how do these supplements help..pls help

han19 · 11-20-2006, 09:59 AM

hi cysters.
i keep coming across the following.
how does these individual supplements help you?
i got this list off one of our cysters who uses it,

so have put it down here.

saw palmetto/pygeum/nettle
false unicorn root
wild yam
beta sitosterol
dong quai
natural progesterone cream
magnesium, zinc, B complex, l-lysine
NAC
pumpkin seed oil`
green tea

does progesterone cream really help you and is it free from side efects?
are these safe to take.

can u alternatively tell me where i can find proper information on the above supplements.

thank you.

Mallory · 11-20-2006, 11:39 AM

Ha! That's my list

Okay:

* saw palmetto/pygeum/nettle, pumpkin seed oil, green tea, beta sitosterol, l-lysine:

These I take because these herbs/supplements lower DHT, which is the form of testosterone that causes hair loss, cystic acne, and excess body hair.

* false unicorn root, wild yam, dong quai:

These I take because they balance hormones, among various other functions.

* magnesium, zinc, B complex:

These I take because of the belief in much of the medical community that PCOS is a result of a deficiency in these vitamins and minerals.

* NAC:

This I take primarily because so many other cysters here have raved about it. Also, because NAC is supposed to assist the liver in its increased workload among women with PCOS in dealing with sex hormones.

* natural progesterone cream:

This I take because I have a severe progesterone deficiency caused by not ovulating. This particular therapy is of enormous value to me. Read the natural progesterone cream thread on this board for tons of great info.

You can get more info. on any and all of the above therapies by Googling them.

www.google.com

Other cysters should weigh in on why they take some of those same vitamins/minerals/supplements, so that we can have a really well-rounded thread

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Monita · 11-20-2006, 04:00 PM

Another natural alternative not mentioned in your list, is the PERUVIAN MACA ROOT. I am actually giving to it a try, just ordered it. It is supposed to bring to balance your hormonal balance.

More info at the web site I purchased it : www.peruvian-maca.com

Mallory · 11-20-2006, 04:18 PM

It's not on my list of therapies because I'm not taking it (that list is a list of the things I take).

Looks interesting, tho

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han19 · 11-21-2006, 09:05 AM

hey mallory,
it is your list and since it seemed complete, i had picked it up, i wanted to put your name, but by the time i got to typing, i forgot the username, so hope u dont mind.

the information you gave was real good. i am looking for something that will help in controlling androgens that cause hair fall. so natural is the way before i try anything else.

you actually take individual tablets, or they come together in some form.

since you take so many of them, have you felt any side effects at all?
have they worked for you, is your condition under control.

thanks a lot...i am going to go armed with your list to the pharmacy....hope i get it here in the middle east.

BuBu · 11-21-2006, 11:05 AM

han19,

In one of your other posts, I noticed that you are still breastfeeding (weening). Alot of these herbs have contraindications when pregnant, ttc, or breastfeeding (like saw palmetto). If you are even in doubt, here is a useful website:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/DVH/Herbs/0,3913,,00.html

BuBu

han19 · 11-21-2006, 11:43 AM

thank you bubu,
i am still exercising caution, and using only prenatals, epo with vit e and b complex.
hopefully in a month or so i shall start with the others bcos by then i may stop nursing as my baby is taking it just at nights or early mornings.i want to gradually wean my baby off, sicne she is quite attached to nursing on me. then again i hope i get them here. its research period going on for me now.
i will check the site out, thanks a lot.

Mallory · 11-21-2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by han19

you actually take individual tablets, or they come together in some form.

since you take so many of them, have you felt any side effects at all?
have they worked for you, is your condition under control.

Of course I don't mind! Any time I can help a fellow cyster, I'm thrilled

I take mostly individual tablets, although some are combinations. For example, my Saw Palmetto tablet is a blend of three different herbs that each help control DHT and prevent hair loss: 1) Saw Palmetto, 2) Nettle Root, and 3) Pygeum.

If you can find herbal formulas that combine more than one herb so that you have less pills to take overall, then that's great!

The only side effects that I'm experiencing are less acne and less hair loss

But, I am also eating right and exercising, so that is also a great contributor to my improved health. You can take the most wonderful herbs and vitamins, but if you eat poorly, you will still have problems. It all has to work together

If you have any more questions at all, please feel free to ask. We are all in this battle together

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han19 · 11-22-2006, 04:20 AM

bu bu, thankyou for the website, its amazing.

mallory.i notice you dont take evening primrose oil, is it bcos it interacts with saw palmetto.
i too need to take it for hair loss, but i will wait till i completely stop nursing.
you take vitex along with the others, so i guess its safe to take it together. what are your dosages.what is l-lysine. do you have severe hair fall?

i was a bit upset last evening

, went to another pharmacy and cd not find a single of the herbal supplemets, its only the basic vitamins, although products such as naturemade, nature plus, healthaid etc are available here.

i may have to consider trying to order online.

my dear cysters, any of you living in the middle east and taking these herbal supplements.

han19 · 11-24-2006, 06:22 AM

mallory, i read on the drug digest that saw palmetto and dong quai both act as blood thinners so shud not be taken together.
i notice you dont take EPO
have you noticed more hair growth after taking saw palmetto.
how long have you been taking them.
my concerns are hair loss, i would like to see some hair growing.
can i know more about your symptoms?

nomadic_existence · 11-25-2006, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by han19

bu bu, thankyou for the website, its amazing.

mallory.i notice you dont take evening primrose oil, is it bcos it interacts with saw palmetto.

I take both evening primrose oil as well as Saw Palmetto and haven't heard of any contraditions while taking both of them. I take the following:

Black Cohosh, B-100 (B Complex), Calcium Magnesium Potassium, Cinnamon, Chromium Piconilate, Saw Palmetto, Fish Oil and Evening Primrose Oil.

I've been doing this for a month now and here's what I have noticed so far:

Decreased appetite
Increased cravings of protein
Decreased cravings of sugar, carbs
Increased energy
Decreased growth of facial hair
Decreased loss of head hair
AF is trying to come on her own...been playing peek-a-boo as I call it

Good luck to you.

Mallory · 11-26-2006, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by han19

mallory.i notice you dont take evening primrose oil, is it bcos it interacts with saw palmetto.
i too need to take it for hair loss, but i will wait till i completely stop nursing.
you take vitex along with the others, so i guess its safe to take it together. what are your dosages.what is l-lysine. do you have severe hair fall?

I don't take evening primrose oil because I'm already taking a million things! I'm really looking to pare down now. It's become too much for me.

What are my dosages? I'll give you a link to the supplements and their info. I'm too lazy to go downstairs and look at the bottles

I remember the amounts roughly but not exactly.

Here, the Vitex and the Saw Palmetto are at the top:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/su...nts-store.html

l-lysine is an amino acid. I read that it assisted other herbs and supplements that lower DHT. I haven't really read up on it that much, so I'm really casual about taking it. I forget it a lot.

I did have severe hair loss (I needed a hair transplant, and would eventually like another, so that I can have thick hair again). The hair hasn't really grown back, but it has stopped falling out, so i'm eternally grateful for that.

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Mallory · 11-26-2006, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by han19

mallory, i read on the drug digest that saw palmetto and dong quai both act as blood thinners so shud not be taken together.
i notice you dont take EPO
have you noticed more hair growth after taking saw palmetto.
how long have you been taking them.
my concerns are hair loss, i would like to see some hair growing.
can i know more about your symptoms?

I take only a half dose of dong quai along with my Saw Palmetto, but maybe I shouldn't even be taking that. I don't bleed profusely when I get a little cut, or anything. I tend to take small amounts of various things, rather than big whopping doses. I'm going to see a naturopath in a few months, and I'm going to let her guide me in the herbs and supplements I take. I'm tired of always feeling like I'm guessing wildly at the right thing to do or take.

Like I said in my other post, no, I don't think I regrew any hair because of Saw Palmetto. But if it's helped me to keep the hair that I have left, then I'm satisfied with that. I'm just trying to keep what I have. I've been taking Saw Palmetto for about 4 months now (same with Vitex).

My symptoms? Okay, here they are. Pretty standard PCOS stuff:

* hair loss

* acne (that mostly went away after I took Accutane when I was 16, long before I was diagnosed with PCOS)

* high insulin levels when I eat sugar and carbs

* tendency to store excess weight in the stomach area

* anovulatory menstrual cycles

* high testosterone when my insulin levels are too high

* low progesterone levels due to anovulation

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