Read the label on Vitamins closely, Walmart is wrong...
 

I posted most of this in another thread, but thought most people wouldn't see it.

I was at WalMart early this morning, before the smoke from the wildfires forced me inside, and grabbed a bottle of B1 and a bottle of "B" vitamins. The bottle of B vitamins says 50mg of B1 is 3333% of your daily values, while the bottle of B1 says 250mg is only 1667% of your daily values. Out of curiosity I asked employees and finally the Pharmacist. He saw the error in the label on their Spring Valley bottles and said he would call them today. He also said the 50mg is much more than I really needed in a day. I did not mention the morphine I am on or the large memory loss. I am trying to get better with Vitamins, not put a band aid over the problems with heavy meds. Anyway, he was way too busy opening the Pharmacy for me to pester him about something like this.

I know it is an old saying, but you would be astonished what you learn when you simply read the label.

EXAMPLE #1: I called Apria requesting "crush proof" oxygen Cannulas. The young lady asked me where in the world I got the idea I need crush proof cannulas. (Sorry, the Capital key is sticking) I told her Invacare requires it on the Platinum XL5 Oxygen Concentratror.
IT IS ON PAGE XX IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. Silence from her after that.

#2 -- last June I had to go to the National Jewish Respiratory Hospital (NJC) in Denver.
We live in the Sacramento, CA area. Altitude for Sacramento City is 25 feet. I called and told her one of my M9 bottles was only good up to 5280 ft. This is the #2 Respiratory Therapist in Sacramento, she asked where I heard that. I told her it was on page XX of the owner's manuals AND did she know Invarness states in the owner's manual that each person using these bottles is supposed to get the Owner's Manual? She said no. THEN she asked me -- got your seat belt on? She asked me where I thought I was going that was a mile high? I patiently explained to her that Donner Summit, on I-80, about 50 miles from her chair was over 7,000ft high and the Continental Divide was over 9,000 ft and the entire city of Denver is over a mile high. THAT is why they call Denver...."The Mile High City". She is an idiot. I told her boss she was dangerous. Her last comment to me was "Why does the doctor in Denver think you need 4 of these small bottles anyway? Won't 3 do just as well?"

I kid you not. Reading the label is good self defense.

I can totally believe that all happened :(:(
It's rare to get "quality of service" anywhere anymore *sigh*

most pharmacists
 

do not have adequate training to counsel on vitamins/supplements.

I never read the % portion of the labels. They typically are meaningless, and mostly just alarm people.

The % are based loosely on the RDA --and even now most
research people believe that our RDA is very antiquated and out of date.

The average dose for thiamine is 100mg 3 times a day for
neuropathies, or for those who consume alcohol. Thiamine is very benign in high doses. I am unaware of using it with morphine for what you are intending.

As an example, B12 %s can show up on labels in the 100,000's ranges. Very little oral B12 is actually absorbed, but that label scares off many people who really need it.

The only B you need to watch is B6... don't go over 50mg a day on that one.

Keep this link:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/
It has the most up to date information on nutrients on the web.

And I do not think that pharmacist is going to call anyone.
That answer is just to placate you.
You can call that manufacturer however...I've done several different ones many many times! ;

Good post. There is a lot of misinformation out there, so you need to find a reputable site for guidance. And that is easier said than done, as so many web sites have a hidden agenda in what they recommend. Same with testing.
My daughter has severe ME and takes a lot of supplements. She has researched a lot to find what is really recommended, doses and so on.
There are many traps. For instance, while a certain item may be well recommended in general, there may be good and useless versions.
my daughter has bought a capsule maker for about $9, and will now buy some items in bulk and package them herself. Saves a HUGE amount of $$. you also avoid ingesting the fillers that are used.
Anyway, she suggests these two sites as ones she has found to be well worth a look.

http://search.lef.org/search/default.aspx?s=1&QUERY=b12

http://www.iherb.com/

You must really try to find what a trusted site says is a daily dose, and ignore what is on the packages in retail outlets.

Hi, Peter...
 

buying in bulk is very cost effective.

However, the bulk powders are more likely to interact with
the environment, than packaged forms.

The most damaging element is moisture.
I am sure your daughter has already figured this out, but for other posters, I just bring it up, as something to consider.

We use inositol bulk powder...it is packed in small 8 oz bottles.
It mixes so easily with no taste, punching out caps is not necessary even. And it lasts my husband more than 6 months, for pennies a day.

Not to mention her cat, which just fell off the window sill onto her glasses of water, which then dripped onto her tablets below!

I like the idea of avoiding fillers, etc. but I would think you would need a special device for measuring such small amounts of powder wouldnt you?

I will increase my B1 intake to 300mg a day. As for Morphine, doesn't it act in a similar way to alcohol? Opiates depress the CNS --- same as alcohol. Certainly worth a try.

My wife and doctor have suggested I see a psychologist, but frankly, I don't trust them. I have never had a positive experience with one.

Just a teaspoon measure. she gets all of her dosages expressed in parts of a teaspoon. She then calculates a daily does of each component-supplements-and makes up a batch which is then mixed thoroughly. She is then able to determine how many capsules are needed to achieve her doses, and fills just that many capsules with the whole batch.
Quite simple, really. She is not into hard maths, or weight measures, so this is the only way she can do it.

No--- morphine sits on specific receptors( opiate) in the brain.
Alcohol is generalized and considered an anesthetic.
This explains alcohol:
http://www.chemcases.com/alcohol/alc-07.htm

They are also metabolized differently, by the liver.
Morphine has a complex metabolism.

Alcohol being a very small simple 2 carbon with one OH -- has the H removed by dehydrogenases, converting it to an aldehyde. This metabolism is moderated by thiamine. Alcohol is very fat soluble and enters the CNS quickly..that is why it is considered an anesthetic.

I am unaware of a supplement to minimize morphine side effects.