284 replies to this topic

[rwac]

NAC - either caused or at least aggravated a peptic ulcer (strips protective mucous from stomach lining)

Phosphatidylserine - terrible fatigue and brain fog

Olive Leaf Extract - consistently terrible reaction to this, severe fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, not sure if its a side effect, allergy, or herx reaction

I think you've suggested several things I could remove.
Also, ditto on the serrapeptase causing a wheezy feeling.
I hadn't connected my recent mouth ulcers with the NAC, but that might very well be the cause.

[Sillewater]

ginkgo spiked my blood pressure, paradoxically. Might have been something else in the pill, because it doesn't make sense.
blueberry extract caused insomnia.
lipoic acid gave me orthostatic hypotension
creatine made my hair fall out.

I wouldn't be surprised if different versions of the same supplements did not show these effects, with the possible exception of the ALA.

Thanks Niner for the heads-up about lipoic acid. I have experienced that and now I know it should be the ALA I started. How much creatine were you supplementing with? I'm wondering if fermented soy protein or Bee Pollen would counter that effect.

[VespeneGas]

creatine made my hair fall out.

Via increased DHT perhaps? I assumed that study was aberrant, since I never saw it replicated.

[FunkOdyssey]

Tyrosine - anxiety attack

Relora - terrible fatigue and brain fog

Anything That Reduces Cortisol Levels - terrible fatigue and brain fog

Curcumin - killed libido dead at higher doses (mTOR inhibition?)

Taurine - high dose (4 grams) long-term (over a year) caused anxiety

Hey, Funk. Seems like most of your side effects are due to overdose would you say? On anti-cortisol supps, do you think your cortisol levels are normal/borderline low to begin with? Just wondering since I'm about to take Phosphatidylserine. Thanks And the Tyrosine anxiety attack is not surprising, it may cause hyperthyroidism (increased ft4) and since you're already pretty tall, i'd safely assume yours is way up there.

The amount of tyrosine that produced the anxiety attack was 1.5g, which is a bit high but not ridiculous or unreasonable. The dose of relora that caused fatigue and brain fog I do not recall but it was the standard recommended dosage, no more. Standard powdered curcumin at 665mg 3x daily did not really affect libido, it wasn't until I changed to super bio-curcumin, at 400mg twice daily that this became noticeable.

I guess you could say the negative effects of curcumin and taurine were a result of "overdosing" but not the other supplements.

People don't seem to be generally aware of the NAC - mucous relationship, but one of its primary medical uses is to break up mucous in the lungs. Unfortunately, it breaks down mucous throughout the body, causing problems when that mucous was serving an essential purpose.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 16 December 2009 - 05:56 PM.

[ajnast4r]

i'm nearly sure green tea extract gave me asthma, or maybe brought out some underlying asthma... severely aggravates my asthma anytime i take it. but tea is fine oddly enough

[OneScrewLoose]

Tyrosine - Made me poo 3 times in an hour.

Centrophenoxine - Great for my concentration but feels like it's tearing my insides apart.

Arginine - Ruined my sleep. Gave me a feeling of being awake when I was sleeping until I took tryptophan. Woke up stiff, with legs painfully cramped for the whole day. Turned a minor cough into the first full-blown cold I've had in 3 years (I don't get sick often).

L-Glutamine - I have Celiac Disease. Triggers the reaction. Painful.

Methylfolate - Seemed to make my blood flow poorly.

However, the most important one was Chasteberry. This supplement fixed almost all of my myriad of problems for 2-3 weeks (anxiety, depression, insomnia, some of my ADD), and then sent me into a full-blown nervous breakdown that landed me into the hospital. See these:

http://www.imminst.o...l=test booster=
http://www.imminst.o...o...c=29325&hl=

Unfortunately, the experience from this has become the defining experience of my life, and how I define happiness as well. Worst of all, no one has any answers.

[nameless]

Melatonin for me. It didn't help my sleep at all and pretty much turned me into a zombie the next day. Melatonin + asthma = bad idea.

[MatthewA]

6. Cayenne - Can cause neuropathy (used to elicit neuropathy in standard research models)

I believe neuropathy can be caused by poor circulation. Cayenne is a vasodialator and improves circulation, so it could be that blood is finally getting to the area and causing pain. Like when your foot falls asleep due to the circulation being cut off and then you get the blood flowing again and it causes that pins and needles feeling.

Olive Leaf Extract - consistently terrible reaction to this, severe fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, not sure if its a side effect, allergy, or herx reaction

That seems like a Herxheimer reaction due to candida albicans die-off. Olive leaf extract is used to treat candida overgrowth.

[OneScrewLoose]

Candida overgrowth is BS that's long been debunked.

[nowayout]

Resveratrol - caused chronic joint/tendon/ligament/back pain.
Fish oil - increases chronic pain.
Mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols - increases chronic pain.
Pomegranate extract - increases chronic pain.
ALA - increases chronic pain.
CoQ10 - increases chronic pain.
GPLC - increases chronic pain.

[caston]

That seems like a Herxheimer reaction due to candida albicans die-off. Olive leaf extract is used to treat candida overgrowth.

I take it religiously everyday. I still get huge sugar cravings though so I don't know if I am free from candida.

I still occasionly get slight amounts of candida under my foreskin but honey is the best thing to get rid of it (as well as odor) there.

There's quite a few valid complaints about supplements but also some people missing the point in some aspects i.e. that the supplement that makes you feel good isn't anti aging. The supplement that makes you feel like shit for months on end is. This is because of the immunopathology and inflammation as all the pathogenic bacteria are targeted, destroyed and cleaned up. Once the rubble clears you're in better shape then you were when you started.

[Vultures]

1g of L-tyrosine every morning for several weeks caused weak to moderate migraine, which weared off only after more than 2 weeks after withdrawal. I even thought I had done smth irreversibe, luckily it was not the case.
2.5mg of Deprenil EOD made me extremely sleepy all day long.

Edited by Vultures, 17 December 2009 - 03:55 PM.

[VespeneGas]

There's quite a few valid complaints about supplements but also some people missing the point in some aspects i.e. that the supplement that makes you feel good isn't anti aging. The supplement that makes you feel like shit for months on end is. This is because of the immunopathology and inflammation as all the pathogenic bacteria are targeted, destroyed and cleaned up. Once the rubble clears you're in better shape then you were when you started.

Looks like I never should have eliminated Drano from my daily supplement stack. It makes me feel awful for months on end, and kills bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites in vitro!

Most of the promising anti-aging supplements either primarily or secondarily decrease inflammation, which should make the user feel better, not worse. Although for Funkodyssey, I'd consider doxycycline an anti-aging drug.
http://www.drano.com/

[livingguy]

Phenibut - Fell asleep for 20 hours when I didn't want to sleep nearly that long.

Works great for me but within a few days I develop a bad nausea like feeling all the time.

[livingguy]

DHEA - significantly reduced my libido, probably by increasing estrones.

High dose of Vitamin E, and high Gamma E - made me feel terrible.
Low dose of full spectrum E works.

Krill oil - Caused Nausea. Tried two separate batches, same effect. I cannot tolerate krill oil.

high dose vitamin E and Gamma E does the same to me. I also feel sick on it.

[TheFountain]

Either Rhodiola extract or Kotu Kola caused me Anxiety attacks. Can't tell because I was taking them at the same time. But my anxiety ceased when I stopped taking them.

L-arginine when taken too long made my face swell, specifically my cheek bones, possibly by raising DHT levels.

[ajnast4r]

I still occasionly get slight amounts of candida under my foreskin but honey is the best thing to get rid of it (as well as odor) there.

you sure that isnt smegma?

[Clarity]

Either Rhodiola extract or Kotu Kola caused me Anxiety attacks. Can't tell because I was taking them at the same time. But my anxiety ceased when I stopped taking them.

I had that experience with Rhodiola. Worked great the first few times I took it. Every time I tried it thereafter it caused anxiety attacks. Maca also the same thing - but I was taking it on & off for years with no problem & suddenly it makes me feel anxious.

[nowayout]

I still occasionly get slight amounts of candida under my foreskin but honey is the best thing to get rid of it (as well as odor) there.

IME the best remedy is probiotic yoghurt applied topically. Gets rid of it right away, better than any antifungal cream.

[3VeRL0ng]

Shit, I feel as if almost everything I've tried had some sort of harmful effect on me, cognitively. The immediate, dubious honors (in my case) would have to go with the following:

DLPA-IMO, this was by far the worst of them all. It induced a familiar feeling I'd experience with alcohol, I guess the best way to explain it would be what one may call "negative schizophrenia" symptoms.
Guarana-I hit a HUGE plateau with this stuff, it were as if I was on top of the world & then just suddenly became so full of rage & found myself extremely sensitive to lights... first time that's EVER happened to me.
Picamilon- Experienced depression everytime taken.
ALL Vasodilators (especially Vinc. & Ginkgo)-Anxiety would shoot through the roof, still a mystery to me...

and some other things were rather helpful, though eventually I could sense some "harm" caused by them, especially since nothing else was taken alongside:

L-Tyrosine-Hands down thee best supplement I had ever experimented with... but unfortunately made me come off as an asshole & I just became tired of having to fight everyone.
St. John's Wort-Extremely effective toward the beginning, hell I even had written a post about how positive my experience had been with the herb, it makes me a bit embarrassed to even admit that it eventually caused "harm". Perhaps "serotonin syndrome?", it's hard to say really, all I really remember is feeling rather spaced out after about a week in & I dunno if this makes sense, but I felt as if time was going by slower than usual, like way slower... I think I just need to keep it basic, and simple: Multi Vitamin, Fish-Oil, what have you...

so yeah, there's mine.

[NeverSayDie]

This is interesting.

I have never felt any discernable difference with any of the supps I have ever taken. Tyrosine, taurine, gaba, 5htp never had any slight effect. I have taken almost all of the adaptogen herbs- rhodiola, ashwaghanda, gota kola, suma, etc, etc, and none of them had any effect. + heaps of other supps...

I think I must be seriously unresponsive to things...not sure why.

I remember I needed to have an endoscopy done years ago because of upper gastric pain. It took like 3 times the dose of this particular drug that is supposed to relax you before it had any effect on me.

Same thing with my colonoscopy. The doc couldn't believe how much of the IV drug it took to knock me out.

I seem to have a very high tolerance for nearly everthing. I guess that's why no supplement has any produced any slight effect in my body.

Edited by NeverSayDie, 18 December 2009 - 04:41 PM.

[rwac]

Same thing with my colonoscopy. The doc couldn't believe how much of the IV drug it took to knock me out.

Say, do you happen to be Irish or a Redhead ?

[NeverSayDie]

Same thing with my colonoscopy. The doc couldn't believe how much of the IV drug it took to knock me out.

Say, do you happen to be Irish or a Redhead ?

Part scottish, not a redhead

[pycnogenol]

DHEA - significantly reduced my libido

How much DHEA were you taking? I take 10 mg of DHEA and it increases my libido.

Edited by pycnogenol, 18 December 2009 - 06:34 PM.

[rwac]

Part scottish, not a redhead

I've heard that redheads need a lot of anesthetics to knock them out. I guess it's more than just redheads.

[rwac]

How much DHEA were you taking? I take 10 mg of DHEA and it increases my libido.

I was taking 5 mg of DHEA.
I believe it worked well for a while, then I ran out and suddenly my libido increased.
Perhaps my deficiency had corrected itself.
(My original DHEA levels were low)

[zorba990]

That seems like a Herxheimer reaction due to candida albicans die-off. Olive leaf extract is used to treat candida overgrowth.

I take it religiously everyday. I still get huge sugar cravings though so I don't know if I am free from candida.

I still occasionly get slight amounts of candida under my foreskin but honey is the best thing to get rid of it (as well as odor) there.

There's quite a few valid complaints about supplements but also some people missing the point in some aspects i.e. that the supplement that makes you feel good isn't anti aging. The supplement that makes you feel like shit for months on end is. This is because of the immunopathology and inflammation as all the pathogenic bacteria are targeted, destroyed and cleaned up. Once the rubble clears you're in better shape then you were when you started.

Fighting against 'pathogens' constantly is a losing battle. You'll just end up
creating stronger/adapted organisms.
It is far more effective to introduce competing beneficial organisms.
Put EM on that fungal infection and after a week or so of daily application
you'll be rid of it - and the smell.

[niner]

Part scottish, not a redhead

I've heard that redheads need a lot of anesthetics to knock them out. I guess it's more than just redheads.

This is interesting. My dad had red hair, and I had just a touch of it though I was mostly blond/brown. A couple years ago I was given fentanyl when I was intubated, and they had to override the dosing computer in order to give me the amount I seemed to need. They were surprised by it, as it should have killed me. I wonder what's up with that? Another job for pharmacogenomics...

[sentrysnipe]

Part scottish, not a redhead

I've heard that redheads need a lot of anesthetics to knock them out. I guess it's more than just redheads.

This is interesting. My dad had red hair, and I had just a touch of it though I was mostly blond/brown. A couple years ago I was given fentanyl when I was intubated, and they had to override the dosing computer in order to give me the amount I seemed to need. They were surprised by it, as it should have killed me. I wonder what's up with that? Another job for pharmacogenomics...

Interesting indeed. It's probably not redheads per se but the Irish / British gene of beer enzyme being able to tolerate alcohol better than other ethnicity, due to the river water.

[stephen_b]

Candida overgrowth is BS that's long been debunked.

Prove it.