Reactions to Supplements?

[daPom]

Can anybody tell me if any particular of the supplements cause any side effects?

Also, I notice that l-glutamine is not on the chart in the book. When are you supposed to take it and how much?

[rottrod]

Reactions to Supplements?

Look on the program modifications link/heading on the left column of the home page, there are new supplement guidelines there.

[beatle]

Reactions to Supplements?

as most people here know, i am big into supps. The only side effects i know of are nausea sometimes from taking such large amounts. Solutions: split them up (take them at more frequent intervals), take them with food (if not instructed otherwise), find a different brand.

if you have other side effects, it's probably from an inactive ingredient, like the casing of a capsule, so changing brands will usually eliminate that.

the most important thing is to take the supps. they are absolutely key to recovery and they will make the whole process easier too. good luck!

[amethyst]

Reactions to Supplements?

I've not experienced any side effects from the supps. On a few other threads, mostly in the holistic section, others have mentioned mostly g.i. distress from several of the supps. Good luck!

[Breez]

Reactions to Supplements?

I would suggest getting bloodwork done. When I first started this program 2 yrs ago (my first attempt)-I always got bloodwork done. I got tested for Vit. B & it was very high. I stopped Allone & all my "extra supps" & stuck with just a multi-vitamin-all bloodwork came back ok. My body couldn't get rid of the extra vit. B.

[daPom]

Reactions to Supplements?

well, update, update. Finally saw a psychiatrist who put me on risperdal for sleep but it didn't work - thank goodness, I don't like taking that kind of thing, but have got to have something for sleep. I am finally AF for two days, woke up in the middle of the night with a throbbing tooth and as of today found I have an old root canal that's re=infected, plus my head full of infected sinuses, that the ALLERGIST thinks may be due to "silent reflux" which is in turn, he thinks maybe, caused by all the acid in red wine. Good Lord, when it rains (and I'm in Texas, so it's like the Great Flood.).....so the shrink switches me to trazodone, which I don't like any better than the risperdal, and I think my sudden, very swollen ankles may be a reaction to that. She thinks it's no big deal, but I"m like: What would be wrong with taking ambien for a month? Just what would be wrong with that? Instead of some weird anti-depressant I will have to taper off in order to have the sinus surgery (cause Trazodone causes dryness) and skin tests. ....why can't I just have a frickin sleeping pill? I'm not an abuser ferchrissakes.

SO yeah. Today I'm WAY frustrated.

[Cinders]

Reactions to Supplements?

I can SOOOO relate!!

DaPom,

Part of my alcohol problems started with gastric bypass and then menopause. I couldn't sleep due to the hot flashes (sorry for any guys reading this but it does happen) and since I coudln't eat, I didn't have any "comfort foods" to help me fall asleep. Try traveling and working 12 hours/day without sleep!!

I tried taking Benadryl to sleep but kept waking up feeling like a zombie, hence having a difficult time working.

I had been a "social" drinker for years. (Read that PROBLEM DRINKER) but not the alcoholic I am today.

I went to the doctor and she wanted to put me on HRT. OMG!! My mom had not only had one breast removed from cancer but then 10 years later the other one. So, for me HRT was NOT AN F##KING option. Read that wussie girl. (Last month had bad manmo and went through hell and back.)

All I wanted was some Ambien, but wine seemed to work since doctor wanted me on HRT instead of Ambien. Geez, thanks Doc!!

Unfortunately, it -- the wine -- has worked too well. sigh.

Best of luck and know exactly how you feel.

Cindi

PS I truly wish I could blame my doctor for my alcoholism by it is my own fault. Just looking back, I realize I could have dealt with things in a much more intelligent manner. Like getting a better/more understanding doctor. Remember, we ARE the Captains of our ship, however, I truly believe there is an Admiral out there looking out for the whole fleet. :h

[sheshe]

Reactions to Supplements?

Ah - GOD!! DOCTORS!!! Don't ya just want to smack 'em sometimes? I won't go all into it here, but I had some horrible years on antidepressants (and then was put on Risperdal as well when the AD's made me psychotic - so then I was bi-polar!). I can't imagine why your psych. won't give you a simple sleeping pill, but would rather put you on an anti-psychotic (Risperdal - I don't know what HRT is?) with some pretty horrible side effects! I swear, sometimes I get the feeling that we're all just giant guinea pigs to them.


Try some Valerian for sleep and/or relaxation. It does work and I've found no side effects (except maybe being a bit groggy in the morning if you take too much). There have been studies on Valerian showing that it is effective and that there are no known side-effects. Just do a Google on Valerian studies.

Good luck - I know what it's like no being able to sleep!

[Cinders]

Reactions to Supplements?

HRT

Hormone Replacement Therapy. Not good.

Cindi

[louise]

Reactions to Supplements?

DaPom, Sorry I have not kept up with all your sleep troubles so maybe you have tried the things I'm going to suggest. Take all supps/meds at least 3-4 hrs before bedtime. Melatonin if needed (It may make you sleepy next day). Tryptophan which can be gotten in turkey, so turkey for dinner. Warm milk before bed. A bath before bed. MWO hypno cds before bed but folllow the suggestion to go inot a deep relaxing sleep instead of the countdown to come out. Good luck.

[beatle]

Reactions to Supplements?

ok, I agree with all advice here (except turkey is overated for tryptophan-- better to get a prescription)--I am also a big fan of occasional use of Ambien. Can't you get your doctor to prescribe it?. It works really really quickly, relaxes you and does not give you a hangover. It is not highly addictive, but does have potential for abuse and may lose effect if used every night for several weeks. I use it on a strictly as-needed basis, no more than 3 days a week, usually much less. It's the best sleeping aid I've ever found and I only use a 1/4 dose. Just don't ever take it until you are IN BED, or you may end up doing weird things, according to many people. Also, you don't get drugged out from it, at least not I, so it's not scary to take if you are responsible for small children, like I am. You can be woken up, and respond to an emergency. At least that is my experience. Valerian seems stronger to me, but it is natural and OTC. Many allergy medicines also work, but they tend to give me hangovers. good luck.

[daPom]

Reactions to Supplements?

thanks ya'll for all advice. I'm continuing to be pretty frustrated with the trazodone, finding that now my moods have turned flat ugly and I get irritable over nothing. Five days AF now, no cravings whatsoever, but sure enough, what ELSE do I find is a side effect of the Traz? Irritability and hostility. So let's recap. I go to the shrink because I'm 50 pounds overweight which is due to drinking red wine (plus snacks) at night, which is a bad habit (turned into early alcoholism?) developed over years in order to get to sleep. So she gives me a med which makes me generally pissed off during the day, takes me an hour to get to sleep, two hours to wake up, causes irritability and water retention (thus weight gain) and my allergist wants me off it cause it's making a bad sinus situation worse. I mean helooooooo, what is the f-ing POINT?

Melatonin has never worked for me. Lunesta doesn't work, Rozerem doesn't work, Tylenol PM doesn't work (without a bottle of wine to back it up). The ENT thinks it's allergies, the allergist thinks it's silent reflux, the endodontist thinks once the root canal is retreated, all the sinus problems will go away. And the shrink just wants to give me more antidepressants.

I'm not liking any of this.

But I'm Alcohol free for 5 days now, and THAT makes me happy.....i think it's the longest i've gone without it for maybe 8 years.