Posted by yxibow on August 18, 2009, at 5:06:58
In reply to Supplement straw poll, posted by uncouth on August 17, 2009, at 20:52:20
> I have all these bottles on my bathroom counter and i'm sick of them all. This is in addition to my prescribed med regime. I don't know what's helping, what's hurting, i just keep on adding on like it's nothing...but I'm near-suicidially depressed, so obviously things aren't working.
If you are, why add things randomly without time between each, you'll never know what worked.. ?
And if you are really that depressed why aren't you seeking hospital help, or a different medication regime from your doctor ? I'm not trying to be mean by saying this -- believe me, I've been there, I am there, as far as being really down.
> I tend to get obsessed with research I read on OTC substances, and add them on. So, because I just don't have any better method, and because i'm sick and tired of all of this, of everything, i want to hold a straw poll and get your opinions on which of these I should keep and which I should dump. I know everyone's different, and ideally I would have done clean experiments with all of these, but thats not the way it worked out :(Clean trials.... as I said.
> Everyday, in addition to my meds, I take
>
> Eleuthero (siberian ginseng)Ginseng makes me utterly nervous, I don't see the purpose....
> SAM-e 400mg
Potentially harmful with some medications...
> Multivitamin
Not a bad idea
> Chromium Picolinate 200mcg
Always a waste, you get more chromium from silverware, water, casual contact with metals and ingestion.
> Omega-3 fish oil, 4g EPA+DHA
Generally good for cholesterol, not a bad idea, should be clean oil that doesn't have heavy metals.
> Sublingual B12
B12 is added to many processed foods and if you are not a strict vegetarian like I am, its probably not necessary
> Rhodiola Rosea
Can't say, I've only seen this recently in alternative medicine which isn't my forte...
> Magnesium Glycinate 400mg
Magnesium is harmless to the body and in fact is necessary... whether supplements are needed I can't say. Of course large amounts of magnesium of any kind can cause diarrhea.
> Zinc 30mg
Used to take it along with selenium supposedly for hair but the likelihood that it does anything is probably low. Not too harmful, but it is a metal, so careful on the quantity.
Supposedly useful PRN for reducing colds by one day -- maybe -- not really proven.
> Turmeric extract (Curcumin)
Its food ? Alternative uses I'm not sure...
> Aniracetam 750mg
Not sure about messing with this class... related drug Keppra can cause psychosis in some patients.
> I used to take 5-htp, 7-keto, DMAE, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Phosphatidylserine, but have already withdrawn from those
5HTP or L-tryptophan may help sleep cycles, I do take this personally but I have added them on not completely haphazardly. As to whether they have helped me -- I can't say... I have what is probably a undiagnosed sleep disorder of some sort.
> Please help me.
This sounds like an expensive list but I know I also have sought out supplements so I'm not trying to be sardonic.Basically -- first, I would be open with your doctor if you aren't already about your supplements -- a few of them could mix with whatever you are taking in not a good fashion.
Secondly, its quite a laundry list -- medicine, alternative or not, is best to simplify, not to add everything in the kitchen sink because supplements too have side effects and you won't know which one did what.
I may be naively talking, I do not know your situation and whether you have TRD (treatment resistant depression, sort of a non-medical term I think).... I don't know if you already have polypharmacy going on, but I think a full review of medications with your doctor would be a good idea.-- best wishes
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:912698
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090818/msgs/912765.html