Does anyone take supplements?

[annacruachan]

Isn't Green Lipped Mussel supposed to help with aches in the joints?

I believe some people are helped by it, Mr D, but not me unfortunately. There seems to be a huge variation in what works for each person.

[Janek]

G'Day All!

I inherited both recessive genes from my parents who were both carriers. There was a one-in-four chance of this and I was the mug who got both recessive genes. These genes mean I have seven medical conditions, none of which can be cured so I take a number of suuplements to try and counteract them and they really do help, as when I quit taking them a while ago the conditions soon worsened so I take them all the time now.

Glucosamine for the arthritis and scoliosis; Vitamin C, horseradish and garlic (in the one tablet) for my malfunctioning immune system (SLE); Omega 3 for the eczema, Raynaud's Syndrome (poor blood circulation), cholesterol and general health; and calcium citrate (it works better than calcium carbonate) for my osteoporosis. I tried a Vitamin B supplement for stress relief but it didn't help so I continue to enjoy half a bottle of good red wine with my dinner each night and it calms me down beautifully. And, as well as that I enjoy taking the medicine!

As for my seven hereditary conditions I tell everyone that the only mistake I made was "not choosing the right parents."

Cheers!

Janek

[piskieinboots]

Blimey Janek, that's a fair bit you have to work with - what a lovely attitude you have - good on ya gal

[Headfry]

hmmmmm..... I take glucosamine (almost 2 months now) for joint pains, but it seems to have had no effect. How long would it take to work?
Evening primrose also taken - no idea if it helps or not?
Ginko for poor circulation - Raynauds, made no difference - unless you count the difference in my bank account!!!

[stupot]

Vitamin D

I only ever take vitamin D or cod liver which has vitamin D, just in the Winter. Vitamin D is made in the skin by a reaction with sunlight and cholesterol. Working inside most people don't get enough of it and a lack of vitamin D has been linked to a low immune system. I hardly ever get a cold now. There is a theory why people, in general, have a higher fat diet the further north you go, that their bodies are trying to compensate for less light by ramping up the cholesterol. On the reverse people in the Med don't crave high cholestrol foods as much.

I suggested vitamin D to the girl that sit near me at work, who spends half her life sniffing - it was either that or buying her a box of tissues she hasn't been half as ill.

I don't take anything else because I have quite a varied diet.

Here ends my lecture on vitamin D

[Janek]

Stupot is right on track. I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I take Vitamin D to make sure my body absorbs as much calcium from the calcium citrate as possible to help the osteoporosis. It really does work as the second Dexa bone scan done eight years after the orginal diagnosis of osteoporosis showed that its spread has been halted and it has at least not worsened. Other very positive effects have been a marked reduction in tooth decay (after all, teeth are a special type of bone) and much stronger fingernails.

Headfry - glucosamine really works for me but it does take at least three months to kick in and start to show results. There are also different strengths of it on the market. The one I take is Glucosamine hydrochloride 500mg at the recommended dose of three tablets per day. In Oz any health expenditure over $1500 for a year is tax deductible, and as I am always well over that allowance I keep all of my receipts and hand them over to my tax agent when she does my tax returns, so I at least get some of it back.

Piskieinboots - Janek is a Polish or Czech variant of the name 'John'. My parents were Polish immigrants after the war and landed in Oz in 1950. I was born here two years later. In Australia two out of three women contract osteoporosis and one in three men contract it. As it runs in families I was one of the unlucky ones to get it. My mother's osteoporosis was not picked up until symptoms emerged (unlike mine which was diagnosed before I exhibited any symptoms). She has subsequently shrunk six inches and is now only 5'6" tall. My mother is 87 years old now and very frail. I am her only carer.

[piskieinboots]

Piskieinboots - Janek is a Polish or Czech variant of the name 'John'.

erm sorry - I wrongly assumed you were/are a lady and I very nearly addressed you as 'Jane' in the post

[weekendwellies]

i was diagnosed aneamic in early teens so i have taken iron tablets since then. it is supposed to be every day but i take them only when i feel i need them. the last lot i got said they were iron tablets but they also had multiple other vitamins and minerals too.
not long ago i started eating a mostly vegetarian diet and i didnt need the tablets at all. but since then i have had a few of lifes knocks and got a bit down and havent been eating very well so i now feel the need to take them again. when my wrist is better i will be able to cook properly again and will get back onto the veggie food and hopefully i will feel good again. i think it was the pulses rather than the vegetables though that made me feel good.

[Glutton4...]

I found Glucosamine Sulphate tablets started to work after about three days, and I could tell I wasn't taking them after stopping for about the same time.

The Green-lipped Mussel extract worked wonders for my old dog (RIP) they really gave him a boost when his arthritis took hold. However, I did find it stopped being of benefit to him after he developed other complications.

[OverWyreGrower]

Since I started training for my 10K run, I've been taking Glucosamine and Cod Liver Oil supplements to help my joints

I can genuninely say that I have definitely been able to tell the difference!

In the first 2 weeks of running and exercise, my rather dodgy knees were horribly painful, however, after about 3 weeks, they are almost pain-free

[Alison]

I don't take anything normally although do sometimes if I'm a bit physically down (thankfully not very often) but OH swears by glucosamine and some green algal stuff which smells and looks like pond weed.

[bobleponge]

I remember hearing an interview on the radio several years ago with Lawrie McMenemy (former international footballer) who said that since he had stopped playing footy he suffered terribly with bad joints, (knees, ankles, hips etc). He was advised to take cod liver oil and primrose oil which he duly did, and he was an absolute evangalist for them during the interview, couldnt rate them highly enough.

[Flummery]

Since my joints started creaking I take Glucosamine - on the advice of my doctor.
In my early 30s I had a number of recurrences of breast cysts which led to tenderness at the side where they occurred. I find evening primrose really helps with this. If I don't take it, my right one hurts when I lie on it! Medical opinion, however, says it's ineffective. You do what works for you, don't you?

[piskieinboots]

You do what works for you, don't you?

That's spot on - what works for one may not for another. I'm a long term evening primrose user - for me it works

[Hilary B]

This house has 4 Glucsamine users. I'm still not sure whether it helps me. OH has found it helps his knee, but the ones it does the most good for are the dogs, especially his dog. Gemma was only barely starting to show signs of stiffness in joints, Lady was much worse. We started giving both of them the GMX (Glucosamine combined with other active ingredients) at recommended doses, and the improvement began to show in a couple of weeks, after 3 months, Lady was acting in ways she hadn't managed for a couple of years. Gemma, less room for improvement, because she just wasn't 'aging' in her ways, but it may be no co-incidence that when she was in vet hospital for her broken leg, none of the staff could believe her age!