I have been adding different supplements to my regime over the years based on specific issues I have had or research I have read up on.
My question is... what supplements do you take for general diabetes health maintenance? or for specific issues like neuropathy, retinopathy? and how have they worked for you?
I take r-ala for my P/N and retinopathy. It may help in controlling my BG as it is supposed to mimic insulin, but it is definitely helping these two issues. I rake fish oil for all that is is supposed to do and have found that it is helping to clear up some skin problems. I also take a vitamin D emulsion. I recently began taking L-arginine and DHEA as well. These are primarily cor circulation. My doctor has prescribed all these except for the r-ala, which I found out about here. All my Dr's support that I use it, but none of them brought it up.The L-arginine and DHEA affect the blood pressure and should really be monitored by a doctor.
After I read your post I did some reading on the difference between the standard ALA and the rALA. Do you take half the recommended dose of the regular ALA?
I take a lot of supplements, but the only one I'd call "for diabetes" is coconut oil. If I take it with a meal, I go an average of 10 points lower than if I didn't at the 1h mark, so it makes the carb absorption a bit slower, maybe.
Coconut oil - 3g a day, 1 with each of my highest carb meals
Fish oil - 1g a day
Flax oil - 1g a day (I time these two with my metformin dose, as it makes me not feel queasy)
Multi
Garlic oil (for asthma)
Agaricus Blazeii mushroom (for fibromyalgia)
Royal jelly (for asthma)
Calcium and vitamin D (for psoriasis and hypothyroidism, which leads to osteoporosis)
Iron (for anemia)
Vitamin C (for general health and to help the iron absorption)
5-HTP (for depression and anxiety)
Ha well I take a silly amount currently, but after reading abit more around the subject I intend to stop everything apart from ALA.
I currently take Vit C, B and super high strength vit D, vit E Iron tablets, magnesium, zinc and calcium.
For the diabetes I follow Bernsitein's recommendations and take two lots of evening primrose oil and ALA twice daily.
Not sure if it has had any benefits BG or not, but this combined with 4/5L of water a day has made me feel alot fresher ha.
I did a lot of reading before I started it. I only use the r-ala. I found dosage recomendations from 600 to 1200 units. Since I was desperate to relieve my PN I started out with 600 2 times per day. I am now taking 800 total per day. I moticed a difference almost immediately after starting this. It took about 8 months of ala and tight control for pain to be pretty much gone. That's when I began to decrease the dose. I still have some numbness and small pains and cramps from time to time, but nothing like it was.
I take.....NONE. I try to do everything through food to the extent that I can. I just question whether supplements are even absorbed by the body. I eat a TON of things like garlic, parsley, vegetables (which we recently started growing ourselves), and other "healthy" foods. I have found that really loading up on the veggies (with proper bolusing, of course) helps keep my BGs more stable. No, they don't take away my T1D, but they help keep me away from the carbs and feeling good. I am convinced that all the garlic I eat (we eat LOTS of it) has something to do with my oddly normal cholesterol (I consider my normal cholesterol a bit odd because I generally eat several eggs a day. Even my endo says that I seem to defy logic in this respect). I also eat a small amount of fruit. Fruit does make my BGs spike, but I am generally able to safely bolus for fruits with a little trial and error (pineapple and mango are two such fruits - despite being loaded with sugar, my boluses are usually spot on).
hey I just read your post ive been taking vit A C D and B Complex (- the folic acid) plus Calcium & Magnesium . I have been able to lower my insulin and my sugar level is easier to control but what works for me might not for others
Vit B12, D3, 81mg aspirin, and one for kidneys (prevention)
I recently began taking ALA and have noticed that I am having more lows, and had to lower my basal rates at certain times. Has anyone else experienced this? In addition, flaxseed and krill oil, and pycnogenol, Vitamin D 50,000 IU Q1W, and Vitamin B-12 1.000MCG/ML sub-q Q!W. That's it!
I have been thinking about adding an iron pill along with my multivitamin.
Any pros or cons, about iron.
Buckley is there a reason why you take iron?
is the B12 to help with neuropathy?
The pycnogenol for retinopathy? has it made any changes? and the B12 for neuropathy...any changes?
just prenatals because I just found out I'm pregnant (but I've been taking a multivitamin for a couple of years). I also took Vitamin D for a while because I had low levels.
Pycnogenol seems to be very helpful on all fronts. I know it benefits blood vessels, skin, etc, and gives me energy. It's also good for jet lag. I am lucky, I have no retinopathy. Pycnogenol is just for the benefits and to try and stave off any other complications since it has been around much longer than we in the USA realize. B12: my body absorbs B vitamins through diet, but through some screwy thing my body doesn't actually use them. Therefore the higher dosage of B-12 sub-q. The B-12 also makes me feel much better and does of course give me energy. Do these help with my Gastroparesis & RLS? Not really sure, but considering their known benefits I am willing to use them.
Anyone turn off their pump for about an
hour for lows and does that affect your BG later in the day?