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Zinc supplement issues

Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
My zinc levels are low. I have adequate zinc in my diet but I'm still testing low.

I've tried several different zinc supplements over the past 6 months. I have even tried sticking to 1mg per day. But I always end up feeling worse. My overall fatigue is worse, I struggle to look after myself and my brain fog is worse. I also have a general feeling of being unwell.

Is this due to copper being dumped? Or is it that my body hates zinc supplements?

I am sensitive to a lot of things but I am surprised to be this sensitive to something that is in my diet anyway. I have checked all the additives in the various supplements and I have no known issues with them.

Any ideas?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Not quite the same problem as yours, but some years ago when my ME/CFS was more severe, I found zinc supplements gave me a stomach ache (possibly due to lack of stomach acid to digest them, but I am not sure).

So my solution was to crush the zinc supplement tablet into powder, and apply the powder transdermally, on the top of my thighs. I usually add just a few drops of water after I rub the powder into my skin, just to aid absorption.

I am just wondering whether if you used the transdermal route, you might not get these bad reactions.


PS: if you apply the zinc supplement power transdermally to the under arm area, it also seems to work as a very effective deodorant! Zinc of course is antibacterial.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Could it be that you are taking too much? Zinc can cause one to detox copper and experience all that you are saying. Please be careful of zinc. You may be taking too much of it and that can lead to dreadful symptoms.

I am not sure what form you are on, but some are more potent and people can't tolerate them Zinc picolinate is one many can't handle.

By the way...there are a lot of things that are in the diet that are okay in the diet because they are in small amounts, but as supplements, they make us worse. Zinc, Molybdenum (I felt awful on that) and Copper is in the diet...but people get so sick from copper. Also, iodine. That's in the diet. Take too much iodine and you can become crazy.

Copper...I think you are dumping copper. Be careful.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
I've tried several different zinc supplements over the past 6 months. I have even tried sticking to 1mg per day. But I always end up feeling worse.
You mean that even 1mg causes side effects for you?
I am sensitive to a lot of things but I am surprised to be this sensitive to something that is in my diet anyway.
Supplements and food are not the same thing and I have the same issue.
I can't tolerate even little amounts of any Magnesium supplement but I have no problem with high-Mg food.
100g of quinoa contains ~150mg of magnesium and I have zero problem with that, but if I try taking the same 150mg as supplement... no dice. Terrible digestive discomfort. (I've tried all possible forms.)

When I started zinc supplements it was pretty heavy on my stomach but over time I started tolerating it, now I can take up to 60mgs without issues.

Back to your question, when you say you're low what does your blood work say?
 

Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
You mean that even 1mg causes side effects for you?
Supplements and food are not the same thing and I have the same issue.
I can't tolerate even little amounts of any Magnesium supplement but I have no problem with high-Mg food.
100g of quinoa contains ~150mg of magnesium and I have zero problem with that, but if I try taking the same 150mg as supplement... no dice. Terrible digestive discomfort. (I've tried all possible forms.)

When I started zinc supplements it was pretty heavy on my stomach but over time I started tolerating it, now I can take up to 60mgs without issues.

Back to your question, when you say you're low what does your blood work say?

Yup! Even 1mg gives me symptoms and makes my ME worse - mainly fatigue and brain fog.

Tests:

Red cell zinc is low
Metallonthionein test; zinc is 30% (should be 40%) and copper is 66% (should be 60%)

I also have low Zn/Cu-SOD which is assumed to be low due to low zinc.

I should add that I've tried a few zinc supplements. I got a food based/sourced one from the US that seemed really good as it didn't contain any of my allergens. That was no good. I tried zinc ascorbate drops the most recently as those seemed likely to be easy to take very little of. I can't do seeds or nuts as I'm allergic to all of them!

I have seen some old posts on here referring to zinc supplement issues and MMP-9 issues. It seems Klinghardt discusses this with reference to Lyme.... this is all I've learnt since last night's post!
 
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