Vitamin Injections

[Boo]

I am thinking of getting vitamin injections & wondered how beneficial/safe they are.

Bit of history;

I have a stomach/reflux/digestion problem for the past 3 years & as a result have a very limited diet. I only eat mama noodles once or twice a day & occasionally some noodle soup. Sometimes (maybe 2 times a week) I am able to eat some rice or mashed potatoe with gravy & fish but can't eat meat unless it is minced (and even then I sometimes can't keep it down) I also can't take tablets very often so find vitamin tablets too much of a chore but I know I need some as my body is probable in dire need. I also have type 2 diabetes but ironically cause of this condition & my lack of food is totally under control without meds but I am still overweight by about a stone, even with such a limited diet

So if I get the vit shots is it just a general multi vitamin or should I be asking for specific vitamins & how often should I be having the shots?

Thanks

[Sheryl]

Multivitamins are not generally administered parenterally (injection). Only in cases of people unable to take food orally in which case they are given in intravenous preparations that also contain macronutrientsd (carbs, fats, proteins).

The only vitamin commonly given in injection form is B12. Unlike other B vitamins, B12 is not found in food but rather is snythesized by bacteria in the intestinal tract. Some people lack the ability to do this and thus need to get B12 injections.

I would suggest since you have trouble with tablets a multivitamin/mineral liquid or chewable tablets (such as are sold for children)or a vitamin and mineral fortified liquid drinkl (Ensure, Sustacal etc).

From what describe of your diet, vitamins are not the only concern. Essential minerals, fatty acids and protein are all also lacking.

Mama noodles, mashed potatoes etc are pure empty calories . Hense something like Ensure or sustacal would be more appropriate. Soft tofu, soy milk, yogurt would also be good sources of protein and some vitmains and minerals.

I'd advise consultation with a new GI specialist to work out a better diet plan still consistent with what you can tolerate...and to get to the bottom of why you have such trouble with solid food intake. Not sure exactly what your GI problem is but I can't think of any conditions which should leave you unable to comsume solids for 3 years.

[FBN]

First thing: Stay off the mama noodles. Loads of msg in there as well as having next to zero nutritional value as Sheryl said above, it has all of these harmful chemicals in there.

You can consider a course of Vit B complex injections given once a week for a few weeks but I think that you will reconsider this as a treatment option after the first jab as these are the most painful jabs known to man!

It may, however, be necessary to consider given your nutritional status now.

There are lots of health food supplements such as brown rice porridge etc that has loads of Vit B as well and some pre-digested or processed proteins as Sheryl also mentioned.

[Boo]

Thanks for the advice. The GI problem is an ongoing issue, my consultant in the UK isn't sure what it is exactly but has suggested a form of diverticulitis with reflux & some psychosomatic problems added in, reason he thinks it might be partially mental is after finding out I had diabetes type 2 I was vastly overweight so went on a very strict diet & this issue started around the same time. I can no longer tolerate spicy foods & meat (lumps as in any kind of beef, chicken fillets, pork) are totally indigestible for me now. I also struggle with bread (no great problem as terrible food for type 2's anyway)

I do on occasion manage to eat other "normal" foods, noodle soups, raad naa, tom kha gai (but leave the chicken) rice with a lot of sauce even the odd meatball if mashed up with lots of gravy but stringy vegetables, fruit chunks are all "non" foods. And usually any food I eat, I need to vomit up the first few mouthfuls regardless of what it is.

Add to the fact that due to this issue I find cooking pointless (why spend all that time & effort just to vomit it all up?) that I stick with foods I know that I can eat, hence the mama noodles (green & white packet with glass noodles & garlic oil) & it makes for a boring but at least tolerable diet.

I will def go tomorrow & buy the liquid vitamins Sheryl suggested & will try to make more effort in cooking brown rice & tofu/egg drop soups. In UK I mostly existed on M&S soups (lots of good stuff in them too) but since being back in LOS I have gotten lazy & of course with the lack of familiar (safe) foods have stuck with the same stuff every day.

Thanks again. Isn't it funny that sometimes you just need someone else to tell you what you already know

[robblok]

First thing: Stay off the mama noodles. Loads of msg in there as well as having next to zero nutritional value as Sheryl said above, it has all of these harmful chemicals in there.

You can consider a course of Vit B complex injections given once a week for a few weeks but I think that you will reconsider this as a treatment option after the first jab as these are the most painful jabs known to man!

It may, however, be necessary to consider given your nutritional status now.

There are lots of health food supplements such as brown rice porridge etc that has loads of Vit B as well and some pre-digested or processed proteins as Sheryl also mentioned.

I agree about the vitamin jabs.. i have given myself a few of those jabs in my quads and its no fun. I stopped quite fast doing this because it was not worth the effort.

[Sheryl]

Not to second-guess your UK consultant, but has a hiatus hernia been ruled out?

And have you had an esophagoscopy/gastroscopy to rule out any masses in the esophagus/ stomach?

[Boo]

Yep, had exploration of esophagus at the beginning, no blockages or anything. Also not a hernia. Is def some kind of mental related in part though as when stressed or being hassled by the toddler when I am eating will start to get a gag/vomit reaction where minutes previously I was able to digest (my restricted diet) without an issue.

I know what I need to do & that is to take more care in what I am eating. If I am no longer able to eat certain foods then I can live with it as the things that affect me most are the ones bad for a diabetic diet anyway but I have to start putting more effort into finding foods I can digest rather than sticking with bad choices, like mama, as they are easy.

Been researching recipes online & went today & bought brown rice, pasata, chicken stock & herbs to make a tasty tomatoe & rice soup that I used to buy in UK. I remember how much I enjoyed eating it but got lazy so need to kick my self up the bum now & sort it out.

Thanks again, needed the chiding

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

consider going on some good probiotics. sounds like your digestive tract is fairly dysfunctional and a lack of friendly bacteria might be a major factor.

[Sheryl]

Agree, some good quality (i..e freshly made, non-sweetened, no preservatives) yogurt would be a good idea both for the probiotics as well as the nutrients.

Its really easy to make your own yogurt if you don't live near a place that sells it.

If you have a blender you can make some nice shakes with things like banana thereby getting some fruit intake in an easy to swallow form.

Personally I like a blend of yogurt + banana+ vanilla extract + cinammon (good for diabetics!) + sweetener. It's delicious. Works with a soy milk base too. And can vary the fruit e.g. mangos also good.

[wpcoe]

Are sub-lingual (multi-)vitamin solutions available in Thailand?

[Boo]

Thanks again for the virtual kick up the bum. I have for the past couple of days been drinking a Yakult a day as well as at least one natural yogurt with something biffidus in it & have laid off the mama noodles & been looking for alternative soups & foods with sauces to eat instead. Can say yet if I am feeling better but I do feel more virtuous

[FBN]

Great start!; Virtual "kick up the bum" should be followed by a very real and sincere "pat on the back"!!

Keep it up and keep us posted; many sympathetic ears out there, particularly on this forum, that would not mind being a bit of a support group!

Hang in there!

[desi]

Thanks again for the virtual kick up the bum. I have for the past couple of days been drinking a Yakult a day as well as at least one natural yogurt with something biffidus in it & have laid off the mama noodles & been looking for alternative soups & foods with sauces to eat instead. Can say yet if I am feeling better but I do feel more virtuous

Poor Boo! I feel for you. I had similar problems for six months and was so fed up with the bland food. Blech.

I don't know anything about type 2 diabetes, are you able to eat fruit? If so, fruit smoothies with green veg are a great way to get needed vitamins down (I dislike eating leafy green veg so this is the only way for me). Add yogurt for variety. Also, there are smoothie places popping up all over BKK (and I imagine elsewhere in Thailand?) so you might not do without when out.

[Boo]

Thanks FBN, I do feel better in myself after a week of improved diet, I am still using the mama every now & again, as some days I struggle to keep down anything & the mama goes down & then allows me to eat some other soft/liquid foods but I am making sure I have a yakult daily as well as a natural yogurt but have also been trying out other foods. Have also been taking daily a multi vit supplement with omega & ginseng that I found in dis-solvable tablets.

Today I managed some noodle soup (minus pork balls & beef slivers & only half the noodles) then this evening a small portion of soft cooked spaghetti with half a tin of tuna in oil. I feel positively normal for a change. Just wish the outlaws would stop asking me at 8 am to "gin khao" & shoving plates of fish, curry & rice at me. I feel bad but after 3 years they DO know I have a problem & yet still keep trying to force me to eat Makes having the problem just that little bit worse.

Desi, thanks for the sympathy, it is hard to be in a restricted diet but I can cope with it IF I remember to not stick with the easy foods, I need to challenge myself. The thing with fruit is it is on my list of foods to be careful with for diabetes, lots of natural sugars but in moderation it is a good source of vitamin & fibre. So this week I'm trying out smoothies (mil dug out blender for me that must be at least 20 years old ) so doing banana, 0 fat milk & natural yogurt smoothies as well as just orange & ice smoothies for the vitimin C & hydration. I have always drank a lot of water & think that is why I haven't been as bad as i could have been.

All in all a good start. I plan to update here as a reminder to myself & to re read the good advice to keep it fresh.

Thanks again all

[pineapplegirl]

Hi,

There's an amazing guy in the states, Dr Fuhrman. He calls himself a "Nutritarian". He's a real doc who believes in using as little medication as possible. I have diet problems (that I won't get in to), but before being in his care I was surviving on 600-800cals a day in an effort to manage the issue. He has helped me keep the calories down while getting the maximum nutrition possible so my body can function (and heal!). He has an online forum that costs $15 and you can ask him questions. My situation is 80% better since following his advice. He doesn't prescribe meds, just nutrition. Google him,his book is Eat For Life, or my favourite, Eat to Live (but it's a little strict for newbies). He has helped thousands of people. I keep recommending him to people.

Another option to help heal yourself is to eat as many raw foods (fruit/veg) as possible. There's a group of raw foodists who live in Bangkok meeting up at Raysana Cafe April 24th at noon if you want to join to get an idea of what it's about. You'll find a lot of people into raw foods have some kind of GI/health issues. I don't believe in 100% raw, 60-70% is good enough to fix yourself

Hope you feel better soon!

Thanks FBN, I do feel better in myself after a week of improved diet, I am still using the mama every now & again, as some days I struggle to keep down anything & the mama goes down & then allows me to eat some other soft/liquid foods but I am making sure I have a yakult daily as well as a natural yogurt but have also been trying out other foods. Have also been taking daily a multi vit supplement with omega & ginseng that I found in dis-solvable tablets.

Today I managed some noodle soup (minus pork balls & beef slivers & only half the noodles) then this evening a small portion of soft cooked spaghetti with half a tin of tuna in oil. I feel positively normal for a change. Just wish the outlaws would stop asking me at 8 am to "gin khao" & shoving plates of fish, curry & rice at me. I feel bad but after 3 years they DO know I have a problem & yet still keep trying to force me to eat Makes having the problem just that little bit worse.

Desi, thanks for the sympathy, it is hard to be in a restricted diet but I can cope with it IF I remember to not stick with the easy foods, I need to challenge myself. The thing with fruit is it is on my list of foods to be careful with for diabetes, lots of natural sugars but in moderation it is a good source of vitamin & fibre. So this week I'm trying out smoothies (mil dug out blender for me that must be at least 20 years old ) so doing banana, 0 fat milk & natural yogurt smoothies as well as just orange & ice smoothies for the vitimin C & hydration. I have always drank a lot of water & think that is why I haven't been as bad as i could have been.

All in all a good start. I plan to update here as a reminder to myself & to re read the good advice to keep it fresh.

Thanks again all

[JAS21]

Actually, if you want B12 injections then may I suggest Nevermin, freely and cheaply available in BK. Nevermin also contains B1 and B6 plus a small amount of analgesic. My wife, for her illness has them twice a week in the buttocks..hurts a bit she says.