NEW vitamins. WHAT ARE THEY for??? How much do I take???? Saw palmetto?? Bitotin?
So I went and bought a bunch of Vitamins yesterday. Now i want to know what they are for and how much to take. And if there any risks. So here they are:
I already take a Multi so i dont want to take too much of something. If anyone can also tell me why we take Saw Palmetto that would be great. I know it is for mens health. Thanks in advance. OH also I am currently TTC so if any of this is dangerous please let me know. THANKS!!!!!!!!!
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Not sure about the others but you definitely need the Folic Acid if you are TTC! Getting enough folic acid before & during a pregnancy has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of birth defects like spina bifida. Are you taking a prenatal vitamin or just a women's vitamin? Prenatals will give you a lot more of what you need to prepare your body for pregnancy. Check out the Natural Remedies forum for info on the others. Good luck!
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thanks. No i am just taking a womens multi vitamin. I saw the prenatals but didnt get them. Maybe i should though. Thanks for the help. I just dont want to start taking any of these till i know there purpose.
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It's also important to get enough biotin during pregnancy.
I wouldn't personally take saw palmetto while pregnant -- it has (weak) anti-androgen activity, and anti-androgens can interfere with the proper development of male fetuses.
Evening primrose oil I don't know about. Its main component, an omega-6 fatty acid, is really just food. However, I don't know whether any other components of EPO have potential problems. I'm not sure what the mechanism is by which EPO (maybe) sometimes effects hormones, so I don't know whether it would be good or bad.
However, I would definitely make sure to get adequate long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is very important for the development of a fetus's brain. So take fish oil if you don't regularly eat wild (not farmed) fatty fish.
On my own. I saw that alot of women have used these on here. BUT i have not taken any of them yet. Just soy isoflaves or whatever it is. I have moderate hair loss so i read on the hair loss thread that there were good for that. THe evening primrose oil that is. I dont know what the rest were used for. I thought BIOTIN would be good to take too. I am just not sure i would take them now without any advice. I dont have insurace so i dont see the doctor too much these days. I am going to start the folic acid tomorow because i have heard from my doc that everyone could use a good amount of folic acid too!
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I agree that caution is a good thing, and I believe in doing lots of research in deciding what supplements to take, but most doctors certainly aren't any more informed about the risks and benefits of various supplements than a conscientious consumer is. Even among the practitioners (of various sorts) who make a study of nutritional supplements, one practitioner's opinion is just that, because there is very little consensus on what is worth supplementing and in what amounts.
Of course it's possible to sustain harm from nutritional supplements, but you have to balance that risk against the risk of developing health problems from a suboptimal intake of nutrients (or of failing to alleviate existing health problems). Most people don't eat a perfect diet, and even if they do, food grown in our depleted soil, covered in pesticides, picked before it's ripe, and transported hundreds or thousands of miles doesn't necessarily have nearly the nutritional content one might hope. So the conservative option of not taking any supplements is far from without risk itself.
Vtmommy, you can safely take up to 1000 mcg/day folic acid (counting the amounts in both your multi and the folic acid supplement, but not counting food intake). You should definitely take at least 400 mcg/day since you're TTC. Biotin has not been found to be toxic at *any* dose. (Folic acid isn't toxic either, but large amounts of supplemental folic acid have been associated with increased seizure risk in people taking anti-convulsant medications. Slightly more relevantly, large amounts can mask a B12 deficiency if you have one.) B vitamins are water soluble, so excess amounts are simply excreted in urine.
ok so, I can take the folic acid up to 1000mcg and take the biotin. I take soy CD4-8 too, so that sounds good. I will continue to research the Saw Palmetto and Evening Primrose oil. If anyone knows anything about these please let me know. Thanks again.
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Jen, you have given good advice. I know whenever vitamins and/or supplements are discussed in books or the media or wherever, there is usually a disclaimer that states that it's best to consult with a physician before taking them. I know I won't take any type of supplement or vitamin without first discussing it with my doctor.
Research is good, but it doesn't take the place of my physicians' advice. Besides, vitamins and supplements are not yet regulated. There is a lot of debate now with some herbal supplements and whether they really do anything at all.
And frankly, I don't think it is proper on this forum to give any type of medical advice and by that, I mean telling someone they are safe to take a certain amount of a vitamin or whatever. That is not right.
okay well is it safe to assume that since my doctor has said to take a B complex and Folic acid that this is OK. She did not specify the amount but did tell me to take those. I kinda started this thread to see what exactly these were used for. I didnt plan on taking the herbs without docs approval BUT the soy is my own choice. But like i said my doctor did say to add a B complex and Folic acid, she just didnt specify how much.
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I believe you said in a previous post that you decided to start taking these supplements on your own.
I'm only saying this for your benefit and not to be rude, but this isn't a Clinic. You shouldn't say, okay I bought a bunch of stuff so tell me what they are, what they do and how much I should take.
I don't think anyone in here wants to be held liable if something happened to you. Please visit your doctor / alternative doctor again and tell him or her to explain things further to you.
Be careful.
The OP is clearly not looking for 'medical' advice. We all understand that the information given here is anecdotal. That said, we can all help each other by pointing members in the direction of research that more clearly explains things related to PCOS. In this case, there is a lot here on the website about Saw Palmetto, and some of the other things mentioned.
To the OP..did you try running a search at www.insidepcos.com on Folic Acid. I seem to recall seeing something on it. And there's LOADS on Saw Palmetto.
In the meantime, here's some information on B-vitamins and PCOS (which is what I think you were asking for ) (B-vitamins and folic acid go hand in hand)
Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) is one of the most widely used botanicals in the treatment of BPH. Once again, although studies have not been conducted on the use of Serenoa in the treatment of PCOS, this herb has been found to be comparable to the pharmaceutical agent finasteride for the treatment of BPH. The therapeutic extract is from the dried ripe fruit of the American dwarf saw palmetto plant. The Native Americans in Florida first used berries from the saw palmetto in the early 1700s to treat testicular atrophy, erectile dysfunction, and prostate gland swelling or inflammation.118 The mechanisms of action are not completely understood, but are believed to involve altered cholesterol metabolism,119 and antiestrogenic, antiandrogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.120 In an in vitro study by Bayne et al Serenoa exhibited marked inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase on epithelial and fibroblastic cells from samples of prostate tissue of men with BPH. Samples were obtained from the men following transurethral resection. The study also demonstrates that PSA levels did not rise with administration of Serenoa, suggesting this botanical does not interfere with other androgen-dependent processes, as do some pharmaceutical agents like the drug finasteride.121
A study in JAMA reviewed 18 randomized, controlled trials involving men with symptomatic BPH and treatment with a preparation of Serenoa alone or in combination with other phytotherapeutic agents. Sixteen of the studies were double-blinded. Treatment groups received either Serenoa, a placebo, or another pharmacological therapy for BPH. Overall, compared to men receiving placebo, men treated with Serenoa had notable improvement in self-rating of urinary tract symptoms, suggesting improvement in androgen regulation. A dosage of approximately 320 mg/day has been established as a safe and effective dose for the treatment of BPH and other androgen-related conditions.122 Studies on its use in PCOS are warranted.
What can be done to arrest the progression of baldness due to excess androgens in PCOS?
Since some of the tendency to baldness is genetic in the environment of high testosterone, the only factor that can be altered is to lower the level of testosterone in the blood of women with PCOS. Testosterone is highly bound in the blood to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and only about 1% of it is free and active on the hair follicles. This free testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. In order to decrease hair growth then, the mechanisms would be to:
decrease the manufacture of testosterone in the ovary - weight loss
to lower the amount of free testosterone in the blood by increasing sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) - spironolactone (a diuretic), estrogens,
to impair the action of 5-alpha-reductase enzyme - saw palmetto extract, finasteride (Propecia®), and flutamide (Eulexin®)
Birth control pills work because they contain estrogen which increases SHBG thus lowering free testosterone. Saw palmetto, an herbal preparation used in approximately 160 mg twice a day doses in benign prostatic hypertrophy, may be effective for excess hair growth in women since it has been shown to impair 5-alpha-reductase activity (4). Finasteride and flutamide have been tested in hirsutism and both are effective. Flutamide (Eulexin®) seems to be slightly more effective than finasteride and totally reduces excess hair growth by about 50% (5). All of the treatments work while they are being given but when discontinued, the excess hair growth returns (6).
Thanks Kat, I didnt know where this post was headed. But I am thankful for your info. I know not to just start taking these. My original question was regarding what they are used for and their possible benefits. BUT i know that the folic acid and the Bitoin ( B complex) was something my doc had mentioned a while back to me.
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I'm sorry if my post was unclear. I had no intention of "playing doctor." I really can't see any harm in reporting the federal government's recommendation as to the maximum and minimum amount of folic acid women of childbearing age should supplement. (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih....ets/folate.asp)
The government hasn't even been able to set an upper limit of intake of biotin, because of a lack of evidence of harm at any dose. That doesn't mean I've recommended taking any particular dose. (A helpful starting point for researching biotin is http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/biotin -- the pointer to evidence that pregnant women may frequently have a subclinical biotin deficiency is particularly interesting to me.)
And surely advising caution regarding saw palmetto and EPO isn't "playing doctor" any more than the posters warning people against supplements in general are.
I would really be interested to meet these doctors who are a fount of knowledge regarding dietary supplements. None of the doctors I've ever seen have ever suggested to me that I should stop taking any supplement, and I always disclose to them the complete list of supplements I'm taking at the time. I also specifically ask my prescribing physician whether there are any interactions between the medication he's prescribing and the supplements I take. However, I know for a fact that he gets almost all of his knowledge of dietary supplements and their interactions with drugs from the same places I do (Medline searches, drug manufacturer's info, etc), and in fact I do more research in this area than he does, because the subject interests me and my time isn't at quite so much of a premium. So it doesn't surprise me at all that he has never been able to tell me anything on this subject that I hadn't already read. Unfortunately, for the most part the information just isn't out there because studies have not been done.
I do find it surprising if other people's doctors are warning them of the dangers of vitamins, partly because most of the doctors I've seen are extremely casual about handing out prescription drugs, which generally have far more adverse events that have been associated with them. I went to a dermatologist a few months ago who recommended I take Lamisil, Accutane, spironolactone, and five different topical meds! I'm too chicken to take any of those particular oral meds, and even if I decided to, I certainly would not be comfortable stressing my liver with Lamisil and Accutane at the same time. Also more than one psychiatrist has asked me what if any prescriptions I'd like to try. I always found that quite dismaying actually, as I think that as experts in their field they should be the ones making recommendations! I haven't made a study of the subject at all, and yet I'm supposed to make these decisions?
Sorry for the length and the rambling, but I do find it fascinating that other people have apparently had such a different experience than I with their health care providers and the limits of their expertise.
NEW vitamins. WHAT ARE THEY for??? How much do I take???? Saw palmetto?? Bitotin? 
) (B-vitamins and folic acid go hand in hand)
