POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Nutrition & HIV => Topic started by: AboutToStart on September 12, 2009, 12:28:26 am
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Anybody knows if there's any problem (i.e. drug interaction) between the GNC Mega Men Sport multi vitamin (see below) and Atripla??
Thanks!
Serving Size 2 Caplets
Vitamin A (50% as beta-Carotene 50% as Acetate) 5000.00 IU 100%
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid & Calcium Ascorbate) 300.00 mg 500%
Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) 200.00 IU 50%
Vitamin E (as Natural d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) 100.00 IU 333%
Vitamin K (Phytonadione) 80.00 mcg 100%
Thiamin (Vitamin B-1)(as Thiamin Mononitrate) 50.00 mg 3333%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) 50.00 mg 2941%
Niacin (as Niacin and Niacinamide) 50.00 mg 250%
Vitamin B-6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 50.00 mg 2500%
Folic Acid 400.00 mcg 100%
Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin) 50.00 mcg 833%
Biotin 300.00 mcg 100%
Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium d-Pantothenate) 50.00 mg 500%
Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Citrate Malate) 200.00 mg 20%
Iodine (as Potassium Iodide) 150.00 mcg 100%
Magnesium (as Magnesium Oxide) 100.00 mg 25%
Zinc (as Zinc Oxide) 25.00 mg 167%
Selenium (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate) 200.00 mcg 286%
Copper (as Copper Gluconate) 2.00 mg 100%
Manganese (as Manganese Sulfate) 2.00 mg 100%
Chromium (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate) 120.00 mcg 100%
Molybdenum (as Sodium Molybdate) 75.00 mcg 100%
Proprietary Sports Blend 215.00 mg **
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract **
Green Tea Leaves Extract (Camellia sinensis) **
L-Arginine **
L-Carnitine **
L-Glutamine **
L-Taurine Ethyl Ester HCL **
Branched Chain Amino Acid Blend 150.00 mg **
L-Isoleucine **
L-Leucine **
L-Valine **
alpha-Lipoic Acid 25.00 mg **
Choline (as Choline Bitartrate) 10.00 mg **
Inositol 10.00 mg **
Silica (as Silicon Dioxide) 4.00 mg **
Boron (as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate) 2.00 mg **
Lutein (as lutein esters) 950.00 mcg **
Lycopene 950.00 mcg **
Astaxanthin 50.00 mcg **
Zeaxanthin 50.00 mcg **
Vanadium (as Sodium Metavanadate) 10.00 mcg **
Other Ingredients: Cellulose, Titanium Dioxide (Natural Mineral Whitener), Caramel Color, Ethyl Vanillin, Vegetable Acetoglycerides
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Nope...but I will tell you that when I took it my piss was neon yellow due to the vitamin B. It was freaky.....almost a neon green color....very bright!
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not that I can see but I think madbrain is our resident supplements genius...
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not that I can see but I think madbrain is our resident supplements genius...
I'm flattered - I'm just one person who has read a ton about supplements and uses many. And I'm not a doctor.
In this particular case, there is a reported interaction between Gingko and Sustiva which is in Atripla. So you should not take that multi together with Atripla. Try a different multi that doesn't contain it.
Other than that the formula looks OK to me. The selenium is not the most bioavailable form, nor is the magnesium. The dosages look OK where they are indicated. I'm not familiar with everything in the formula, like the astaxanthin.
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Nope...but I will tell you that when I took it my piss was neon yellow due to the vitamin B. It was freaky.....almost a neon green color....very bright!
Thanks for the inputs, guyz.. yeas, the piss color is totally yellowish, but I don't think there's any problem with that..
As for the Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract - I agree with madbrain it is not recommended to be mixed with atripla...
Editted to add: after carefully checking the label on the Bottle I found a few descripancies from what I listed above as the list of ingredients (off their website...). The actual formula does NOT contain the Ginkgo leaf abstract, the Vit D3 is 600iu (not 200), Folid Acid is 600mcg (not 400), Vit E is 30iu (not 100), Magnesium is 50mg (not 100), Selenium 200 is as L-Selenomethionine (not as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate) and a few more small differences... To make sure I could trust the label on the bottle and not the one on the website I went back to the store and had them call the regional sales man that explained that the actual formula does change from time to time and the one posted on the BOTTLE is the accurate one (and FDA checked) so there is no Gingko in their Mega Sport anymore...
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Thanks for the inputs, guyz.. yeas, the piss color is totally yellowish, but I don't think there's any problem with that..
..correct...no problem at all....you are just pissing out the extra that your body doesn't need. I took it for a month or so about a year ago and the vibrant color never went away until I stopped taking it.
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..correct...no problem at all....you are just pissing out the extra that your body doesn't need. I took it for a month or so about a year ago and the vibrant color never went away until I stopped taking it.
May I inquire why you stopped it afer a month? and to what multi vitamin did you switch??
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I never felt like a was getting a benefit from it....bought it on a whim when I was at GNC buying Muscle Milk which I drink post work-out. I thought it might make me feel slightly more energetic and/or ache a tiny less after a good work out. This was about a year ago pre-diagnosis. I just started taking regular Centrum. Still drinking the Strawberry Banana Muscle Milk light though. :)
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Hi,
(not as Hydrolyzed Protein Chelate) and a few more small differences... To make sure I could trust the label on the bottle and not the one on the website I went back to the store and had them call the regional sales man that explained that the actual formula does change from time to time and the one posted on the BOTTLE is the accurate one (and FDA checked) so there is no Gingko in their Mega Sport anymore...
It looks like GNC no longer posts the formula for this multi on their website at all ! At least I couldn't find it . And I clicked on many other products, and it's also missing. That's really not very transparent of them. How can one shop for supplements if the formula is completely missing ? The formula changes you mentioned are rather important. I guess the only way is to buy them in store by carefully looking at the bottle. You'll pay a premium price for buying retail, and the amount of research you can do while in the store is very limited. Supplement research takes time, and even if you have internet on your cell phone it's not the appropriate device for that. I would say on that basis alone, you should skip GNC and shop for a better company that publishes their formula. I like NOW foods and their products can be ordered online, but if you must shop retail, Vitamin shoppe publishes their formula.
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I did look into NOW's multivitamin ("Adam") that seems to "have it all" but it actually has a little too much for me, since I take Atripla, I can't really consume any Ginkgo Biloba Extract that is included there.
GNC labeling is very clear on box and bottle. I saw they removed it (very recently) from web page. Perhaps due to MY complaint it wasn't updated to match label on box/bottle. My guess the removal was just temporary till updated..
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Nope...but I will tell you that when I took it my piss was neon yellow due to the vitamin B. It was freaky.....almost a neon green color....very bright!
I WASN'T the only who experienced that?? I COMPLETELY agree.
When you take a Multi-B vitamin. You will have very BRIGHT yellow urine!! Thankfully I'm not the only one who has it.
It's not a bad sign is it? I'm sure it just means that your body has fully supply of B-vitamins. Which is a good thing.
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Roof, nope....not a bad sign at all. Completely normal. Enjoy it....I always thought I was "radioactive man" when I was pissing. ;D
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I did look into NOW's multivitamin ("Adam") that seems to "have it all" but it actually has a little too much for me, since I take Atripla, I can't really consume any Ginkgo Biloba Extract that is included there.
Yeah, too bad. I think it's a shame the study that found the interaction did not specify how much ginkgo was too much to take together with atripla.
GNC labeling is very clear on box and bottle. I saw they removed it (very recently) from web page. Perhaps due to MY complaint it wasn't updated to match label on box/bottle. My guess the removal was just temporary till updated..
Well, the formula is now missing from the website for all their products, not just this one. Maybe they just can't afford to hire a webmaster. But it doesn't inspire confidence.
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a GNC Mega-Men update:
I went last week to my local GNC store to renew my Multi-Vitamin supply. When I got there I was met by a studly hunk salesman who "sweet talked" me (wasn't too hard to do I admit, I'd buy ANYTHING from him...) into "upgrading" to a Vitapak program. Basicly, in stead of just taking a multi-vitamin you're taking a daily packet that include several more pills, depending on the Vitapak of your choice (joints, heart, sport/energy, 50+ etc).
So now I'm taking each morning a packet containing: 2xmulti vitamin, 3xTriFlex (glucosamine and chondrotin "proven" to support joint health and cartilage) and 1xtriple strength fish oil (900mg omega-3: EPA 647mg and DHA 253mg). Add to that 2xCalcium and 2xVit D (1000iu each) which bring my vitamins intake to: 10 pills/ a day!!! In contrast, my HAART regimen is composed of only 1 pill (Atripla).
Isn't that insane??
Edited to add: oh, and also I take 1xNiaspan (prescription Niacin to lower LDL), 1xAmbien CR to help sleep, 1xPropecia (for hair loss control) and 1-2xAndrogel a day (for low testosteron levels). Thank God I'm done taking my Yeast Infection cream last week...
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Ok, everybody's "quiet" does actually sound very loud to me.. So I went back to the GNC store, luckily the buffed hunk was NOT there and I returned the packets I got before. In stead I'm now taking just a strong multi-vitamin (Mega Men Sport), plus CoQ soft-gel (200mg), plus Acetyl L-Carnitine (500mg).
I also still take the Calcium 600 plus D3 (2000iu) but this seems to me like more reasonable "combo" than the GNC packet...
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Ok, everybody's "quiet" does actually sound very loud to me.. So I went back to the GNC store, luckily the buffed hunk was NOT there and I returned the packets I got before. In stead I'm now taking just a strong multi-vitamin (Mega Men Sport), plus CoQ soft-gel (200mg), plus Acetyl L-Carnitine (500mg).
I also still take the Calcium 600 plus D3 (2000iu) but this seems to me like more reasonable "combo" than the GNC packet...
10 supplement pills is not necessarily unreasonable. I currently take 37, made from 24 different supplements. But it's impossible to comment on GNC products, especially their multis, given that they have taken their formulas out of their web site. Thus the quiet, I think.
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My Aunt is an herbalist and runs a natural therapies practice in Colorado. When it comes to herbal products she has always discouraged me from buying GNC products. She says that they don't have consistent quality control and that their dosages vary too much to be safe. However, I have never asked her about the quality or content of their vitamins and minerals. I'll ask her and post her comments.
As far as the brands I use the Chinese vitamin/herbal store that I go to carries Nature's Way, Solgar and Country Life. I think Solgar is also gay owned or run.
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an update:
@MadBrain:
The GNC website is now back showing the ingredients of their products, however, at least with their Mega Men Sport multivitamin (that I am taking) I found a discrepancy. They advertise on their website that there is Gingco Biloba Leaf Extract in their Proprietary Sports Blend (bad news if you're on Atripla..), however on the bottle itself (and acompaning box) there's no mentioning of such extract... :(
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3359069
@KJPM:
I don't know anything about the quality of their herbs, but as far as their multivitamins they swear by their quality commitment as being "leader in the development and manufacture of dietary supplements" and hence "committed to producing the highest quality products available" (taken off their label). Now whether you believe what THEY say bout themselves.. that's a diff question...
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I think the regular ensure or any supplement to that will do you more good than high price gnc products. Thats just an opinion though. Love to all, Jerry
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an update:
@MadBrain:
The GNC website is now back showing the ingredients of their products, however, at least with their Mega Men Sport multivitamin (that I am taking) I found a discrepancy. They advertise on their website that there is Gingco Biloba Leaf Extract in their Proprietary Sports Blend (bad news if you're on Atripla..), however on the bottle itself (and acompaning box) there's no mentioning of such extract... :(
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3359069
Well, it's not very useful if the web info is posted but incorrect now, is it ?
GNC should note if there are different formulations for one product on their site ...
Of course it would be much less confusing to the consumer to change the product name when they change the formulation.
@KJPM:
I don't know anything about the quality of their herbs, but as far as their multivitamins they swear by their quality commitment as being "leader in the development and manufacture of dietary supplements" and hence "committed to producing the highest quality products available" (taken off their label). Now whether you believe what THEY say bout themselves.. that's a diff question...
That's just marketing, ignore it.
If you do a little research on GNC, you will not find too many people defending them.
Over at the imminst.org forums for example, here are a few threads I found about GNC :
http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=33272&pid=351166&st=0&#entry351166
http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=10573&st=90
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Ok, then what other multi-vitamin has the 100.00 mg of Magnesium, 25.00 mg of Zinc and 200.00 mcg of Selenium, no gingco biloba, no bad reputation and not over priced??
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Ok, then what other multi-vitamin has the 100.00 mg of Magnesium, 25.00 mg of Zinc and 200.00 mcg of Selenium, no gingco biloba, no bad reputation and not over priced??
I can't say on the top of my head.
On thursday I saw the following book at the Santa Clara library :
"PDR of nutritional supplements'"
http://www.amazon.com/PDR-Nutritional-Supplements-2nd-Pdr/dp/1563637103
Unfortunately, it was a reference book, which meant I couldn't take it home.
The book had a table at the end with the formulation of many multi-vitamins.
I spent quite a while reading the book, it was very interesting. Lots of info about supplements that I didn't know, and I have read tons before on the internet !
May I ask why 100mg of magnesium and 25mg zinc ?
FYI, from what I read, the report about ginkgo interaction with efavirenz (sustiva) which is in atripla is based on a single patient report !
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/A6F3B12F-7937-4F9B-BC73-11DA35FB7574.asp
I'm not sure how the investigators can conclude that ginkgo was the sole cause of his virological failure based on only this one patient report. It is also very unfortunate that the intake of ginkgo for this one patient was not specified in the report.
I can provide another data point, which is that my bf took the Now Adam multi, which contains 30mg ginkgo biloba extract, for one year while on Atripla, before the report of this interaction was known, and he has always been undetectable - no blips since he first went undetectable. He has since stopped taking a multi and most other supplements as he didn't like taking many supplement pills.
So, that makes me a bit skeptical about the interaction reported. But perhaps the patient was taking much more ginkgo. Most separate ginkgo supplements are from 60 to 120mg per capsule, to be taken 1 to 2 times a day, ie. 60 to 240mg per day. The patient with the reported interaction was probably on at least 60mg per day.
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My city library carries that book. I'll try to hunt it down (in lib use only). Otherwise this whole topping seems very confusing. Hard to trust what you read on the web as "research" since lot's are direct or indirect advertisement to products they're trying to promote.. go figure..