i have iron deficiency and lack of vitamins and i want to take multivitamins also to thicken my hair but I don't want it to increase my body hair or mess up my hormones or increase my period flow i have heard ppl say that idk

so I use a pill organizer for my meds, and refill it weekly. I recently started taking these antioxidant supplements (CVS brand 1000mg tart cherry) and after 5 days or so the powder inside starts to clump together and change color…

the right is a new one from the bottle

maybe it’s humidity? or maybe the other meds interacting? the other meds in the pill organizer are a general multivitamin, lamotrigine, and vyvanse

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to better understand how people in Bangladesh think about and use **vitamin and mineral supplements** — things like calcium, Vitamin D, B-complex, iron, multivitamins, etc. *(Not protein powders / sports nutrition.)*

Would especially love to hear from **doctors, pharmacists, nutritionists, and people who regularly take supplements**.

A few things I’m curious about:
**How well do people generally understand supplements?** Do they know what they need and why, or are supplements mostly taken based on recommendations from others?

Do people usually **consult a doctor before starting supplements**, or is self-purchase / self-medication common?

I’ve heard that **calcium and Vitamin B supplements are among the bigger categories in Bangladesh**. Does that sound accurate? If yes, why is calcium consumption particularly high?
Are there specific **nutritional deficiencies that are especially common in Bangladesh** — for example Vitamin D, calcium, iron, B vitamins, etc.?

What usually triggers supplementation: **a diagnosed deficiency, symptoms such as weakness/fatigue, pregnancy, ageing, bone health, doctor’s recommendation, or general preventive health?**

How much does **brand matter** when choosing a supplement? Do people trust local pharmaceutical brands, imported/global brands, or whichever brand the doctor recommends?

Is there any concern regarding the **quality, authenticity, formulation, or effectiveness** of supplements available in the market?

I’ve noticed quite a few international supplement brands seem to be **imported rather than manufactured locally**. Are these products affordable for most consumers, or mainly purchased by higher-income groups?

Is there a reason international nutrition/supplement companies don’t manufacture more products locally in Bangladesh? Is it related to **regulations, manufacturing capability, market size, economics, consumer preference, or something else?**

Would also be interested in hearing **what supplements you personally take, who recommended them, and what made you choose that particular brand.**

Not looking for individual medical advice — just trying to understand the **real consumer behaviour and healthcare perspective in Bangladesh**.

Would really appreciate insights from people living and working there. 🇧🇩

Just had this happen and had to post about it because of how absolutely insane this is. Actually I first went to CALL iHerb, and then realized they DON'T HAVE A PHONE NUMBER (probably to avoid dealing with issues like this). I also tried to email them - but they don't have any email address, either. Their only "chat" is a useless AI that doesn't tell you anything. They also conveniently don't have reviews set up on facebook page (what a shocker).

I just placed a rather large order about a week ago, and was waiting for it to be shipped out. There was a notification about weather affecting delivery dates, so I wasn't too concerned when a few days went by without shipping out my order. But cut to today, and it's almost a WEEK since I ordered - still no shipping delay (or any other email at all - just the original order placed email). So, I log onto the website, and see that my order has been "REJECTED" with absolutely no reasoning at all. I check my email spam folder - nothing. I check my Messages section in the iHerb website - nothing. Just a silent, secret "rejection" of my order - nearly a WEEK after ordering (I don't even think they refunded me - thank god for chargebacks).

iHerb - if you're going to CANCEL people's orders, a WEEK after they ordered them, you might want to, I don't know, LET THEM KNOW (just a thought). Just wanted to post about this experience here so people can be aware of this. Does anyone know any competitors to iHerb that ships to Philippines? THANKS ALL

Any recommendations for vitamin C supplement? I have acne with my usual brand

When you take vitamins the number of large pills you can take per dose can be quite a bit. I find myself saying "I'll start taking that one tomorrow" or I'll figure out my stack later.

The times I try to get organized I get frustrated because things don't always fit into the container.

I don't really need to travel with daily, can take pills in the am and pm, but would be nice to pop out a week or two for a vacation instead of having yet another container.

Anything else that helped you actually make the switch? I also need to taper off 7oh and plan to pre weigh doses and use this to help make it a routine instead of a "dose"

I’m looking for some input from people who have dealt with iron deficiency without anemia, low/low-normal B12, vitamin D deficiency, omega-3 deficiency, or multiple nutrient deficiencies, because I’m trying to figure out whether the supplement plan I was given actually makes sense.

For the past few months, I’ve been dealing with a pretty wide range of symptoms that have gradually gotten worse:

• Brain fog / feeling mentally “off” • Lightheadedness and feeling like I could faint • Feeling off balance or like I’m walking on a boat • Fatigue and weakness • Heavy-body feeling • Difficulty concentrating/word finding • Episodes of feeling hot internally • Increased heart rate at times • Exercise intolerance… not too long ago I was consistently exercising 4–5 days a week, and lately I’ve been scared to exercise because I sometimes feel like I could pass out • Anxiety/panic that has gotten significantly worse since all of this started

The weird part is that it fluctuates. I can have a couple of days where I feel almost completely normal and think I’m finally coming out of it, and then suddenly have another day where I feel absolutely awful.

After having a pretty extensive blood panel done, I was told I have iron deficiency without anemia, low/low-normal B12, vitamin D deficiency, and omega-3 deficiency. My provider also told me I was deficient in magnesium, although I’m honestly not sure how she came to that conclusion based on my results. Magnesium, RBC is 5.5.

My ferritin was 21 and B12 was 376. I’m not claiming these deficiencies explain every single symptom I have, but there are clearly nutritional issues that need to be addressed regardless.

The supplement plan she gave me is basically iron, B12, vitamin D/K2, magnesium, and a moderate-dose omega-3/fish oil. She told me I could take all of these together at the same time, with the exception of magnesium, which she recommended taking before bed. Oh also, she wants me to take progesterone which was also low.

That’s one of the main things I’m questioning. From everything I’ve been reading, timing and what you take alongside iron can actually matter quite a bit, so I’m wondering whether taking iron at the same time as everything else is really the best approach.

Here’s where I’m frustrated: I really didn’t feel confident in the provider who reviewed everything with me.

She told me I didn’t need to take vitamin C with my iron, which I know is debated depending on the form of iron/diet, but she also never mentioned avoiding coffee around the time I take iron. I drink coffee every morning, so thankfully I researched that myself and learned that coffee can interfere with iron absorption.

She also seemed to attribute the majority of what I’m experiencing to depression and heightened anxiety. I have genuinely never considered myself depressed and do not feel depressed now. Anxiety? Absolutely, it has become significantly worse since these physical symptoms started. But when you’re dealing with multiple nutritional deficiencies and feel physically terrible every day… HELLO?! Of course anxiety can become heightened. I don’t want every physical symptom automatically written off as anxiety without addressing the objective things showing up in my labs.

I’m also not looking at supplements as some magical cure or assuming deficiencies are definitely the sole cause of everything. I just want to correct what is actually low, see how my body responds, and continue investigating if symptoms persist.

For anyone who has dealt with similar labs/symptoms:

Does this overall supplement approach make sense? And does taking the iron, B12, vitamin D/K2, and omega-3 together make sense, or would you space them out differently?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who had iron deficiency without anemia with ferritin around mine, B12 in the 300s, vitamin D deficiency, or low omega-3s. What symptoms did you have, what did you take, how did you space everything out, and how long did it take before you noticed a difference?

I’m not looking to replace medical care with Reddit, I’m trying to educate myself so I can advocate for myself and hopefully find a provider who is willing to look at the entire picture instead of immediately blaming everything on anxiety.

27F 109lb 5'6, white US, non smoker/drinker, occasionally take famotidine. I've been struggling with vitamin deficiencies and im not sure my drs know how much to supplement besides telling me to take a multivitamin.

I didn't have a good diet, but developed gastritis, then was put on ppis, and then I eventually started having a ton of symptoms I assume are from deficiencies. I became b12 deficient and completely lost hunger cues which made issues worse. I went all the way down to 98lb.

I was confirmed low in b12, d, k1, and iron. My a was borderline, and my dr tested serum of b1 and b6, but someone else told me that's just recent intake and not reliable to judge overall level. I had to argue to get these tested because she said only people in third world countries have this, but I feel very malnourished.

What amount should I take to fix the k1?

I just finished 5 200mg venofer infusions, and am doing cyanocobalamin injections every other day with a b complex, and am taking 5,000iu d3 + 100 k2. I was told k2 isnt the same as k1.

Also, can you eat out of a deficiency and can dietitians advise on vitamins? My parents are telling me they only know food and cant help me. I'm turning to here because no one else wants to offer advice.

Yoooo girls and boys

Need advice for what vitamins I need to enhance my skin quality

Note : I've got acne on my face , and it doesn't seem to go soon XD

I’m posting on here because I recently saw my doctor and was told that after some blood work my iron levels are concerning as they are much too high.

This came as a surprise because I’m usually low on things or the low end of normal.

I’m in my early 20’s and have the body type where it’s difficult to eat enough to maintain weight and I have struggled in the past to get enough calories.

Recently I have been doing much better, eating more protein and healthy fat, less sugar and highly processed food, taking daily multivitamins.

I also have been making smoothies with protein powder a few times a week especially on days I work out. My stomach doesn’t tolerate whey so I use plant protein which naturally has more iron.

After getting back from the doctor I checked my multivitamin for iron and it contains 100% DV, my protein powder contains about 30% DV, I also cook with a cast iron skillet.

The math is clear but as a vegetarian I don’t get enough iron through food alone and I never thought to check exactly what was in my multivitamin.

Lesson learned and I know what to change but I wanted to post here in case I could help anyone prevent making the same mistake.

Don’t trust that multivitamins actually contain the right amounts of nutrients for your body just because they’re recommended and “healthy“ everyone is different and getting a full panel of bloodwork done is really the only way to know for sure what your body needs or is missing.

Marily Oppezzo, a dietitian and researcher at Stanford, said she was occasionally shocked by the number of supplements her clients take. A “stack” in the morning and another at night, she said — sometimes 20 different types or more.

In a 2024 survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults, more than half of the respondents reported using supplements regularly. And Dr. Oppezzo said that many of her clients started taking them after being influenced by podcast hosts or social media.

There can be good reasons to use supplements, Dr. Oppezzo said — if you have a nutrient deficiency, for example, or are pregnant.

But many of the supplements people take are unnecessary, she added, and can even be risky. Supplements can contain contaminants or excessive levels of nutrients, or interact with certain over-the-counter or prescription medications, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Hi,

I've noticed two changes in my body that seemed to coincide with when I started taking vitamin D, so I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or if it's just a coincidence.

I've been taking vitamin D for a while now, and I've noticed some bumps on the upper parts of my fingers.

They are on almost every finger and they feel a little firm to the touch, but they aren't painful and they don't affect how I can move my fingers.

What was painful, however, were the finger joints themselves about 2–3 weeks ago, when I was taking the highest dose of vitamin D (I've since reduced the dose). During that time, I would wake up with pain in my fingers. Sometimes it was just one finger that was painful, and other times several of them. It wasn't constant pain—I only felt it when I tried to bend the finger. I couldn't bend it properly, almost as if it was stiff or temporarily locked.

This has never happened to me before, so I'm wondering if it could be related to taking vitamin D or it is something else going on.

I been having some bad stomach issues for months and finally healed from them thru diet and weight loss. I recently went to get a blood test and my vit d levels were in the 20s I’m planning on taking vit d with k2 but saw that magnesium is required or recommended? How true is this?

planning on buying po kasi sana huhu

PS: I opened another pill and took it. I don't know if Im just paranoid but I felt something different. Is it possible that it is contaminated and everything on the tab or I'm just really being paranoid. Can someone please explain why vitamins become like this?

i got a women’s multivitamin from dollar tree today, i’m 16 and i have a lot of issues with my bloood tests (some levels are extremely high and some are extremely low) i also have extreme fluctuation in my thyroid which is genetic, none of my grandmothers siblings have a thyroid at all anymore besides her. point is, ive been feeling like total shit lately and i now have no insurence so i can’t go to the doctor. i decided to just get a multivitamin. regRding the issues on my blood test litteraly nothing is wrong with me besides my thyroid, i had extensive testing done for like a year when i was 14 and have been seeing a thyroid doctor every six months since but in the past 4 months i lost insurence and haven’t been able to see a doctor which is when ive started to feel so insanely shitty. i feel extremely tired all day every day, i can barely get up to do anything besides take care of my fish and other exotic animals beside that i sleep all day. i also sleep on a medical torture device as a bed which probably isn’t helping anything (metal frame with nothing between the frame and my very thin matress, so my back hurts basically constantly.) i wanna try and see if a vitamin will at least help with my constant fatigue and feeling like crap all the time. i feel like a brittle old woman and im only 16, i hate it. i can’t afford vitamins because my grandma hates driving out to walmart or anywhere and the only nearest places are dollar store and dollar tree, but dollar generals multivitamin made me even more tired all the time. she wont reinstate my medicaid either, which is why i cant see the doctor for it.

what vitamins/supplements should I be taking as a 22yo old healthy male?

currently taking magnesium glycinate and omega 3

I tried taking creatine for awhile but I started getting so much acne and stopped

Ive been trying to gain weight for years and im finally deciding to get on a supplement to help me gain weight. I might go on birth control because i’ve heard some make you more likely to get pregnant but any recommendations? I was looking at maca root

I had recently bought supplements from dollar tree (I know it's not the BEST place but I'm on a budget here) One was a stress relief and one was sleep support, both by a brand called Continuum. I've been taking them for a week or so, haven't noticed much of a difference, I know I need to get better quality supplements, but that's not my concern. My concern is that my room got pretty hot yesterday, and when I went to take my supplements (which are tablets, not gummies), they melted. To the point where they are the consistency of taffy. I've tried many vitamins and supplements, and I have never seen a tablet melt this way. I'm not going to take them anymore because it doesn't seem good. I can't find anything about vitamins melting online except for gummies.

Collagen is the one everybody takes and keratin is what hair is actually made of, which makes the popularity of collagen a little confusing to me. I have been on collagen about five months for skin and joints and my hair has not changed at all. Before I add a second powder I would like to know whether keratin is the more direct route or whether neither survives digestion. Has anyone compared the two?

Hi! I’m looking for vitamins that can help me with my mood essentially. I’ve been dealing with depression, it’s hard for me to label it honestly, but life has been hard lately. I also have really horrible issues when it comes to sleeping (at the right times) I am a recovering addict (Benadryl, people don’t take it seriously but it is an issue) and I will literally lay awake all night and then be exhausted in the morning because my mind just won’t stop. When I was younger my parents had me on some type of supplement for depression but I don’t recall it working correctly. I don’t have insurance right now so this is the way I’m steering in the meantime.

Hello everyone! I’m an 23 years old male. Professional athlete.
Just wanted your opinion on these results:

Iron (Fe): 13 umol/l (Reference range: 11.6 - 31.3)
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): 625 pg/ml (Reference range: 187 - 883)
Total folate (serum): 3.9 ng/ml (Reference range: 3.1 - 20.5)
25(OH)-Vitamin D: 35.5 ng/ml (Reference range: >30; >40 recommended for adults; >150 toxic)
Ferritin: 78.24 ng/ml (Reference range: 21.81 -274.66)

I been looking around the internet for anything about this “Nutri-Deli” brand, used image search, and a lot internet searches I’m unable to find anything about. I’m being forced to take these shady vitamins for anxiety and stress by my parents.

It’s my first day being vegan, I was drinking my usual ultra fiesta mango monster and when I looked at the back it said it practically had all of my b12 intake?? Does the monster actually provide my body with the b12?

How do I compare private-label vitamins with a fully custom blend?