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Vitamin supplements

Posted , 12 users are following.

Roberta125
Roberta125

Does anyone take or have comments on taking Magnesium and Selenium? Magnesium is suppose to help nourish and feed the immune system and also to help sore muscles. Also helps control inflammation. Selenium has some inflammatory benefits and also to help muscular weakness and fatigue. 

0 likes, 21 replies

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  • tina-uk_cwall
    tina-uk_cwall Roberta125

    Posted

    Hello Roberta, yes, I take magnesium as a supplement along with cod liver oil and vit d. I sometimes take calcium too but at my last blood test my calcium level was a bit high so have stopped the calcium for a bit.

    indeed if you take calcium you really must also take magnesium as it helps to process the calcium.

    can't offer any info on selenium though.

    regards, tina

  • EileenH
    EileenH Roberta125

    Posted

    Magnesium is useful if you suffer from cramps - here in mainland Europe it is the first thing you are told to try if you go to the doctor complaining of cramp. I use it regularly but I can't say I have ever noticed it helps my PMR. On the other hand, pred tends to make you lose magnesium in urine so you can easily become depleted - and blood tests will only ever tell you your blood level, not your tissue level. It doesn't do any harm and if you take a bit too much the worst that will happen is that you get a bit "loose".

    Selenium - you usually get enough in a good varied diet that includes:

    Nuts, like Brazil nuts and walnuts

    Many fresh and saltwater fish, like tuna, cod, red snapper, and herring

    Beef and poultry

    Grains

    Whole foods are the best sources of selenium. 

    It is one of the supplements where unlimited amounts are dangerous and it also interacts with corticosteroids which may reduce the amount of selenium in the body - but you should not take supplements without discussing it with your doctor or pharmacist (not the counter staff).

    There is no conclusive evidence that selenium supplements will improve any of the many conditions it has been studied in - although there are a few diseases such as HIV, Crohns and where parenteral feeding is required where supplementation is recommended. 

  • judy93591
    judy93591 Roberta125

    Posted

    Hi my Dr also has me take magnesium, strontium citrate, MK 7 Vitamin K-2, calcium, fish oil, curcumin, plus my prescription drugs. I went from one blood pressure tab and a multi vitamin, to a handful since this UNWANTED PMR VISIT IN March, 2015!  UGH!
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga judy93591

      Posted

      Interested to see that your doctor recommends strontium citrate.  Strontium is known to harden bones, but it does so by replacing calcium.  Calcium should not be taken at the same time as strontium as otherwise it will not allow the strontium to be absorbed - the body evidently prefers calcium!  So by taking them separately you should be able to get the benefits of both.
    • judy93591
      judy93591 Anhaga

      Posted

      Yes, he told me NOT to take together!  So that one is for lunch time! LOL
  • noninoni
    noninoni Roberta125

    Posted

    I hadn't thought about selenium in years.  I live in a selenium deficient area, the Great Lakes, but since we eat a lot of California food, especially California garlic which concentrates selenium, I never worried about it.  Parts of California have too much selenium in their soils and it can be toxic in excess.  So food from all over balances things out.

            A selenium deficiency does cause "white muscle disease" in horses, and I used to have to add it to their grain.  It gave them weak hooves.  Once upon a time I took care of some humane society starved horses and these were the first horses known to be selenium deficient.  It turned out the deficiency was wide spread. After a good diet with selenium but mostly with groceries, those horses blossomed.

           Nowadays I don't know where my garlic comes from.   SInce it could be local, I need to check into it. 

  • noninoni
    noninoni Roberta125

    Posted

    I need to add that selenium has the smallest ranger between toxic and deficiency of any trace mineral, so you have to be really careful that you get neither too much nor too little.   
  • LayneTX
    LayneTX Roberta125

    Posted

    For me...magnesium makes my poops too soft! Lovely eh?

    so, I take every other day and of course my new found pill form probiotic help SO much!!! Though taking 3 times a day is hard, they are refridgerated version.

    I buy calcium citrate with out other vitamins, hard to find, then I can choose what strength of D and Magnesium I want.  I hope I get most vitamins from my dark leafy greens. I don't take K, wonder if I should...

    And I found a time released vit C. Hope it helps since I can't eat much fruit.

    My husbands doctor had him stop vitamins!  I just found that out last night! And the daily aspirin. So much has changed again regarding supplements. It's hard to understand. His doctor from renown MD Anderson Cancer center, seems pretty good. 

    • EileenH
      EileenH LayneTX

      Posted

      I mentioned that effect in my post that has disappeared - looking forward to finding out what the computer objected to!

      Too much of some vitamins is bad and can actually contribute to cancers developing - no need to spend the money!

      And never mind about fruit - the greatest amount of vit C in diet used to be from potatoes! You eat plenty of veg don't you? That's probably fine.

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX EileenH

      Posted

      Hee, hee, yeah, I wondered what on earth your post could have said to be moderated. wink

      yep on veggies, but with acid reflux I've stopped my favorite...bell peppers!!! And tomatoes!!!  

      You know...last night we went out to dinner and a symphony concert. I said to heck with it (actually the double L word) and ate a most yummy steak, shrimp, a little bread dipped in olive oil, balsamic, and pepper, brocolli, asparagus, green beans, and a few bites of chocolate cake that paired lovingly with an incredible glass of wine! I was able to taste it all!!!! And no acid reflux until later when I took all my nightly pills. But not too bad in reflux area.

      second time this has happened... I'm about to think steak is key! Ha, ha... Not really, just perhaps tummy really working to digest. 

      I woke up today feeling great!! Well...better than usual. wink 

    • EileenH
      EileenH LayneTX

      Posted

      That sounds a really good evening - you could have taken me with you!

      I did ask once before - is it you the doctor told to stick to a really strict diet? Maybe your stomach likes real food to wrap itself round?

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX EileenH

      Posted

      Hee, hee, I thought you might get tired of me saying my story, wink

      Yeah, she said no flour, no grains, no legumes, no potatoes, no dairy, no sugar, no rice, no soy, ... Just lean meats, and lots of them and veggies, fruit.  The bell pepper and tomatoes is that night shade thing, for some people those cause inflammation, I'm experimenting since my hands started hurting, might be some truth to it. 

      Thing is I'm O positive blood and LOVE red meat. Force chicken down me, eat sockeye salmon once a week, not a big fan... 

      Used to love spices! 

      Told you I've lost 22 lbs, only weight 118 lbs at 5'5".  I had to buy some size 4 jeans! I tried on 4 pair of pants for the concert last night! Ended up wearing some cheap leggings I bought. Kind of nice to be skinny, but...  Actually I'm amazed at being able to do squats for exercise real easy now, guess since fat not in way and don't weigh much! Ha, ha. Just wish my ischial bursa's didn't hurt. Even sitting at concert bothered them, have to move around. 

    • judy93591
      judy93591 LayneTX

      Posted

      Is the weight loss due to the meat, begs, fruit only?  I have put on several pounds, and have been dealing with bad hip bursitis pain!  Get up to a bit of walking, and, bang!  Bursa inflamed again! 
    • judy93591
      judy93591 LayneTX

      Posted

      Sorry, that was supposed to be VEGS! Not begs. I am also O+blood type
    • LayneTX
      LayneTX judy93591

      Posted

      Hi Judy, yeah, I wasn't able to walk until last few months. I was surprised to lose so much weight and not being from exercise!

      I'm pretty sure it was from no longer eating breads, or any flour product, sugar, no dairy, or rice and wine.  I used to drink wine daily, two glasses. Love it too much! I do have an occassional cappucino, I used to drink those daily pre PMR!!!

      Plus my body is or was naturally of small in nature. Small boned, small everything, so maybe body just went back to that. I hope that's it.

      Fear of inflammation keeps me eating or not eating the bad stuff, though lately been struggling, but determined again to be good. wink 

       

    • judy93591
      judy93591 LayneTX

      Posted

      So happy for you. I have never been obese, but have had to work on maintaining my ideal weight. I am small in stature/bones also. I belong to a weight loss club, and have maintained ideal weight for 10 years. I HAD been very active, too, pre PMR. ugh. So, this inability to do activities, but also not hardly be able to walk, was a BIG DEPRESSING OCCURANCE!  Then, after about 2 months on pred, slow weekly gain, no matter HOW OR WHAT I eat!  Again, frustrating, depressing. But, pred controls PMR, I try slow exercise, then stir up bursitis in hip/groin, which is where it hits me!  I WILL NOT GIVE UP!  Experiencing headaches/blurry vision, so I see Rheumy tomorrow. GP told me couldn't get GCA when taking pred!?  I am at 11 mg now, on slow reduction. Whew, didn't mean to write a book! 😋
    • EileenH
      EileenH judy93591

      Posted

      You can develop GCA if the pred dose is low enough - honestly, I wonder where their brains go sometimes! If 15mg was enough to prevent GCA - they wouldn't use a higher dose would they? 

      Someone a bit back posted to say their rheumy had told them there was an alternative to pred which he might consider if he didn't do well with the pred - AND it had no side effects! Which begs an obvious question! 

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX judy93591

      Posted

      Judy,

      One thing that has helped my hip bursitis, other than a shot whiched helped for several months...my physical therapist taught me how to use my gluteus muscles and abs more when I need to squat or climb a big step or even stairs.  By me not activating the larger muscles I feel more pain in hips. Same for my shoulders.  If I activate and use my Lats (latisimus dorsi) say to lift my arms, then my deltoids don't hurt (the bursas there). I do still get impingement in shoulders if I internally rotate my arm when lifting.

      I'm amazed how many bursas we really have and those are my PMR pain locations.

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