The reason why supplements are effective and then stop working

[drob31]

I was recently contemplating why supplements seem to be effective and then stop working. Most of the supplements I've used have some sort of affect on the immune system. This effect seems to boost the immune system, but then it seems that a negative feedback occurs and the immune system down regulates itself after a certain period of time. Or, perhaps you boost part of the immune system too much. It could be also be because their is some rate limiting factor such as vitamin or mineral, kind of like methylation. You get the gears turning again, but then you run out of something else.

 

[Research 1st]

I was recently contemplating why supplements seem to be effective and then stop working. Most of the supplements I've used have some sort of affect on the immune system. This effect seems to boost the immune system, but then it seems that a negative feedback occurs and the immune system down regulates itself after a certain period of time. Or, perhaps you boost part of the immune system too much. It could be also be because their is some rate limiting factor such as vitamin or mineral, kind of like methylation. You get the gears turning again, but then you run out of something else.

Hello, in reply to your question of The reason why supplements are effective and then stop working?

Theoretical answers:

1) You aren't deficient any more after a while so supplements have no beneficial effect!
2) You weren't deficient as you had no blood tests before hand to confirm (Placebo effect wore out).
3) Development of an additional condition that makes you feel worse,e.g. an infection.
4) The effect of having a condition that waxes and wanes (ME CFS) + and taking supplements is irrelevant.
5) Gene expression
6) You are doing activity on the supplements, but you relapse, then believe this was because the supplements 'don't work any more'.
7) You become intolerant of the ingredients as time passes and start having side effects, so feel better, but then feel worse over time.

There are many other reasons, but the answer may lie in a mixture of points 1- 7 or a mixture.

Personally I never take supplements unless I have blood tests first, however I realise this is costly and hard to organise if housebound.

As a wild guess, perhaps you feel worse due to the condition you have fluctuating naturally and supplements don't have much effect at all on this process (unless you were deficient)?

To know what's happening and put your mind at rest, if you can, considering having nutritional tests to test drive your theory out. That way if you are in feel 'worse' phase, (and they're all normal), then you know it's not because you're deficient in what you were taking, it's part of your chronic illness, why you feel worse.

I'm sure others have better ideas than me, but that's one idea for you. Take care.

 

[Living Dead]

I was recently contemplating why supplements seem to be effective and then stop working.

I've never had that happen to me. If this is something that happens to you on every supplement I think you're experiencing a placebo effect. Other good explanations are in the post above. If you listed the supplements you could get more precise answers.

 

[Tammy]

Another scenario comes to mind that might factor in. The length of time one gives a protocol to work. Say you're on a protocol for a couple of months.........at first you felt some improvement..........then a plateau. During the plateau you might feel nothing is helping but in fact it might still be helping....but you decided to stop the protocol. because you weren't experiencing the progress you were in the beginning.

I've been thinking about this recently because I don't think I've ever stayed on a protocol for more than 3-4 months and sometimes I wonder if that has been a mistake.

I remember reading a story on-line about a man with MS who was in a wheelchair who decided to go on a pristine diet. He stayed with this diet for 4 years until he started seeing improvement. 4 years it took before progress was made and it made me re-think about the amount of time I've been giving myself on any given protocol. There's no way I would have stuck with something for that long without seeing improvement before the 4 year mark though! I admire his perserverance.

Anyway it just got me to thinking that I should give a protocol/supplements more time.

 

[Living Dead]

IMO, If it took 4 years, probably the diet wasn't to "blame" for the improvement.

 

[Tammy]

IMO, If it took 4 years, probably the diet wasn't to "blame" for the improvement.

Well it certainly wasn't the placebo affect! And his isn't the only story of diet helping. His story did not mention that he was taking any meds of any sort that I can remember.

So what's your theory?

 

[Living Dead]

Point 4) above:

4) The effect of having a condition that waxes and wanes (ME CFS MS) + and taking supplements is irrelevant.

MS is an illness where many patients has a relapsing-remitting behaviour:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis#Clinical_course

MS patients can also cure spontaneously:
https://www.sharecare.com/health/multiple-sclerosis-ms/what-is-spontaneous-cure-ms

Although, you have a point that when it comes to ME, 3-4 months might be a bit on the short side.

 

[Tammy]

MS is an illness where many patients has a typical relapsing-remitting behaviour (a lot more pronounced than ME)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis#Clinical_course

Yes this would be the most likely argument although it didn't seem clear that his was a typical remission/relapsing type MS. Roger Macdougall was the man with MS............and he even said that some would believe that it was a remission but he strongly believes it was the diet and supplements he took. He never had any problems after he recovered..........and lived into his 80's.

 

[Living Dead]

Thanks for providing his name. When reading his story (http://www.direct-ms.org/rogermcdougall.html) I can see that it did not actually take 4 years for him for the diet to take effect. First he was in a decline, so first (before 4 years) he stabilised the condition, then (after 4 years) it started improving.

The supplements are very high dosages. It could have been the combination of diet and supplements that helped him.