My Day In The Emergency Room - Likely Vitamin Related

[Amanda 3.0 140]

So I have posted several times about my difficulty in taking my bariatric Vitamins. I take the Celebrate brand chewables: Multivitamin, the Calcium, and twice a week, the sub-lingual B-12.

The Multivitamin is the one that makes me the most queasy. I try to take it with a bit of food, but it is so unpleasant to my stomach that I have to lay down afterwards, sometimes with a bucket, "just in case" (although "in case" hasn't actually happened).

Today, I was upset and couldn't eat, so I didn't eat anything and took my multivitamin with just some of my daily coffee/Muscle Milk drink. Within 30 minutes, I had crushing chest pain. My husband was at the airport, leaving the country for work, so I packed a bag and tried to get myself to the ER. I just couldn't get the courage to drive there! But I was afraid to call for an ambulance or bother my neighbor or friends because I was sure it would subside and maybe it was just gas or something stupid. Or, maybe stuck food (although I hadn't eaten - go figure).

I wanted to get to the hospital where I had my surgery, so that they would know my situation, and where my surgeon practices - but that is maybe 15 miles. I couldn't drive there in my condition in case I caused an accident and hurt someone. So I drove part way through my neighborhood, changed my mind, pulled over and considered calling 911, and then most of the pain subsided.

This is the same reaction I have to codeine, which is an allergy of mine. I don't have many allergies, just codeine and guinea pigs, and bleach. Codeine does this exact same thing to me, or at least it did the last time I took it, maybe 25 years ago.

I did go on to the hospital. They took me back immediately in a wheelchair, so I bypassed the full waiting room and all the forms. I had an EKG, blood tests, and chest x-ray. The EKG had some slight irregularity, supposedly not heart attack related, but everything else was normal. My alarm for low breaths per minute (or whatever) kept going off. They wanted me to stay over for monitoring but I desperately wanted to go home, especially with my husband out of the country. I agreed to get a stress test from their cardiologist tomorrow and I agreed to no physical activity until then. Bummer because I wanted to start Water aerobics tomorrow.

I am a healthy woman, 47, no comorbidities, pretty active.

I am 99% sure it is an allergy, but will do what I was told and update. The first nurse I encountered today was kind of a know-it-all and told me it wasn't an allergy because I didn't have hives. Hello, I never had hives with codeine either. Also, she cut off my circulation (to the point of immediate pins and needles) with the blood pressure cuff, which has never happened before, and when I mentioned that, she acted like that happens when blood pressure is taken.

[Finding MeMe 204]

Sleeve Guru, I too could not tolerate the Celebrate multi or calcium citrate. They literally made me gag on several occasions and I said no more. I then read a few posts on nutrion and supplements and decided to start taking the vitafusion Gummy multi from Walmart. Now I love taking my multi daily, these muti vits are so yummy. I also stopped taking the celebrate Calcium citrate and purchased Caltrate (calcium citrate) from Walmart. Since they are a little big for my tummy, I bought a pill splitter from walmart also and cut them into four pieces which makes go down too easy. Good luck.

[Lissa 2,631]

Amanda, how scary!! Hopefully you will get some answers today. Did you place a call to your doctor as well? S/He may have some suggestions for safer Vitamins for you, or have some recommendations for tests that may be needed besides just the cardio test.

Good luck and please keep us updated!

[Amanda 3.0 140]

Thanks for the replies!

This Thursday, I go to my support group. It is headed by the nurse nutritionist from the hospital where I had surgery. I like her so very much. I am going to ask about Vitamins then and if she doesn't have the answers, I will approach my surgeon's office. But, they all work together so I will start at the meeting since others may be helped if we discuss Vitamins.< /p>

For now I am taking my liquid Multivitamins and my calcium chews, cut into quarters. I know they aren't the calcium citrate, but better than nothing for the moment.

I will check out the Vitafusion Gummy Multivitamins, I think they are at Sam's and/or costco. I have a road trip coming up and my liquid Vitamin is supposed to be refrigerated. gummies would be more convenient by far. I have the Vitafusion gummy Fiber, and like that product. I have read online that the Vitafusion gummy Calcium has too high of a Vitamin D to calcium ratio, so I am avoiding that product, at least until I can see the label in person.

I called the cardiologist recommended by the emergency room doctor. He wants to do a consultation before a stress test. His next available appointment is next Monday. So it would be over a week without exercise, since they told me no real exercise until after the stress test. That is NOT okay, so I called my PCP for a different referral.

I really think it was allergies. Part of me wants to blow the whole thing off, but I am being so obedient since this surgery.

It was really scary. Part of me said it was just an allergy, and part of me was very scared I was going to die.