3 replies to this topic

[Faustina]

At the moment I feel very confused about what supplements I ought to be taking to best support myself and meet my health goals. I am a woman and will be 40 in a few months. I have a few health issues in that I suffer from frequent migraines and I have some issues with IBS which means i use prescription medication. I also have anemia and I am overweight which I am trying to fix. I have eaten a vegetarian diet for over 25 years and I am now on a largely wholefood diet. I do not drink any alcohol and never have. My energy can be poor which is linked to my migrianes but due to my migraine I do not do well on stimulating supplements I have found.

 

My main goals are to use supplements to assist with my migraine, IBS & weight losss and to help with antiaging especially of the skin, hair and nails but I am also interested in telomere and mitocondrial support in the wider sense of anti-aging life extention.

 

Below is a very long list of supplements I currently have which I deperately need to streamline, I do not take all these in one day some I haven't really taken in a while. The supplements I am currently taking are in bold and beside each supplement I have put why I bought it and if appropriate my experiance of the supplement. It is a long list so any advice or input on any part of it would be great, I certainly don't expect anyone to critque the whole thing!

 

Here is the list then:

 

Co Enzyme Q10 300mg : To treat migraine also mitochondria health

PPQ 20mg : To treat migraine also mitochondria health

l-Lysine 1000mg : Skin benefits and anti-glycation I feel this makes a visible to my skin  difference

Agnus Castus 100mg : For hormone balancing

Vitamin K2 ug Skin & bone health (Mother has osteoporosis)

Vitamin D3 ug : On prescription as I tested very low in Vitamin D

Feverfew 380mg : Migraine prevention

Glucosamine 1000mg : To boost hyaluronic acid production & Migraine help

Solgar B Complex 100mg of each B vitamin: For Migraine, energy & Veggie diet support              

Nac 600mg : Migraine Support and to support liver

Magnesium Malate 1250 mg : Migraine Support

L-Carnosine 500mg : Anti-glycation

Evening Primrose Oil 1000mg : Skin benefits and Hormones

Vitamin E 400iu (Natural) : Skin benefits & Hormones

Chromium polynicotinate 200mg : To help with sweet cravings while dieting

Super Bio Curcumin 400mg : For Migraine prevention didn’t seem to help much         

Vitamin B2 100 mg : For Migraine prevention does seem to help a bit

Zinc picolinate 25mg : For Skin Benefits i.e. reduced sebum also to balance with copper

Astaxanthin 2mg : Antiaging skin & eyes

Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalmin) 1000mg : For migraine support and restless legs

Womens Multi Vitamin: General nutritional support

Betaine HCL hydrochloric acid 600mg: To assist with low stomach acid

Papaya Enzyme: To help with digestion

Vegetarian Omega 3 DHA 125mg EPA 75mg : For brain and skin health

Vitamin C 1000mg: To help boost collagen

Iron 25mg (never daily): I have on-going issues with anemia so I take Iron a few times a week

Advanced Probiotic : I have IBS

Colestrum 30% : to be taken internally during dermal needling to increase growth factors.

Silicon gel 4mg : Skin and Hair benefits

Tan Tablets: Paba 500mg /Tyrosine 500mg / Copper 2mg: To slow down grey hair

Lecithin granules : Skin and Brain health as well as weight loss

Flax Oil / Hemp Oil : Skin and Anti-inflammatory

Liquid chlorophyll : Skin Benefits

Pycnogenol 40mg: General antiaging and health benefits

Taurine 500mg: Migraine support and anti-glycation

BCAA Plus : To prevent muscle loss during weight loss (only on work out days)

Royal Jelly 500mg : Supposed to be a vegetarian source of collagen

Vitamin B5 500mg: Reduce oily skin

Niacinamide 550mg : Skin health and mitochondria

Creatine 750mg: Exercise support

Alpha Lipoic Acid 200mg with Acetyl-l-Carnitine HCI 250mg: Antiaging

Beta Carotene 7mg: Skin Benefits & Keratosis Pilaris treatment

Ashwagandha 570mg: Seemed to help the first week then nothing

 

Other dietry supplements: Protein Powders / Spirulina / Keifr / Maca Powder : all only taken sporadically.

 

Prescription medications / treatments I use are:

Eletriptan 40mg : as required

Sumatriptan 50mg : rarely

Naproxen : as required

Paracetamol : rarely

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation device 3 x daily

Lactulose : for IBS Daily

Omeprazole : Occasionally

 

I'd really like to reduce that list of supplements to a more streamlined but effective regimen which is more affordable to keep up long term without negative effects. I should make it clear that money is a factor as my income has recently dropped and it may be a while before it will go back up!

 

So to recap my goals are:

 

Help reduce migraines.

Help IBS.

Provide support for gaps in vegetarian diet (I do eat dairy and eggs).

Help me look as young as possible for as long as possible.

Help me stay biologocally young and energetic as I enter mid-life.

All at an affordable price!

 

Any help with any of that would be wonderful, thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and if you need to know anything else just ask!

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

[Oakman]

Faustina I can identify with your plight. So with that in mind my humble suggestions for you...

 

1) stop everything for a short time, until your feel 'clean of supplements'. 

2) explore and document your 'no supplement' body feeling and mood. Note any deficits you find as important and in need for treatment. Four or five at most.

3) develop a new mindset or reason to use each supplement. List these MAJOR concerns, say 'migraine', skin and hair, etc., but only 4 or 5. List underneath each whatever 1 or 2 supplements you have dutifully 're-research'ed as best, and are willing to pay/take. The goal is to cut down and determine again exactly why you are taking that supplement, ... not just because you have it or whatever. 

4) Try that for a few days/weeks/months to suit, then revist and modify the lists until you have a concise, smaller toolbox of supplements that do what you need. Things change and you should try to do regular updates to keep pace with changes in your life.

 

Good luck!

Edited by Oakman, 07 July 2017 - 09:37 PM.

[Faustina]

Hello Oakman, thank you very much for replying yes that is all very good advice and something I think I probably need to do to work out what is actually helping although I am loath to cut out the supplements I think are helping my migraines it may have to be done to try and cut down on buying things I don't need. Keeping notes seems a good strategy for be going on with. Thank you again for your helpful advice!

 

[BraveNewWorld]

One thought is that the IBS and migraines might be food/diet related. Look online for lists of potential triggers to fix the root cause. Good luck!