Posterboy's Blog

Yes, a lot of newly diagnosed celiacs are malnourished and could be deficient in minerals and vitamins.  They should be tested.  Celiacs who have other health issues, can also have deficiencies.  Celiacs who do not follow the gluten-free diet carefully, can be malnourished.  And finally, celiacs who consume a diet full of candy and Doritos (the Standard American Diet) can also be malnourished.  

Celiacs, who stick to the gluten-free diet and address other health issues, can heal and do not require the addition of supplements.  

I think you should be concerned about where those supplements and the raw materials to make them are sourced.  Most typically it is China.  

Did you know that all fermentable raw materials to manufacture antibiotics come from China?  That the last fermentable plant in New York closed in the early 2000’s?  That China is the only source in the world?  Even India has recently stopped exporting their drugs because they can not get raw materials to make many drugs.    Our love of cheap,  generic drugs is going to cause great harm.  This was all recently presented to Congress this past Fall, 2019.

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And just this week, the FDA finally recalled all randitine (Zantac) because the pharmacy Valisure tested several products and found it to be contaminated.  And this is NOT the only drug they have found to be contaminated.   All this comes from China.  Isn’t it silly to put all our eggs into one basket?  

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And who is monitoring supplements?  Not even the FDA.  People just think if the finished product is made in the US it must be safe.  If you are concerned about gluten in medications, think again.  We have a much larger problem.  

Maybe your touting vitamins is actually causing someone harm.  It is just a thought.  

I am not knocking China.  We are a global economy.  We just need to be wiser about products that affect the health and safety of our citizens and our military.  

Cycling Lady,

Oh, Cycling Lady,

You say your Celiac Disease was diagnosed because you jumped on the bandwagon with your friends who were all having age fifty colonoscopies.  And, surprisingly (because you had no overt symptoms), you were diagnosed with Celiac.  You're an accidental Celiac!

Oh, yes, you did have a bit of a stretch after the dental work where you weren't well with hives and chronic gastritis.  Can you imagine living in that state of misery for years?  For the majority of your life?  

And how would you have felt if your doctor had said "Go home, eat a gluten free diet and it will resolve by itself" ?

I found this study.....

Efficacy of gluten-free diet alone on recovery from iron deficiency anemia in adult celiac patients

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"CONCLUSIONS:

A screening for celiac disease should be carried out in adult patients with iron deficiency anemia. Recovery from anemia occurs between 6 and 12 months on a gluten-free diet alone as a consequence of normalization of histological alterations of the Open Original Shared Link."

I don't know how others may feel, but if my doctor told me to go home, eat a gluten free diet, and come back in six months to a year to check if, maybe, my anemia had resolved by diet alone, I think I'd have run screaming to find a new doctor.

Your experience, Cycling Lady, with Celiac Disease is far removed from mine, from Posterboy's, and from a fair amount of posters on this forum. 

There are many of us who have struggled for years with health problems related to a disintegration of our bodies by the ravages and consequences of celiac disease.  (I'm remembering Bartful.) There are people who have struggled with their health over the course of their entire lives.  There's gastrointestinal symptoms, ataxia, pain in joints and muscles, neurological disorders, depression, infertility, and the list goes on and on.  These people are hurt, confused, and discouraged.  They are looking for answers, a relief to their suffering.  

These people want to feel better as quickly as possible, especially if they've been suffering for years.  

And you glibly gloatingly boast of being all healed and in remission because you stuck to the gluten free diet.  

You took supplements for your anemia,  iron and B12.  Others can have different deficiencies.  Would you have them all wait six months to a year and maybe recover on the gluten free diet?

There are some deficiencies that can cause permanent damage if not corrected immediately.  

 There's a lot to learn about nutrition and a healthy gluten free diet.  

The gluten free diet can still lead to nutritional deficiencies.

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There's no way you can eat (and absorb) enough to correct a vitamin deficiency in some cases.  

I see no harm in supplementing.  Some need specific vitamins or minerals. For some just a multi vitamin/mineral complex will suffice.  An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. 

Vitamin products assembled in the USA are at least tested for quality and purity.  

Perhaps you should reflect on your life and, by comparison with others, be thankful you didn't have to suffer any worse or any longer than you did.  Be grateful your celiac disease was caught so early and so quickly resolved.

I study for light in order to share the light with others.   As does Posterboy.  

Do you?

And wasn’t I lucky to have been diagnosed?  Yes, I share that I pretty much only had anemia when I was diagnosed.  At the time, I did not have any obvious GI issues.  Isn’t is amazing how this disease can wax and wane and adapt over the years?  I thought I had addressed those GI issues by avoiding dairy, garlic, onions, mushrooms and nuts (with the help of a Board Certified Allergist) when I was young.    I had stomach issues all my life.  So severe, that I would pass out.   My family just got used them them.  I went from doctor to doctor like so many on this forum.  Back 20 or 40 years ago, celiac disease was pretty unknown.  They only thought it happened in malnourished children.  I can not blame my doctors.  They had no idea.  

I did take iron when I was first diagnosed for three months.  I opted for that over blood transfusions.  On a gluten free diet, I was able to bring my ferritin up to normal levels.  As a result, I stopped supplementing.  I never needed to take B-12.  In fact my B-12 was very high as a result of consuming soy milk for so many years.  It can down into normal ranges when I stopped drinking soy milk.  I suppose I was inadvertently supplementing  B-12 back then.  Oddly, I am now at risk for iron and B-12 deficiencies because I was diagnosed two years ago with Autoimmune Gastritis.  

My diagnosing GI did just send me off with a list of restaurants (like Red Robin).  He offered to send me to a dietician, but since my husband had been gluten free for 12 years, it was not necessary.   

Again, I am here on Celiac.com to help people.  I want to assure them that they can get better or at least heal in most cases by adhering to a gluten-free diet.  The only thing I know for sure is that my Celiac Disease is in remission.  I do not have any control over my Autoimmune Gastritis, Hashimoto’s, osteoporosis or allergies.  

I am not against supplementing.  Every year, my doctor runs tests to insure I am not deficient in anything.  This is the standard of care for treating and managing celiac disease.  To suggest supplementation without knowing there is a deficiency might not be beneficial and it could even harmful.  Everyone should work with a doctor or a dietician.  And there is growing evidence that taking supplements may not be necessary or could be harmful in some cases.  Here is just one example:

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I think you maybe wrong about the quality of supplements in the US.  A huge percentage of raw materials for supplements are made in China.  In fact, 90% vitamin C is made in China.  Did you read my links about pharmaceutical drugs?  Did you know that Metformin (diabetes drug) is also an issue for contamination?

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But our FDA is dragging their heels like they did with Ranitidine, but Canada is taking action.  

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Posterboy likes to do research.  I was hoping he could find  more about the safety of our medications and supplements.  It may be critical with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Right now hospitals are struggling to get PPE. What about ventilators?  Not useful, we we do not have adequate drug supply to sedate patients on ventilators.  

I am sorry that I came off as being smug.  It was not my intent.  Believe me, my Gastritis is acting up with all this new stress about COVID-19.    I do repeatedly share that I have healed from celiac disease. I want to give hope to everyone.  It is possible to get well.  We each need to find our own way based on our personal health issues and lifestyles.  

Namaste

We both want to help.  

My experience involves severe vitamin deficiencies.  I live in a poor, rural, uneducated area.  The doctors I saw were intent on writing prescriptions to make money, not in finding out what was happening to me.  They did not seem capable of thinking outside the box.  

I had been given the gift of a university education and with the knowledge and abilities earned there, I researched until I found answers for myself.  I want to share that gift of knowledge with others.  Knowledge is power. 

I encourage posters to discuss vitamin deficiencies with their doctors and nutritionists before starting supplementation.

We both want to help.  

Namaste

It is a fact that celiacs maintain an underlying inflammation in their GI tract regardless of strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. It is also a fact that the gluten-free diet does not contain all the micronutrients humans need. One needs to be a nutritionist, have zero inflammation and spend many hours daily to ensure they are getting everything they need out of their diet. The presence of inflammation brings about a certain degree of malabsorption resulting in deficiencies. 
 

Posterboys research is spot on and applicable to many of us.  Yes, there is a concern regarding the source of ingredients in the supplements. The option is to research the company for purity standards - most reputable companies have their products certified. Some don’t have the time or understanding to research and must rely on the supplements available at the grocery store. 
 

We are all very much individuals with different requirements for our health and wellbeing.  Rotation of supplements as suggested is wise. Someone living in Michigan with the cold and little sun 6 months out of the year has different dietary/supplement needs than the lucky soul in California with sun and warmth. Other AIs and genetics play a role as well. Only we know what we need, and all information is greatly appreciated - we should adopt what’s applicable to us. Many thanks for the research and discussion!!  
 

Peace and health ?

Cyclinglady et al,

The Niacin Myth that it is bad for you has been "debunked".

Our body actually produces it from Tryptophan....because we die when we runt out of it...

Here is the study that shows it promotes heart health....but we have a long memory...and keep quoting the same older studies....without  incorporating the newer research on the topic...

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I answered that question a year ago....here is the well commented posterboy blog post about the "evils" of Niacin....

I will just note briefly my response to Ch88 ...as a quick snippet...

"Ch88, I am familiar with that study....what is not emphasized is this is among people already taken a statin. Yet they did not conclude statin's could be causing these issues....this was an additive to those taking statins...this study was not only about Niacin alone...a weakness of the study.

Statins' have already been known to block for C0q10 possibly causing some of the issues reported in the study."

Me again and it should be noted Niacinamide is produced in the body from exercise and what gives our body our "runners high".....so Niacin...is not "bad" for you ....it is actually heart healthy for you...

B-Vitamins have been shown to down regulate inflammation from Air Pollution....you guessed to the heart....see this research entitled "Vitamin B diminishes effects of air pollution-induced cardiovascular disease"

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B-Vitamins work synergistic-ally together...

This effect was recently studied to show B1, B2, B3 down regulate inflammation in the mouse model...commonly used to test drugs in humans...

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B1 by itself has been show to be occur in thyroid problems...and usually helps the fatigue issues associated with them...

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IN fact if the doctor's studied nutrition they would find that hypothyroidism is a sign of a B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency...

It probably wouldn't surprise you it is 30+ years old ......see this research....entitled "Riboflavin metabolism in the hypothyroid human adult."

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And still most doctor's today have no clue about this association....I found it quite by accident...

I do know I had Low T, and the beginnings of a thyroid problem....being seen by doctor at the time for a thyroid issue that got better with Selenium (Brazil nuts) and taking Riboflavin....it/they /have (both) have been better every since...though it could of been the B-complex as well...since B-Vitamins work synergistic-ally....being water soluble...B-Vitamins usually help people in about 3 months....if that is your underlining problem...

As always I hope this helpful to the next person in line who might read this but it is not medical advise.

I must stop for now...if it doesn't help you cyclinglady...it might help someone else...

Here is a great reference reference article if anybody else wants to study how nutrients work either for our against you depending on co-factors...and dependent relationships..

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As always I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

Our hormones are greatly affected by deficiencies in our micronutrients. Testosterone naturally declines in men beginning at age 30. Add in the deficiencies and you create a much more rapid decline. Low T also affects cognitive functioning. For women, deficiencies are connected to estrogen dominance, infertility, miscarries, birth defects and cognitive decline. When the estrogen isn’t metabolizing properly in any of the 3 phases, cancer is a risk. For both genders, deficiencies in the Bs is associated with hypothyroidism - most commonly in the T4 to T3 conversion, robbing our cells of the most active thyroid hormone.  Men oftentimes choose to use testosterone replacement therapy to improve energy, sleep and cognitive functioning - similarly to women and HRT. Micronutrient supplementation cannot restore low T, or estrogen/progesterone due to the aging process. 
 

Thanks for sharing Posterboy!

3 minutes ago, NNowak said:

Testosterone naturally declines in men beginning at age 30.

cholesterol to pregnenolone to DHEA to testosterone and a whole host of others like estrogen, etc.. It is well documented that DHEA production starts declining in everyone at the end of our 20"s. Apparently DHEA level can be used as an accurate predictor of age. (give me your DHEA level and I can tell you how old you are kind of stuff). Why, as we age, do we all have more cholesterol and less pregnenolone; therefore less DHEA; therefore less sex hormones? Why isn't it important? The DHEA of a 70 year old is 20% that of a 20 year old.

Here is an easy read on Iodine, hypothyroidism and testosterone.

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Ah, you’re referring to the cholesterol pathway. Pregnenolone is greatly affected by the adrenal gland, thus affecting DHEA production. Mine is extremely low because my adrenals are insufficient at this time - I won’t go into why, but I’m only 48, not 70. To begin to repair the adrenals, higher levels of methylated B vitamins are recommended as well as a regulated sleep cycle. Of course the gut microbiome is always involved and deserves continued attention with repair through bone broth, and support with the Bs. We cannot heal without the Bs. 

I'm 69, been on prednisone, it saved my life, for 8 years now, so I know I have depressed adrenal activity. As I understand it pregnenolone is converted in the adrenal cortex to DHEA and so on. What I wonder about is what causes the slowdown in production of pregnenolone from cholesterol in the first place. Is it only true in the Standard American Diet (which is rapidly becoming the Standard World Diet)? I think that it happens in the liver. Related to Choline intake? Eventually I'll get around to focusing on it. Somehow I can't buy into the "it's the natural course of life" concept. They used to say that about insulin. I would not be surprised if one day they "discover" that type one diabetes is a result of maternal wheat consumption, damaging the fetal pancreas. But that is pure speculation. In the meantime I started to take DHEA about a year ago and it seems to have a positive effect. Some specialists recommend it to balance the prednisone. My sleep cycle though is a daily craps shoot. I am taking a B complex with B12 and am considering switching to the allithiamine as suggested previously.

Food labelling is deceptive. The food and supplements industry take the MINIMUM RDA for health and call it 100% of the daily requirement. As a skinny youth I studied mom's Weight Watcher booklets and tried to figure out what to eat for complete nutrition while following government guidelines. The math never worked, but it did not bother anyone.

Based on your comments, I’m lead to believe you are female. If so, there are no commercially available DHEA supplements (that I know of) in the right dosage for women. If men need to supplement, the dosage is 20mg to 50mg. Women supplement between 2.5mg and 5mg. Most supplements available start at 50mg. Considering our testosterone and/or estrogen hormones depend on adequate levels of DHEA, I wouldn’t want to take the incorrect dosage. 
 

Cholesterol is converted into pregnenolone in the adrenal cortex. Pregnenolone is then converted into progesterone and DHEA. Progesterone continues to convert (in the adrenals) to the various cortisol hormones. Progesterone is also necessary in the gonads with DHEA to produce androgens and estrones. The liver is one of the organs responsible for the thyroid hormone regulation. Specifically, the T4 to T3 conversation. If this isn’t functioning properly, one will feel as though they have hypothyroid despite normal TSH levels. 
 

There are so many factors involved in the cholesterol pathway. Hyperglycemia, smoking, alcohol, PCOS, hypothyroid, inflammation, insulin resistance, vitamin D deficiency, stress, abdominal obesity are only a few of the factors negatively affecting optimal functioning of this pathway.
 

Without the evaluation of a degreed medical expert, it’s difficult to know how to tweak any part of this to improve your health. I’ve scratched the surface of some of this in my education, so I know just enough to advise professional evaluation to anyone with concerns.  

Regarding your sleep issue: there are many natural, plant based solutions you can try. Passion Flower is widely known as well as Valerian Root. These are the 2 I’ve tried, but there are many many more. Gaia is a well researched company and has both of those supplements. You can also find them on Amazon, but be careful of the brand you choose. Passion Flower extract tastes like black licorice to me. The Valerian Root is best taken by capsule due to a foul taste. 
 

Again, I’d advise evaluation by a professional to rule out underlying health issues. Hormones, thyroid, inflammation, etc. could contribute to sleep issues. 

Wheatwacked and NNowak et al,

Taking Magnesium Glycinate (anytime) or Magnesium Citrate with meals can help sleep problems....

Here is an exhaustive article/link about how Magnesium helps sleep.

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Most multivitamins only have 6 to 12 pct of the RDA of Magnesium...

And usually in lowly available form ...like Oxide etc...so people are not getting enough in a multivitamin...

If you have ever taken Magnesium you will know why that is....it is a big honking pill...the large elemental number means you have to take it in addition to a multivitamin....

Better yet'...Magnesium helps us convert our Thiamine to an active form in the body...

see this article about  how taking Magnesium helps a thiamine deficiency IE a case of WE.

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I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

Good articles!  I take 2 huge magnesium pills at dinner time in addition to my other supplements throughout the day. I’m still in the healing process so there are a few supplements I take to equate to double the RDA. Primarily, I’ve noticed magnesium helps with recovery after a workout. It does give some people loose stool, so if you can focus on implementing food sources in your diet that are high in magnesium (spinach), that’s best.  Magnesium is essential for bone health, metabolism, protein synthesis and DNA replication (healing). Other sources (gluten-free) of magnesium are tofu, peas, almonds, cashews, black beans, kidney beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, flax seeds and cocoa. Thiamine or B1 (mentioned in previous posts) can be found in potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds and pork. It’s always best to get your vitamins and minerals from your food as it’s easier to absorb. 

Wheatwacked and NNWowak,

I thought you might enjoy these two articles...they explains how Fructose acts like Alcohol in the body....

It helps explain how high fructose foods can cause a Thiamine deficiency in those who don't drink...

It can came up in article about Cholesterol....I was researching.

they are entitled "Fructose: It's “Alcohol Without the Buzz”"

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And the other is entitled "The Misguided Battle Against Dietary Fat and Cholesterol"

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You had mused (wheatwacked) cholesterol and this is what I could dig up at the moment.

There is another article I was looking for....but couldn't find it at the moment...

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

4 minutes ago, NNowak said:

Good articles!  I take 2 huge magnesium pills at dinner time in addition to my other supplements throughout the day. I’m still in the healing process so there are a few supplements I take to equate to double the RDA. Primarily, I’ve noticed magnesium helps with recovery after a workout. It does give some people loose stool, so if you can focus on implementing food sources in your diet that are high in magnesium (spinach), that’s best.  Magnesium is essential for bone health, metabolism, protein synthesis and DNA replication (healing). Other sources (gluten-free) of magnesium are tofu, peas, almonds, cashews, black beans, kidney beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, flax seeds and cocoa. Thiamine or B1 (mentioned in previous posts) can be found in potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds and pork. It’s always best to get your vitamins and minerals from your food as it’s easier to absorb. 

NNowak et Al,

The loose stools associated with people who take Magnesium is (usually) a Magnesium Citrate on an empty stomach....Glycinates will not do this....

I have never found that one 200mg Magnesium Citrate Pill/Liquidgel with meals ever flushed me personally....but the natural calm powders (should never be taken) on an empty stomach....

read one of EnnisTX posts on how to take Magnesium....he explains it well...

1/2 teaspoon....and increase dose depending on your tolerance....but I found Citrates only had this problem (in the beginning) when you begin taking Magnesium (at least for me)....but usually taken with a meal mitigates this effect...

Again I hope this helpful (for the others who might read this) NNowak but it sound like you are on the right track too me! but it is not medical advise.

When I found Magnesium I knew I was on the right health track....but I didn't know why at the time...

Posterboy,

Recently upped my magnesium to 500 mg magnesium oxide b.i.d. and it may be helping. I've always been a night person. Wide awake at 2 am., sleepy when the sun comes up. There is always something. For a while it was prostate every two hours (male by the way), that went away with gluten-free, then backpain woke me every two hours and sleep apnea every two hours. All relieved with gluten-free. The foot pain on standing also improved but changed to burning cold feet that woke me and improved to cold and tingling and twitching. I'm hoping the extra Mag. will help. I should know soon.

If I get up for and walk around a few minutes I can fall asleep again after a cup of coffee. I actually like the night quiet. I high school I would nap in the afternoon, eat dinner watch TV and do homework till 4 am (the stations used to go off the air then) and get up for school at 7 am. I live alone so no one is bothered. Drove my wife nuts until she passed of ovarian cancer in 2005.

5 hours ago, NNowak said:

the evaluation of a degreed medical expert

The ones I've seen just make snide comments and prescribe treatments that at best don't make me sicker. With a family history of leaky gut, my brother and father died because of it and significant improvement in my prostate and totally ignoring the other reasons my PSA was high enlarged prostate was first diagnosed when I was 21 years old, and my advanced age he insisted that I needed a biopsy. My chance of prostate cancer is < 1% and the chance of a negative outcome for the biopsy is > 30%. So, why should I listen to a professional that does not listen to me? I would rather spend what little monies I have on My target is to bring my nutrition level to the minimum recommended by NIH through diet and supplements. And while I watch everyone around me take more and more medications while they get sicker; my health is slowly but steadily improving. I refer again to the Merck Manual:

• Gluten-free diet

• Supplements to replace any serious deficiencies

I’m with you 150%!!  I spent $10k out of pocket last year with insurance ponying up 90% of the rest for a GI to tell me I might have overactive nerve endings. After 3 years with my internist and MS like symptoms including a fall on my steps resulting in 4 broken vertebrae, 2 broken ribs, a punctured lung and a week in the hospital - my internist failed to test me according to my family and health history. Turns out I have pernicious anemia, MCAS, hypothyroidism and SIBO after decades of malabsorption. My internist was furious when I challenged her and she acknowledged not reviewing my chart until then. By this time I was 111 pounds and couldn’t climb a flight of stairs. She accused me of being anorexic and put me on folate tablets - not helpful with malabsorption. Within 6 months I had gone to several specialists that missed a number of glaring issues on my CT scans, scopes and bloodwork. A 30 second glance at a patient doesn’t tell the docs anything. With zero answers and being degraded by several specialists, I went to a functional medicine doctor. Within 6 weeks I was able to eat again, and knew what I was dealing with. Within 4 months I was running and working out to a level I hadn’t realized in 20 years. That diagnosis and treatment cost $1200. My husband was so impressed he decided to see her for a second opinion on his severe lifelong asthma and extreme exhaustion. He’s no longer snoring and sleeps like a rock. So I fully understand your hesitation about doctors. Functional medicine is not like that at all.
 

You are well informed. I hope you get some answers in your pursuit of optimal health. 
 

19 hours ago, NNowak said:

I’d advise evaluation by a professional to rule out underlying health issues.

I apologize for my outburst in the previous post. I have not replaced my D3 supplement (10k iu) since running out two months ago and it appears to be having a subtle effect on my mood. Our bodies were designed to be half naked in the sun most of the day. Among the hormones that research shows to decrease by 40 years of age is the production of vitamin D by the skin. I can't help but suspect a correlation. There are no coincidences in DNA. I do admire most doctors for what they have achieved, but they have had blinders built into their educational process and their business models. They are taught to treat a specific set of symptoms, a specific underlying health issue, and treat, with great success, only that specific set with the tools given them by their specialty degree and the insurance companies. That is why functional medicine is successful. It looks for the underlying cause of the underlying health issues. Once upon a time, there were professionals with scientific facts to support them, that advocated that Africans were genetically inferior to those of European descent. There was ample scientific proof that DDT did not cause the near extinction of the American Bald Eagle, yet after DDT was banned the species started a miraculous recovery. There are enormous economic benefits to proving that Celiac Disease is simply a genetic malfunction affecting a limited population; that it is not just the tip of the iceberg. Anyway, thank you all for putting up with me and your invaluable help in my recovery.

Wheatwacked et Al,

I don't think you will notice much difference with the Magnesium Oxide....give it a couple weeks and see...then buy some Magnesium Citrate....your body will thank you with vivid dreams...usually in the first couple two or three weeks.

Here is the best article I have read on Magnesium Supplements....it truly is exhaustive in it's scope....

and note how many there are...and why most people don't know which one to choose...

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Because MagOx is so cheap...it is usually the most common one found...(sadly)...it also one of the least absorbed ...Magnesium Citrate is 3x better absorbed by the body...

quoting from the dietvsdisease website (he is a registered dietician)...see what he says about Magnesium Oxide...

"Once ingested magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed by the body (approximately three-fold less than magnesium citrate). Only around 4% of its elemental magnesium is absorbed, equivalent to roughly 9.5 mg out of a 400 mg tablet (with 60% elemental magnesium)."

No wonder you have had to up your MagOx....your body is not absorbing it....

Low Magnesium is tied to Insomnia...see this research entitled "The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial."

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The problem is most people take the first Magnesium they find available....and thus conclude Magnesium didn't  help.....

But when we take a highly bio-available form....magic seems to happen....

Carolyn Dean wrote a book about this topic called the "Magnesium Miracle" because it helps soooooo much....people wonder why they hadn't found out about Magnesium before they did...

Again Magnesium Glycinate (no flushing) and Magnesium Citrate (with meals) works best!

Learn from my mistakes...

I had terrible charlie horses (muscle spasms) for year(s) .....and it stopped them in their tracks within a few weeks.....when I found a Magnesium Citrate....

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice...

Posterboy,

I do have some bottles of Mag Citrate. Kathy was drinking it like soda pop until she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. The stuff is nasty tasting but has 1745 mg an ounce so I'll try a 1//2 oz a day and see what happens. The RDA upper limit for Mag supplements is 350 mg. The RDA minimum is 420 mg. So 30% bioavailability of 1/2 ounce is 261 mg. I'll give it a try. Thanks. Two cups of shredded Romaine a day seems to be beneficial but with my appetite like a ping pong ball, some days I just don't feel like it.

Potassium has been on my radar for a long time now. The RDI is 4700 mg (raised this year from 4500 mg). I would need to eat the equivalent of 9 medium bananas a day. The problem is the FDA found that the supplements tested, mostly based on KCl, caused intestinal lesions. They could not ban them outright so they passed regulations that no supplement can have more than 99 mg of potassium. Potassium Chloride by the way is one of the mix used in chemical executions.

Cream of Tartar is a by-product of wine making, is deemed safe by the FDA for use as a food additive. No one has overdosed on it although the were two people, using it as a purge who took 8 tablespoons (12,000 mg) at once with an energy drink and ended up in the ER with chest pains. No comment. One teaspoon is 500 mg potassium as potassium bitartrate. My personal working theory is that if too much potassium causes low blood pressure as a side effect, then low potassium will cause high BP. Blood serum is useless as an indicator because our bodies are so protective of the blood level is uses it to fine tune blood pressure through the kidneys that it will suck the potassium out of our bones and other cells before allowing it to drop. Research indicates it takes at least 48 hours to reverse the process when potassium intake is increased. Hence the creation of potassium preserving diuretics for treating high blood pressure. The diuretics did not work for me. No discernable reduction in pressure. Amlodipine caused my eyes to dry so much I had lots of trouble with my contacts. Lisinopril woke me every two hours coughing and I ended up with a inguinal hernia and my internist asked me to go elsewhere, before I even told him. The prostate surgeon mentioned the hernia as an aside, but he was more interested in getting me to agree to the biopsy. Didn't bother to recommend getting it evaluated. Most of my immediate family has been treated by the same cardiologist for many years and he did a great job adjusting their medication and extending their life, but for me it is not the solution. So I have worked my way up 1 tablespoon a day (1500 of the RDI 4700) over the past two weeks and my BP just now is 121/71 pulse 112. Yesterday was 174/94 pulse 89. It varies a lot. I am hoping it will stabilize in the near future. This is just an experiment on myself to solve a problem.

Although, in the 70's, I studied biochemistry at UC Berkeley, was a orderly at the Oakland Hospital alcohol rehab ward and my wife was a degree registered nurse; I am not in anyway a medical professional. I am not recommending this to anyone, just telling my story. Especially anyone on a potassium preserving diuretic. The diuretic overrides our body's normal control of potassium serum level and so could quickly lead to hyperkalemia.

7 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

The diuretics did not work for me. No discernable reduction in pressure. Amlodipine caused my eyes to dry so much I had lots of trouble with my contacts. Lisinopril woke me every two hours coughing and I ended up with a inguinal hernia and my internist asked me to go elsewhere, before I even told him

7 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

I do have some bottles of Mag Citrate. Kathy was drinking it like soda pop until she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. The stuff is nasty tasting but has 1745 mg an ounce so I'll try a 1//2 oz a day and see what happens. The RDA upper limit for Mag supplements is 350 mg. The RDA minimum is 420 mg. So 30% bioavailability of 1/2 ounce is 261 mg. I'll give it a try. Thanks

Wheatwacked et Al,

I have had similar problems....I had to change off Lisinopril myself.

The dry eyes can be the beginning symptom's of a cataract....

Taking some Riboflavin (aka B-2) can help your dry eyes I believe....I had similar problems...

B-2 can also help blood pressure problems... Here is a couple links that might help you.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124017177000137

see this research that show we are much lower in Riboflavin than most doctor's realize...it is one of the B-Vitamins in a B-complex that causes your urine to turn yellow.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24791577

quoting from the research "One previous large cross-sectional study across four countries suggests that riboflavin intake may be inversely associated with blood pressure"

Taking Carvediol can help your pulse rate...

Taking Magnesium will help your Potassium problem....see this research that explains how Magnesium restores electrolyte balance...

http://www.mgwater.com/schroll.shtml

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

2 Timothy 2: 7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the grace of God,

This is a bonus link from Pharmacy Online (not exhaustive) but a good way to search to see if a particular medicine is causing you to become low in nutrients (IE Vitamins or Minerals) unknowingly....

https://pharmacysolutionsonline.com/drug-induced-nutrient-depletion.php

you were to think (loop) diuretic(s) (IE were not helping you) they can make you low in Magnesium and Potassium effecting you BP long term.....I rejected that treatment (the same as you) because I knew any medicine that made me low in Magnesium long term was not good for me!

On 4/8/2020 at 9:46 AM, Wheatwacked said:

There are enormous economic benefits to proving that Celiac Disease is simply a genetic malfunction affecting a limited population; that it is not just the tip of the iceberg. Anyway, thank you all for putting up with me and your invaluable help in my recovery.

This applies to Diabetics too! (see the link at the end of my response on thiamine supplements...

On 4/6/2020 at 10:08 PM, Wheatwacked said:

(I) am considering switching to the allithiamine as suggested previously.

Wheatwacked,

I broke the Thiamine comment into a different response because while related issues (Magnesium helps Thiamine utilization in the body (they are totally different questions)) in a lot of ways...

I am not expert on Thiamine....coming to it late....anything by Dr. Lonsdale (would  help you)....but I will en devour to summarize   quickly some differences that are important...

Read this article from the hormones matter site on Thiamine supplements...

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/navigating-thiamine-supplements/

they link to this research that explains it  well....you seem to like too  do the research...

https://bmcpharma.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2210-8-10

In short the fat soluble Thiamines are best...but Allithiamine and Benfotiamine work in different parts of the body....so depending on where you are showing thiamine deficiency (it) matters which type you take..

read they whole article if you get a chance....Lonsdale summarizes this difference in the above link on thiamine supplements... quoting from BMC article...

"When mice received a daily oral administration of benfotiamine for 14 days, thiamine derivatives were increased significantly in the liver (and blood) but not in the brain, compared to control mice"

the best thing about Benfotimaine is it is widely available in the diabetic section of most heath food stores...

I used It to treat Creatine in my kidneys....but most doctor's only rely on drugs and think vitamins are not needed by diabetics....though research shows it (Thiamine) has multifaceted beneftis)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20188835

I came across Thiamine looking for things that might my help diabetic complications and it did!

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v08n05.shtml

It is ok that you got frusrated....we all do sometimes....it is during those time...we can move forward....it is what motivates us to find the research that can help us when drugs fail us!

You will a PharmaD....came to the same conclusion as you if read all the "Frustrated Pharmacist" experience with Thiamine...

As always I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

On 4/10/2020 at 9:50 AM, Wheatwacked said:

One teaspoon is 500 mg potassium as potassium bitartrate. My personal working theory is that if too much potassium causes low blood pressure as a side effect, then low potassium will cause high BP. Blood serum is useless as an indicator because our bodies are so protective of the blood level is uses it to fine tune blood pressure through the kidneys that it will suck the potassium out of our bones and other cells before allowing it to drop. Research indicates it takes at least 48 hours to reverse the process when potassium intake is increased. Hence the creation of potassium preserving diuretics for treating high blood pressure. The diuretics did not work for me

Wheatwacked,

See this article it explains how Magnesium can help correct a Potassium deficiency.

Entitled "Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis"

Read it all when you get a chance...

Open Original Shared Link

quoting from the article...

"magnesium is essential for the normal metabolism of potassium and of calcium…the occurrence in clinical situations of otherwise unexplained hypokalemia and hypocalcemia should suggest the possibility of significant magnesium depletion’".8

they go on to say

"‘Hypomagnesemia is a relatively common occurrence in clinical medicine. That it often goes unrecognized is due to the fact that magnesium levels are rarely evaluated since few clinicians are aware of the many clinical states in which deficiency, ..... of this (Mineral) ion  may occur."

I helped a friend who had a similar problem once with Low Potassium....they doctor' don't realize this is a case of what I call a "Twin Deficiency"....meaning when one is low...the other is two (too!)....

Taking more Potassium wont' help you until you take some of the Magnesium Citrate we/I talked about previously/earlier in the blog post ....

sadly 80% of those taking taking a diuretic become low in Magnesium....

quoting again...

"About 80% of patients with hypertension treated for at least 6 months with either hydrochlorothiazide or a single non-diuretic drug have been found to have magnesium depletion based on retention of a parenterally administered magnesium load. More troubling is that despite being magnesium-depleted, patients treated with hydrochlorothiazide had high normal serum magnesium. This study underlines how patients can have normal or even higher magnesium levels in the blood despite magnesium depletion.

and even worse...you will blood levels for magnesium will test normal....

Another study confirmed these findings that ‘thiazides induce a magnesium depletion not detectable by monitoring serum levels’"

I must stop for now....read it  all when you get chance....taking Magnesium as Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Glycinate will help your Potassium problems.....It did my friend.....

Research is your friend....I know it has been mine!

I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advise.

Posterboy,

Posterboy, thanks for the links. I read Armin Schroll's  Open Original Shared Link convincing discussion of the importance of magnesium. Magnesium is the power source for the cellular Potassium pumps needed to get K from the blood into the cell. Potassium without magnesium is like buying power tools without electricity. Can't use them.

34 minutes ago, Posterboy said:

blood levels for magnesium will test normal

My original reason to find a potassium source was based on insufficient dietary intake. I'm doubling up on the mag citrate to 1 tbsp. twice a day for a while and see what changes.