# Prenatal Vitamins and Stomach Problems



## MindUtopia

I just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced anything similar to me. For the past three months I've been having quite bad stomach pain/irritation, acid reflux and constipation, so much so that as our TTC date is looming in a little over a month, I'm starting to wonder if we will have to postpone it until I start to feel better. I've been to see my GP several times and she's done all sorts of blood tests (all the general blood tests for inflammation/infection/total blood count, checked my liver, kidney and gallbladder function). She put me on antibiotics for a week to see if it was an infection that they couldn't detect. And last month, she started me on a proton pump inhibitor (lansoprazole) to try to deal with the acid reflux to see if that is the source of the pain. Needless to say, that's helped a bit but not too much (acid reflux is a little better, but pain/irritation is still there). If there is still no effect in 2 more weeks, I have to go for an endoscopy to see if it's an ulcer or a hiatus hernia. Even if the proton pump inhibitor works though in the long-term, it's not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so for us, it still wouldn't really be a good solution.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm starting to wonder since we can't find out why the heck I'm feeling so miserable if it could be my prenatal vitamins that are causing the problems. I hadn't even thought of this before, but as I was lying awake in bed last night not able to sleep, I realized I must be just about to run out of my 3 month supply of prenatals and I counted back the months to see when I would have started them....and bingo! It occurred to me I started them in November, which is when all my stomach problems started! This morning when I got up I actually checked my calendar because I know I had it marked that on a certain date I would start them (exactly 6 months before we would be TTC). I started them on the 5th of November and my stomach pains/acid reflux/constipation/general misery started sometime in the following week. We had house guests that next weekend so I remember clearly that it all started just before they arrived. 

So anyway, this is really long, but those of you ladies who are/have taken prenatal vitamins, have you had any similar problems? I'm taking the Pregnacare Original ones. I did do some research online this morning and found a lot of women don't handle the iron levels in prenatals well (which can cause stomach pain and constipation). The iron in the ones I'm taking is 17mg a day, which doesn't seem excessive, but I do eat a pretty decent diet that is fairly rich in iron-containing foods, so perhaps it's possible I'm getting too much? I'm actually thinking I might give the prenatals a rest for a week and see what happens and perhaps mention it to my GP when I see her in another week or so. Anyone else experienced this?


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## GenYsuperlady

Get a prenatal without iron!!! That's the culprit!!!!


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## iow_bird

I stopped prenatals as they made me feel so rough, I took folic acid and ate healthily instead x x x


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## fairyhut

Me and hubby are both on pregnacare and are having no side effects. But everyone reacts to pills in different ways. I'd try swapping for another pre-pregnancy pill. Good luck, and hope you feel better soon xxxxxxxx


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## Soniamillie01

I'd give them a break for a week or two and see what difference it makes. Also, S suggested above try the ones without iron. Hope you feel better soon x


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## MindUtopia

Thanks, ladies. Yeah, I've stopped taking them for now and will wait until I go back to see my GP in another 2 weeks before I take anything else. As it's looking, we probably won't be TTC until I can get this sorted in case it is anything more serious, so I suppose there is no massive rush to start anything new. I do eat really healthy, so probably just taking folic acid by itself would be fine eventually (not to mention cheaper!).


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## iow_bird

Personally I think Prenatals are over priced and you should be able to get everything you need for growing your wee one from your diet, the only thing I added was the folic acid tablets. I think the prenatals are more for you, as your wee growing bub will take everything it needs from your body and leave you short, rather than going without itself. I had really bad morning sickness with #1 which lasted my whole pregnancy and I couldn't take prenatals as they made me so sick.


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## goddess25

I stopped taking pre natals both times as it was really causing problems and just took the folic acid instead.


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## MindUtopia

goddess25 said:


> I stopped taking pre natals both times as it was really causing problems and just took the folic acid instead.

goddess25, what sorts of problems were you having, if you don't mind me asking?


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## anna kitty

sometimes i got stomach problem.


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## I Love Lucy

I've had the same kind of problems as you with just regular vitamins so I stopped taking them. I just assumed that I was getting to much of a certain vitamin and that was causing the problem. Right now I'm only taking folic acid and will switch to prenatal vitamins once I find out I'm pregnant.


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## busymommy2447

Yes, I believe it is your prenatal vitamin. (I realize this is an old post, but I am posting this comment for future readers). 2 years ago when I was pregnant, I was very sick in the first trimester, but also had a lot of problems with indigestion, serious abdominal pain, gas, bloating, burping. I thought it was caused by the slowed digestion of pregnancy. The problems were the worst in the first trimester, but did continue somewhat throughout the entire pregnancy.

Now I am trying to conceive again and started taking prenatals ahead of time (which I did not do last time). And after about a week of taking them I started having the exact same problems. (And I am for sure not pregnant yet). It took me a week or so to figure it out, but I am now convinced it is the prenatal vitamins causing the abdominal pain, gas, etc. I compared to my regular vitamin, which I have no problems with, and it looks like the only two differences are the folic acid and the iron (reg vitamin has 18 mg, prenatal has 28 mg). Since many other posts mention the iron causes digestive problems, I am going to switch to a prenatal with lower iron. I found some that have 18 mg, which I know I can handle since that was the amount in my regular vitamin. 

I can't believe that entire pregnancy could have been easier if I had just used a different prenatal vitamin! I am so glad I realized this before getting pregnant this time.


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## Hollynesss

Deleted- didn't realize how old this thread is!


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## knobby

For those that experience stomach upset with prenatals... choose a prenatal vitamin that contains ferrous fumarate (type of iron). This form of iron is less likely to cause GI problems that are associated with other forms of iron.

I take Nature Made Multi Prenatal https://amzn.to/16toNOK. It contains 27mg of iron (ferrous fumarate) and has never caused nausea with me. 

On a side note, the reason I originally chose this particular prenatal is because the vitamin A in it is from 100% beta carotene (from veggies) - the preformed vitamin A (retinol) can cause birth defects when taken in large amounts and is in many prenatals out there. If you eat plenty of meat, dairy, eggs, fortified cereals/bread/etc... then you are getting lots of retinol already and shouldn't be using a supplement that contains retinol because you may end up getting a harmful amount.


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## itsnowmyturn

I take a multi vit with iron but u can get it without iron n I add extra folic acid on top, I think things like pregnacare are well over priced, I paid £2 for 3 months supply of folic acid and 2 months supply of multi vit so not expensive at all xx


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## babyzoe

I think it may be the iron..i've heard a lot of doctors talk about that too. try looking one for one without iron and seeing if that fixes it.


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## Lin2013

I started these on wed last week and over the past couple of days i have had tummy cramps and now feel a bit sick today, not sure what to do, maybe i should just take folic acid on its own?


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