Things I've been learning lately about vitamins and herbs
I complained to my GP about the ridiculous PMS I was having. Not the major water gain and equally major cramps after that some of my friends-list goes through, but about the ten damn days of moodswings before my period would start. Really nasty, especially given that I'm generally even-tempered to a fault. My GP, all gods bless him, told me to try B-6, 100 mg a day. Said it might take 3-4 months to kick in, but it was worth trying. HAH. Kicked in after six weeks and I've had minimal PMS verging on none. I cannot recommend this highly enough as worth trying!
And then there's the other interesting things I've run into with my inflammatory disorder. First, Devohoneybee pointed me at an NIH study that said that long-term use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), can cause a folic acid deficiency, which can lead to tiredness and muscle aches. (My Google-fu has failed me, sorry; I can't find it again.) This can lead to tiredness and muscle ache. Oddly enough, these are some the symptoms I was on the NSAIDs for. So, I shifted to a B-complex vitamin for a few weeks instead of my usual Centrum. My thighs stopped aching at night, whether I'd had ballet exercise that evening or not.
Long-term use of NSAIDs can also risk heart problems, GI problems iincluding bleeding ulcers, and reduced kidney or liver function. I've been on Aleve for six years, taking it with food pretty much religiously, but I lost a grandmother to bleeding ulcers when I was eleven; I may not be genetic kin to her, but it was still freaking me out some. My ballet instructor pointed me to a lovely herb called bromelain (it's a pineapple extract of all the damn things) that she's been using for the arthritis in her hands. Here's the US National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health article on it.
The bad news is, you shouldn't take bromelain with blood thinners, which means forget the NSAIDs. The good news is, I've been on it for five weeks now -- yes, my rheumatologist knew I was shifting over and approved me trying it -- and it's doing me as much or more good as the Aleve was. The only fevers I've run have come along with a stomach bug I caught, and even Tropical Storms Fay and Ike barely made me ache. That's better than the Aleve was doing, particularly on the fevers. I'm taking 500 mg twice a day with food. (Yup, I know, Devo, it does more good as an anti-inflammatory taken without food, but it's doing me just fine taken right after breakfast and dinner and I remember it that way....) I'm still on the nightly muscle relaxers, but I'm off the Aleve and ohmigod I'm so relieved!
Anyway. ::shrug:: I'm *not* advocating everyone should switch over to herbs, and certainly not before talking to your doctors. It may not be for you, period, and that's cool. But the damn stuff is doing me too much good not to pass the word along. So, just in case this can help someone, here it is.
And then there's the other interesting things I've run into with my inflammatory disorder. First, Devohoneybee pointed me at an NIH study that said that long-term use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), can cause a folic acid deficiency, which can lead to tiredness and muscle aches. (My Google-fu has failed me, sorry; I can't find it again.) This can lead to tiredness and muscle ache. Oddly enough, these are some the symptoms I was on the NSAIDs for. So, I shifted to a B-complex vitamin for a few weeks instead of my usual Centrum. My thighs stopped aching at night, whether I'd had ballet exercise that evening or not.
Long-term use of NSAIDs can also risk heart problems, GI problems iincluding bleeding ulcers, and reduced kidney or liver function. I've been on Aleve for six years, taking it with food pretty much religiously, but I lost a grandmother to bleeding ulcers when I was eleven; I may not be genetic kin to her, but it was still freaking me out some. My ballet instructor pointed me to a lovely herb called bromelain (it's a pineapple extract of all the damn things) that she's been using for the arthritis in her hands. Here's the US National Library of Medicine/National Institute of Health article on it.
The bad news is, you shouldn't take bromelain with blood thinners, which means forget the NSAIDs. The good news is, I've been on it for five weeks now -- yes, my rheumatologist knew I was shifting over and approved me trying it -- and it's doing me as much or more good as the Aleve was. The only fevers I've run have come along with a stomach bug I caught, and even Tropical Storms Fay and Ike barely made me ache. That's better than the Aleve was doing, particularly on the fevers. I'm taking 500 mg twice a day with food. (Yup, I know, Devo, it does more good as an anti-inflammatory taken without food, but it's doing me just fine taken right after breakfast and dinner and I remember it that way....) I'm still on the nightly muscle relaxers, but I'm off the Aleve and ohmigod I'm so relieved!
Anyway. ::shrug:: I'm *not* advocating everyone should switch over to herbs, and certainly not before talking to your doctors. It may not be for you, period, and that's cool. But the damn stuff is doing me too much good not to pass the word along. So, just in case this can help someone, here it is.