Too much iron?

[Loriblue]

My legs have been aching, and I read on the forum that it might be for a lack of vitamins, so I bought some prenatal ones (I'm not pregnant ). But I thought I read on the Atkins website that you should take vitamins, just not ones with iron in them. The ones I am taking now have EXTRA iron. Suggestions?

[JulieB]

So...why did you buy prenatal vitamins with extra iron in them? I buy vitamins for people 50+, as they tend not to have iron in them (check the labels - all brands are different).

[Alaskansonya]

At GNC they have some vitamins with no iron. However, I get leg cramps when I lose weight...I think its the fat leaving the muscles and/or a mineral imbalance?? Anyhow, I have tried several different vitamin concoctions by the doctor to get rid fo charlie horses at night when I lose weight but the doc and I both can't seem to get it right...So the more the cramps in my legs, the more I lose weight...sublimely painful!

[stacy3477]

Definitely lose the vitamins and get some without iron. Cramps can also be a sign of dehydration. Make sure you're getting a MINIMUM of 64 ounces of water a day.

[JulieB]

Dehydration, lack of potassium and lack of magnesium(I think) are the usual culprits for cramps...so the supplements & water should help. Too much iron prevents some people from having bowel movements...and our Atkins diet is often iron-rich, thus the recommendation to use supplements that don't have iron in them

[pagliaccia]

Also, men's vitamin formulas tend to not have iron. Best of luck to you!

[mizski]

I would ditch those prenatal vitamins. Besides having iron the other vitamins are probably not in the amounts you need for Atkins.

Senior vitamins should have no iron even though Centrum Silver's new line for women does so check on the label to make sure.

In reading DANDR 2002, Dr. Atkins suggest so many vitamins that we need and I didn't really want to get a zillion bottles of different supplements so I bought the version of his Atkins vitamins from Vitacost.com. I figured those were the vitamin/supplements he recommends so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he know what he's talking about.

[JulieB]

Originally Posted by mizski

...I figured those were the vitamin/supplements he recommends so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt that he know what he's talking about.

I thought he recommended "a good multi-vitamin without iron". I don't remember any brand or specific amounts being mentioned...

[neutronnorman]

Originally Posted by JulieB

Dehydration, lack of potassium and lack of magnesium(I think) are the usual culprits for cramps...so the supplements & water should help. Too much iron prevents some people from having bowel movements...and our Atkins diet is often iron-rich, thus the recommendation to use supplements that don't have iron in them

That's right. Hydration also plays a key. Check you rda% daily also about calcium. Calcium is very important on this diet.

[mizski]

Originally Posted by JulieB

I thought he recommended "a good multi-vitamin without iron". I don't remember any brand or specific amounts being mentioned...

I am going by Chapter 23 in DANDR 2002. On p. 303 Dr. Atkins begins the supplement facts for his Basic #3 formula which contains the nutrients he recommended for weight loss. And he states:

Although you will certainly be able to find a good multivitamin that contains most of the ingredients in Basic #3, you may choose to purchase separately the individual substances...

I had been taking Centrum Silver but after looking at his suggested nutrients I found it to have way less of many nutrients and did not contain some of the others. Atkins Basic #3 is no longer available so I bought Vitacost's version rather than trying to effectively supplement the Centrum Silver.

It was a personal choice I made to try and do things as close to how Dr. Atkins recommended. I figured trying that along with the recommended EFAs, L-carnitine and CoQ10 couldn't hurt.