Vitamins and supplements
 

On my last neuro appt, the nurse asked me if I had started taking any vitamins or supplements, and I stated no. My neuro never has mentioned to me that I should be taking anything.

Does anyone take any vitamins or supplements? I have some B12 tabs, and wondering if I should be taking them or not. Ive never been a big pill popper. I hate taking pills. I fight with myself just to take my baclofen and amitriptyline.

Does taking vitamins and supplements really help? Or is it just something to make us FEEL like we're doing something to help. :confused:

I take a multi-vitamin specific for women over 50, Vitamin D3, B12, Krill Oil, and my necessary meds for HBP and thyroid. I just fix a weeks worth in my little pill dispenser and it's just an automatic thing I do each day.

I can't take drugs for every symptom, because I am drug-sensitive to many drugs (not all).Instead of Baclofen I take Magnesium, Calcium, and Vitamin D3. Is amytriptalene Elavil? It gave me temporary paralysis on the beach, even though it helped pain.

I take 250 mg non-flush Niacin a day to avoid vascular troubles such as fuzzy eyes. It has helped over many years.

I take a One-a-day without Iron, which is relatively low dose as it is all "food" and not synthetic. Some synthetics could be fine, but this one agrees with me. "Megafoods Without Iron".

I take an enzyme with meals to help digest fat, protein, and carbs. I take Lutein Eyes to keep from macular degeneration, and I have no macular degeneration even though both parents had it at ages younger than I am. I take Vitamin E complex, which may help with many things but specifically it helps me not to have jerky or spastic legs at night. B1 at night also helps to stop jerks and spasm. I've had to add things over the years. I would not be having a night's sleep without my supplements.

That's most of what I take.

I have a well educated friend in the health profession who is bugging me about checking into supplements etc. for MS and while I'm not big on skipping pharmacology for holistic treatments I would certainly think about using it to augment my medication regimen.

Right now in addition to Copaxone I take a multi vitamin daily, occasional fish oil capsule and 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week that my neuro prescribed. I'll keep you posted if my friend comes up with anything interesting.

Kittylady, my guess is the nurse asked about them as a basic assessment just to make sure you weren't taking anything that would interact with other medications.

The D2 on RX from doctors doesn't work. And they don't know this yet.

I have information about that on the D thread on our Vitamin forum.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html
If you know your D test results, the average rule is 1000 IU D3 OTC for every 10 points you need to raise. So you will need to know you goal as well.

My MS Center checked our Vit D levels a couple of years ago. Mine was in the normal range but I was on D3. They told me to keep taking it and haven't tested it again.

ANN

I take a few vitamins (D3 - MethalB12 - fish oil and a one a day-when I remember)

I do not feel any different taking these suppliments....but.....just in case.:D:p

-1000 IU Vitamin D3
-450mg Magnesium (1 of 3 pills I take is Magnesium Oxide by itself - to help my constipation issues from prescription medications)
-650mg Calcium (in a combo pill with the rest of the Magnesium in my daily doses)

I chew gum with B12 in it, for what's it's worth (I don't honestly know how much the body can absorb from chewing gum - Stride in this case). I chew the gum for my burning mouth syndrome (eases the pain of it) and this gum lasts a long time plus is an awesome flavour, so if anything the b12 in it is a bonus I guess!

Besides the meds I take for my HBP, cholesterol, and my Rebif, I take an aspirin, fish oil (1200mg 2x day), sublingual B12, D3 (2000 IU 2x day), Iron (325 3x week), B-complex (no B12), and CoQ10. I used to take a multi-vitamin, but recently came across a controlled study that showed that people who took supplemental Vit A, C, and E had shorter lifespans than those who didn't. So I switched to the Iron and B complex instead since that was what I really was taking the multi for in the first place.

B12 is often delivered sublingually so I'm guessing that is the gum connection. Excellent bonus that it tastes good. I love gum and plan to check it out. Thanks!