missy
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Posts: 7
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Post by missy on Feb 26, 2010 11:00:33 GMT -5
Hey all! For short, I was just diagnosed with Endo 3 weeks ago by a lap. I just had my post-op appt with my doctor yesterday, and she basically told we just need to sit back and wait to see if it comes back... which from all I have been researching, it more often comes back then not. So, here I am, 19, and feeling pretty helpless. I work for a homeopathic doctor, who is also unhelpful. (She told me she'd meet with me and go over some supplements and herbs, but of course, she never did and probably wont. That is just who she is.) I can't afford to meet with another homeopathic doctor and my doctor is telling me to sit back and wait for it to come back, then probably have another surgery. Which I DO NOT want!! I have been reading "Endometriosis: The Complete Reference For Taking Charge of Your Health." I found it very informative! I've decided I'm going to try and treat myself with supplements and herbs. My question to anyone who can answer it is this: I am going to start a multi vitamin (Women's 1 a day), which of course has some B vitamins. Is it okay to also take a B-Complex supplement with that multi? This is what I plan to take: Women's 1 a day Selenium Omega 3 Vitex (Chasteberry)-hormone balance B-Complex Calcium D-Glucarate: balances hormones, eliminates toxins Coenzyme Q 10: cellular antioxidant Sorry this is so long, I don't seek your "medical advice", just opinions and thoughts from experience. Thank you!!!!
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Post by hellsbells on Feb 26, 2010 12:52:15 GMT -5
I think magnesium and B vits are some of the best to take for a condition like this. Vit C just generally boosts your immune system - I take it with zinc. It's not good to take too much of some vitamins/minerals, and make sure you take the right combo's to maximise absorption. I also take Oil of Evening Primrose supplements. Make sure you get good quality of all of them, and get the right combination of Omega's - again they're best in combo's as 3, 6 and 9 all have different qualities/effects. Good luck and let us know how you get on! I find it hard to remember to take them every day and that's quite a few you're aiming for!
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Post by hellsbells on Feb 26, 2010 12:52:59 GMT -5
Oh, and the best way to get most of what you need is from food. What's your diet like?
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missy
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Posts: 7
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Post by missy on Feb 26, 2010 13:14:11 GMT -5
Thanks so much for the advice!
My diet isn't great... Hard to have good meals when going to school full time and working 2 jobs. I drink V8 usually on a daily basis and when I'm on the go, I tend to try and pick the healthiest choice, which isn't all that healthy to begin with! ;D
How do you know how to combine the vitamins for maximum absorption? Would it be better to get separate vitamins; magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, B complex, selenium, Omega 3, 6, 9, rather than a multi?
Wish I had a doctor who actually cared enough to help me out...
Thanks again!
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missy
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by missy on Feb 26, 2010 15:46:56 GMT -5
UPDATE: I just returned from the vitamin/supplement store and luckily there was a very knowledgeable lady who knew a ton. She helped me pick out the right multi vitamin as well as some other supplements. I thought I'd share it with you all: -Pure Essence Labs One 'n' Only Women's Formula Multi - Has MANY great things in it. I would definitely suggest you to look it up -Female Balance by Now - Contains Wild Yam, Vitex, Dong Quai, and GLA; all of which are great for hormone balance etc. -Omega 3 -Co Q 10 -B Complex -Calcium D-Glucarate I'm super excited about getting started on this! I'm going to do my best to remember to take them all! Will be tough, but definitely worth it compared to possible surgeries or drugs.
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Post by hellsbells on Feb 26, 2010 15:59:15 GMT -5
I've done a fair bit of research/study over the years and have a real interest in nutrition, not that you'd know to look at me! Vit C and zinc go really well together, as do calcium and vit D. Iron and oh.....I forget what other thing now. My recommendation would be to get a really good, top quality all-in-onen abd maybe additional supplements of a few things. When you do research a lot of sites will tell you that the RDA (recommended daily amount) is more than what goes into most supplements. I have a book which is 'Readers Digest Guide to Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements'. It's great. The first half is all about the mins/vits/supps themselves, the other half is all about different conditions/diseases and what mins/vits/supps to take to help. Here's what it suggests for Endo: (Crikey there's a lot!)
Chasteberry: 225 mg standardised extract 3 x day Black cohosh: 250 mg extract or 30 drops tincture, 3 x day Wild Yam: 500 mg 2 x day (take with food to minimise stomach upset) Lipotropic combination (??) One or two tablets 3 x day Calcium/Magnesium 500 mg calcium and 200 mg magnesium once or twice a day Vitamin C: 500 mg 2 x day Vitam E: 250 mg 2 x day Fish oils: 2 tsp to provide 2 g of Omega 3 a day Evening Primrose Oil: 1000 mg 3 x day
Oh, the lipotropic combination stimulates the liver to rid the body of excess oestrogen! Calcium/magnesium can help reduce cramps. It's vitamin C that helps absorb iron, but be careful with iron supplements as too much can be bad.
Readers Digest is a very well known organisation in the UK, so this isn't some flakey-put-together-just-to-try-and get-sales-book :-)
Helen x
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Post by hellsbells on Feb 26, 2010 16:01:32 GMT -5
Selenium is a good antioxidant, but you can get what you need from a small handful of brazil nuts. I have to re-iterate that supplements are not a replacement for a balanced diet.
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missy
New Member
Posts: 7
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Post by missy on Feb 26, 2010 16:11:48 GMT -5
Wow thanks atherhel!! I'm going to have to get that book! The Chasteberry (Vitex), wild yam "Female Balance" supplement I got only gives me a total of 150mg Vitex Extract and only 225mg Wild Yam. Maybe next time Ill get the separate. Again, thanks for all the wonderful info! Im going to try out what I have for a few months, then go from there.
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Post by hellsbells on Feb 26, 2010 16:15:31 GMT -5
Don't forget I'm no medical expert, but I believe this is fairly sound info. You should always discuss supplementation with your doc though, just to make sure you're not taking things that clash. Do let me know how you get on.
And call me Helen :-)
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Post by Karen on Feb 26, 2010 18:34:46 GMT -5
Wow - that's a lot of info! I believe there's a book out there by Dianne Mills (I think that's her name) about endo, diet, and supplements. I haven't read it and I've heard there's some conflicting info here and there, but might be a good place to look. I'm with Helen - although supplements can certainly help, if you're just going to put crap into your body, your body is going to have to work harder to process it all. I can relate to being super busy, but I try to make a point to make a ton of meals one day a week so when I'm on the go or in a rush the rest of the week, I have something good to grab. It doesn't work all the time, but certainly does a lot of the time! Consider throwing a small bag of nuts in your purse or bag so when you're starving hungry, it can at least tide you over. There are all sorts of little things you can to do help get good foods in your tummy!
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Post by Karen on Feb 26, 2010 18:35:13 GMT -5
Oh, and feel free to post an intro post - we'd love to get to know you more!
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Post by cherry on Mar 8, 2010 16:46:54 GMT -5
I find starflower oil to be a good alternative to EPO evening primrose oil, which makes me extremely moody. I saw a report the other day that keeping your vitamins in the kitchen or bathroom, even with the lids tightly shut, can reduce their shelf life to weeks! It's to do with the high humidity in these rooms and the moisture that gets in even when you just open and close the cap. And to me the kitchen or bathroom are the most sensible/easy reach places to keep vitamins, mine are in the kitchen drawer
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Post by hellsbells on Mar 9, 2010 16:26:41 GMT -5
Mine are in my little meds bag in the living room, but I keep forgetting to take them! I fancy getting a cute pill box to keep them in, each night I'll get into the habit of sorting them all out for the next day!
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Post by Karen on Mar 9, 2010 19:21:27 GMT -5
I have 2 pill boxes with 4 compartments, and once a week I'll fill it. I keep it in my purse so I remember to take them in the morning when I get to work. Now I'm starting to wonder if it's a good idea to fill them so far in advance!
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Post by JC on Mar 16, 2010 15:39:44 GMT -5
I'm a little late responding to this. I like diet supplements. It's very important to understand that vitamins and minerals are all dependent on each other. For example, in order for you body to maximize the absorption of calcium, you need vitamin D. Also, on an a side note, caffeine binds to the same receptors that calcium does so if you consume your coffee (or tea for you british gals) along with your glass of milk then it's not doing you any good.
Another thing to consider is which vitamins are water soluble and which are fat soluble. The vitamin B family is water soluable which means your body is only going to absorb what it needs and the rest is excreated in the urine. Ever notice your pee get neon yellow after taking B vitamins? So consuming large amounts of B vitamins really wont do much if your body doesn't need it. Also what's interesting about water soluable vitamins is that you kinda can't overdose on them because all excess is excreted in the urine. I say "kinda can't" because I don't know what would happen to you if you decided to take 20 B-vitamins nor do I recommend it. HAHA
Fat soluble vitamins are different. Any excess gets stored into the tissues of the body, mostly adipose (fat) tissue.You could probably go longer without them before you become deficient. On the other hand, because of this storage issue in fat tissues, they also have a lower toxicity line than the water-solubles. Before you consider using fat-solubles as a supplement, keep in mind that water-solubles are needed for the proper absorption of dietary fat and for the intake and use of fat-solubles. It's also important to recognize that these vitamins can build up a toxicity unlike water-solubles.
Here's where proper diet prevails. Mother nature is freakin awesome. Most foods come in the perfect combos of vitamins and minerals. You don't have to ask a carrot if it has the proper nutrients to absorb vitamin A because mother nature already figured that out for you. You can definitely supplement your diet with pills as long as you understand what interacts with what, and which vitamins need another vitamin in order to absorb into your body. Hope this helps give a little more info.
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