Columns Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor Do Supplements Add Up? Do Supplements Add Up? by John Connor | February 9, 2018 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link It started with vitamin D. Little did I know I was starting a habit. I had my first sclerosis attack in 2006 and learned about it by having an appalling fall on a tennis court. That’s another story.Ā I haven’t written about that yet, but I’m sure I will. This story is about getting MS just as social media was erupting. Twitter launched in 2006. A year later, the first iPhone hit the shelves. I didn’t get an iPhone that early, nor, indeed, was I fully diagnosed with MS until 2009. But the two events did somehow coalesce. I have spent my life in the arts, but have always been a science nerd. Spurred on as an early adopter of “Doctor Who” (watching the first-ever episode broadcast in 1963 when I was 6! Precocious? Moi!) and “Star Trek” (first time out, no reruns to get addicted). I didn’t have the capacity in math to do physics, yet I spent many happy hours as a teenager in the school library reading high-end articles about it in Scientific American. So now I had MS, and the world of gaining knowledge had shrunk to a handheld “Star Trek”-style device! And it was no longer just the ease of searching out knowledge via the old-school internet, rather Twitter, Facebook, etc., sent me information, too. Somewhere along the line, I stumbled onto the site you’re reading, Multiple Sclerosis News Today, and it became part of my educative landscape. What supplements? My breakfast! (Courtesy of John Connor) Supplements may not be doing me any good, but hopefully I’ve done enough research to ensure they’re not doing me any harm. I source anything that has a hint of helping MS. The list has expanded from vitamin D3 to the latest, taurine.Ā Here is my regime ā which is as close to the language of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop as I ever want to get: Vitamin D3 I can’t remember if this was suggested to me by a health professional or if I found out about it for myself. I do remember it being discussed at an MS conference and being prescribed it when I ended up in the hospital, before I knew about self-catheterization and UTIs. That was five years ago, but even by then, I was an old vitamin D3 hand. Omega 3 My friend Nigel, who was nearly killed by a massive sclerosis, badgered me about this supplement early on in my illness. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there just might be some benefit, and it certainly seems to help the heart health of Inuit and Japanese people. There is also evidence of neuroprotective properties. Lipoic acid Currently in Phase 2 trialsĀ for use with MS, lipoic acid is an over-the-counter supplement that might also be neuroprotective. The trials are at a high dose. I take one a day. If nothing else, I’m supporting capitalism. Biotin Again, something currently on a high-dose MS trial. I also just take one a day. This supplement just might be keeping what little hair I’ve got left healthy. Tumeric A 2017 study summary said, “Studies have reported curcumin as a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant agent that could modulate cell cycle regulatory proteins, enzymes, cytokines, and transcription factors in CNS-related disorders including MS.” I’m British and therefore love curry, but I could never eat the quantity needed, so I’ve added a turmeric/curcumin pill every morning. “With added black pepper extract to aid absorption,” proclaims the label. I have no idea if this claim is scientifically accurate, but as I put pepper on anything savory, bring it on! Kefir Again nothing is solidly proven yet but an article in Stat says,Ā “Gut germs play role in multiple sclerosis, studies show. Are probiotics for MS next?”Ā I tried probiotic drinks for a while, then discovered the wonderful world of kefir, which is a fermented milk that is many times stronger. You get billions of more microbes for your buck! Anything fermented is good for us! With my Austrian heritage (my mother’s side), I can now have sauerkraut in the house without getting voluminous complaints. Taurine This one is homegrown:Ā “Taurine Seen to Boost Effectiveness of MS Therapies in Remyelination Process, Study Shows.”Ā Although it seems more efficacious when added to other drugs rather than taken on its own. Still, it’s the main stimulant in energy drinks, so at least it wakes me up. It’s also far more sensible to take in capsule form than as a Red Bull and double vodka before breakfast! *** Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author John Connor In the ā80s, John Connor created the first regular column about the burgeoning London stand-up scene. In 1990 he wrote a book about its effect on the Edinburgh Festival: āComics: A Decade of Comedy at the Assembly Rooms.ā That year he also devised and ran a live topical stand-up team show at The London Comedy Store, The Edge (It was destroyed in 2020!). In 2009 John was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, which cut short his main job as a TV casting director for āBlack Books,ā āMy Family,ā et al. Now, John writes āFall Down Get Up Again,ā an irreverent journey with MS. Tags Biotin, omega 3, supplements, vitamin D Comments Tom Harrison You sound just like me on pretty much the same supplements, even started the Taurine about Christmas time. Reply Daniel Morisssette Whatās the different since you take taurine? Reply John Connor Nada - except staying awake! Reply Om Agree with most. Only comments: Kefir, good if it's not from cow's milk. Biotin, you need to use that massive dose suggested by latest research to get any benefit. Increase your Lipoic acid. Reply Mary Zinke Where do you purchase your supplements and what strength of dosage do you use? Reply John Connor Hi Mary - I find reputable companies on the net in the UK that deliver. Iāve seen a lot of stories about supplement companies not supplying what they promise! Iām happy though with what I get. As to doses I tend to take one lot a day - a lot of the drug trials are at much higher doses. But they are trials! The only supplement I take more of is Vitamin D3 but the research I did on this was a long time ago. However it would take me a while to re-ferret that info. So Iām not recommending - itās just what I do to put up my own fight... Reply Heracles John, You mention the supplements but not dosages or outcomes. What are your images and symptoms telling us? Have you changed your diet? Are you exercising? Are you on any DMDs? What is your testosterone level? Any longitudinal data to share? In order to be a useful data-point for others, it would be helpful to know more. It does not have to be prescriptive but it would more helpful to get better observational information. Are you taking more than 10,000 IU D3? Remember that scurvy was cured through anecdotal evidence and not by classically trained doctors. Reply John Connor Mate, Iām a comedy writer not a scientist! I do take circa 10,000 IU DR as it happens. I have no idea if any of this does me any good. The point is to do something whilst not doing any harm! Suzanne Becker Ahhh ha ha ha...snort. Omgosh, you sound so much like me...dry snarky sense of humor. I love it! Still laughing ?. I take D3, Biotin and B12 in addition to a daily multivitamin. Think Iāll try Taurine, I am a serious pool ? player and itās just not cool to yawn while drawing back on the 8-ball. Reply Matthew Coil Has anyone had experience with the green tea CR product? Reply Merichel Nice to read about this! I was diagnosed recently. I'm taking almost the same things as you. I'm not taking Kefir - I did for a while- because dairy makes me terribly sick (irritable bowel symptoms) so I take a probiotic called Protransitus. I take Vitamin D, Omega 3 capsules, vitamin B complex, Gingko Biloba, Iron (I have hypothiroidism and there is defficiency linked to it, same with the vitamin D) and instead of taurine I take yerba mate (It has a bit of caffeine and it boosts your energy too). I'm doing so much better since I'm taking all that. Glad to read you said "they're not doing me any harm". That's why I'm onto this and I visited a neuro that followed the Coimbra protocol. Why? Because the 'treatments' the old neuros I visited gave me had made me suffer, only after 2 months, liver malfunction, terrible lumps and pseudo arthritis and tenosynovitis. That thanks to interferons (my mind was also terrible) and thanks to the stheroids. So yeah, better to take things that are not giving me those side effects and that actually make me feel better. Reply Jeanine Shahin Has anyone tried CBD? It seems to help with pain and spasticity. Tried high dose biotin didn't seem to help. Biotin can cause lab interference with thyroid levels at high doses. Reply chuggie CBD has not helped me with MS pain however Sativa does help quite well. You'll have to learn what works for you, as it is different for each individual. Good luck! Reply Clayton Taurine is not a stimulant. It is an amino acid. It's used in energy drinks to offset possible negative impacts of high caffeine content. [so you can drink more] It has many functions in the CNS. It's very effective at reducing or eliminating cardiac arrhythmias. This is how I came across it. Great general (technical) information can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3501277/ Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
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