reflections on select supplements

Just like pharmaceutical drugs, vitamin supplements are never guaranteed miracle cures.  I've a documented propensity for developing immune dysfunction symptoms which doctors have no idea what to do about, and I've spent a lot of time successfully dealing with these symptoms by alternative means.  I've no longer got arthritis and or bells palsy.  I've reduced my hyperthyroid symptoms significantly, but there is still a big bulge of a goiter on/in my neck.  This year, taking a multivitamin with no iodine (generally counterindicated for hyperthyroid persons) and no iron (no good for haemochromatosis persons) twice a day, every day, has made a HUGE positive difference to my general health.  I've had only one mild cold this year!

Tonight I thought I'd document what hasn't worked for me.  Mostly because I've trawled the net many a night looking for information which isn't there.  Here's one story.  Vitamin C is supposed to be bad for haemochromatosis persons, though slowly there is emerging a small group who note it for it's usefulness regulating iron rather than merely increasing iron absorption.  Vitamin C does lots of good things for me, has done since the arthritis phase which started six and a half years ago and is now a rare sensation.  But glucosamine never did.

I couldn't track down any adverse effects for CoQ10, including not from the very knowledgeable John Appleton.  But I started and stopped CoQ10 several times to work out if it was the culprit triggering my arthritis and all the symptom evidence said yes!

My most recent 'discovery' was l-carnitine.  I'd read many good things and only one significantly bad study about it, and it was an amino acid like taurine which had done good things for me in summer (but been rather expensive in terms of buying it outside the health shop remainder table).  But-carnitine, like glucosamine and CoQ10, turns out not to be my thing.  It was supposed to supress the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and it seemed to do the opposite.  I could feel everything get a little frantic, sleep was compromised, and I was missing a much needed base equilibrium to deal with life.  So that one is on hold for the moment, and maybe for the long term as well.

The medicine which helps me the very very most is the one I'm going to take very soon: a good night's sleep

Today was a very beautiful day and I spent it inside working.  I've just marked the beginning of spring by making my Kings Seeds order.  English winter thyme, two lots of mesclun, tomato sungold and edible violas.  Tomorrow, I think it's time to be in the garden.  No amount of supplements could do as much good as an afternoon digging, weeding and planting.

Comments

Deborah said…
I've just gotten back into the garden again, after the usual year or two away after shifting into a new house. 'though to be fair, the garden here was very overgrown, and full of dense root mats. We've taken out some trees, and spent hours and hours digging up weeds and roots, and we're finally getting it into some order. I''ve always had a few herbs in it, but they are expanding, and I'm getting roses and vegies in too. It's soul restoring.
Sandra said…
The very word roses makes me think of where I could put more, Deborah! I think I used up most of the rose spots by planting black currant branches there instead. My love of roses isn't quite matched by my garden design skills. I'm always interested in what herbs other people choose to plant. I agree about gardening being soul restoring.

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