Supplement side effects

[Emily C]

I am resurrecting an old set of posts about supplement side effects. SusanJ, did you ever figure out if the citicoline or magnesium threonate were the cause of your heart issues, and did you ever add those supplements back in to your regimen?

I tried adding magnesium l-threonate (from Double Wood, 500mg) for brain fog and after a few days found I was feeling unsteady - kind of a numbness in my head (I know that sounds crazy!). I tried a different brand (CogniMag from Pure Encapsulations, 500 mg) a few months later, same result.

A few months later, here I am trying citicoline (Jarrow, 250 mg) to help with brain fog. After a week of a daily dose of citicoline, I've got those same side effects of unsteadiness and numbness in my head. I saw online that citicoline has a half life of 70 hours - maybe that is the problem, and I should take it every 3rd day. I could not find any info on half life for magnesium threonate.

Anyone else have problems with these two supplements? Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!

[SusanJ]

SusanJ, did you ever figure out if the citicoline or magnesium threonate were the cause of your heart issues, and did you ever add those supplements back in to your regimen?

Don't know. Never started taking any of them again.

[Emily C]

Ok, thanks SusanJ! I read your initial posts from 2016 with interest and really appreciate knowing what happened! Thanks for letting me know!

[PBW]

Great thread...I don't have any specific questions now. After having appendectomy, I am researching getting all Flagyl and Levofloxacin out of my body once I finish the prescription which is today. Oddly my digestive system has changed(not bad, just different) and my taste preferences seem to be gone. Just trying to eat for health and nothing really tastes "good". I have started back in on all my normal levels of supplements(per Bredesen and Gundry) I take 3 capsules( magnesium 144mg/Magtein 2g) of Magtein daily. Magnesium has normally kept me very regular and now that is no longer a problem since surgery.Maybe the addition of Culturel (probiotic) has made difference. I am considering reducing to 2 caps Magtein and see how that does.
Also like Susan, I am trying to get lipids in line w/o statins, because A1C wet up and lipids did not go down on last statins( 2 years ago). My last labs, after 4 months dairy free, mostly fish and veggies(i did have some coconut in curries and coffee creamers occasionally) were more confusing and disappointing than ever. I am waiting for Gundry's scripts for lab work to make an appt with him. As a cardiologist first and then Health and wellness md, I hoping he can give me some understanding and direction. I definitely do not need to lose weight.
I will let you all know how this goes.

[KiminCalifornia]

Susan, excellent idea.
A side question - why are you supplementing calcium? Are you aware of the research in the last few years (actually spearheaded in New Zealand) indicating that supplementation does not reduce osteoporosis and may increase cardiovascular risk? And the traditional "target" was derived on shaky evidence? We don't routinely supplement any more unless the diet overall is woefully inadequate.

http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4580

http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3691

I have Osteoporosis and ApoE4 (heterozygote)... I have a 25% bone loss and was told recently to continue with calcium supplements by a specialized treatment group for Osteoporosis at Kaiser Permanente. However, they told me that I should try a "premium source" of calcium like Red Algae. I've read studies about red algae calcium and it does increase osteoblasts and bone density if taken. Some suggest taking it with Strontium to maximize the benefits. I see you quote the British Medical Journal. However, there is a study in the Irish Journal of medicine that dealt just with red algae calcium. https://epubs.rcsi.ie/cgi/viewcontent.c ... xt=anatart. I also read a study, although I don't have a link, that states red algae calcium helps prevent colon polyps because of its unique way of processing the calcium in the body. Considering that falling and fracturing a bone is a factor in longevity for people over 75, it's important to keep what bone density we have. The one study about cardiovascular health indicated that supplements with Vitamin D were not as likely to induce a cardiovascular event. It also indicated that those who ingested up to about 800 mg per day did not see a significant increase in cardiovascular events over the placebo group. So maybe there is a compromise here...we take red algae Calcium up to 800 mg per day and make sure we take a vitamin D3, D supplement (which we should be doing on the ReCode protocol.) I'm just throwing this out there because it's a dilemma for us who have significant Osteoporosis and ApoE4. After all, we know that HRT can increase our chances for a cardiovascular event and yet it is still recommended for ApoE4 carriers. It's all a balance.

[Chameleon]

Welcome KiminCalifornia!

So glad you are sharing some information about red algae calcium. You may have already heard about this, but some other ways to stop bone loss is doing strength training and I just saw the other day that fasting is starting to show some improvements. One woman had a dexa scan before and one three months later after fasting and she showed a good increase and was now in osteopenia.

There may be some more information you may find useful in the Primer and the Wiki.

And if you feel comfortable feel free to share your story in the Our Stories forum.

Again welcome to the community!

[KiminCalifornia]

Welcome KiminCalifornia!

So glad you are sharing some information about red algae calcium. You may have already heard about this, but some other ways to stop bone loss is doing strength training and I just saw the other day that fasting is starting to show some improvements. One woman had a dexa scan before and one three months later after fasting and she showed a good increase and was now in osteopenia.

There may be some more information you may find useful in the Primer and the Wiki.

And if you feel comfortable feel free to share your story in the Our Stories forum.

Again welcome to the community!

Thank you for the welcome. I really enjoy this forum and Wiki.
For years I have implemented a weight-bearing plan. I walk 5-6 days a week with my dogs and do weight training three days a week at the gym and do aerobics (Zumba) another two days. Kaiser still recommends calcium supplements. I was on Fosamex for twelve years, but was taken off of it last year. Luckily, I was kept on HRT for the purpose of controlling the Osteoporosis (which I was diagnosed with in my forties.) My doctor advised me to do this despite the study on increased cardiovascular events on HRT. They believed controlling my Osteoporosis was more important that the slight increase in my rise for cardiovascular events. I was lucky because this may also have been helpful in staving off Alzheimer's. However, I do believe that keeping my Osteoporosis in check is very important so I do plan to continue the Red Algae supplements.

[TheBrain]

I have Osteoporosis and ApoE4 (heterozygote)... I have a 25% bone loss and was told recently to continue with calcium supplements by a specialized treatment group for Osteoporosis at Kaiser Permanente. However, they told me that I should try a "premium source" of calcium like Red Algae. I've read studies about red algae calcium and it does increase osteoblasts and bone density if taken. Some suggest taking it with Strontium to maximize the benefits.

Hi KiminCalifornia,

I have worsening osteoporosis, and my doctor wants me to start an osteoporosis Rx (I don’t yet know which one). May I ask: Why did you stop the Fosamax? And what brand of red algae calcium are you using? Are you taking a 800 mg dose? Lastly, has your osteoporosis stabilized? It sounds like you do a lot to manage your osteoporosis.

Actually, I’m also wondering about your comment about HRT increasing a cardiovascular event. Are you taking conventional HRT or bioidentical HRT?

[erikv]

which of Dr Bredesen recommended supplements, when taken together could lead to a sharp pain in the appendix?

I took 4000iu vitamin D3, Alpha GPC, PQQ and Meriva 500 (Curcumin), and for some reason within a day I got abdomen area cramps and when pressing the appendix directly a sharp pain. I immediately stopped all supplementation and it went away after 3-4 days.

I searched google for supplement side effects appendix' but couldn't see any relevant answers.

[NF52]

which of Dr Bredesen recommended supplements, when taken together could lead to a sharp pain in the appendix?

I took 4000iu vitamin D3, Alpha GPC, PQQ and Meriva 500 (Curcumin), and for some reason within a day I got abdomen area cramps and when pressing the appendix directly a sharp pain. I immediately stopped all supplementation and it went away after 3-4 days.
I searched google for supplement side effects appendix' but couldn't see any relevant answers.

Welcome erikv!

It sounds like a scary experience for you to have had both abdominal cramps and sharp pains when pressing on your appendix. So I will add to my warm welcome a little bit of "mom" advice:

I would recommend that you call your primary care provider's office and ask for an appointment due to "sharp pain in the area of my appendix". If you don't have health insurance, or a reasonably priced urgent care center, you could see if there's a free or sliding fee clinic nearby that could check you out. Appendicitis pain usually continues to get worse, but sometimes it comes and goes for a period of time and then become "acute". Some recent studies have suggested that appendicitis might be able to be treated with antibiotics and not surgery. Having seen my husband get appendicitis at the age of 36 with a temperature of 104, I would not want you to get that sick, if there's a chance that your symptoms weren't just due to the supplements.

It's entirely possible that the supplements somehow triggered some reaction in your digestion system that caused pain, and pain can be "referred" to areas far from where it starts (like a pinched shoulder nerve that causes your fingers to tingle). It's one of the reasons that we recommend that people usually start with one supplement at a time, and often with low doses, so their body can get used to that. 4000 iu of Vitamin D, for example, sounds like a pretty high dose, unless you had a doctor prescribe that.

You don't mention if you're concerned about having ApoE 4, but if that is an issue, you should know that you don't have to jump into the deep end and completely change everything you eat and do overnight! I'd recommend starting with browsing the Primer, written by a doctor who is a family practitioner, and who discusses supplements.

We're glad you found us, especially since this is a community of friendly folks who love asking questions and trying to find helpful answers. Most of all, we're here to support each other. I hope you stick around and tell us some more about yourself.