Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Alternatives and ALCHEMISTS Supplements & Probiotics- Recommendations/opinions

Hey guys,
Apologies if this is a basic question. But I promise I was a good girl and searched around before asking this!

I've been on and off a few different supplements, probiotics, vitamins etc. I have no idea what has helped and what hasn't!

I'm interested in what people take and why? I'd like to get myself a list of key supplements that can help with AS to start taking regularly.

Does anyone see any value in Glucosomine & Condroitin? (?spelling sorry).

I definitely find Vitamin B helps with energy levels & (not) feeling low.

In NZ, there's a multi-vitamin called "Centrum", which is "A to Zinc" and contains a huge range of vitamins and minerals. Would anyone recommend covering all bases with something like this?

One other question, is there anyone from New Zealand that can recommend a good Pro-Biotic to take?

Cheers,
Emily

I went the route of taking lots of supplements, but like you, I couldn't tell if they really helped much. So I quit all of them except for Vit D, Fish oil, and a whole food multivitamin. The only difference I can tell from quitting all the other supplements is that I now have more money in my pocket.

I have treid a lot of supplements and the few I like are magnesium and the B vtamins. I just feel better when I take them. I also like vitamin C alot, I like the Emergen-C powder packs you add water to and it akes a fizzy drink, I feel a bit more energetic afterward.

I tried turmeric, too harsh, bromelain I did not notice any improvement.

I am trying to remember to take vit D too to get my labs back in normal range.

Take care!

tuff luck valsmum!!
I have read good reviews about bromelain elsewhere. Ordered bromelain and vit C supplements today.
I am keeping high hopes on this one since i am in the middle of worst flares in 3 years

Hi I am new to this site but am currently in a bad flare despite being on a non starch diet.
? whether excess stress at work has been the main factor in this.
I have just started Krill oil and curcumin and hoping these will help.
Not too bad pain wise today but I'll see how it goes.
Let me know how you get on as bromelain was also on my list..

I've been taking one align (bifidobacterium) and one culturelle (lactobacilli) a day, and now, even when I flare, constipation is almost never a problem. Before it was a huge problem. So, probiotics are a big part of my better health.

I do believe the vitamin C that my rheumy suggested helps to ward off flares (to a point).....head colds too. This week, twice I woke feeling like a head cold was coming, upped my vitamin C and fish oil (double) and was able to beat it back down. Same with the start to a flare right before christmas. About every 3 months the flare wins and then I take methylprednisone, but the other times, I think the vitamin C and/or fish oil help support my immune system. I take Ester C as any other vitamin C is too acidic for my stomach.

The magnesium has seemed to help prevent the foot and calf cramps.

The vitamin D may also be helping; my levels are definitely up.

Calcium, magnesium, and D for my bones, as this is a bone leaching disease, or so it seems, as bone spurs seem common amongst us.

My rheumy told me to add in coQ. Not sure if that's helping, but my muscles do seem to be less spasmed now.

The LDN (not a supplement, but still i think it helps my immune system) has made head colds less severe, has prevented the tendon and ligament tears that I used to get all the time.

a friend swears by green lipped mussel extract. I may try that next.

I don't think there is enough of each vitamin and supplement in the multivitamin to do me much good; but that's my opinion.

I tried the glucosamine and chondroitin. didn't notice any positive effect. think i've read its best for osteoarthritis. certainly doesn't help with inflammation.

i eat / drink a lot of ginger tea, ginger jam, ginger in stir fry, ginger in soups, etc etc. they say its good for inflammation. definitely good for stomach inflammation, i can attest to that.

i would never have bought into the supplement stuff, but the more I added on the advice of first a naturpath and now my current rheumatologist, the better i did. and when I start to feel a flare or head cold coming on, or feel particularly achy, upping my fish oil and vitamin C really does seem to make a difference. I do spend a couple thousand dollars a year on all the supplements that I take, but it does seem to be beneficial.

i also take vitamin E and alpha lipoic acid, for my liver. alpha lipoic acid is supposed to be good for metabolic syndrome too. and i take chromium for insulin resistance, but not sure if it really does anything. low carb and exercise is the best thing really for that.

hi i use tumeric, cats claw,and ginger for inflamtion. when i stop taking them i feel worse, they help just not enough.

hi sue i buy my herbs and spices in bulk, they sell empty gelatin caps and the machine to make them.it cuts the cost of supplements more than half.take a look at herbco. com. i make my own when my hands are working right

I don't take anything crazy, just what most consider to be essential nutrients and vitamins.

Vitamin C - I take copious amounts. I average 4-6 grams a day.
Cod Liver Oil - This gives me my fish oils, my Vit D, and Vit A
Calcium Citrate - I'm a NSDer, so I found a brand that basically provides calcium powder that I dissolve in my water. I've never found a starch free calcium pill because of the starchy bindings that are inevitable with the pill.
Magnesium
Vit B Complex
Probiotic - Natren's Healthy Trinity. This is the one that is ridiculously expensive. Yet, this was the only probiotic pill that yielded a notice improvement in my bowel movements (e.g. no more constipation).

Just make sure when you take your vitamins that you understand which ones are fat soluble. Those are the ones that you need to be more careful with over-dosing. Water soluble ones you just pee out, but fat soluble ones you should be careful. That being said, I think most RDA's are conservative.

Good luck!

For anyone taking the calcium citrate:

i just saw advertised citracal slow release. it has D in it too. you take it once a day. sounds interesting, maybe not so many huge pills?

may have starch in it though; i don't worry about starch to that level myself as for me casein seems to be my trigger, not starch. but if you are watching all traces of starch, this might not be for you.

and what FormerFoodie said: probiotics has made constipation a thing of the past for me. before that, it was a huge problem. for me, the align and the culturelle work.