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Author Topic: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?  (Read 36408 times)

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Offline thirtysomething

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  • Posts: 124
What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« on: June 06, 2006, 11:39:39 pm »
I've been recently diagnosed (cd4, viral load, cd4% in my signature) and I'm wondering what all vitamins and supplements I should take. The only thing that my doctor told me to take was "Centrum A-Z one-a-day". Anything else that one might suggest?

Thanks.

Offline Optimistic

  • Member
  • Posts: 326
  • An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctors Away!
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2006, 03:58:29 am »
For myself, I take:

1) men's multivitamin
2) CoQ10
3) NAC
4) Selenium
5) Monolaurin
6) Vitamin C
7) Once in a while, Green Tea extract

This seems to work for me.

Justin
12/06 (Atripla): cd4 - 260; cd% - 33%; vl - 169
1/07 (Atripla): cd4 - 267; cd% - 38.1%; vl - 132
4/07 (Atripla): cd4 - 373; cd% - 33.9%; vl - <50
7/07 (Atripla); cd4 - 287; cd% - 35.8%; vl - <50
9/07 (Atripla); cd4 - 356; cd% - 39.5%; vl - <50
12/07 (Atripla); cd4 - 517

Offline Bartro

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  • Posts: 124
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2006, 09:04:50 am »
Here's a link to some good information on supplements.  I recommend caution when using supplements.  There may be benefits but there are risks also.

http://www.thebody.com/pinf/herbs.html
Rusty

Offline Lwood

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  • Posts: 797
  • Here's Lookin At You....
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2006, 09:14:58 am »
Unless you have an obvious deficency, you probablly won't get any reccomendation other that " A good Multivatamin" from your doc. This is one area where its necessary to do some homework, the Nutrition section of the Lessons here is a great start  (make sure to follow the link to larklands.net at the bottom)
You'll probablly never find two people that take the same vitamin combo, and its not unusual for some to take two or three times more supliments than Meds.
 I'd caution you about so called 'Mega Dosing"- taking many times the reccomended dose of any given vitamin or supliment without the direct advice from YOUR doctor ( not some dipshit on the internet in a white coat)  some meds can have interactions with supliments....
Any nutritionist will stress the idea of getting your nutrients from food sources as opposed to a tablet, heres a link to one of my favorite websites...www.whfoods.comWorlds Healthiest Foods    
"Fortunately, I Keep My T Cells Numbered For Just Such An Emergency"
  -Either Foghorn Leghorn or Johnny Cash

Offline Lovinglife

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  • Posts: 24
  • Life is too short for fussing & fighting my friend
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2006, 08:10:57 am »
A friend of mine started drinking DanActive (an immunity booster found next to the yogurt at your local grocery store) He drinks it everyday and his doctor was shocked at his bloodwork.  His T-Cells rose and his viral load went down.  Of course, there may be other reasons but the doc said she is going to recommend it for all her patients.  What the hell I am going to give it a try, it actually taste good and it isn't too expensive.  I have tried worse things over the past 21 years.  Good luck.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

Offline allopathicholistic

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Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2006, 09:21:56 am »
A friend of mine started drinking DanActive (an immunity booster found next to the yogurt at your local grocery store) He drinks it everyday and his doctor was shocked at his bloodwork.  His T-Cells rose and his viral load went down. 

i'll keep an eye out for it - like you, i say 'hey'

i also say 'as long as it's not boost or ensure' (yuck!)

Offline Lwood

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  • Here's Lookin At You....
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2006, 10:34:28 am »
I'm Not sure that DanActive is an Immunity Booster  according to anyone other than DanActive.
It Does however replace the 'good bacteria' in your digestive tract that can be wiped out by antibiotics (like Bactrim)  and thereby cause diarhea and digestive problems. A healthy Digestive tract can protect against food borne illnesses thats probablly the 'Immunity Boost'  theyre refering to. I took Bactrim for about 6 months after my Diagnosis, and I alternated between Danactive and live culture Yogurt every day after reading the experiences of some folks here,  I never experienced any Diareha or other problems. And I stopped regular use of Danactive when I stopped taking Bactrim. I still like Yogurt occasionally though.
My Tcell #'s and % have risen steadily since I started HAART, and continue to do so.
"Fortunately, I Keep My T Cells Numbered For Just Such An Emergency"
  -Either Foghorn Leghorn or Johnny Cash

Offline JohnOso

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  • Posts: 817
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2006, 04:04:15 am »
I'll back up wihat Lwood is saying here.  I'm taking the Bactrim daily and Azithromycin 1200 mg once weekly, and I eat yogurt every single day.  Usually multiple times daily.  But then i'm a yogurt aficianado (ok, freak).

I'm trying to stick with organic yogurt exclusively, but then one pays for that privilege unfortunately.

Having said that, I have yet to have a problem with diarrhea since starting meds in February.
If dairy products are a problem, soy yogurt may help with this.

Take care,
John

Offline Steven

  • Member
  • Posts: 65
  • Joined: Dec 2002
    • A Place To Start
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2006, 08:03:24 am »
Asking what you should take is really a loaded question that no one can give you a definative answer on.  You have to be in tune with your body and as I usually say, "listen" to your body.  A multi-vitamin may be all you need, your numbers look very good.  Remember that vitamins and supplements are not going to hold the virus in check.  Taking care of yourself getting the proper sleep eating right will help you. 
I've never been one to embrace western medicine 100% so I try not to take standard medicine when I catch a cold but rather use herbs supplements and vitamins to help my body fight it off. You will need to find your own happy medium here, research, things out then make a decision for what you feel is best for yourself. 
Read the thread below called " A Place To Start".
There is a wealth of info here but in the end you must be the one to make the decisoins.


Offline J.R.E.

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  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2006, 08:39:23 am »
.

Having said that, I have yet to have a problem with diarrhea since starting meds in February.
If dairy products are a problem, soy yogurt may help with this.

Take care,
John




That's good to hear that John. I can not remember a time, since starting on meds, that I have had any diarrhea (SP) problems.(at least with this current regimen) I am also big into yogurt, and Dan-active drinks. I also, have never had a recurring case of thrush since restarting on meds. No digestive issues currently, and stable weight. In fact, I intentionally lost about 7 pounds in the past 5 or so months, because the doctor suggested I give it a try. So, I changed diet a little.


As far as vitamins and supplements (It varies for me at times) but mostly:

Centrum Silver

CO-Q-10---150 mgs

L-glutamine---500 mg

Acetyl- L- Carnitine and Alpha lipoic Acid (combined in one pill) the L-carnitine is 500mg and the ALA- is 150 mg

Fish,flax,Borage(in one capsule ) 1200 mg

I also eat a fairly well balanced diet. ( or at least try) lots of fruits and vegetables)


Ray

Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline J.R.E.

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  • Posts: 8,207
  • Positive since 1985, joined forums 12/03
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2006, 08:46:27 am »
Hello,

And here is a site, I always thought had some good information  http://www.usprobiotics.org/

Always consult with your doctor, before using products !
Ray
« Last Edit: June 12, 2006, 08:52:53 am by J.R.E. »
Current Meds ; Viramune / Epzicom Eliquis, Diltiazem. Pravastatin 80mg, Ezetimibe. UPDATED 2/18/24
 Tested positive in 1985,.. In October of 2003, My t-cell count was 16, Viral load was over 500,000, Percentage at that time was 5%. I started on  HAART on October 24th, 2003.

 As of Oct 2nd, 2023, Viral load Undetectable.
CD 4 @676 /  CD4 % @ 18 %
Lymphocytes,absolute-3815 (within range)


72 YEARS YOUNG

Offline Bartro

  • Member
  • Posts: 124
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2006, 05:09:53 pm »
I bought some Danactive Saturday, drank a bottle and woke up the next day with a huge cold sore.  I'm sure it's just a coincidance but I'm afraid to drink any more. 
Rusty

Offline DingoBoi

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,355
  • Bailey's Infected Cream™ Served since 2004
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2006, 08:16:17 pm »
well, danactive certainly didn't cause it.

I'd recommend it especially for those with explosive bowel syndrome  ;D  I found it helped me, but also some diet changes help cure the squirts

Offline allopathicholistic

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  • Posts: 3,258
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2006, 10:47:14 pm »
I bought some Danactive Saturday, drank a bottle and woke up the next day with a huge cold sore.  I'm sure it's just a coincidance but I'm afraid to drink any more. 

does it have arginine? that can cause that. or maybe did you have something else that contained arginine? my friend always gets cold sores from arginine and this has been the case with him for years. he avoids it like the plag

Offline allopathicholistic

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  • Posts: 3,258
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2006, 10:19:15 pm »
I've been recently diagnosed (cd4, viral load, cd4% in my signature) and I'm wondering what all vitamins and supplements I should take. The only thing that my doctor told me to take was "Centrum A-Z one-a-day". Anything else that one might suggest?

If you're on Reyataz (Atazanavir) you must definitely ask your doctor about vitamins and interactions. Of course all poz folks should ask their docs about vitamins and interactions


Offline thirtysomething

  • Member
  • Posts: 124
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2006, 07:06:25 pm »
Thanks guys. Saw my doctor today for my second labs report. He thinks a multi-vitamin a day is more than enough for me for now.

Offline lydgate

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  • Posts: 1,022
  • Virgin, can't drive
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #16 on: June 21, 2006, 01:17:24 am »
I take Centrum; when I'm exercising strenuously, I also take a B-complex tablet. My body seems to require it. There's a small body of HIV-specialist nutritionists -- most prominently Nelson Vergel and Michael Mooney -- who advocate large vitamin doses for poz folk. Vergel and Mooney's site:

www.medibolics.com

Jay
« Last Edit: June 21, 2006, 01:20:15 am by lydgate »
Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

George Eliot, Middlemarch, final paragraph

Offline oshipshiyo

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  • Posts: 5
  • If I find out how to post or reply I wil do so.
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #17 on: August 26, 2006, 01:16:53 am »
I take a ,multi vitamine a store brand, Does other more expensive multi vitamines work better? Can any-one tell me & if one does could you give me a name & or a link to that particular sight if possible?
I am taking TRUVADA & SUSTIVA; I have been taking these drugs for about 6 months now.
My counts are:
HIV RNA,QUANT,PCR (HVL):<400 copies/mL
%CD4: 48%
ABSOLUTE # CD4:1150
%CD8: 24%
ABSOLUTE # CD8 576
CD4:CD8 RATIO (HSRAT): 2.0
I take these pills in the morning when I get up with 6-8oz of plain water. I have no reaction mented I only have a condition that I'm shure the pills make my skin itch, I have other health  problems the amount of pills that I take two times a day is 22.

Offline StandTro

  • Member
  • Posts: 9
  • Encouragement, and cure.
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #18 on: August 26, 2006, 11:37:40 pm »
Hi Justin, you say those vitamins you taking, work for you, other words may you much better.
It has to be all of them or should I take just Men's multivitamin and CoQ10?
How many each of do you take?

Thanks


[1) men's multivitamin
2) CoQ10
3) NAC
4) Selenium
5) Monolaurin
6) Vitamin C
7) Once in a while, Green Tea extract

This seems to work for me.

Justin/b]
Will

Offline hypozsc

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  • Posts: 15
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #19 on: October 01, 2006, 09:39:00 am »
I take the Megafood brand of multi vitamins. They have a variety of options including one they call Medi-Safe "without the potential of interaction with your prescriptions from Herbs, Iron, Iodine, or Vitamin K." Most, if not all of their products are made from 100% foods (no synthetic vitamins).

I've been taking Megafood One-Daily which has iron and herbal ingredients. I had a pharmacist look at the contents and other than waiting a few hours after taking my HIV meds to take the multi's she said they are AOK to take. I'm still probably going to switch to a no-iron variety.

Offline StandTro

  • Member
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  • Encouragement, and cure.
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #20 on: October 01, 2006, 10:17:16 am »
Thanks everyone.
Will

Offline Arkan

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  • Posts: 13
Re: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take?
« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2006, 06:48:23 pm »
Hello friend!!

For a science based supplementation for HIV visit http://www.grouppekurosawa.com. It speaks for itself! click on treatment protocol link. It works for me and includes many of the supplements previously mentioned, nor to mention my overall focus and health is great.

Best to all

Gus
Peace!

 


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