Ask HN: What meds, pills, vitamins do you take on a daily or almost daily basis? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What meds, pills, vitamins do you take on a daily or almost daily basis?

13 pointsnewsmaster23 comments

Just for curiosity sake since this kind of data is not so openly available. I myself take a daily antihistamine to manage my allergies.

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The ones whose benefits are backed up by large bodies of evidence.

http://examine.com/supplements/Vitamin+D/

http://examine.com/supplements/Fish+Oil/

Just a word here - fish oil supplements are being looked at seriously as a culprit in many cases of prostate cancer:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2013/07/23/those-...

Ugh: http://examine.com/blog/fish-oil-and-your-prostate/

Look up vitamin K2 as well. There's a growing body of evidence suggesting that K is crucial, and especially when supplementing with D, and that most of us don't get enough in our daily diet. I currently take MK-7 alongside my daily 5000 IU of D.

The only med I take is Citalopram, which I started for anxiety, but now only take because I don't have time to deal with withdrawals, having fixed my problems through other means.

As far as supplements go, I'm a junkie, but I'm also careful to only take things that I'm positive are actually doing something. My current routine looks something like this:

- Vitamin D3 (4000 IU winter, 2000 IU otherwise)

- Fish Oil (about 4 g daily)

- Magnesium

- Vitamin C (1000 mg weekly)

- L-theanine (whenever anxiety strikes)

- Melatonin (occasionally when I can't sleep)

Also, I'm currently experimenting with Alpha-GPC (a potent choline source) and Piracetam. The first take I took Alpha-GPC it was like lifting the brain fog that's been plaguing me for years. After a couple days taking it though, I started experiencing nausea and headaches (both frequently reported symptoms of excessive choline) so I'll probably be cutting it back to one or two 300 mg capsules weekly. As for Piracetam, I'm not entirely sure how it affects me yet but I'm staying away from it until I sort out my Alpha-GPC intake.

None.

I see no point in taking any supplements or medications when I am free of signs and symptoms and in good health.

Occasionally I will take ibuprofen if I have unusual stiffness or tension or if I've smited myself unusually hard (bit of a klutz when I'm tired), and I will attempt to manage colds and other illnesses symptomatically, and will consult doctors for the unusual (knock-on-wood rare and harmless so far - which includes a steroid inhaler for a fungal allergy thanks to this past spring's unusual weather).

Eat well (in all senses of the word), drink well in moderation (life is too short for cheap wine or sweet or tasteless beer), get some exercise, take in a show, have sex with someone you really care for, get some air.

Absent an identifiable medical condition, powders and potions won't do much to improve on that. (Allergy sufferers have my complete sympathy; I've had infrequent bouts, usually in weird weather, and the drop in personal function is appalling. I'm deeply grateful I don't have to deal with that more often.)

Created an account to write this.

I take:

fish oil whey isolate protein D3 Multivit (habit) probably some potassium and magnesium. melatonin

And...

I use steroids.

And the last one is the biggest thing that has made a huge positive impact in terms of both mood and physical well being.

And, I'm adding HGH early next year in just over HRT (hormone replacement therapy) doses.

And I don't plan on not taking exogenous testosterone going forward. I suspect I will cruise at between 250mg/week and 350mg/week for as long as I can fight off old age.

May I ask about your reasons for using steroids and HGH? Are there any other benefits aside from getting ripped and muscle growth? I did research into them a while back and even located a supplier but I really don't like the needles.

The whole ripped and huge muscles thing isn't my primary goal. I'm 40 and started taking them for general well being and getting my hormone levels back to "normal" levels. And, I noticed an instant mood improvement with the test (well, not instant since the ester was E, but like three weeks later I noticed motivation back and some slight anti-depressant effects).

And the needles are literally zero problem. You draw with an 18g, you pin with a 25g or 23g and you don't feel anything. I mean that, you don't feel anything. And I take Test E so I only pin twice a week. The GH is not IM so you shoot into your stomach fat, which doesn't hurt at all.

All that being said, if you take even moderate amounts of each, you'll notice body composition improvements. And, if you take care to change up your diet a bit, lift a bit, you notice dramatic improvements.

I waited until I was 40 to do my first cycle. I wish I didn't wait this long, tbh. I should have started when I was 30.

I take a Piriton to lessen the effects of my various allergies (dogs, cats, grass/oak pollen) and, if I am feeling like a may have a cold/be ill in general, a multivitamin.

I have high cholesterol. So, I take

- Aspirin

- Atorvastatin

- Cod liver oil pills (not prescribed, but recommended by doctor)

- Psyllium seed husks - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks (again, not prescribed, but a very well known remedy for digestive problems and cholestrol, and very popular in India. Also called Isabgol)

I take a super dose of Vitamin C (3g) if I ever feel like I'm going to fall sick. It's amazing how well that works and keeps the flu at bay. I make sure I don't take it daily though - prefer the natural route - fresh fruits

I used to take protein powder, but I think its a waste of money if you are not trying to seriously bulk up. For the ones who want lean muscles, enough eggs and chicken breasts do the trick.

Quite a lot of the Poliquin stuff, all daily (sometimes more)

  - Multi Intense (vitamins) 3x
  - Omega3 3x
  - Zinc 1x
  - Magnesium 1x
  - Probiotics 1x
  - Fenuplex & Insulinomics (for the insulin reisistant) 3x

I have also just started taking MCT oils in the mornings -- too early to see a difference at the moment.

I gave up on multivitamins after getting to know people who ate healthy and didn't take any, and had great health. All I take now is vitamin-D if there are many consecutive cloudy days. And sometimes protein powder when I workout really hard. Has been working great for me, I felt absolutely no worse after cutting the multis.

I'd be curious to see if anyone is/admits using nootropics and, if so, what has worked for them. Ive tried L-Theanine and Huperzine A myself. I'm not daring enough to try anything more serious.

Huperzine A did have a noticeable effect on memory.

I take protein powder after workouts or long training runs. I take MSM and glucosamine for knees/joints for long runs (42yo, long time runner). I take multi, B complex, and E vitamins (E for my fingernails - guitar player). I don't take each every day.

Yup: the Costco generic zyrtec.

A vitamin D supplement in the winter months.

every couple of days i do a couple of scoops of whey protein for an energy boost.

lately i've been doing a cup of hot water with 2 or 3 packets of http://www.truelemon.com/ and a couple shakes of cayenne pepper. helps clean out my digestive track and the lemon gives a boost of energy.

ibuprofen for the random stress headache but i'd rather deal with the pain then to take it if i can.

Melatonin and fish oil. Both backed by plenty of research.

I'm curious, have any of you consulted a MD before taking the doses you are taking right now? WebMD doesn't count.

If you are interested in such things, I suggest reading Transcend by R. Kurzweil. He takes the supplement craze up to 11.

Omega-3 (Carlson)

D3 2000 IU (Now Foods)

Turmeric (New Chapter)

Multivitamin (Megafood)

Ubiquinol (Now Foods)

As a really skinny guy (BMI: 14.9)

- D3 1000 IU (Solgar)

- Multivitamin (Supradyn All Day)

- Fish Oil (Carlson

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