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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by RaviSpencer on January 9, 2009, at 16:02:16
I took 400 mcg on day 1 and 200 mcg of Chromium Picolinate on day 2. I felt euphoric for 3 hours followed by high blood pressure 160 / 80 and low bp, headache, palpitations, pain in the left arm, pressing weight on heart.I rushed to eat Sugar and Carbs ot get some relief on both the days.
The first day I felt I was overstrained and must go to a doctor. Later, I searched on internet and came across this site. I read other articles too and now I know this Chromium is truly a crap.I am stopping this crap. I am in mid-40s and otherwise very fit but for this f*ck*d-up Chromium incidence.
Posted by Jeroen on January 9, 2009, at 17:23:12
In reply to Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by RaviSpencer on January 9, 2009, at 16:02:16
hello, welcome to this board!
i am going trough a tuff time too, i took lamictal and it gave me unknown psychosis
i think all these treatments are evil
Posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
In reply to Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by RaviSpencer on January 9, 2009, at 16:02:16
> I took 400 mcg on day 1 and 200 mcg of Chromium Picolinate on day 2. I felt euphoric for 3 hours followed by high blood pressure 160 / 80 and low bp, headache, palpitations, pain in the left arm, pressing weight on heart.I rushed to eat Sugar and Carbs ot get some relief on both the days.
> The first day I felt I was overstrained and must go to a doctor. Later, I searched on internet and came across this site. I read other articles too and now I know this Chromium is truly a crap.I am stopping this crap. I am in mid-40s and otherwise very fit but for this f*ck*d-up Chromium incidence.Wow. Sorry that happened to you. I thought Chromium Picolinate was a very mild supplement. I think its in one of my vitamins. Thats good to know though, I have hypoglycemia and didn't know that could trigger it. When I have an "episode" I get panicky, shaky, feel really weak, and break out in a sweat. Then I get sugar as quick as I can so I don't pass out.
Are you sure those symptoms shouldn't be further looked at? Considering you didn't mention having any sugar related problem in the past? The euphoria and especially the heart issues are something I'd look at little more closely with your Doc.You didn't mention a diet but I assume you're on one from what you said. Just a geuss, but is it possible the diet you're on is straining your system as well?
Thanks for sharing that and hope you are well.
~Jade
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 12:48:38
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
If low blood sugar make sure to eat small amounts of protein every four hours to stabalize blood sugar could be nuts, cheese, etc. Best of luck to you. Phillipa
Posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 13:51:15
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
Hi,
The previous night with Chromium Pico BP was 185/81 with no exercise at all - just moving around the house! I felt my heart will give up or I will have a stroke and I was resting in the bed every 1 hour of desk work at home to avoid overstraining my heart.
I did not take this sh*t yesterday and my BP was still high around 145/85 as the body was still working out this toxic out. Also, I managed to get into Gym! unlike the other two days! However, I just managed to get on in the Gym with weights upto 90 lbs on inclined free bench press.... but got exhausted soon. With just 5 minutes on treadmill I was tired. (Normally, I do 140 lbs without much exhaustion with several repetitions and go on for 45 minutes of heavy rapid endurance exercises like Fully inclined treadmill jog coupled with weights. I used to get speeds upto 11 miles per hour far higher than other persons.) Also, yesterday, I had headache all day. I drank water and had greens throughout the day to flush the toxic. Today is second day of abstinence from Chromium Pico, I feel much better. Only mild headache today, BP normal 118/85 with pulse at 78 - 20 minutes after 15 minute jog in the cold. Energy is up. Brain is clearly thinking.. no confusion..good focus has returned. I am taking a lot of greens and fruits today No palpitations, no pain, no urge for taking sugar. I feel like 100% better than the two days with Chromium Pico. My advise please check the labels of your supplement and check the dosage. Chromium could be good at 25 mcg but toxic at 400 mcg or 200 mcg particularly in Picolinate form. Further, I took the liquid form that gets into your blood like a bolt of lightning. I checked further most of the labels of my Gaspari sports nutrition and none have this Chromium Pico to bes sure. I had them today and feel just fine and strong with them. I take Gaspari as the owner Rich Gaspari is a body builder and does not produce b*llsh*t products just to make money. DO you research and you will find that Chromoum Pico can damage your chromosomes (tested on mice) and combining this element with Picolonic Acid is not good. Also, the need for Chromium as a supplement at higher amounts is debatable. Also, read episodes of hypoglycemia of other persons through google search. My BP is normal, headache is almost gone and energy is Up and I thank God. Now, can any one advise me how to sue the manufacturer as I just escaped a heart collapse or organ failure!! I intend writing to FDA to ban or control the dosage especially in normal Multivitamins sold in OTC!! This manufacturer is advising half the dosage i.e. 100 mcg for kids.....the kids will surely collapse within a week!
Posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 14:17:17
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
Yes I must clarify to get the mentioned episode under right perspective. I am in mid 40s. I am under no medication. Thank God for that. I have had no episodes for low Blood Sugar ever. My BP and pulse remains around 180/20 under rested conditions at work. In fact, my need to go to a physician / Doctor (other than Dentist) except for yearly examination has not been there for the last 5 years! I hope this clarifies. I can be at Gym upto 1 hour upto 5 times a week and I weigh 164 lbs at 5' 8'' - pretty normal with average body fat and can perform explosive endurance weight, martial arts and aerobics combination exercises with pretty sharp thinking.
Posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 15:49:10
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
Please see:
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/chromiumsideeff.htm
Adverse Effects of Chrom Pico as on this link (Please see my observed comments against the symptoms in the first 100 hours with just 48 hours of exposure to liquid Chromo Pico around 400 mcg per day ):
Unexplained bruising (not seen)
Nosebleed (Slight nose bleed seen and my house has new house humidifier with at least 22% measured Relative Humidity all the time)
Skin rash or blisters ( True - I had skin rashes and itchy red skin)
Urinate less than normal (not seen)
Feel very tired (True - I can still feel two days after stopping and 8 hours of sleep)
Loss of appetite (True - you do not feel like eating. I forceably ate to keep carbs and blood sugar high or headache would even go worse)
Nausea or vomiting (True - Only Nausea seen)
Sleep disturbances (Yes - on night day one even 200 mcg at 5 PM you could not sleep and were jittery)
Headache (Severe ones all day - True even 48 hours after last dose)
Dizziness (You can feel even after 48 hours of last dose - True)In addition I had very cold feet and arms, body was not generating heat (I had to cover myself with blankets at house temperature at 75 degree Fahernheit, rapid pulse felt upto 88, rising Blood Pressure upto 185/88 from usual 120/80, nervousness from stable condition, panicky feel that I will collapse,confused thinking, Clear sensation of hyperactivity in upper nervous system and around the brain within first three hours followed by my God the worst crashing down I have felt ever with a headache, an emptiness and losing your strength rapidly feeling, getting very tired.....
Some relief seen after taking Sugar, Glucose Tabs, Carbs, taking Aspirin (note I have not needed aspirin or any pain killer over last 4 months)
Today 48 hours after stopping situation is much better, BP is normal, clear thinking. No change in diet on all past 4 days.
I am not on any diet - I take eggs, whey protein shakes, veg protein shakes, mixed berries shakes, good amount of carbs in the night, no weight reducing medicines, take cruciferous veggies, take anti-estrogenic foods, fresh fruits, full fat raw organic milk + light raw organic cream directly from USA farms. As mentioned I am usually combat ready on any day training with explosive exercises with far far better endurance than average in my age group and persons even 15 years younger than me in aerobics and non-aerobics. Over 80% in Gym in the age group 30 + to mid-40s will not be able to keep pace with me.
This is just given to illustrate the impact of toxic lab created chemicals which body cannot tolerate and could lead to organ failure and rapid loss of strength. On the internet search please see patients with Liver and Kidney failure on Chromium Picolinate dosing for a few weeks
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 20:40:49
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 15:49:10
Wow so glad you went off it. Love Phillipa think you should call doc and get checked out? Agree with you supplements are sometimes not benign.
Posted by psychobot5000 on January 11, 2009, at 21:07:48
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 11, 2009, at 11:38:07
I did some internet research in the last day or so, after reading this thread. There seem to be two (or more) opinions on whether Chromium is good or bad for hypglycemia and diabetes, and how reliable it is, whether good or bad. Some researchers seem to feel strongly that it's a good alternative treatment for hypoglycemics or diabetics...but large-scale controlled data is lacking--and there are several case reports of bad incidents (like the one that started this thread) apparently caused by it.
The opinion I formed from reading, was that in some individuals, chromium was likely helpful, but that, without close medical supervision, it's probably rash to take it in the large doses (200-400 or more) without physician supervision(and I wouldn't take any of it without such supervision, if I already had a diabetic condition). Especially since it's apparently a heavy metal with incompletely known toxicity.
I tentatively suggest that perhaps something like 50mg might be safer for some people(?). (Apparently, small amounts of it are necessary to provide "needed to aid the transport of blood glucose across cell membranes," and many diets, like the American, are relatively deficient in it.)
Don't mean to discount your experience, RaviSpencer--I thank you for sharing it with us. I merely wanted to present a perspective based on my unscientific poking around on the internet. Thank you for raising this flag--I'd just bought a bottle of chromium, and I'll be more conservative about using it than I would have, othrewise.
Posted by Sissy35 on January 11, 2009, at 22:09:41
In reply to Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by RaviSpencer on January 9, 2009, at 16:02:16
I had the same experience but on a much smaller scale because I did not take that large a dose. I read all this crap about it preventing diabities and every female and half the men have it in my family.
I will never do it againGlad your ok
Sissy35
Posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 23:30:30
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by psychobot5000 on January 11, 2009, at 21:07:48
The reported problem seems to be with picolinate combination of chromium. This is the only form reported to be causing deep genetic level transformation. As there is controversy the manufacturers are flooding the market with it.
There are other forms of Chromium like Amino Acid Chelate in Dr. Cutler's True Health Mega Minerals. I have never ever experienced any problems with this form and one dose is 120 mcg. My father at 80 years of age takes it too and has no issues. Talk to your doctor and take the least controversial form. And this doctor keeps it at max 120 mcg 100% Daily Value
Also, please note 1000 mcg (microgram) = 1 mg (milligram) and 1000 mg = 1 gm (gram). Please check the dosage and the release mechanism. Liquid will get almost instantly in your blood even as you keep it under your tongue. 120 mcg in tablet form in combination with other minerals or vitamins may be better. Also, please check the life of the mineral in your blood. My experience shows it takes a lot of time to exit your system once you stop. So if you overdose it will remain there for a long time. One can inadvertently overfeed on carbs under influence of high dosage of Chromium Pico which does no good to you in the long run. I believe that it is a myth that Chromium will lead to weight loss.
In my mail I reported initial Euphoric feeling and that was from liquid Vitamin B complex in double dosage that was packaged with liquid Chromium Picolinate.
Retrospectively, diluting with protein shakes would have slowed absorbtion into blood. Taking directly in liquid form rapidly declines glucose level in blood and most likely may impact your brain function that relies on constant non-stop glucose supply. Deprivation causes lack of processing noticed what we call confusion.
Brain under glucose panic shuts down muscular function as they compete for glucose too. The Brain takes precedence in conserving and using glucose available in the system and there you have the loss of strength I had. Brain sends signal to you to eat sugar, glucose......amazing you know it intuitively you need it!!
Heart rate falls to possibly conserve glucose supply and arteries under brain's under-stress-command will constrict it to conserve blood glucose supply for muscular functions leading to high BP. It is a natural sequence of shutting down operation by Brain to save your life from toxics! Brilliant tactical moves of brain ... we are unaware at a conscious level.
I am not a doctor but I am well educated in major science, computers and engineering. I think it is common sense - it is now so clear what happened. I should have done more research and saved myself of possible deprivation of glycogen in blood for a prolonged time.
Lack of glucose will cause headaches as thinking needs glucose and headache makes us stay away from wasting rare glucose on the rapid thoughts required for our mental work ...just enough room perhaps for thoughts only for survival and eating glucose and checking on our stupidities such as feeding on untested chemicals.
Also, taking aspirin will not help in the crisis. It will thin your blood and try to open up constricting arteries leading to even faster absorption of chromium picolinate into blood. The vicious cycle worsens and brain will retaliate with prolonged and deeper headaches to protect itself unless assured of constant optimal glucose supply conditions.
Also, God forbid, in case of any internal haemorrage (worse if it is in the brain as the veins and arteries are very fragile and cannot stand high
BP and will most likely rupture - there one gets a Stroke!) owing to high BP this will only make things worse.Taking constant liquid glucose in this situation and lying down under blankets is the correct response as high Chromium Pico will keep doing its glucose killing operation by regulating insulin over-riding normal systems.
If hospitalized Doctor will anyway put the patient under glucose drips or detox with saline as Kidneys and Liver cannot excrete the mischief maker Chromium Pico from Blood very fast.
One gets the cold chills as the Brain signals stop wastage of rare glucose used in heat producing metabolism activity to conserve glucose.
I feel majority of my strength back and can think well and I am sure I will be in Gym tomorrow for a light work out. I thank God and its creation... the brain for intelligently and intuitively managing the crisis I created stupidly (should have researched more) for it!
Yes, I will need to go for a medical examination now to assess any irreversible damage to vital organs if any.
I thank all of you for your comments and guidance in these lonely panicky hours of battling a known controversial toxic in high dose.
Posted by JadeKelly on January 12, 2009, at 10:09:15
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia, posted by RaviSpencer on January 11, 2009, at 23:30:30
Hi RaviSpencer,
First, glad you're okay. I hope you do follow up with this as there are so many people that have low blood sugar (hypoglicemia), can you imagine if they took the crom. Pic? When I had The Glucose Tolerance Test, they had to stop in the middle and get a Doctor. They gave me orange juice and a candy bar! Then I had to go get protien and carbs to level out my sugar. So, no Chrom. Pic. for me. I was also surprized to learn of the euphoria caused by Vitamin B. I'll have to check my numbers on that as well.Thank You for making us aware of this problem and good luck to you!
~Jade
Posted by sissy35 on January 13, 2009, at 0:17:38
In reply to Re: Chromium Picolinate Induced Hypoglycemia » RaviSpencer, posted by JadeKelly on January 12, 2009, at 10:09:15
Don't they often use this in diet pills too?
Sissy35
This is the end of the thread.
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