How to Supplement Nutrition Before Trying to Conceive

Patient's question:

Gender: Female
Age: 24
Consultation Content: I am planning to have a baby next year, so I am taking supplements in advance. I bought a capsule from the provincial family planning and health care station, which is said to provide more than 20 kinds of vitamins and minerals. However, it has a contraindication, which is: people with abnormal iron levels in their bodies and those with hypercalcemia should not use it.
Question: What are the clinical manifestations of people with abnormal iron levels and hypercalcemia? How can I know whether I have them or not? Also, if my nutrition is already sufficient, will taking supplements still be harmful?

Doctor's answer:

Hello: That's uncertain. There are many reasons for abnormal iron levels, and the specific symptoms vary. Calcium is a very important component of the human body. In the past, when routine biochemical blood tests did not include calcium measurement, hypercalcemia was often overlooked. Later, after the continuous automated biochemical testing included calcium, some psychiatric hospitals discovered patients who were forced to live in long-term isolation due to mental abnormalities caused by hypercalcemia. After simple correction, these patients were able to return to normal society.
The reason this embarrassing incident occurred in the psychiatric field is mainly because the clinical manifestations of hypercalcemia are mostly typical, meaning symptoms such as drowsiness, coma, polyuria, dehydration, and bradycardia may occur. However, the manifestations of some patients are very non-specific, such as fatigue, weakness, memory loss, irritability, depression, paranoid delusions, hallucinations, sleep disorders, and inability to concentrate. Additionally, since blood tests in the past did not commonly check this parameter, it was inevitable that these patients would receive incorrect diagnoses.
The causes of hypercalcemia are often due to malignant tumors, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, sarcoidosis, and excessive vitamin D intake. In recent years, medical literature and media advertisements have frequently mentioned osteoporosis, causing the public to panic. Many people have taken matters into their own hands to treat it, demonstrating a spirit of self-reliance, while also reminding friends and relatives to take milk, calcium supplements, and vitamin D. This reflects the Chinese spirit of helping oneself and helping others. Unfortunately, not everyone is suitable for taking milk, calcium supplements, and vitamin D.