Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements – Oh my !!
My daughter’s hair is falling out. No, she isn’t on chemotherapy (thank heavens !), and didn’t just have surgery or a baby. But it is falling out by the handful. Her once beautiful, thick, dark hair is now thin and getting thinner by the minute. If you are a woman, you can imagine her distress. Our hair is something we value – even if we hate that it’s curly when we want straight , or straight when we want curly, or the wrong color or wrong whatever, we still want to keep enough to cover our head.
This problem started about 6 weeks ago. She has been to three different doctors and none seem to be able to find a cause. She eats a very balanced diet, hasn’t changed any routines or products, no more stressed than she usually is – in fact she is less stressed now than she has been in a few years!
To add to her distress at least two of the physicians really didn’t seem to understand how much of a problem it was (male doctors……….). The one who did understand the gravity of the problem – she took him a BAG of the hair that had fallen out in the shower that morning- was stumped. No idea as to why it was falling out but he did agree that yes, it was falling out and was certainly problematic but no further suggestions.
Flash forward to today, 3 hours ago……Tom, happened to mention this to some colleagues. One spoke up and said “Has any one tested her Vitamin B 12 level? Low B12 can cause hair loss…………
Once on-line looking up low B12 symptoms, not only did my daughter find out that it can cause hair loss but can cause about 6 other symptoms that she has been experiencing and was considering seeing her cardiologist about – heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and tiredness! We are hoping this is an Eureka! moment but will need some lab tests to know for sure.
While a healthy diet should meet most, if not all of our nutritional requirements, some people do not absorb or manufacture enough of some things to meet their needs. In that case sometimes supplements are needed. Caution – before you decide you are deficient in some nutrient, vitamin or mineral PLEASE see a physician. While the body normally excretes extra nutrients our bodies don’t need, too much of some elements can be harmful and cause kidney or liver damage. I know vitamins and supplements are available without a prescription but I caution you NOT to spend money you don’t need to spend if all your nutritional levels are where they should be AND not to take supplements that could possibly interact with other medications or cause damage to your body.
If you are experiencing symptoms that you have not had previously and you have started a new diet, started new medications (like a diuretic) or had other recent changes, it is very important to call your doctor. If your doctor doesn’t take you seriously (as my daughter’s doctor’s did not) then find one who will. Some low (or high) nutrient levels, such as low or high Sodium or Potassium levels can be life threatening. Low iron or Iron binding capacity can cause extreme fatigue (and hair loss……..) but on the other hand there are symptoms of too much Iron (like constipation) that you want to avoid as well. This is why I reiterate you must see a physician before you start on a regimen of supplements. You need to know why your body is giving you the signals it is sending out by way of symptoms.
Most often the doctor will want to order some blood tests. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO START A SUPPLEMENT BEFORE THE DOCTOR ORDERS IT as well. My daughter was eager to go out and buy some B12 capsules. However before she starts taking this supplement she needs to find out what the B12 levels in her body are now. If they are critically low she may need B12 injections instead of capsules. It may be that this isn’t the problem after all . But if she starts taking the capsules now, before finding out what the base level is, all the blood tests will show is what it is after she starts taking the supplements. It may have been normal and her body is excreting the extra she is taking in OR it may be that it truly is very low, causing her symptoms. Either way she needs to have blood work done BEFORE she starts self medicating, as tempting as it may be.
I know because vitamins and other supplements are sold without prescriptions people think they are harmless. They are not. They have a place in therapy just as antibiotics, and other medications do, for certain conditions ,but they are not a panacea for everything and should not be taken casually or without reason.
If you are reluctant to call your physician another option is to talk to your pharmacist about vitamin therapy. He will be able to advise you about any side effects or interactions with medications you are currently taking.
Protecting your health is a serious matter. Take it seriously.
Think about it.