my friend told me she takes them and other women take them cause she says it is good for her health. is it normal? do you take prenatal pills or know anyone who takes them.

Only pregnant and nursing women should be taking them. I took them during those times. I had a prescription from my doctor for them.

They are too strong to take if you are not pregnant. Taking too strong of a vitamin long term is not good for people. It's actually harmful.

i did as well, on the advice of my doctor.

i've also been reading that it's now recommended to take them (or at least a folic acid supplement) prior to even becoming pregnant so as to prevent any possible spinal bifida - since the spine is formed so early in fetal development.

thats odd, after i had my son, they were saying its good for you to take them even after, but you know thats been 22yrs so anything can change

I took them after I delivered because I was nursing. I had a doctor's prescription for them.

That's true. That's why they put folic acid in cereals and a couple of other items.

i took them before and after i had my kids i only took them a short time after i had them

only reson i take them is cuz im pregnat

we don't need a prescription for them. i think they are behind the counter now but when i was pregnant, i'm sure they were just on the shelves with all the other vitamins.

wow thats new for when i was pg they were a prescrption by the doc

She's in Canada, Queene.

Doctors will sometimes tell women to take the prenatal vitamins if they are dieting too because of the decreased food intake and loss of nutrients.

I don't know that they are so much stronger, just a better range or mix of vitamins. Doctors are learning more about folic acid being good for you for many reasons. If women have cervical (pelvic) issues, they are now prescribing folic acid for them too. I think they have decided folic acid is just a good all around supplement, it helps with new tissue growth basically, if I remember correctly.

A lot of the vitamins are water soluble and your body will wash out what it doesn't use in your urine, the main one to be careful of is vitamin A as it will build up in the liver and can become toxic. A good source to get your questions asked about vitamins or meds is your local pharmacist, they are up on all these things.

Marie,

Doctors are now also advising against too much Vitamin C.

"megadoses of vitamin C supplements can cause nausea, diarrhea, kidney stones and inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis). Rarely, too much vitamin C can cause faintness, dizziness and fatigue."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-c/AN01801

And Vitamin K:

"Recent concerns have been raised about the safety of vitamin E supplementation, particularly in high doses. An increased risk of bleeding has been proposed, particularly in patients taking blood-thinning agents such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin, and in patients with vitamin K deficiency. Recent evidence suggests that regular use of high-dose vitamin E supplements may increase the risk of death (from "all causes") by a small amount, although a different study found no effects on mortality in women who took vitamin E daily. Caution is warranted."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-e/NS_patient-vitamine

Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

You may be tempted to take prenatal vitamins because of unproven claims that they promote thicker hair and stronger nails. While prenatal vitamins are generally safe for healthy adults, they may not be suitable if you're not pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Prenatal vitamins are formulated specifically for a mother-to-be, her developing fetus and women who are breast-feeding, with particular emphasis on:

* Folic acid. The Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement recommends that women get 800 micrograms (mcg) of folate or folic acid a day before conception through diet or supplements and then increase that to 1,000 mcg a day during pregnancy. Other healthy adults — both men and women — need only 400 mcg a day. While uncommon, getting too much folic acid by taking supplements can mask the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency and delay diagnosis and treatment.

* Iron. During pregnancy, the recommended intake of iron is 27 milligrams (mg) a day. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 who aren't pregnant need only 18 mg a day, and women age 51 or older and all adult men need only 8 mg a day. Getting too much iron can be toxic because it can build up in your body, causing constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and in severe cases, possibly death.

* Calcium. Pregnant adult women and healthy men and women ages 19 to 50 all need 1,000 mg a day. Men and women age 51 and older need 1,200 mg a day. Because prenatal vitamins are intended to supplement calcium you get in your diet, they generally contain only 200 to 300 mg of calcium. If you rely on prenatal vitamins to meet your calcium needs, you likely won't get enough, raising your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems.

It's best to take a multivitamin tailored to your sex, age and specific medical needs.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-vitamins/AN01665

Good information Winx, that is why people should always talk to their doctor or pharmacist as they know what meds they are already on and what will and won't mix with them.

If you read the label the prenatal vit's are not too far off from multi vits. People are taking vit and other supplements like crazy due to all the advertizing on how they can improve your health.
If you are under stress and are not eating a balanced diet I think taking a prenatal vit is fine, just not everyday.

I would still run it by the pharmacist to make sure they are not going to go against some prescription drug they are taking.

I had stomach surgery about 1-1/2 years ago so have malabsorption problems now and take mega doses of vitamins, I take about 2000 mg of calcium, and 2 multivitamins on top of several other individuals every day now. Every person's body is different.

Vitamin K is also in dark green veggies, i.e., spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, so people on Coumadin/warfarin need to be careful with eating large amounts of them as it will affect their blood thinning too.

Yes I know what you are saying Marie. Sorry you are having
malabsorption problems. I guess what I am trying to say is that many people are taking handfuls of vits and supplements due to the advertizing hype. Vitamins are a multi-billion dollar business and they promise all kinds of "rewards" to people. Most people do not have the medical knowledge or interest to find out about what they are taking. I assume a Doctor would inform a patient about vit K and Coumadin, I say assume because you never know, medicine is changing so fast no time for the patient anymore!!!

That is true, I think people forget how much the pharmacists know and what a good resource they are. I talk to them anytime I have a question. They have our records in their computers and can answer our questions quicker than a call to the doctor's office usually, unless it is a presribing problem. People do eat vitamins like candy and they are finding many of them are not doing what they thought. I type for doctors and have heard some of the docs say in their notes that the research has shown that some of the ones they thought were helping are not, like CO-Q10 isn't helping like they thought it was, and red yeast rice isn't helping with cholesterol like it used to, so there are lots of changes. People need to ask and not just believe everything they see on TV or read in an ad.