Adding Soldiers To The War...Safely.

As I sit here lining up my soldiers, (the myriad vitamins I take everyday) a few things occur to me. The first is that it is going to take me two swallows instead of one to get all of these down and the second is that Amino Acids really stink. Every time I open the bottle to fish out my two pills I'm hit with the glorious smell of petrified goat urine. At least that is what I imagine petrified goat urine to smell like.

Yes, my friends, I have added to my vitamin supplements again. I took 2 Amino Acid pills and a B-12 complex last night and I felt... fabulous! Except I took them before bed. The B-12 kept me up all night like usual when the hope was that the amino acids would help put me to sleep.

This is a classic case of me not paying attention. I get excited when I read up on a vitamin and decide to add it to my regimen and thereby dooming myself to premature pill-popping! What I discovered in my haste is obviously B-12 is best taken during the day! (Which if I were thinking straight I already knew since those little energy drinks are...you guessed it.. b-12 goodness.) I also discovered...B-12 pills and IBS don't mix. Unfortunately I fell off the food wagon last night and had a Subway melt which hasn't messed me up in the past but with IBS you never know what will mess you up and when. So it is possible it could have been that. But I'm thinking the B-12 is the culprit. I'm looking into a liquid form that not only has the B-12 but Folic Acid.

This seems like a good time to talk about the misuse of Vitamins. There are a few points I wanted to make quickly since I tout natural cures on this page.

Add a little at a time!! Fibro patients are known to suffer from IBS more often than not and it can come and go too. So start out slow. My suggestion is Magnesium and Vitamin D first. Then add a pill a week or every other week.

Remember that results aren't always quick. Sometimes our body is pretty deficient and it could take a few days or, as a few people have claimed to me, weeks. I started feeling better 4 days after I took Magnesium and Vitamin D. (I added five more vitamins that 5th day and ended up having to go back to just the 2 and introduce them slowly.)

Do the research! There are some vitamins that won't harm you with excessive doses. There are others that can be just as dangerous as Pharm Meds when taking more than you should. Always consult your doctor if you're concerned.

Ask your doctor about testing you for vitamin deficiencies. During research you'll read about a lot of vitamins you "need". It usually doesn't hurt to take them but if you don't want to pop more vitamins go to your GP and ask to be tested.

Keep a daily vitamin journal, or add vitamin intake to your existing journal.

I keep a food, pain, fatigue, and vitamin daily journal. Its tedious but when something goes wrong, I can usual track where I've screwed up. Or worse...when I haven't and its just a Fibro perk. (Yippy!)

I'll keep you posted as to how I feel getting the B-12 into my system. It's supposed to help with depression among other things but that is why I'm taking it. I feel good but sometimes still get pouty. I'd like to abolish that completely!

Take care everyone and as always, be careful.