Please - I need help with Vitamins

[NubianQueen]

Hi Ladies,

My name is NubianQueen and I am a supplement junkie

. Honestly, I don't mind the expense or popping 60+ pills in three separate daily doses. My problem is no matter how much acidipholus, bromelain, papaya or cayenne I take, I still don't see the results that others seem to receive.

I started my addiction (I mean supplementation) about two years ago. I was told not to give up as some vitmains take up to six months to work. I always buy in bulk and if they don't work after an ample amount of time I switch brands.

I recently jumped on the PP band wagon and even used 10 mgs per day for two weeks. Nothin, nada zip! The same old 1/2 inch per month as usual. No matter how much I protect, distill, oil and supplement I just can not increase my growth.

Am I doing something wrong? Should I just give up and save my money for a second house? I hate wasting all of this time to sort them out and baggie them up since they aren't doing anything. Please let me know if there is something I can take to make these things work.

Mahalo (thanks - my mind is still in Hawaii!

)

 

[jamaraa]

NubianQueen...I too take alot of supplements for general health. Of the ones you listed, I only take acidipholus....and it works for me just fine, but my reasons have nothig to do w/ hair. I don't know of any specific benefits that acidipholus has for the hair, but it DEFINATELY has benefits (guess

)

Could you enlighten me as to what benefits the ones you've named are SUPPOSED to have for hair? The only thing I've heard cayenne used for is topical application to the scalp, but that ones seems a bit iffy and scary to me.

As for the PP, you didn't say what 10 mgs you took. Can I safely assume that it's biotin?

The only thing I can say you that MAY be doing wrong (w/o more info) is that you're stressing about it. You sound like you're really putting yourself thru alot of drama about this. It's good to have hair goals, but there can be a point of taking things too far, IMHO.

Please give me a bit more info and perhaps I can help....but the most important thing is to chill. LOL...consider saving up for the house. LOL....you might find your new house a more amenable enviornment for hair growth!

 

[NubianQueen]

jamaraa,

I was told acidiphilus is for absorption. Same with cayenne and neither have made any difference on my supplement effectiveness.

Yes, I jumped on the PP biotin band wagon. I am not stressing about it, I feel that two years on vitamins every day should have given some type of result. I even tried cycling on the advisement of a VitaminWorld manager. He claimed to also be a personal trainer but that advice didn't work for my body. Detoxification doesn't even help.

The second house is just for investment. I am probably going to die in this one because I think it's terrific. As much as I enjoy it, it hasn't effected my hair growth either

. Once I fix my noise problem, I will be completely thrilled.

Thanks for trying to help me.

 

[jamaraa]

Well, I understand your frustration 'cuz 2 years IS a long time. OK...maybe I can help you better if you tell me all of what you're taking in what dosages.

Do you have trouble w/ nail growth or healing from a cut if you scratch yourself?

(P.S. What acidiphilus is really good for is for yeasty girls! LOL....I HAVE heard of it being taken for better absorption of vitamins/mins in the GI, but I'll bet 90% or more of it is purchased by women....for the reason I just mentioned! LOL)

 

[Jade21]

The biotin is also good for yeast.

Have you ever tried taking your supplements in a powdered form which you liquify?

Have you noticed any significant changes in other parts of your body from any of the supplements you have taken?

What is your daily nutrition like and do you drink any water?

~Jade~

 

[soslychic]

Can I be the bad guy here and say that maybe it's genetics? Some people's hair just dosn't grow as fast as others. Sad (I know from experience) but true, but as long as you're doing everything possible to maintain your length that you DO have(I don't know how long your hair is now) but whatever your goal is, you could still reach it within a reasonable amount of time with 1/2 inch a month.

 

[NubianQueen]

Daily intake:

2 Mega B-50 capsules
1 Chelated Boron 3mg
1 Calcium/Magnesium 500 mg/250 mg
5 (at one point 10) PP Biotin 1000mcg
2 Vegetal Silica
3 Thyroid glandular
2 5-htp
4 Doc's Best MSM 1000 mg
2 EPO 1300 mg
3 Fish Oil 1000 mg
2 Flaxseed oil 1000 mg
1 Ultra soya Lecithin 1200 mg
1 d-alpha tocopheryl E-1000 i.u.
3 Saw Palmetto 1000 mg
1 One Daily w/Lutein (Bargello's multi)
16 - 20 Glandular
2 Pituitary Caps

I make a protein shake twice a day which contains 25 mg of protein because I was told we could only consume 25mg at a time. The shake has all the aminos I need, I also mix Doc's Best powdered MSM in there and Life Extension's multi vitamin. Other than that I ONLY drink water, I always have tons of water at work, in my vehicle, even by my bed every night because I get thirsty and wake up and need some water.

Depends on how I feel whether I am eating my daily caesar salad, tuna mix and cottage cheese w/fruit(separate meals). I try not to eat carbs with protein. I know I can have them separately but I know they are a bad mix. Hamburgers no bun, but if I wait at least two hours I can have bread sticks. I do eat junk food, but in moderation.

No significant change from anything I have ever taken. I THINK that ten years ago one supplement for hair made a difference but for the life of me I can't recall what it was or where I bought it from because I wasn't into vitamins at all back thenand I lived in another state. For some reason I keep thinking it may have been gelatin, but I think I am probably wrong. Whatever it was, EVERYONE noticed that my braids were at least an inch longer in like a month.

Naw, it's not being bad to say it's possibly genetics. Heck if that's it, then I will keep my money!

I think I covered everything. Hope this helps you to find a solution for me!

Mahalo

 

[Brownie]

Nubianqueen,
Man-oh-man, you're popping a lot of vitamins. Your skin and nails must be perfect. As for your hair, how long is it now?
I'd say definitely simplify your routine. Find out what's essential and keep it, but send some of that other stuff on it's way. As for your eating habits--sounds great. Keep up with that because that's the best source of vitamins anyway.

 

[NubianQueen]

Brownie,

Yep, I take a ton of pills. My face doesn't gleam

and my nails are always peeling even though I get manicures done every week. My hair is about 9 inches long. Nothing has proven essential

, I just keep trying things and not just walmart cheap stuff, I order top of the line supplements and nothing. That's why I am asking for help.

To me it isn't the amount, it's the results. If I took 200 pills per day but got what I wanted, I would be just fine with that routine. People gawk all the time and tell me that I am taking too many pills. But I don't care what they think because they don't know what they are talking about

. I may know ONE person who takes supplements for hair. Everyone else takes One a Day if they take anything at all.

Unless I started eating organic foods (can't afford that), I don't think there's much nutritional value left in grocery store foods. From all of the reports I have read, our resources are so depleted that most vegetables are void of all the benefits they would have had if they had been grown in rich soil.

 

[jamaraa]

NubianQueen...Well 1stly, I'd like to say that I have had great success w/ WalMart/Sams supplements. LOL....just 'cuz something costs alot, doesn't mean it'll necessarily work better...from my experience. IMHO, Vivascal is a good example that big $$$$ don't necessarily = results!

Anyway, I've gotten SOME research done in my trusty "Prescription for Nutrional Healing" book and so far....it looks as if most of your stuff is good. EPO, flax, fish oil, calcium, multivit, MSM, vit E, and horsetail are good choices. What I have noticed that's missing is a "green food" (ex spirulina, kelp, alfalfa, etc...) and perhaps nettle. When you are taking horsetail (you didn't say how many mgs), making sure you're getting all your B vits is important because it can appently interfere w/ the absorption of B-1. Since you are doing that....no problems I can see there.

As for the 5-HTP...how many mgs of that are you taking per day? Could you tell us how many mgs you take of the following: Thyroid glandular, 16 - 20 Glandular, and 2 Pituitary Caps?

I will try to do a bit more research on the other minerals...I'm not completely sure of what affects many of these have specifically on the hair, if any.

Of course Jade is the resident expert on supplements....LOL, she'll probably have a wealth of info on good combos. I'd suggest that perhaps you'd might consider tinctures of some of this stuff as it seems to absorb better/faster....at least for me.

I'll be back a bit later w/ (hopefully) more info.


Jade...didn't know about biotin being specifically good for yeast issues. LOL....now that you mention it, I HAVE noticed a diff since increasing my dosage of biotin, but I find acidiphilus is a fast miracle worker!

LOL...ya learn something new everyday, eh?

 

[JenJen2721]

NQ,
Are you taking 2 different Multi's in one day? You said One a Day and Life Extension Multi. Are you possibly getting too much Vitamin A. IIRC, too much vitamin A can interfere with hair growth.

Also, isn't it good to give your body a break from supplements periodically? I'm not sure on that one, but I think I read it somewhere. I'm thinking about fasting for about a week this summer by eating mostly fruits and veggies and lean protein and water. I will be taking no supplements during this fast to give my body a break (except for pure cranberry juice and a green drink). I'm hoping that will help my body cleanse itself of some toxins and help the supplements absorb better when I do start them again.

 

[Nala]

Hi NQ,
I'm a new member and this is my first post. Hi everyone!!! This is a great site, and there is so much knowledge here!! Right now I'm working on my Ph.D in Natural Nutrition, and thought I would add my 2 cents -- remember this is just my opinion, but I agree with one of the other posters...slow down and give yourself a break...girl, your body is clearly on overload (smile). It's also true like you said, that our food source isn't a great source of vitamins and minerals like it once was. Many people get on a supplement schedule and see no results, because they don't take everything into consideration: their lifestyle, their eating style, what their ultimately trying to accomplish, their knowledge of individual supplements, etc. When manufacturers make their supplements, many add additional vitamins/minerals that aren't necessarily needed by the individual...inturn, when a person takes this supplement it may interfere with something else they may already be taking -- hence, throwing the entire body off balance, and as a result, you won't achieve the results your looking for, and many will achieve the opposite result. More isn't always best, sometimes more can be a huge mistake, even dangerous. My suggestion would be to stop taking your supplements for a month or so...clean/clear yourself out as one poster suggested, then add a good multi-vitamin/mineral (without iron included), if you need iron, take it separate, because iron is one of those culprits that can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients. Also take your EFA's (omega's 3,6,9) all in one supplement, because they work together. Next, wait a week or so and add your "Skin, nail, and hair supplement". Do this for a few months and see how it works. If you think you need extra aminos, msm, kelp, etc., add them separately one at a time, and wait a few weeks or even a month to see if it makes a difference before adding a new one. I don't know if you have children or not, but there is a principle when it comes to starting babies out on solid foods -- give them one food at a time and wait a while before adding another one. Don't give up on your supplements though, because we all need them, just slow down on them, keep it simple, and read alot...by the way one poster mentioned "Prescription for Nutritional Healing", by James F. Balch and Phyllis A. Balch, is an excellent book for anyone who doesn't have a copy.

Good luck NQ -- I'm sure everything will turn out fine.
Nala

 

[Honeyhips]

What is the boron for?

 

[Jade21]

The boron increases the absorption of calcium and silicon among other things...minerals in general. Max dose daily should be around 3mg.

~Jade~

 

[Jade21]

NubianQueen,

I would also like to know why you are taking all of the glandulars.

Generally, I have to say that I would be discouraged myself about not seeing an impact of any supplements in any department.

For the present, I would say definitely simplify. I would urge you to try a powdered multi-vitamin, multi-mineral formula. Something in the vein of All-in-One. I would also say to drop that amount of Vitamin E you are taking and reduce to around 400IU daily. And, that is only if you want to take a separate supplement.

Aside from your hair not growing as quickly as you would like, what is the condition of your hair at this point?

~Jade~

 

[NubianQueen]

jamaraa,

I am so happy that you have had success with those vitamins. I know people who grow hair super fast without taking any vitamins at all. I LOVE WalMart, that is my mecca to the detriment of my finances. I initiated this post to find out if there is something that I can do to help MY body process vitamins better. I seek help, not a debate. I don't just try and improve my hair, but my overall health. I am probably going to add alfalfa to my regime. Thanks for your input.

JJ,

I should have changed that to - I used to take the One Daily, I now take the Life Extensions in my protein shake. Cycling is taking breaks from supplements. That didn't change anything for me. Thanks for checking.

Nala,

Greetings and Welcome to the board. I didn't just start taking all of these pills one day two years ago. I did slowly work up to these doses and I only added one thing at a time. Anything my body was introduced to that it didn't like, it QUICKLY rejected and I would reduce my intake until it was at a level that my body could stand. I spend a ton of time on me, so I listen to what my body is saying.

Thanks for trying to help and I know you will enjoy this site as much as the rest of us!


Jade,

I appreciate you understanding how frustrating this is for me. My current multi-vitamin is in powder form with minerals. I will switch to the 400IU of E right away as of course I have a bottle of it sitting right here with my supplements.

A year ago I used to have my hair cornrowed by a kitchen stylist and she said my hair was brittle. I take better care of my hair now but it is in individuals so I really do not know what condition it is in. To be honest, I didn't know what she meant by brittle hair when she said it because prior to that I was at the salon every two weeks getting my hair fried by a professional and had no clue I had different textures going on in my head.

When I take my hair down, I condition it and did a hennalucent treatment last time. My hair tangles extremely easy so I have been focusing on finding something to remedy that condition. Selah's tangle buster didn't do a thing for my hair. The hennalucent didn't either. Next week is my take down time and I will do another henna treatment using a recipe from this board, and try Smoothe and Sleek with distilled water.

Thanks for the advice.