Supplements and IVIG

Dawn,

Yes indeedy, I swallow a boat load of pills everyday. Right now it’s just 8 with breakfast and 1 with dinner (in addition to my prednisone, Lyrica and nortyptilin) for maintainence. I increase certain pills depending on symptoms (R-Lipoic acid for foot pain, CQ 10 for dental work, MSM for skin problems, etc). When I was really run down and symptomatic I was taking even more pills with each meal. For a while I was also taking Grape Seed Extract a couple of times a day – for me it really helped with the zingies (didn’t do a thing for Jethro). It’s important to adjust supplements periodically.

I did notify my family doctor and my neurologist of my supplements – but I am not taking a dangerous amount of anything. Also, I am not taking any herbs that might interact with my medications. In the past 2 years I have only had 2 IVIG treatments. I took a detailed list of all my supplements to the infusion center and they did not see any problems.

I did not get side effects from many of my pills. I do remember cranberry extract being tough on my tummy. If Kevie needs a huge amount of anything do be sure to increase the dosage gradually. It’s also very important that I take my pills with a meal – the few times I have tossed them down without a food buffer I was very queasy.

I assume you have confidence in the natropath. If he offers to set Kevie up with a simpler, more compact, pill program do purchase his product. It does not actually hurt to take all my pills but it is a hassle – further more, many of them are large. A compounding natural pharmacist can make a supplement regime easier by dividing supplements up through the day and eliminating the need for “filler”.

I hope this is helpful. Our own dear Doctor David considered supplements a waste of money – but I honestly feel my pills keep me operating as well as possible given the immune war going on in my body.

Flossie