SUPPLEMENT INTERACTION GUIDANCE

[MAMZELLE]

Hi.... I'm posting a list of supplements below that I'm already taking and a few on the bottom that I have, and am about to add, and wondering if you can see any combinations that would be detrimental to take together either in one DOSE [swallowed at the same time]... or even within the same DAY of eachother that might cancel the absorbtion of the other[s] or anything even more harmful in addition to that?

I will first list the ones that I've already BEEN taking [splitting doses twice a day of several], then the second list of new added ones which I'm wondering if are safe to add to them and in what combinations, if you know, and what SHOULDN'T be taken with anything.

I know it's a lot, which is why I'm concerned, and why I'm asking. I'm a diabetic and many have been suggested for that purpose, and I just need to know if this is all safe to take together, and which might not be. Thanks so much.....

Multi Vitamin, w/Lutein ["Alpha-Betic" for diabetics]
Multi B-100
B6 [50 mg]
B12 [500 mcg]
E [800 IU]
C [2000 mg]
Folic Acid [800 mcg]
Zinc [100 mg]
Biotin [2000 but thinking of taking more]
Calcium Caltrate 600+ [1200 mg]
Omega 3 fish oils 2g [EPA-360mg, DHA-240mg]
Magnesium [500 mg]
Metamucil Tablets [2x daily]

IS IT OK TO ADD WHAT IS BELOW, [and what's the highest that's safe and should/could it be even higher dosage?]...>

CoQ-10 [50 mg]
Alpha Lipoic Acid [100 mg]
Flax Seed Oil capsules - 1000 mg [450 mg Omega-3 fatty acids] NOTE: These seem to be similar to the above separate "Omega-3 fish oil capsules", so are they both necessary. In other words, do they each serve a DIFFERENT need and purpose and should both be taken, or is one or the other a waste and redundant?]

My daily water intake is between 1 and 2 liters. Does too little or too much have any effect on the large supplement intake and should it be more or less, and are there any dangers in either direction? Also, should a lot of water be taken WITH the vitamis, or less with them and the rest spaced at other times for any reasons either way? I read on another thread that too MUCH water is not good either.... how does that relate to and apply to supplements, and is no more than 2 liters safe with all these supplements [also wonder why Dr. Atkins said to ''not force water''].

And.... are there more beneficial dose adjustments [either higher or lower of ANY of the above, especially on the CoQ-10 and Lipoic Acid, or any of the others] that you can suggesr, and anything ELSE in addition to the above that would be diabetically beneficial that I've left out, [but these above are what I presently have].... would Chromium also be adventageous to Diabetes [which I've also read] and not a risk with all these others, and in what dosage would you suggest for it, and a couple of others who's names have escaped me at the moment... or is this becoming ridiculous already even as is, although these ARE what are professionally suggested all over the place for diabetics, including in several of the most respected book publications. Thanks again

[nobimbo]

Mamzelle,

You can click on this link to get to an interaction checker for both prescription meds AND vitamins/herbal supplements. Keep in mind that there is not a whole lot of research on natural supplements and there interactions, because there's not much money in it for the drug companies who usually sponsor that kind of research. This is the best interaction checker that I have found, though. Just scroll through the data base there and click on each supplement in your list, then click on "check interactions".

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interac...,4109,,00.html

I just want to add that Metamucil may interfere with absorption of any drug or supplement, and it is best to take it at least a couple of hours apart from them.

Linda

[MAMZELLE]

Thanks Linda, I'll definitely go there, couldn't last night nor yet today because I can't click on it in Explorer and my netscape is not coming up till the next time I restart and don't want to loose all the windows I have up to restart YET.... but looking forward to going to that link the first chance I get. or maybe I'll just have to hand type it in later :-(

Wanted to also ask the nutritionist.... of that group I listed above, what would be better in the morning and what at night? For instance, I take the B-100's in morning [because they're also 'energy' vitamins] so I take the added extra b's at night [6, 12, biotin, etc.] to spread more evenly, and the Omega in morning and flax at night....kind of evening out through the day.... so what would be best for the others is what I'm talking about, along with the interaction factors between them too. Also when is the best time of day or night for the co-Q and lipoic.... any better time for THEM... or any others specifically? Thanks again

[MAMZELLE]

Linda... just came back to type your link into a browser [it's much shorter than I remembered lol..... would have done it sooner] and first noticed your metamucil note! So glad to see it. Thanks, will do. Had a feeling about that one and that's the sort of thing I want to know.

Wonder if none of my vitamins have been absorbed since I got the metamucil! Can't think about that or I'll go insane thinking about 2 months of wasted vitamins and the FORTUNE they also cost, not to mention going without vitamins being absorbed since then! Oh my God.

I'm taking the pill form, not the mixing powder [I would absolutely GAG on the other], wonder if the capsules have the same interaction affect. Probably. This should be POSTED on the BOTTLES!!!! I'm going to call them in the morning and ask and if that's so, I'm going to ask for a refund for the two months that they've ruined my other vitamins and rendered them USELESS without warnings on their bottle. Is it ALL fiber preparations? Is it the fiber element in the metamucil that does it, do you happen to know? God knows HOW many vitamins are being cancelled out by the others! This is making me sick and making me want to stop all of them because who knows about ANYTHING, and what they're actually doing inside of us. But I took these combinations from such reliable sources so they SHOULD be safe, except for the fact of not being ABSORBED! Ha, that's funny. Vitamins are not completely absorbed anyway even under the best and most perfect conditions, I do know that, so now I've been helping them along by being absorbed to an even LESSER degree .....or not at all.

I take literally a couple of hundred dollars worth of vitamins within that time. The last batch cost 160.00 [even with the steep REDUCTIONS that DF get's them for] and that's for some only 30 & 60 count bottles of which many are 2 per day so some are down to a one month supply and some 15 day supply..... and this is 2 months worth since starting the metamucil! I'm more upset of course, by not having those vitamis, if this is true and swallowing all that 2x per day all this time for NOTHING! As you may tell, I'm getting more angry by the minute as I'm writing this. At the drug digest now. Strange how AN hasn't responded. :-(

Now I see that I have to list one item and then access every single other one individually to compare against it, and do that for every individual item on that list that im taking, cross referencing every one of them with EACH of the others, starting from scratch each time! That will take me a YEAR....... or TWO.

Well, I started with Metamucil, and crossed it against Magnesium, [because it was also "M" therefore closest to it on their list].... "no interaction" between those two, now I have to CONTINUE with metamucil, crossing it with EVERYTHING on my list individually..... THEN i have to take each OTHER one on the list and do the same for EACH against all the others separately. Is there an easier way?. By that time I won't even need vitamins anymore..... If I'm NOT six feet under by then, I'll be at the point of not caring anymore, because of being too old and senile.... and probably with alzheimers, forgetting their names altogether! lol

But this IS really a terrific source, Linda and thank you. I will keep a list of the findings and post it for eveyone so THEY don't have to go through this too! I will, but it will take a LONG time because I don't have that kind of time to keep at it steadily, and will have to keep getting back to it little by litte..... like now, it's almost 2AM and I've had it for tonight, or I'll have to add Geritol to my list too! :-(

[MAMZELLE]

Actually, just realized that I don't even have to continue with Metamucil, and will just take your word, Linda, that it does have at least SOME interactions for sure, and space it as you said, easy enough... and will simply move on down the list to the other, more important basic ones. [it was just a test anyway, because you said that metamucil is a problem, so I did it first] I wonder though, if metamucil has to be taken with FOOD as I take all my others, since now I won't be taking it with the morning and night vitamins/meals. Or is the fiber in it considered as food on it's own and not needing a full stomach along with it.

By the way, this is magnesium OXIDE that I have [the most common form] that has no interactions with metamucil, and although if one form doesn't interact we can assume the other forms of the same item wouldn't but I don't trust that and will see as I go along.

Added to this MESS, I have to get all my dozens of bottles out to see WHICH form of each supplement I'm taking because they're all listed there at the interaction site and we have to CHOOSE which form of i.e. calcium, Bs', E's etc.. I have them all in decanters but always keep the empty bottles so have to go through all of their labels to see which form of each of the vitamins I'm taking. This really IS a neverending job. I just did Calcium, [couldn't resist... and an important one for we women, which could have been cancelled out and not absorbed for the last two months, so I had to know right away], and since mine is named CALTRATE 600+, I'm assuming it's calcium CITRaTE that I have, at least ONE I don't have to get out of bed to search all those bottle labels, or probably will tomorrow, if I know my obsessive self! But the citrate form of C has no interactions there either, with metamucil.

Problem also is that my Netscape [where I have to do all that, because can't click in Explorer] takes many times longer for each page to reload so that's added to the agony and time consumption of crossing EACH vitamin with every other one and waiting forever for pages to load.

Well, the company will answer that tomorrow, because I am going to get to the bottom of this.... and maybe THEY even have a list of interactions of their own product with others.... which they are obviously hiding from the public, if they do! I read ALL bottles THOROUGHLY before taking ANYTHING and would have seen something to that effect if it was there.

By the way, Linda, where did you get this information of Metamucil being an interaction problem, though I don't doubt it for a single moment... even though so far it's clear with the two of them that I searched.... but even at the site, they indicate that even their information is not totally conclusive...... to me NOTHING is anymore, but it's certainly better than nothing, but as you said, I can believe it's the best you've seen by what I've already seen there and read., and am very impressed, and once you find the matches it's instantaneous, so it functions well also. Thanks again.

[nobimbo]

Metamucil (psyllium husks) has been shown to decrease absorption of certain medications, and I have read that it can decrease absorption of supplements as well but I can't find any references for that at the moment.

At Drug Digest, you do not have to check each supplement/med separately. You can input everything you take and create a list, then check all the interactions at once.

Another site that has helpful info is at this link:

http://www.personalhealthzone.com/vi...eractions.html

This is the page for supplements interactions/warnings at that site, but you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on herbal interactions/warnings, as well as prescription interactions/warnings. When you click on a particular item, it will give you a synopsis of research results for each of the items.

Keep in mind that there haven't been a lot of studies done on natural supplements interactions, and when you call the Metamucil people they will tell you about the list of meds that studies have been done on with Metamucil, because that is all they will know about. It makes sense that if Metamucil decreases absorption of some drugs, that it can also decrease absorption of other things.

I know for sure that it can interefere with Metformin absorption, as that is referenced in many places. Here is a blurb about other interactions from a product description of Metamucil:

What drug(s) may interact with Metamucil?

It is best not to take Metamucil within 1 to 2 hours of taking other medicines. The following medicines in particular may be affected:
•digoxin
•salicylates (like aspirin, choline salicylate, or magnesium salicylate)

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache...&hl=en&start=3

Linda

[MAMZELLE]

It's funny, it's now 6:30 and I STILL never got to sleep, did some things and JUST went back there to try some more and realized that many names CAN be put in at once, and came here to tell you that I now see that and there was your post lol Whew, so glad of that. What caught my eye was that underneath the "interaction box" it says to check if wanting to also check with food and alchohol and that started the wheels turning thinking that I was ONLY testing it with food & alchohol and not eachother but then realized that's impossible so when I found & read the instructions.... [would have helped in the first place but they were hidden below the bottom of my screen at first, and the print at netscape is so tiny it's unreadable and when trying to enlarge the font it sometimes loses the screen/window. I'm curious to see if it will go into detail of EACH interaction when putting all the names in together, but then it would have to do that otherwise what's the point. THis is really fantastic.

Interesting that magnesium and metamucil were the two that I most kept together because of the same purpose [which has totally worked by the way... if anyone's having those problems because of not enough fiber..... like MAGIC] and now I see that those two SHOULDN'T be together! Luckily I posted this when I did at least so no MORE time would be lost, and lucky for you're being here Linda! Thanks so much. Will go to the other link when I've got some answers from this first though I'm fading fast without any sleep since 8 yesterday morning.... almost 24 hrs. I just hate sleep, can't accomplish anything. :-( And unintereting and uneventful, since I stopped having the time and patience to write down my dreams, the excercise of which helps and results in recalling more and more till all of your dreams are remembered..... in case anyone's interested. Done that all my life, and it works so well that you have to start using a tape recorder instead because it all gets to be too much to write and keep up with. Well now.... how did i get into that! Wrong thread lol

[nobimbo]

Ok, here's some references I found about Metamucil and supplements:

Such fiber products as Metamucil (as well as wheat bran), used over an extended period of time, can affect the utilization of zinc, iron, manganese, copper, beta carotene, and Vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...&hl=en&start=1

Problems in excess:
There are some concerns that phytate, which accompanies dietary fiber, will decrease the absorption of certain minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. Most long term studies have not confirmed this danger. Very high intakes of isolated sources of dietary fiber can prevent adequate intake of other nutrients and may, in rare instances, lead to intestinal obstruction or volvulus of the colon. Most untoward effects have been traced to inadequate fluid intake with consumption of large amounts of fiber.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...&hl=en&start=7

Here's one for Citrucel (another bulk forming fiber supplement):

CITRUCEL

Take alone, at least 1 hour before food, 2 hours before dietary supplements or medications, and 2 hours after meals, dietary supplements or medications. Fiber can form a “jelly mass” that can bind vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and medications, and this can inhibit absorption. (The citrus fiber in CITRUCEL may cause less gas than psyllium which is found in METAMUCIL).

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...hl=en&start=32

Linda

[MAMZELLE]

ok, [first paragraph] but does that mean even if they're NOT taken TOGETHER it can affect those other vitamins in TIME? Or only if taken together without a few hours in between? I'm starting to play in my mind with maybe getting along without the metamucil and just sticking to the 500 magnesium.... but i also have the flax capsules, and it looks
like anything would have the same effect as long as it's fiber based? So what does one do to supplement fiber without more carbs? I don't want to INCREASE vegs [wouldn't be enough anyway] because I suspect even the minimum is effecting my weight. I'm so carb sensitive that it's a real problem. Thought fiber in pill form was the answer but "oh what a tangled web is being weaved/woven".

[MAMZELLE]

Hmmm at first I DID get powdered sugar free citracel in the jar and couldn't bring myself to use it. Can't tolerate the thought of that thick, grainy liquid so it's still sitting in the closet sealed with another one[actually DF sent the sugar one by mistake, I called them and they replaced it because I'm 3000 miles away and he can't take it back to the store]. but when the sugar free arrived, it went into the closet with the other one lol and that's at LEAST 6 months ago and I sent him looking for citracel PILL form but he found metamucil first so thought that too was ok, but then felt growling in my stomach but nothing major and ignored it.... but then heard someone around the boards saying that met. DOES cause gassiness [didn't know that's what was in my stomach happening, but knew it was something having to do with this new product to my system] so I was intending my next bottle to be citracel, now reading this... i'm still wondering what to do about fiber, because all this above doesn't look good to me. and getting to look worse and worse with each minute.

What ALSO turned me immediately off of the powdered Citracel was the label that said 'choking' if not enough water with it. Well, that was all I needed and that's the second main reason it went right into the closet and I immediately thought of the moths down the girl's throught that the medical examiner had to dislodge with forensic tweezers to get out and I literally gagged and couldn't watch that part again, so I do have a problem with that sort of thing [never could keep things down as an infant] but strangely always swallow my entire handful of vitamins in one gulp..... 10 or more and BIG ones lol. But I thought the fiber PILLS would be good for me which they have been, though there's also the choking warning on them, but there's more 'control' with a clean, neat single capsule than all that mess mixed into water that one has to DRINK. Well three strikes and this product is OUT for me. But don't know what else to do now. The GEL factor is enough to make me gag again, but in PILL form I figure it goes all the way down with a real hard THRUST of water of which I DO drink 8 or 10 oz with. There it is again, gang, information that no one needed nor wanted to hear :-(

[nobimbo]

Don't stress over this! I think you should be fine if you allow a couple of hours between taking a fiber supplement and other supplements. The fiber doesn't completely negate the effects of other supplements, it just may decrease some of the absorption if taken at the same time. Vitamins are absorbed through the stomach, so once the Metamucil has passed from the stomach, there shouldn't be any worries.

Btw, I know you have had some concerns about Vitamin C and diabetes, and I ran across something the other day you may be interested in reading:

Vitamin C
Professor of Oral Medicine Emanuel Cheraksin, M.D., D.M.D., in his recent book Vitamin C: Who Needs It? says (on page 98):

"So, what do the experts tell us about a vitamin C connection in the control of sugar metabolism? We turned to five of the leading textbooks dealing with diabetes mellitus published during the last five years. Would you believe? There was not one word indicating any connection or a lack of correlation between ascorbic acid and carbohydrate metabolism!

"This is even more incomprehensible when one realizes that reviews of the literature as far back as 1940 showed that blood sugar can be predictably reduced with intravenous ascorbate."

One case study suggests that for each gram of vitamin C taken by mouth, the amount of insulin required could be reduced by two units. (Dice, J. F. and Daniel, C. W. (1973) The hypoglycemic effect of ascorbic acid in a juvenile-onset diabetic. International Research Communications System, 1:41.

Vitamin C has been shown to reduce levels of complication-causing sorbitol in diabetics. In a 58 day study carried out in 1994, researchers investigated the effect of two different, and rather low, doses of vitamin C supplements (100 or 600 mg) on young adults with Type I diabetes. Vitamin C supplementation at either dose normalized sorbitol levels in 30 days.

(Cunningham JJ; Mearkle PL; Brown RG Vitamin C: an aldose reductase inhibitor that normalizes erythrocyte sorbitol in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Nutr, 1994 Aug, 13:4, 344-5)

Vitamin C may also help to keep tiny blood vessels (capillaries) from bursting, a major cause of diabetic complications. Vitamin C supplements increase the elasticity of these smallest of blood vessels.

(Timimi FK; Ting HH; Haley EA; Roddy MA; Ganz P; Creager MA Vitamin C improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Cardiol, 1998 Mar, 31:3, 552-7)

Also of interest::

Pfleger R, Scholl F. (1937, note the date) Diabetes und vitamin C. Wiener Archiv für Innere Medizin 31: 219-230.

Setyaadmadja, A.T.S.H., Cheraskin, E. and Ringsdorf, W.M., Jr.
Ascorbic acid and carbohydrate metabolism: II. Effect of supervised sucrose drinks upon two-hour postprandial blood glucose in terms of vitamin C state. Lancet 87: #1, 18-21, January 1967.

Som S, Basu S, Mukherjee D, Deb S, Choudhury PR, Mukherjee S, Chatterjee SN, Chatterjee IB. (1981) Ascorbic acid metabolism in diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 30: 572-577.

Vitamin C for Type II Diabetes
Physicians investigated the effect of 600 mg/day of magnesium and 2 grams/day of vitamin C on a group of 56 non-insulin-dependent diabetics. The vitamin C improved control of blood sugar and fasting blood-sugar levels. It also lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reduced capillary fragility. The magnesium lowered blood pressure in the subjects.
(Eriksson J and Kohvakka A, Magnesium and ascorbic acid supplementation in diabetes mellitus. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, July/Aug 1995; 39(4) 217-223.)

Also of interest:
Bruckert, E. et al., "Increased serum levels of Lipoprotein(a) in diabetes mellitus and their reduction with glycemic control," JAMA 263(1):35-36 (1990). (Note: Vitamin C controls Lp(a) synthesis.)

Kapeghian, J. C. et al., "The effects of glucose on ascorbic acid uptake in heart, endothelial cells: Possible pathogenesis of diabetic angiopathies," Life Sci. 34:577 (1984).

Sinclair AJ; Taylor PB; Lunec J; Girling AJ; Barnett AH Low plasma ascorbate levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus consuming adequate dietary vitamin C. Diabet Med, 1994 Nov, 11:9, 893-8

Stone, Irwin The Healing Factor: Vitamin C Against Disease (1972) New York: Grosset & Dunlap. p 146-151. Excellent review of vitamin C megadoses for diabetics.

And if you want to go back in time a bit:
Vitamin C deficient guinea pigs show diminished glucose tolerance, low liver glycogen, high blood sugar and a low insulin content of the pancreas. A diabetic type of glucose tolerance curve has been described in human subjects on low ascorbic acid (vitamin C) intakes; this curve is said to return to normal on giving adequate ascorbic acid. (Bicknell and Prescott, The Vitamins in Medicine, 3rd edition, p 433, 1953, references cited in the text.)

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...&hl=en&start=5

If you click on the link above, the source of this info, you will be able to read about other natural supplements for diabetics.

Oops, sorry, editing this to say that for some reason the link doesn't work, and I tried reposting it and it came out the same way. Sorry!

Linda

[MAMZELLE]

interesting they list metamucil affecting the salicylate and not the oxide form of magnesium. [didn't read your last post yet]

Your first sentence does make sense about after it leaves the stomach things are again absorbed. Like pepto's similar coating affect.

Linda, you're a marvel. Just read the c. No wonder Atkins told me [and probably all of his patients just on general priciples] to take 3000 per day of C. The man, afterall, WAS a diabetic specialist first, cardiologist and only THEN a dietitian in the mix and stemming FROM that. If you noticed above in my list, I had already put back my 2000 about a week ago, with some in my other supplements to hike it up more. I did go down to 500 for about a week but didn't feel right about it and went back up and keep the C at 2000 plus, or maybe will go even higher to the 3000 which I had been afraid to do BECAUSE I'm getting extra in the other pills so thought that was enough, but after reading all you've posted [bless you] I feel right in the loop.

He told me to take it to offset my smoking depletion of C way back then [I didn't have diabetes, my mother did, he said I was hypoglycemic then] and I kept doing that dose for decades. Maybe I'd be much worse today, or would have been stricken much earlier if not for him.... and am taking the magnesium too [not 600 but two doses of 250 as I wrote above in my first list so I feel much better now].

What are you taking for the fiber problem, or you probably don't have one. I do because I'm staying so close to induction for about 7 months and was really tortured till the magnesium and metamusil. They say six metamucil. per day but I started at 2 and the digestion problem was immediately eliminated [no pun intended lol] but now I will rethink. But even if the magnesium still handles the 'digestion' problem alone I still need something for fiber. The flax pills will create th same problem as the metamucil won't it, [non-absorbtion of the others] so should i take the flax ALSO far from meals?

Sheeesh, who has the energy for all this. Is the flax in the same category of concern? Df looked for flax SEEDS but couldn't find any. I prefer pills anyway, though I know the natural form is healthier. This digestion area is so new to me that my head is spinning. Never before in all those years had these added problems. Could it be exascerbated by the recent diabetes issue? I wonder.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

I always stress that supplements are only to 'supplement' your meal planning. You should be getting all the nutrients you need from whole foods, but taking supplements is that extra insurance just in case you don't get your requirement. The dangers of supplements come when you are taking amounts that effect absorption and also metabolism of other nutrients. This will not happen when getting nutrients from whole foods, but can definitely happen when you are taking large doses of supplements in addition to what you are getting from whole foods. It would be impossible to say how exactly each supplement you take in the dose you take will effect absorption and metabolism of the other nutrients you supplement and also how it effects the absorption and metabolism of the nutrients from the whole foods you are eating. To get an idea of what Dr. Atkins recommended, check out the labels of the Basic 3 and the Essential Oils Formula and refer to Dr. Atkins Vita-Nutrient Solution.

[MAMZELLE]

Ok, so far this was the only interaction problem that has shown up. At the top are the vitamins that were searched TOGETHER... and up to this point only B12 and what I put in as Omega3 [but which is showing below under a different name starting with 'O'].

Quite a few are showing up under different names, after typing them in as 'we' know them, this is what they were automatically directed to be, and showing on their version of my list, but it exactly matches my list above at the top of this page, if anyone wants to use it for themselves and see if their own interactions are clear.

Every one on my top list is on list below.... and the one interaction problem so far from the top list of my personal supplements, the others seem to be fine together according to 'this' site, but as Linda pointed out, that might not be conclusive about metamucil and what the articles she has shown are saying, so one would also tend to wonder about all the OTHERS below that came in free and clear and their possible discrepancies as well.

What's everyone's opinion on THAT factor [discrepancies and validity of all this]? I have not yet broken down all that's in my MULTI VITAMIN tablet, and will at some time, but here are the basics which I am taking separately so far and many are of course included in smaller amounts in the multi and in my multi-B 100's as well... along with some additional one's in the 'Multi'.

[Omega3, B6, alpha lipoic acid, and a couple of others ARE showing below under different names,which I didn't write down as the familiar ones as I was doing it, guess I should have for my [our] own recognition, but am trying to rush before I lose netscape and have to restart it again, which doesn't always work without restarting entire laptop and losing all my OTHER windows too, which I always try to avoid]

Also, correction to an above post: Caltrate 600+ is calcium CARBONATE, not the other form that I said [I've since double checked the bottle's label]....


MY PARTIAL SUPPLEMENT LIST:

1 potential interaction was found for the drugs you selected.

You searched for interactions between the following drugs and herbs:

Alpha Tocopherol
Ba Ji Tian
Bird Lime
Calcium Carbonate Tablets
Co Q 10
Five Fingers
Flaxseed
Folic Acid
Magnesium Oxide
Metamucil
Omeprazole
Vitamin A
Vitamin B-12 Tablets
Vitamin B6
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc 15

Add or Delete Drugs

Start Over with a New List of Drugs

(Note: Herbal products are not subject to review or approval from the FDA. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions
associated with the use of herbal products have been studied. Not all drug interactions are known or reported in the
literature, and new drug interactions are continually being reported. This information is provided only for your education
and for you to discuss with your personal healthcare provider. )

RESULTS: B12 & OMEGA3

CYANOCOBALAMIN (in Vitamin B-12 Tablets) may interact with OMEPRAZOLE

Omeprazole may decrease the absorption of oral vitamin B12 (also called cyanocobalamin)
from the stomach into the body. As a result, potentially less vitamin B12 would be available
for the body to use and blood levels could become too low. Symptoms of vitamin B12
deficiency include extreme weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms and legs, fever,
paleness, loss of appetite, and weight loss. If these drugs must be used at the same time,
your doctor may consider switching to vitamin B12 injections instead of the oral dosage
form. You may want to ask your healthcare provider about this potential interaction if you
think you are having problems.

This interaction is poorly documented and is considered minor in severity.

Last Updated: December 2003

[MAMZELLE]

Thank you so much for your contribution.

Nevertheless, it's all very well and good, to say "*IF* getting enough from foods" but when on induction indefinitely for a long period of time, everyone knows that isn't the case. Fiber is widely known as the big problem on induction and discussed often even on public airways, books and everywhere one could possibly imagine regarding Atkins' Diet, this isn't something new.

The last few days that I've omitted vegetables and salad as an experiment to see if the 5 lbs that came back on from those things, [and also a LITTLE more fats from condiments], would come off, they did which appeared today, and ONLY after eliminating the vegs and salads and going back to Atkins 72 [but also eating an insignificant amount of nuts and 4-5 oz of cheese and NOT eliminating those] so I AM very sensitive to even those carbs in vegetable and salad fiber and am not going to let them reappear on the scale and 'then some' even above and beyond that, and am in quite a predicament about fiber, in addition to the other interactions above, which I've also been trying to
explore.

My sugar condition is the foremost priority, not vanity nor a 'general' health issue of weight [I'm not that overweight] so my blood sugar prevents me from piling on the RIGHT preferred food fiber over 'suppliments' as you say to do. I am in a unique situation here, and although I know it's not exclusive to only myself... I am sure more problematic than for most.

I have all of atkins' books in both hard and soft cover editions, collected through the decades, but some are now packed away after a transfer of some things, and not accessable for a time, and although I did replace several temporarily for immediate referrence, his vitamin solution wasn't one of them so I can't refer to it. I do have the new Diabetic Revolution and got my suppliment combinaations from there and a couple of other sources.... every one on my list above is suggested in "Atkins' Diabetic Revolution", and their amounts, which is the list I went by when purchasing, with the exception of 3000 of C, which Atkins himself told me to take, and I have ever since way back then.

Now after reading the detriments of metimucil and similar fiber preparations, I'm even more perplexed than ever, since it has also aleviated my 'digestion' problems totally.. along with the daily 500 magnesium. And I'm not a 'scheduled' eater but a spontaneous nibbler with MANY little snacks and never know 'when'.... so "planing" for the metamucil hours before and after other vitamins, or even FOODS which the vitamins from, can also be blocked with those fiber supplements , has become another problem. I was better off when not knowing anything at all and everything was working fine. :-(

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

I respond to your questions with answers that are consistent with the principles of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. Following Induction indefinitely is not what the Atkins Nutritional Approach is.

By eliminating vegetables, you are not showing that you are sensitive to those carbs, the problem may be that you are not eating enough.

Whole foods provide the nutrients your body needs and a multivitamin can help you 'supplement' for insurance just in case.
It's fine to supplement fiber if you are concerned about not meeting your requirement. Fiber is not the nutrient I was talking about when I was commenting on your supplement intake.

It is true that there are nutrients taken in higher doses that are shown to be beneficial in preventing and treating diseases and conditions. But taking excessive doses opens up the door for nutrient-nutrient interactions that will unfavorably effect absorption and metabolism.

[MAMZELLE]

I didn't say that I was eliminating vegs and salad, I only did it for a few days as 'experimentation', I said, and certainly am going back to them and just had a delivery of 4 romaines, 4 celerys, 10 lbs of zucchini, 4 eggplants, tons or brocolli and spinach and 2 giant cabbages, all of which are my preferences and vegetables of 'choice', and that's in addition to my vast other groceries.... all I was saying is that I am afraid to INCREASE the amounts of them beyond the 3 alotted cups per day.

I am certainly eating plenty in protein AND those vegs [salad I've become leary about, though I LOVE them and WANT to eat and even more than I have been, but which seems to stall me a little more, strangely enough and can't imagine it being the mayonaise and mustard. with some olive oil thrown in..atkins receipe from years ago and my favorite russian dressing mimic] because I don't use large amounts of it, but I was doing better on just vegs without salad, and I only ate a little 'over' in salad FOR the fiber... but it got me in trouble on the scale, so what am I supposed to do!

I must keep this 10 lbs off for my sugar and want to only lose 10 more and I'll be happy [weightwise too] but it's becoming an impossiblity after the nine I lost.... seemingly because of salad, which all my experimenting shows.... but I AM eating enough, I make sure of it and know it's bad for my metabolism NOT to eat enough.

I 'thought' I had the fiber solution in Metamucil, Citrucel, etc., without having to increase the salads/veg, but I now see i didn't really have it resolved.... I also seem to remember that induction WAS ok and safe for 2 [or three] months and probably more [i absolutely DO fully understand that your answers and direction are [and certainly have to be] reciting the protocal of only the conventional 2 week induction phase, and I do respect that, but longer was also stated and published somewhere as also 'safe', and I can't see myself adding foods on an OWL process when even more of mere INDUCTIONS foods mess me up.

I'm also wondering, [as I asked above], if flaxseed pills work as metamucil and have to ALSO be taken far from other vitamins and also if it's the same as omega fish oils, seemingly having similar properties? Do i have to separate the flax from other supplements as well? But most are sprinkling it in their foods so it seems it would also be alright with vitamins... and should metamucil, citracel be taken WITHOUT foods?

[nobimbo]

You can avoid potential problems with vitamin b12 absorption by taking a sublingual version (melts under the tongue and bypasses the stomach absor