Herbs for Energy?

[sylgeren]

I know a little to soon, but does anyone know the pros and cons about herbs which can give you a boost of energy. I used to take them before my surgery, but now what. Probably a stupid question. Can't wait to see what Rob has to say or Nancy. HaHa
I wouldn't take them without research and my Dr. s OK. Just wanted to get a little insight. Syl

 

[Nancy]

Hi Syl-

You've got a tissue valve, right? So it's going to be different for you. Husband Joe can't take anything, not even vitamins because he has mechanicals.

Still I wouldn't do anything too crazy or anything which is too new and/or trendy. You should always ask your doctor and/or cardiologist about the things you're thinking of taking, because so much interacts with meds you might be on. And they know your condition best.

Also brands do make a difference and herbals aren't regulated very well, if at all. So once you have your doctor's OK, your pharmacist is your new best friend. I was looking up glucosamine last night for myself, and found that some brands had been banned because they had carcinogens and other dangerous contaminates. Others were not recommended because they didn't contain the amounts of ingredients they had printed on the bottle, some had used deceptive dosages.

So-o-o, run it by the medical gurus and stick to known brands.

Take care,

 

[sylgeren]

Re-vitamins and Herbs after surgery

Re-vitamins and Herbs after surgery

Hi Nancy, I thought the same thing. Just wanted to check with all of you first. When I did mention it to my Cardio, he said the same as you just did. He doesn't object to caffiene and such. Thanks again for your thoughts on this matter. Syl

 

[LUVMyBirman]

After what I heard today....good friend of mine daughter came down with mono. 10 years old. She had been taking a child's version of an herbal vitamin that was deemed 'safe'. She had two major bleeding episodes today that would not stop. Nose and spleen. She was taking the herbal in combination with motrin for fever. That is like taking Motrin and Coumadin. It prolongs your clotting time.

I was opposed to herbs to begin with. This confirmed my opinion. They should be taken off the market.
My husband had taken a 'fat burner' type vitamin containing chromium picolinate. He contracted a cancerous tumor in his kidney. They removed the kidney along with the tumor. The medical community is starting to recognize that chromium picolinate is linked to cancer. Found it very interesting that Walgreens sells it in raw form. Just a matter of time before it's yanked. Could be a Phen Phen #2.

Proceed with caution. Sometimes these herbs do more harm than good.

Those of us taking Coumadin should not take herbal suppliments. Check with this out with your doctor.

 

[Mara]

Gina-
I heard that about chromium picolonate. It even says that on the bottle. It can but you into a diabetic state, even if you have never had diabetes! Watch out for it!

Syl- I take a ginseng supplement called pegasus ginseng. It is safe for most tissue valve heart patients because it does not react the saem as other types of ginseng, i.e. Siberrian ginseng which can cause arrythmias and tachycardia!

Run it by your doc.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Mara

Thanks. Wish we would have known. I asked the hubby to stop taking it when they announced it was causing heart attacks in young men that were involved in a rigorous exercise program. Which he was.

We are not 100% sure the chromium picolonate caused the tumor as of yet. He took the combination GNC supplement for about six months.

I found your information about the diabetes very interesting. Friend of mine took Phen Phen and became a serve diabetic. Wears a pump. She was showing signs of valve deficiency which has ceased luckily.

Would like to investigate the properties of phen phen vs. chromium picolonate for similarities. Maybe AL can help us out with this one.

Hope to see you in Vegas!

 

[Mara]

Gina-
That internal medicine doc I go to, the one who helped my build up before my Ross, told me that chromium should be used only as chromium never as a picolonate, and then only under a doctor's care and for a short time.
I remember reading that there was all this info about chromium picolonate helping to burn fat, right, so all these supplements came out with it. There's the GNC one , one called ChromoSlim and some others. My pal from law school who is all into body building had a pal taking the GNC product and the guy turned into a diabetic! This big muscley guy is now a severe diabetic because of that crazy supplement! Ugh. Just like Kava Kava, which back in the news for causing heart attacks!
You know, just because herbs are "natural" doesn't always mean they're safe. How many of us were or are on lanoxin or digoxin. You'd never go out and start chomping on some foxglove leaves.
It's kind of freaky. I wish more GPs or family practice docs would hook patients up with good info on herbs and supplements. So are great, others are tricky.

I'd be interested to hear what Al says about fen-phen and chromium picolonate, too. Al?

-Mara

 

[azpam]

Herbs/vitamins

Herbs/vitamins

I think herbs/vitamins should be treated like medications. Gina's way of thinking ALLshould be off the market i feel might be a bit harsh. (nothing against Gina!).There are a lot of medication on the market that are awful too! But they are still on the market. There are meds that are great for some and life sentences for others(same med!).There are also too many prescriptions written by doctors today that aren't necessary. I was a homecare nurse for years and saw the abuse on the numb er of RX's that the elderly especially were on! How many of you take nutrasweet in some form every day? I personally think that should be off the market!! The FDA ok's alot of meds that cause a lot of problems for money maker reasons and wait for people to die or get maimed due to side effects. Yes medications are a good thing alot of the time.(save people's life). So do alternative methods.There are alot of alternative supplements that could replace medications with certain problems(upper GI/GERD/Heartburn,etc)being some great examples without as many side effects as tagamet,etc. But what works for one, might not work for another. I agree with Nancy that high quality brands are essential! Those are the ones standardized that will meet with good testing results. Your pharmacist can be your best advisor to interactions with your own medication usage. I have found doctors aren't really vitamin/nutrition/alternative minded enough to give correct advice all the time. Nancy-How come Joe can't take vitamins? Has he considered a food grade vitamin?Just a thought! Again all of the above is from my nurse point of view from a few yrs of experience. Research medications and alternative from a good source and make your decision from that. Azpam

 

[Nancy]

Hi azpam-

You make some good points.

Regarding Joe and vitamins, he's been warned by several doctors not to take anything over the counter, except for Tylenol and certain cough medicine, if needed. He's got so many medical problems, and they have his medicines adjusted just right, at least for now, and are afraid that some of the vitamins, minerals and possibly the fillers included would offset the balance. He does take folic acid for anemia, but that's all. After surgery his surgeon had him on Vitamin C, but is no longer on that. This advice has been long standing, since he's had one of his mechanical valves for 25 years and has been on Coumadin for that length of time also. Over that period of time, he's been seen by countless doctors, and the advice is always the same, so there must be good reasons. They can't all be wrong.

 

[alpage]

I was taking Coenzyme Q10 before surgery and I felt it really helped overcome the fatigue I was experiencing at work. I restarted it after surgery but it's a little more difficult to say how much difference it has made since I restarted very soon afterwards (while I was still in hospital).

I told all my doctors I was taking it. None had any objections and the surgeon acknowledged that some people found it helpful. I also asked my surgeon before restarting it after surgery.

Alan