So if you’re on meds always double check if you can take it.
Can I ask which vitamins your cardiologist said may cause blood clots?
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