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testing many supplements and combinations

Messages
53
There's a problem that faces those of us who want to tap into the huge variety of medical theory and supplements available... there are so many things to try! I have to give each thing I try, whether new itself, a new dosage, or a new combination of previously tested agents, a nice long period to settle and adjust. Ideally two months. But if I waited two months to make a change I would only try six things a year, and we know that we'd NEVER GET TO HEALTH that way.

One reason I suggest "two months" as a waiting period is that I have Bipolar II and even with medications my moods and energy levels are all over the place. I have no ability to take a new supplement and have any kind of fine discernment about what it did. Only if it has a huge effect can I tell.

Recently a few supplements did have huge effects on me, like adb12 (adenosylcobolamim) and DHEA. Also Lithium. After some time of taking those regularly, I started to identify downsides, problems that seem to crop up when taking too much of them over a period of time.

That leads to a new rule I have for myself: if a supplement has a big effect immediately, take that supplement only a very low level for sustained use. This is basically the idea that a huge effect probably means it's tapping into some underused biochemical system which is missing some of the cofactors. I don't want to get that system going like mad. In a while, After adding other cofactors and miscellaneous things, I can try a small increase in the sustained level of that medication.

Another idea: I could introduce new supplements in groups and look first for major negative reactions. Try to construct a group from mostly low-risk supplements that you don't think you are going to react to, that hardly anyone reacts to. So a major negative reaction points to you high-risk supplements. Do an experiment over the next few days and nail down which supplement is the problem one. Or if you get a big positive reaction, again experiment.

But in many cases you'll have mild reactions, probably mild benefit. Then just keep the whole group in your daily regimen. This would be , for instance, for types of supplements that are low-risk with nearly a perfect record of evidence suggesting they are helpful, like maybe CoQ10 for the Krebs cycle.

Any other ideas for how to manage the experimentation with large numbers of options?
 

Radio

Senior Member
Messages
453
Experimentation is the problem. What we need is a home test kit that we can use everyday. Im thinking a homocysteine meter or test strips , kinda like the way a diabetic check there blood sugar everyday. We need to check are methylation everyday. That's the key to methylation supplement therapy.
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
Most of the time I can tell how I'm going to react with the first dose. Based on available data, I've taken less than recommended by the manufacturer most of the time. If I had no reaction or no negative reaction I've increased it within 3-7 days. Same timing goes for coming off addictive substances too.

I don't see any way around testing small doses individually for reactions.

For moods, I'd look at your diet. A paleo type diet, whole organic foods minus toxins, has been helpful for some. Alcohol is a nono.

tc ... x
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
Fwiw, I wanted to add that everytime I tried taking combos of supplements as recommended in different protocols eventually these made me feel toxic and I stopped them. That's if they didn't make me feel toxic to begin with. I've never taken a multi that didn't tax me.

I'm currently using healthy foods, juicing fresh fruits and veggies and taking minimal supplements. Mostly digestive enzymes.

That's just my reaction tho. We're all different. I'm not functional due to oi but
imho taking supplements or drugs isn't an option for me. They're just too toxic for me.

tc ... x
 

Radio

Senior Member
Messages
453
Fwiw, I wanted to add that everytime I tried taking combos of supplements as recommended in different protocols eventually these made me feel toxic and I stopped them. That's if they didn't make me feel toxic to begin with. I've never taken a multi that didn't tax me.

I'm currently using healthy foods, juicing fresh fruits and veggies and taking minimal supplements. Mostly digestive enzymes.

That's just my reaction tho. We're all different. I'm not functional due to oi but
imho taking supplements or drugs isn't an option for me. They're just too toxic for me.

tc ... x

Sound like you have the COMT +/+ problem?

Check out this kids Multi-vitamin.....
file:///C:/Users/Mike/Desktop/Kids%20Mighty-Multi!%20Chewable%20%28120%20tabs%29.htm
 
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xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I can't get your link to work but about 6-7 years ago I narrowed down my b multi reaction to b2.
I just took all the bs separately and found I only reacted to b2.

I took the others for a 1-2 years until my labs showed I was way over the norm on these. I didn't want to take the chance that I'd throw other chemicals off balance so I stopped taking these. At that time I also learned that our bodies were using different forms of the nutrients I was taking and the ones being measured. The b12 series is a great example of this.

In the last couple of years I started having more negative reactions to the supplements I had been taking. My best guess is because I'm a celiac with leaky gut I'm becoming intolerant to whatever I take too often.

tc ... x