Vitamins and supplements-Your Drugs of Choice

Hello All,
When I was a young boy my mom would give me those little
red 1-A Day Vitamins. That lasted about a bottle or two.
It was until I hit my late forties that my body seemed to
slow and let down by my attention. Joints started hurting,
hair graying, low-energy, etc.. I was ageing.
So I started taking vitamins.
What vitamins or supplements do you take, why, and does it help?
No need to answer the why, but it would be helpful.
I take...
Vitamin B- I smoke and drink..it seems to help, but not sure what it helps.
One Daily with Lycopene- supposed to give it all
Triple Flex- has glucosamine, chondrotin- for my joints and back, and it helps. When I don't take it for a few days, my knees and back
ache a bit more.
Alfalfa- for brief flair ups of gout, and it works, but I have to take alotta pills, like 8 to 12 or so in a day or two. But it goes away.
Fish Oil-Co Q-10 for my heart, (which I have no problems, but the wife says to take it as a preventative). So far...no heart problems, but
the wife is happy.
Once took Echinacea for my lung congestion...now I use Advair diskus
Took some herbal supplement that I can't remember for depression, didn't work.
Some things work, some don't. What are your experiences?
And please, please, be responsible in your advice. DO NO HARM!
Moderators, feel free to delete this topic if it gets too weird and
harmful.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

I don't take any vitamins or supplements, I know I should but I have a gag reflex that it is hard for me to take pills, so I take as few as I need to. Interesting about the supplement for gout as I too experience it occassionally (in my right big toe). I have noticed that when I eat a lot of seafood that I get the gout (and it comes on in the middle of the night and is usually gone by the morning - weird huh?).

I'm planning on having gastric bypass surgery soon (probably early next month), and then I know I will have to take a lot of vitamins.

Gout, cherry juice and dandelion greens not mixed together though. Make a salad with the greens. Works for me. Chow Jim

glucosamine chondroitin complex
3 a day.source of life daily
and fast once a week.

Take one-a day men's health multivitamin, vitamin E and aspirin. Seems to help a little.

What works for some, won't work for others. For arthritis, I wear a pure copper bracelet(since 1990)and eat fresh pineapple, which contains an enzyme called bromelain. I also eat 20 dried sour cherries/day, which is a natural laxative. Both are non-drug, natural anti-inflammatories that do wonders for individuals with arthritis and other chronically painful musculoskeletan ailments. "Prescription for Natural Healing" by James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., is a comprehensive and up-to-date approach to good health and a practical reference to drug free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs, and food. This book will answer you every question(600 pages) for the cost of $19.95(available at Walgreen's, health food stores, & discounted at Wal Mart).

CSD

I rely mainly on the juices squeezed from a bottle of Gin to relieve my physical and psychic pains.

cheers, John

Field, I notice in your post that you use an Advair steroid inhalant for chest congestion. I used to use that, but my doc game me some samples of Spiriva, which seems to work lots better. It is inhaled, like the Advair, but you put a little capsule into the inhaler. I think more of the medicine gets into your lungs or something. You might want to ask your doc about Spiriva.

Hello All,
Thank you skylarOne. Will check into Spiriva.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Real licorice(not the candy products)works wonders for breaking up that congestion. Not recommended for those with high BP. Avoid any dairy, as this will only increase congestion.

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

I rely mainly on the juices squeezed from a bottle of Gin to relieve my physical and psychic pains.

cheers, John

Nuttin like the 'ol Juniper Berry, eh?
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/j/junipe11.html
Medicinal Action and Uses---Oil of Juniper is given as a diuretic, stomachic, and carminative in indigestion, flatulence, and diseases of the kidney and bladder. The oil mixed with lard is also used in veterinary practice as an application to exposed wounds and prevents irritation from flies.

Spirit of Juniper has properties resembling Oil of Turpentine: it is employed as a stimulating diuretic in cardiac and hepatic dropsy.

The fruit is readily eaten by most animals, especially sheep, and is said to prevent and cure dropsy in the latter.

The chief use of Juniper is as an adjuvant to diuretics in dropsy depending on heart, liver or kidney disease. It imparts a violet odour to the urine, and large doses may cause irritation to the passages. An infusion of 1 oz. to 1 pint of boiling water may be taken in the course of twenty-four hours.

In France the berries have been used in chest complaints and in leucorrhoea, blenorrhoea, scrofula, etc. They are nut given in substance.

The oil is a local stimulant.

As for me,
Calcium
Multi Vitamin for (over 50)
E
C
Ginko Biloba

I was taking Ginko Biloba but had to stop taking it as I always forgot where I put the bottle

I occasionally take a calcium supplement mainly because I haven't been able to stand milk since I was 12.

Occasional multivitamin/mineral supplements.

I say occasional because I can go months beween bouts of taking them.

But I'm 51 without a single wrinkle on my face and no gray in my full head of hair. (My beard's another story) I walk with a spring in my step, as well as 2 titanium straps, 6 titanium lag screws, and a few pins.

I take a centrum complete with lycopene, a potassium tablet (K-Dur), and vitamin c, iron supplement,(which sometimes causes me to take some to keep me flowing )

along with 7 other meds, and insulin 4x's a day.

as to the Y?

always have taken a daily vitamin and vitamin c, mom started us out 30 plus years ago doing it.

the k-dur to replace the potassium that one of my meds removes from me and causes severe leg cramps (we are talking strong enough to drop a bull elephant cramps)

The iron, a while back i got a really bad blood infection, and needed to have my blood changed out every week (felt like a car at a quicky lube) for about 6 weeks, all this left me anemic so there for the iron.

The doctor still wants me to take the iron for another month, but so far no blood problems.

quote:

Originally posted by SassyGritsAL

I was taking Ginko Biloba but had to stop taking it as I always forgot where I put the bottle

I had to have a system so I knew where the dang bottle was, I just never could remember if I'd taken my dose for the day .

I was taking a number of pills until I got diagnosed with high blood pressure (was just borderline for years). Prescriptions have got that under control and I feel so much better I don't feel the need for the extra supplements, etc., except for glucosamine chondroitin, a necessity since I walk ever day. That and an aspirin is about it as far as regulars.

Try Nature's Plus Source of Life vitamins with Lutein. They are big ol' horse pills, and they have vitamins, minerals and green foods squashed into a tablet somehow. http://www.herbshop.com/np_sol.htm The lutein version is good for protection of the eyes. I rarely take their recommended dosage (I take only one a day of the regular size, not mini, tablets), and I supplement with calcium, sometimes iron and in the winter extra omega oils (plant derived). I keep a full spectrum bulb over my desk at work, and try to get outide as much as possible, especially in the winter. My boss also makes me carrot and wheat grass juice every day when I'm at work...I'm not real fond of the taste but it is good for you, so I choke it down. I like to take breaks from taking vitamins and supplements (didn't take any all summer, but I'm starting up again now), and I also do short veggie/water fasts a couple times a year to give my body a rest. I've got a ton of energy, no problem with my weight, and eat whatever I want, so it seems to be working!

Centrum (regular)
Vitamin C tablets
Apple, orange & grape juice
And hopefully when the weather cools off, a few laps a day walking around the
hospital track!

Goji Juice here...

Vic, I do the gogi berries in my oatmeal in the morning, but earlier when first awakening 1oz. of acai juice with grape seed tabs. But the big kicker is around noon, 4 to 6oz. of the wheat grass juice. I can't belive the difference it has made, and I thought those health food/supplement nuts were all quacks! Wrong again Jim. Anyone interested in the benifits of wheat grass juice check out the book by Ann Wigmore. I was suffering from vienous stacious {sp?} since doing the wheat grass thing a huge improvement, and I was told it never would get better. I do still abuse myself, wine women and song, and eat fried foods on occasion. Just looking to undo some of the wrongs, can't give it all up. Chow Jim

Jim, I'm no health fanatic myself, but the juice does good! Take 1.5ozs before bed and ya sleep like a baby... And your alert as a hawk the next morning. Stuff is loaded with vitamins and it shows! Could go on and on... Buddy of mine ( www.davidskirvin.freelife.com ) sells the stuff, and is the one that turned me onto it. Now alot of my buddies are taking it also.. Lot less grumpy old people on this side of the world!