Perhaps Supplements Do Actually Work...

Black hairy tongue...you weren't reading it properly were you...you might as well 'fess up, probably thought 'there goes Vashti...telling tall tales again, best to humour her 'cos the poor dear has been a bit poorly.

It's one of the side effects of the antibiotic I'm taking...don't actually have a black hairy tongue...heavens...if I did, I'd be sitting on the Doctors doorstep demanding he do something...now this minute!

I always read those leaflets you see, that come with new and exciting medication...the list of side-effects can be as long as your arm as you'll know already and I was enthralled by the black hairy tongue.

Also have some calcium tablets for osteoporosis...they are enormous and have to be chewed or sucked and they're totally revolting...the Doctor also prescribed a three monthly injection, which I haven't yet had. Thought I'd get my chest a bit better first before tackling that...apparently the bones at the base of my spine are crumbling away...now the nice woman who did the scan didn't tell me that...though she did have a sharp intake of breath when she was looking at the results...that'll explain why I get back-ache.

Now, this chest/lung infection is getting better by the day and that's without any steroids...so I'm wondering whether the vitamin supplements and the Manuka honey really are making a difference...usually I'd have two courses of anti-biotics and steroids back to back... and still end up in hospital for ten days on intravenous anti-biotics.

The Doctor has also agreed on letting me have an emergency pack, which surprised me somewhat because the Doctors here don't usually allow it...and he said he'd come out to visit if I couldn't make it to the surgery...thought those days had long gone.

I'll certainly carry on taking the vitamins and the honey...might simply be coincidence, but if it isn't, then it's definitely worth the small extra expense.

If you're wondering, I take Vit C and Zinc and Vit D, both are by Beeline...the Manuka honey is the highest strength of 400 and is the authentic honey from New Zealand... something which may well be totally irrelevant is, I also eat a large amount of garlic...that's simply because I like it, but it does have proven health benefits, especially for fighting infections.

Add on the Seroxat for long term clinical depression...and the Esomeprazole to protect the stomach from the steroids and the Levothyroxine 'cos I have a sluggish thyroid...there's the inhalers as well of course...Seretide and Spiriva and Salamol...no wonder I can't walk far with that lot rattling about in my belly!

Back to the black hairy tongue for a minute...I was once prescribed a medication before my depression was properly diagnosed which had very many side effects...the worst and rarest being...instant death.