500mg, nicotinic acid.. I just like the flush..

So for context I am a 23 year old guy who works out 6 days a week and just got out of the marines honorably with two deployments 1 year ago. I have some minor joint pains and such from service that like to flare up sometimes. Currently I am taking I think 8 different things.

1. Creatine - don’t think there’s any issue with it just a typical supplement
2. 1,500 mg Glucosamine Sulfate 2KCI +

1,200 mg MSM/Chondroitin - was told this would help with some of the joint pains and help rebuild it 3. Zinc 50mg - heard this pairs well with magnesium but other than that no deep reason. 4. Magnesium 500mg - heard this also would help with bone health and is good for lifting 5. Fish Oil 1200mg - overall health from heart to just joint lubrication. 6. Zyrtec - for allergies don’t think this really effects anything 7. Tagamet - I have a wart on my hand and last time I had one I took this and it went away, this is temporary. 8. Airborne immune support gummies - I go out and to the club a lot and am just around a lot of people often so I started taking these to try and prevent getting any sickness from others.

39M, training fairly consistently for 10+ years and about 6 months ago I decided to take shit seriously. I started on a fairly aggressive TRT. It's medically supervised with regular checks, that's not for discussion, just for context. I want to talk about creatine.

Every single bit of advice out there talks about how essential it is. I've flirted with it in the past but never really seen any benefits, but admittedly maybe I wasnt training quite consistent enough. My PT went on and on about it, so I started taking 5g with a morning shake, probably about 4 months ago. I work out lifting heavy 3-4 times a week and I've seen gains, but I've been bloated af with a bit of a wet look. 6ft, 220lbs and about 20% body fat, according to my probably inaccurate smart scales, but the eye test doesn't lie. I've been struggling massively with belly bloat.

I stopped the creatine about 10 days ago. Immediately seeing less bloating, no change to my diet, if anything I've lost a bit of discipline over the last two weeks! I'm seeing zero loss in muscle size, zero loss in lifting performance. Weight is consistent +- 5lbs. I feel like the only thing it achieved was water retention in the wrong places. Does my body chem just not agree with creatine or is it overrated and/or ineffectual with TRT? What's wrong with this picture?

I'm gonna be honest: I have a very terrible diet. I try to eat plants, but its so much easier getting a burger or pizza. Anyway, that had led to gallstones. The doctors want to take out my gallbladder. I'm like "nah! Let me try a few things first."

Anyway, I tried a few things before finding chanca piedra. I know its often mentioned for kidney stones, but one of the things I read suggested it for gallstones as well. And, tbh, I think it is helping. I won't see my doc until February, but it definitely feels like something is different in a positive way.

That being said, I noticed my bowel movements have been really gross. Thick (almost clay-like) and so smelly. Hell, sometimes they cling to the toilet so hard that I have to flush 8 times (I counted!!!). At first, I thought it "oh, its cleaning me out. That's some old stuff that's been in me way longer than it should be." But, its been two months! Its still very unpleasant smelling and super-thick.

Is this normal? Why would this be happening?

I am in my 30s and a couple of years ago I went through psychosis. Long story short, I am currently on a mood stabilizer medication, klonopin as needed, an SSRI, and an antipsychotic.

I want to add some nootropics to my medication stack that will be safe, effective and gel well with my medication stack and that will kick in soon after taking it.

I tried all the vitamin shoppe brands as well and I tried most nootropics on amazon and some vendors but none really didn't help me. What did you add to a similar medication stack I am on that is helping you with your medication stack? Would appreciate your guys' feedback:)

I've been taking HMB for potential gainz. I've discovered some potential concerns about it's safety in certain populations.

First let's talk about what it is and proposed mechanisms.

HMB, or β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, is a naturally occurring leucine metabolite. It's used for increasing lean mass but has questionable efficacy. Consensus seems to be that it can be useful for preventing muscle loss (anti-catabolism) especially during a cut, but isn't that effective for increasing muscle gains in otherwise optimal conditions.

It's most widely thought to work by activating mTOR signalling, which tells cells (including muscle) to grow.

But this study suggests it actually increases phosphatidic acid, which activates phosolipase D2 (PLD2) and affects some of the same downstream targets of mTOR, namely P70S6K and S6. These alter protein synthesis and help prevent muscle from breaking down.

That all sounds great, but here's the kicker: Excessive PLD2 activation may increase the risk of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

For cancer, this is because it helps tumors grow more.

It could increase the chances of neurodegenerative diseases because it may increase the potential for amyloid and alpha-synuclein production while also inhibiting their breakdown.

TLDR: HMB could cause things to grow, including tumor cells and pathogenic proteins. It's otherwise safe, but exercise caution if you have a history of cancer or family history of neurodegenerative diseases.

I'm going to continue taking it on training days, but I'd like to implement some autophagy-inducing practices like intermittent fasting occasionally to keep things in balance.

HMB still seems very safe and mild, you just have to think about the tradeoffs you get when you tell cells to grow more. The same downsides probably come with anything that is truly anabolic, like more serious performance enhancers.

supplement hibiscus?

Hi reddit - after spending considerable time scouring reddit threads and (somewhat significant) help from chatgpt 4o for optimizing and simplifying the stack, here's the supplement stack that I came up with. However, I understand that this could have led to mistakes / oversights because of my over-reliance on reddit threads and/or chatpgpt. And hence, I turn to the one true place for all things supplements.

Feel free to review and provide feedback on :

- potential overlaps or redundancies

- possible side effects from combining these (and/or hidden demons)

- appropriate dosages and timing

- whether I should cycle any of these supplements

https://preview.redd.it/gbnd4utkdo4e1.png?width=1115&format=png&auto=webp&s=c3fbc92624fbee18338d412ec783f504ea0dfe1d

Edit: it's kyolic aged garlic extract

I'd like to supplement with Vitamin E, which I know if often advised against, but I have specific reasons written out below. Can anyone advise on a high quality E supplement? Thanks

-

My ZPR1 gene has the rs964184 SNP, which means I have a predisposition to lower serum tocopherol levels. And indeed, my serum Vitamin E Alpha Tocopherol levels are low (30th percentile) even though I eat foods rich in Vitamin E (I consume ~15mg/day according to my logs in Cronometer) and I take a multi roughly every other day which has 67mg of d-alpha Tocopherol in it.

I had read that tocotrienols are "better", but I don't know enough about Vitamin E's forms to know if those even convert into what I'm trying to raise.

Is this a good protein powder for building muscle?

Hey all, what supplements would you recommend during my current THC detox?

Main symptom = daytime & nighttime sweating...& weird reactions to changes in temp!

Context

• I probably ingest 200mg / day on days I’m using edibles so my tolerance is HIGH.)
• Anything under 20mg, I barely feel it. Even when I started using THC - so my tolerance IS naturally higher than most)

I’ve been recommended NAC+tyrosine+glycine (but not entirely sure what doses)…

& I’m doing a 30 min sauna morning & night

Anything else you think I’m missing here to get rid of the sweats and kick this sucker?

Appreciate y'all...the Reddit love never fails! :)

i want it to have:
- proportions of 2:1 epa/dha
- high dose (best 3000mg, but ill accept 1500mg/1000mg)
- in the form of triglycerides (TG)

i cant find one that fulfills all of these requirement, please recommend me either a product or a site with good filtering option

Does anyone has a list with all the of supplements and with their recommended usage: before, during and between the meals and also if there some supplements, mostly vitamins, which compete each other on absorption? Thanks!

Hello everyone ! I hope you're all healthy and safe. I write on behalf of one of my cousins that is going through a very hard time after ingesting ashwagandha for almost 1 year and a half. I will preface that you should stop reading this post if you are sensitive about subjects like suicide, self harm or other mental health decline symptoms. Thanks

So long story short we don't know exactly with how much he started 1 year and a half ago or what brand it was. For the purpose of this post we agreed he started with 500 mg per day in the beginning. He took it for 4 to 5 months and then cycled off for 3 or 6 months. Afterwards in April 2024 he started with 1500 mg per day for at least 3 months and then he increased the dose to in June 2024 to 3000 mg per day for another 2 months. We remember between September and October 2024 that he told us he tested 4500 mg to 7500 per day but he said when he took 7500 he had stomach issues and he stopped taking 7500 mg. At the end of September and the beginning of October he started using 6000 mg per day until he stopped sometimes around 10 of November according to our estimation.

We starting hearing about his lack of emotions in June 2024. We did not think too much about it because he said he actually likes it cause it makes him capable of working long hours and hard work. Then all of the sudden after 10 of November he said he will quit his job and move back to his home country and work there. He previously stated multiple times he has plans to stay longer here, work, get an apartment, buy a new car, change the job and his decision was unexpected and weird.

We tried to convince him otherwise or find out why is he leaving but we were not successful. More than that we saw his mental state decline the last 2 months because we were speaking almost daily during work time. We thought it is because he's tired.

Well he quit his job and on 12 November went home with the plan that he will return one week later and find a new job etc. On 16 November, 4 days later, he attempted suicide and did engage in self harm. Following that he was first treated for his wounds and then hospitalized into a mental institution for 2 weeks. He was then released with some medication that we don't know what it is. The problem is that as far as we see he is still struggling a lot. In the words of one of our common friends that that saw him recently " He was very chill. But not happy chill. Chill like a baby after he was yelled at as if he did something wrong. He was talking very slow, like with fear. I tried to make him laugh. He was not laughing at all. He was not showing any form of smiling."

Thanks for the patience if you read this far.

My question is:

1. What is going on?

2. How long should we expect this state to last?

3. What can we do to help him go through this without him killing himself and returning to some form of normalcy?

Love, safety and peace for all !

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with a weird issue and could use some advice. My stools are really sticky, leaving skid marks all around the toilet bowl (even below the waterline). It takes about 20 minutes of bleach to clean it up properly.

Here’s a bit about me:

• Diet & Lifestyle: I have a healthy diet, eat my 5-a-day, get plenty of fiber, and exercise regularly.
• Supplements I Take Daily:
  • Vitamin K2 MK-7 (500mcg)
  • Multivitamin with Minerals & Iron (contains D3, C, B12, B6, B5, B3, B2, B1, folic acid, A, E, iron)
  • Magnesium Citrate (100mg)
  • Red Korean Ginseng Capsules 20:1 (14,000mg)
  • Vitamin D3 (20,000 IU)

I’m wondering if one of these supplements could be causing the issue. I know Vitamin D3 and iron can affect digestion, but I’ve been taking them for a while, and the stickiness problem has been more noticeable recently.

I’m already drinking plenty of water and keeping my fiber intake steady. Does anyone have experience with this or tips on what to tweak? Should I cut back on one of these supplements, or could this be related to something else entirely?

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Should I be worried?

contents per serving

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 25mg

Boron citrate 3mg

I started taking ashwagandha 2 months ago, i don’t see difference on anxiety, then I started taking l theanine still no difference in anxiety, started taking bigger doses and stacked them together no difference. What I mean by fast metabolism, food I’m eating I burn it fast and not gain any weight

I have a Nootropic Supplement with L-Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, DMAE, Grape Seed, Ginkgo, & CoQ10….but whenever I take it I HAVE to take a nap?? Like I feel great when I wake up but it’s as if my body is shutting down for the newest IOS Update while they kick in?? lol it’s so weird. Tbf coffee also puts me straight to sleep as well… my best sleeps are after a cup of coffee after waking up at 2am all restless….and then my (benzo)sleeping pill actually wakes me up now rather than putting me to sleep since quitting?? lol I’ll be more productive and clear headed after my sleeping pill, than I’ve been all day… there has GOT to be some rational reason behind this right?? lol

I've been tested and I'm low on folate and B12 - I need to get my levels of both up. However B vitamins, whether they're methylated or not, make me feel suicidal within a few days. I've cycled on and off them a few times, and no other supplement does this to my knowledge.

I'm sick of feeling anaemic and low energy - currently I'm eating lentils every day and beef liver every week but I'm not sure how long this will take to have an effect.

Has anyone experienced this or know what can I do supplements wise to raise my levels?

What supplements can I take to improve my hydration ? . I've been in rehab for a year and I've realized even after getting clean , my body weight isn't improving and I'm still skinny (ofcos not as bad as before) so I started going to the gym today which also helps with my Adhd and OCD . My water retention is really bad and my lips are always dry. How do I improve this ? Can ORS work ?

Ive been taking magnesium glycinate for little over a year. I dont take it every night. I usually take 1 or 2 capsules every night or so. I had read up on it before and read of others experiences of intensified dreaming. At first I didnt believe it, and when I did have them I figured it was just a coincidence. I would say I often dream and remember them pretty well. None of the boring dreams either, usually something odd or a scenario so completely random. But ive gotten to the point where I no longer believe its just by coincidence. Im able to recall past events of my life and information about family members that I dont think I ever knew of. Im currently studying for finals and whatever subject I prioritize that day plays a part into my dreams. I was studying throughout the day for my history final and then there I was smoking a cigarette with Lyndon B. Johnson discussing healthcare programs. A different night Im running different lab tests to identify bacteria strains. I guess its pretty cool to have this subconscious review of my notes. Other than that my experience has been great with the supplement. I wake up without needing my caffeine fix to start my day and I dont have muscles cramps or weird muscle twitches anymore. Tbh, I just want to have dreamless nights and not crazy ones so ill continue to stick to one capsule every now and then. Does anyone have any similar experiences?

My mother (51yrs) recently found out she is extremely low on Iron. She is going to be getting an Iron transfusion starting tomorrow. She has had severe anemia where she had to get a blood transfusion I want to say 7 years ago. Yes, I have purchased Iron pills already for her, I question her everyday whether or not she has taken them. What other kind of vitamins or supplements can I get to help her? I know she also is always feeling extremely tired but some times she can’t even sleep. I don’t really know a lot about things like this so please no judgement, I just worry because she does stress and tends to put off her health.

TIA

I’m a 31 years old man who weighs 150 kg, now we’re planning to get pregnant, what supplements would you recommend?

My dad is 62, has a serious health history and has current health issues but is overall healthy. I noticed his multi has like 1000% DV of many vitamins and minerals. Does he need this much of should I cut the multi in half? I always hear conflicting things about multis. We do want to keep the multivitamin and don't have the budget for individual supplements or $60 multivitamins that last 2 weeks.

Body produce about a gram of its own, and when its enough in system it shuts production. Would it be any beneficial with supplementing a gram only or its just gonna fill need?

Ps: don’t wanna rely much of supplements.

Hello all.

Recently, I was taking supplements from CVS. My therapist found out what I was taking and, told me not to, and instead recommended that I take Pure Encapsulations' ONE Multivitamin and Vitamin D3 125 mcg. Since the quality of these supplements appeared to be better, I questioned what's out there.

As implied by the title, what are supplements that you guys recommend? I'm primarily interested in a good multivitamin, vitamin D3, Calcium (don't get enough dairy), and omega-3. Currently I take Ned's Mello Magnesium supplement but open for other suggestions.