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Old 12-07-2013, 01:29 AM
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Dr. Smith Dr. Smith is offline
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Dr. Smith Dr. Smith is offline
Senior Member (**Dr Smith is named after a character from Lost in Space, not a medical doctor)
Dr. Smith's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Lost in Space
Posts: 3,515
10 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jlev View Post
Are you taking all these as separate vitamins or are there formulas with some of them combined?
Yes, there are "formulas"—all kinds of price-inflated mixtures with marketing tailored to peoples' suffering and desperation, and claims falling just short of promising miraculous results—by the copious/profuse use of plethoras of weasel words.

There are 2 basic problems with these combined formulas:

1. They usually wind up costing at least twice what they would if you purchased the exact same constituents separately.

2. They can't be tailored for an individual's specific needs, as you can by obtaining supplements separately and taking what you need—and only what you actually need—in the appropriate amounts. No formula is likely to have everything one needs, and at the same time, not contain stuff you don't need.

Quote:
Also, did you discontinue any medications given to you by the doctors or are these supplements in addition to medication from doctors?
I wouldn't discontinue any medication prescribed by a doctor without their knowledge—at the very least—and preferably their consent/sanction. In some cases supplements are taken in addition to prescribed medications; in others, they are taken in lieu. Example: I was prescribed gabapentin for the burning pain of PN. After learning about it here, following up with my own research, and discussing it with my doctor, I found that taking R-Lipoic Acid stopped the burning pain completely. I told my doctor about it, and he had no problem with my taking it instead of the gabapentin.

Quote:
Basically, I could use a "cheat sheet" with all the supplements I should consider taking.
Would I be wrong in guessing that basically, you're looking for a quick fix? I think many of us came here thinking/hoping the same thing. I did. There isn't one. We've all pretty much had to put in some time reading, learning, and discussing all this stuff here. Fortunately there are some very knowledgable folks here whose generous contributions & participation have saved many of us a lot of time and duplicated effort. That's worth a lot when things get so confusing and overwhelming.

I think it's still wise to take things one step at a time, so you know what's working, and what's waste.

Doc
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Dr. Zachary Smith
Oh, the pain... THE PAIN...

Dr. Smith is NOT a medical doctor. He was a character from LOST IN SPACE.
All opinions expressed are my own. For medical advice/opinion, consult your doctor.
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