[LizaJane]

I'm re-ordering my supplements, and it's a fortune. I take Co Q10, and it's rather pricey. The newest thing seems to be ubiquinal, a new version.

Does anyone know a good brand and which is best? Can I buy a less expensive brand safely and get the proper ingredients with quality control? Any ideas?

Also, I'm carnitine deficient and take acetyl L carnitine, usually. I've switched to carnitine-arginine, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra price. The amount of carnitine in the pills is actually less. Recommendations?

Jarrow ALCA is what I last bought.

And lastly, Magnesium. I'm getting cramps in my legs in my sleep, and they wake me up with agony, and a startle pain that makes it difficult to fall back to sleep. I think Magnesium coujld help, but again, there are several formulations,a nd I'm not sure the best.

Even alpha-lipoic acid comes in new forms. Are these worth it? Please, all thoughtful advice is welcome. I'm looking at my shopping cart, and it's not do-able.

thank you.

As a PS. I'v been taking Vit D 3, 800 mg. There's a form that comes 1000 mg, and is less expensive, but I'm not sure the increased dose is good. I think it may have actually improved my mood. Okay, I had a vacation, but I still think the D3 may have contributed. Or the sunshine.

thank you all.

[hoibie@comcast.net]

cramps--the brest thing for cramps is dolomite. I haven't seen it around lately. If you can't find it, use a pill that has carbonates of calcium and magnesium which is what dolomite consists of.

Vitamin D3-- The recomended sup[plement dose for D3 is 2000 IU. If you get enough sunshine, you may not need the supplement.

Arginine-carnitine--I do not like combinations. If you take them separately you can adjust the doseage for each one. I take both Acytel L carnatine and L- Carnatine. One is for brain functions and the other is for heart and muscle functions.

Co Q10--I take 100 mg . I costs about $15 for 150 softgels at IHERB

[Aussie99]

I have cut down tremendously on my vitamins over the last 18 months. It just got to the point where I was on so many vitamins I lost track of why I was taking so many. They were also getting very dear. Now I just get what I am reasonably sure I need. I also order from Iherb, but on me last order I was hit up with a $48 dollar quarentine inspection bill. This doesn't endear me to importing any longer as this apparently can happen at any time.

What I take

Fishoil (must have this)
Magnesium citrate (for nocturnal leg cramps)
Iron pluc C (for my low iron)
C O Q10 (antioxident and good for my heart)
E (good for heart and works well with C0 Q10)
B12 1000 mcgs sublingual

I was also on a slow release multi vitamin too but had to cut anything stimulating from my diet such as caffiene,stimulating vitamins,colas due to being to energetic and alert to begin with.

Also lately I have been having more leg cramps than usual too. I realise that they hang out for a while and disappear for a while and then come back when I forget about them. What also really helps me is taking a hot bath before bed with Magnesium salts and this very mild bubble bath. I read a book for a bit, and by the time I get out all me muscles are relaxed. I also do really good stretches every day now, and this has probably been the single most remedy for my cramps.

[Brian]

I think that Magnesium lactate is the best type and Magneisum oxide is the worst, for calf cramps i used magnesium & calcium combined, David told me about it and it stop the cramps straight away, i think its 2 parts Calcium to one part Mag' is the right ratio, someone correct me if i am wrong, they may have it already made up as hobbie/cast' mentioned.

Brian

[TooTired]

I take CoQ10 and a combination made by nature's bounty of acetyl l-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid. At night a Folic acid tablet and sublingual B12. I tried the l-arginine and found it made me feel worse so discontinued it.

You're right these are pricey. I wait for the buy one get one free at Rite Aid and then load up

[glenntaj]

--about new formulations, especially combos.

I tend to agree with Brian as regards the calcium/magnesium; since they tend to act agonistically in the body, though (both, chemically, being alkali metals), you might want to take them seperately.

One thing I can vouch for is that the new R-lipoic acid forumlations have been, at least for me, just as powerful as the alpha-lipoic acid formulations, on about a 6:1 to 10:1 ratio; I seem to get roughly the same effect from 100mg of R-lipoic as 600-900 of alpha, and am taking only one of these a day--I used to take the alpha broken into subdoses, due to the acidity, but that doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with the 100mg of R (though I do take it with breakfast, just in case).

[hoibie@comcast.net]

The price I listed for COQ 10 was wrong. It should have been about $30 for 150 softgels, 100 mg each.

[mrsD]

carries a big wallop! I found that out the first day when I took it twice that day and couldn't get to sleep.

Experimenting with it, I am now at 100mg at morning dose time (with my other morning things)... and that seems to work.

I tried regular alpha lipoic acid years ago with no results, so I didn't expect what I got with this new version!