TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I posted on here a few weeks ago about MS and my fear of it. Link to other post I was wondering if you ladies would help me out with a few other questions.

1. Do you think your chances of MS are less if you take over the counter multi vitamins vs. RX ones? I know I can't swollen that large of a pill, so I know I will be taking the OTC pills.

2. If you have anxiety and you take meds for the anxiety do you think this has also helped with MS? Meaning did you get MS or not even though you are or were taking meds for your anxiety?

My anxiety has soared to new heights due to the holiday s. I haven't gotten AF (i'm 9 days late at this point), but I think it's due to my stress level. Though there is a small chance I'm PG but I really don't think so. Took two dollar tree tests and they were BFN. I think I will start to see a therapist in the beginning of the year to help with my anxiety and I have to go back to doing Yoga. I need positive in my life right now, because I am not helping myself.

Thank you all in advance for your help and understanding. I know this is a great board for advice.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

when i was preg with ds i have awful ms and heartburn and then my rx prenatals were on backorder so i took over the counter ones and it all went away...the following week i filled the rx and it all came back.. could have been a fluke... but this time i only took otc prenatals

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I'm sorry I am probably not going to help. This is my second pregnancy so maybe this is why but my MS is still around at 17 weeks. I take Flintstone vitamins because I couldn't handle regular prenatal and that didn't change anything. With my first DD I had MS but not nearly as long or as bad.

Everyone is different though! There is no guarantee that you will have MS at all

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by nicrae

I'm sorry I am probably not going to help. This is my second pregnancy so maybe this is why but my MS is still around at 17 weeks. I take Flintstone vitamins because I couldn't handle regular prenatal and that didn't change anything. With my first DD I had MS but not nearly as long or as bad.

Everyone is different though! There is no guarantee that you will have MS at all

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I was reading your older post as well, and there is definitely a chance you will not get MS at all. I am about 12.5 weeks, and although I have been nauseous a handful of times, I have never even come close to having to actually vomit. I have also tried both OTC and prescription prenatals, and they don't really seem any different to me...neither one make me feel more/less sick than the other. Good luck

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by JldDolphin

Posted by Alex110879

when i was preg with ds i have awful ms and heartburn and then my rx prenatals were on backorder so i took over the counter ones and it all went away...the following week i filled the rx and it all came back.. could have been a fluke... but this time i only took otc prenatals

Could have been a fluke or not. So how is it this time around with the OTCs?

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

My OTC prenatals made me ill - they left a bad taste in my mouth and that really didn't help my MS - I think it aggravated it. My rx prenatals didn't do that but I also tried to take them at night in the beginning. I take Prenexa - they're small, softish, and chocolatey - not bad at all - but I did still have MS - just not so much in the vomiting department - I almost never vomited - I just felt queasy most of the day until about 14 weeks but it wasn't unbearable and it did pass.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

With both of my pregnancies I could not tolerate the prescription prenatals. With my 1st I was able to take Target OTC and I was ok. This time around I had m/s for 27 weeks and was not able to keep anything down including the OTC, prescription and kiddie vitamins.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I guess you just don't really know what your body is going to do at any time in your life really. Thank you all for your stories. Please keep them coming ladies. I just need to feel better about all of this and just take the plunge and be ok with it. I have to have positive thoughts and just roll with the punches I guess.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

There is a very good chance you may not even have morning sickness, hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones. I had MS but in the evenings up until 16 weeks. I used to take my prenatals before bed. Some of the prenatals have flavors to them, mine were vanilla. I don't think changing my prenatals would have lessened my nausea since I had nausea before I took them late at night. I would not worry at all, so many people I know never even had MS and if you do get it, it's a small hurdle to get over! Good luck!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Definitely try the target OTC prenatals.

I take Rx vitamins with DHA and even the smell makes me gag (I take them at night so they don't make me sick)

I'm so happy to read that you're going to TTC!!!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I'm taking RX prenatals, called Prenate DHA. I don't know if its a coincidence or not but I was nauseous until I started taking them, but since I got them I really haven't had any nausea.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by kahlua716

Definitely try the target OTC prenatals.

I take Rx vitamins with DHA and even the smell makes me gag (I take them at night so they don't make me sick)

I'm so happy to read that you're going to TTC!!!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

If you are nervous about the prenatals making you sick, why don't you start taking them before hand? I have been on prenatals since 2007 ( I heard they make your hair and nails grow ) LOL so even when I changed to the Rx prenatals, I had no reactions.

Also, I am 11w1d and I have not had one day of m/s.



I suffer from anxiety as well. I was taking Xanax when needed but I cannot take them during pregnancy. A lot of girls on here took their medication through out pregnancy but my OB was against it, especially in the first trimester.

I know everyone is different - but so far I have been okay. I had some issues in the beginning but worked through them and I haven't had an attack in weeks! My SIL swore that her hormones actually helped with anxiety and I wonder if the same is true for me!

Good Luck!

Message edited 1/2/2010 11:29:45 PM.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I didn't have much MS with any of my pregnancies. With my first, I did have some low level all day nausea until about 14 weeks, but nothing that was unbearable. And it was managed by eating pretzels and drinking OJ or ginger ale -- no problem. As far as the vitamins, I only took Rx but never had illness due to them. At my first OB visit, my doc gave me a shopping bag full of different ones and told me to try them out and tell him which I preferred and then he'd give me a prescription at the next visit. I took several different ones and didn't feel any different regardless of which I took. I ended up taking the Duet DHA with all my pregnancies. I did take them at night just in case they were going to make me sick. I will tell you though, one day I forgot to take it at night so I took it in the morning and I had a bad "fishy" taste in my mouth all day, which was from the DHA. So I never did that again -- if I forgot to take my vitamins, I only took the vitamin during the day, not the DHA pill.

In case you do take the OTC prenatals, ask your OB about supplementing with extra folic acid. The OTC ones don't have as much in them and it is "recommeneded" to take 1mg so some OBs will push the Rx prenatals because of the 1mg of folic acid, which you can take extra of, separately. You can also get a separate DHA supplement OTC if you want to take that too.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I wanted to add that I was on Prozac through my first trimester and although it wasn't bad AT ALL- I did get some nausea.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate them. I knew I came to the right place to advise and for some comforting words. Some of you have FM me as well and I really appreciate more than you know your kind words and help and understanding.

What is DHA?

When you guys say OTC prenatals is that different then a multi vitamin? I know some of you have talked about Target prenatals....is that Targets multi vitamin or something else?

What is the total of Folic Acid that you should be taking?

Thanks ladies!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I agree with Tilde. My doc told me to start taking the prenatals even before TTC b/c they can make you sick, and so if you get used to them beforehand, you'll be in much better shape. I've been taking them since I came off BC almost a year ago. I find that the pills themselves don't necessarily make me sick, but if I try to swallow them too fast, I gag a bit. Taking them at night can also help if your stomach reacts to them. I've been taking fish oil pills at night b/c I have a different reaction to them than the prenatal...and not in a good way!

I take an otc prenatal (wegmans store brand) and it has 800mg of folic acid. my normal multi vitamin has 400mg.

Do you take a multi vitamin now? Or would you be starting an entirely new vitamin regimen? I would start taking a prenatal now, even if you already take a multi. Get used to a brand and then when the time comes, it won't be a new routine to adjust to.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I have multi vitamins at home that I don't take every day, but I know I should be. It only has 400mg of Folic Acid.

Is a multi vitamin the same as a OTC prenatal?

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by JldDolphin

I have multi vitamins at home that I don't take every day, but I know I should be. It only has 400mg of Folic Acid.

Is a multi vitamin the same as a OTC prenatal?

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by Cpt2007

Posted by JldDolphin

I have multi vitamins at home that I don't take every day, but I know I should be. It only has 400mg of Folic Acid.

Is a multi vitamin the same as a OTC prenatal?

i don't believe so. the contents are different and in different quantities, even in otc brands of both types.

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

I didn't have MS last time or this time I think it's a crap shoot! I only took presecription pre-natals and they never bothered me.

Good Luck!!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by JldDolphin

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate them. I knew I came to the right place to advise and for some comforting words. Some of you have FM me as well and I really appreciate more than you know your kind words and help and understanding.

What is DHA?

When you guys say OTC prenatals is that different then a multi vitamin? I know some of you have talked about Target prenatals....is that Targets multi vitamin or something else?

What is the total of Folic Acid that you should be taking?

Thanks ladies!

Re: TTCer with a few Questions (re: MS & prenatals & anxiety)

Posted by pharmcat2000

Posted by JldDolphin

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate them. I knew I came to the right place to advise and for some comforting words. Some of you have FM me as well and I really appreciate more than you know your kind words and help and understanding.

What is DHA?

When you guys say OTC prenatals is that different then a multi vitamin? I know some of you have talked about Target prenatals....is that Targets multi vitamin or something else?

What is the total of Folic Acid that you should be taking?

Thanks ladies!

DHA is a supplement that some women are taking now in addition to prenatal vitamins. It is supposed to help with brain and eye development.

The amount of folic acid in OTC multivitamins is usually 400mcg (micrograms) -- not mg (milligrams). The folic acid in OTC prenatals is 800mcg. This is the amount usually used in the studies that proved that folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. The amount of folic acid in Rx prenatal vitamins is 1mg (which is 1000mcg). 1mg is what is usually recommended. If you want to take the OTC prenatals but want to get the additional folic acid you can take just a folic acid supplement in addition to the prenatal.