Help me find small vitamins!
February 7, 2011 12:56 PM Subscribe
Recommendations for daily multivitamins that are reasonably sized?
I would like to take a daily vitamin. I hate swallowing large pills, and I know I just won't take the vitamin if it's too big. I can't take chewables because there's something about them that stains my teeth terribly. I don't want to buy vitamins randomly in the store without knowing what they look like, so I'm looking for recommendations for the smallest multivitamins around.
I would like to take a daily vitamin. I hate swallowing large pills, and I know I just won't take the vitamin if it's too big. I can't take chewables because there's something about them that stains my teeth terribly. I don't want to buy vitamins randomly in the store without knowing what they look like, so I'm looking for recommendations for the smallest multivitamins around.
Trader Joe's sells gummy multivitamins for adults.
posted by santaliqueur at 1:01 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by santaliqueur at 1:01 PM on February 7, 2011
Response by poster: Okay, then a follow-up: does anyone know if whatever it is about chewable vitamins that stains my teeth would also be in gummy vitamins? I was sort of assuming yes.
posted by amro at 1:02 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by amro at 1:02 PM on February 7, 2011
One a day is actually a fairly small vitamin. (My calcium pills, on the other hand, might choke a horse. You might also want to try a chewable multivitamin.
posted by bearwife at 1:03 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by bearwife at 1:03 PM on February 7, 2011
Best answer: My Equiline (generic brand) multi's are tiny, like little red chiklets. Many generic brands seem to be smaller, at least in my experience.
posted by elendil71 at 1:04 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by elendil71 at 1:04 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have the same issue with large pills, and I take these Tiny Tabs. An adult dose is 6 little tablets, instead of one huge one. I've gotten them at Whole Foods.
posted by mgar at 1:05 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by mgar at 1:05 PM on February 7, 2011
Easiest way is to ask the pharmacist or someone at that counter.
posted by JayRwv at 1:11 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by JayRwv at 1:11 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have some generics (CVS brand) and they're shaped and sized like an Advil tablet:
http://www.steadyhealth.com/109076/Image/advil_PM.jpg
There's a picture of the tablet on the outside of the bottle. I can't imagine you could get them much smaller.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 1:24 PM on February 7, 2011
http://www.steadyhealth.com/109076/Image/advil_PM.jpg
There's a picture of the tablet on the outside of the bottle. I can't imagine you could get them much smaller.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 1:24 PM on February 7, 2011
I break my huge daily multivitamin in halves and take one in the morning and one in the evening. There's an indentation along the middle of the vitamin which makes it very easy to just snap it in two. I have the Nature Made brand.
posted by pluot at 1:33 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by pluot at 1:33 PM on February 7, 2011
Someone asked a similar question a few years ago and I suggested Nature Made Liquid Softgel Multi for Her, which are (admittedly quite large) liqui-gels. A lot of people (including myself) find the gel-caps more tolerable than smaller tablets. They just seem to go down easier, and they don't taste as bad.
The asker in the past question started taking them successfully, for what it's worth.
posted by charmcityblues at 1:46 PM on February 7, 2011
The asker in the past question started taking them successfully, for what it's worth.
posted by charmcityblues at 1:46 PM on February 7, 2011
I take Flintstones chewable vitamins. They have an adult dosage listed on the package.
posted by IndigoRain at 1:50 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by IndigoRain at 1:50 PM on February 7, 2011
Response by poster: Again: chewable vitamins are not an option.
posted by amro at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by amro at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2011
I mix a powdered multivitamin into my morning smoothies.
A word of warning: the powder does not smell or taste good. Mix it with juice or a smoothie to kill the taste.
posted by willpie at 2:51 PM on February 7, 2011
A word of warning: the powder does not smell or taste good. Mix it with juice or a smoothie to kill the taste.
posted by willpie at 2:51 PM on February 7, 2011
I've had the chewables and I now use gummi vitamins, and I don't think the teeth-staining issue would happen with the gummies. I use the one-a-day sour gummies, and haven't noticed any staining.
posted by bizzyb at 3:17 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by bizzyb at 3:17 PM on February 7, 2011
I am apt to have teeth staining, and haven't noticed any with gummies. Also love the Target brand.
I got the New Chapter Tiny Tabs for my dad, who had trouble swallowing, and took them for a while when I was staying with him. They seem fine.
I also got him a liquid vitamin, which I don't recommend because it was like having to take cough syrup every day.
Something else to think about is a pill cutter if you have a tablet vitamin that you like in every respect other than its size.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:30 PM on February 7, 2011
I got the New Chapter Tiny Tabs for my dad, who had trouble swallowing, and took them for a while when I was staying with him. They seem fine.
I also got him a liquid vitamin, which I don't recommend because it was like having to take cough syrup every day.
Something else to think about is a pill cutter if you have a tablet vitamin that you like in every respect other than its size.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:30 PM on February 7, 2011
Would you consider cutting the vitamins with something like these?
posted by fancyoats at 4:56 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by fancyoats at 4:56 PM on February 7, 2011
Even if gummy vitamins stain your teeth, they are smaller than the typical huge vitamin and are easy to swallow, so you don't have to chew them. You won't enjoy the delicious gummy bear taste, but your teeth won't be stained. Give them a shot!
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:01 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 6:01 PM on February 7, 2011
Best answer: I was about to ask this same question a few weeks ago, but then I found these very little Deva vitamins. Excellent.
posted by Corvid at 6:01 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Corvid at 6:01 PM on February 7, 2011
I would definitely give the new adult chewable vitamins a shot. I bought the One A Day (which, ironically, you are supposed to take two of) and thought they were pretty tasty actually. If for some reason they also stain your teeth, they'd probably be easy to give away to a friend.
posted by radioamy at 6:24 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by radioamy at 6:24 PM on February 7, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you to those of you who answered the question I asked. I have ordered Tiny Tabs and will give them a shot.
radioamy, I really don't know how I could possibly have been any clearer that chewables are not an option.
posted by amro at 7:04 PM on February 7, 2011
radioamy, I really don't know how I could possibly have been any clearer that chewables are not an option.
posted by amro at 7:04 PM on February 7, 2011
Best answer: I see you've already ordered something, but just to add to the list of options here. I have the same problem. When she switched brands, my mother gave me a bottle of One a Day Essential tablets, and they're specifically labeled as small and easy to swallow on the label. They're roughly between the size of a Sudafed and an Advil.
posted by cmgonzalez at 7:51 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by cmgonzalez at 7:51 PM on February 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Oktober at 1:00 PM on February 7, 2011