Question on high dose thiamin

[1953bullard]

Hi there, I am unable to swallow even medium size pills. I just choke and panic. Are there any easy to swallow high dose thiamine pills out there? I pretty much do gummies with everything

[park_bear]

Some people dissolve the powder in a suitable drink but be warned it is extremely bitter.

[Hidden]

Vitacost vitamin B1 (as thiamin HCL) 500mg, easy swallow capsules

[1953bullard in reply to Hidden]

Do you have a link? I find the capsules but it doesn’t say easy swallow

[Hidden in reply to 1953bullard]

The capsules are similar size as the Solgar tablet. Believe me, the capsule is an easy swallow.

[parkie13]

Hi, have you tried putting your chin down to your neck and trying to swallow that way? It makes a straight line down to your stomach.

[1953bullard in reply to parkie13]

No I havent

[eromaine in reply to 1953bullard]

Just allow the throat to be relaxed....

[ion_ion]

I do not swallow them (Solgar 500mg pills), I just chew them with my back teeth and drink water after plus a piece a chocolate.

They taste kind of sour but no so bad but the chocolate helps.

[tbirchf in reply to ion_ion]

That is what my husband does...just chew them up and wash them down.

[Hidden]

PWPs who are using Dr. Costantini's thiamine protocol successfully in the pill or capsule form are forced to take in a lot of filler material and gelatin from the capsules or pills because the largest currently available dose is 500 mg per capsule and if you are taking 4 grams total per day, that is 8 capsules per day . If it is working for you, and it does seem to work very well for some, it might be worth considering pure thiamine powder also. By using the pure powder, you won't get any of the filler or gelatin from the capsules. I posted the following in another thread several weeks ago, but thought I would add it to this thread because it seems like it might be relevant here and for people who may probably be taking it for the rest of their lives.

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Just some thoughts about capsules, tablets and bulk thiamine powder. My friend, who tried both the capsules (500 mg each) and bulk powder thiamine HCI for his PD, told me that he felt the powder was slightly more effective than the 500 mg capsules. I imagine this could be because of a lack of fillers and gelatin capsules with the pure powder form. Given the amount of capsules needed to achieve the proper dose, the amount of fillers and gelatin being consumed for the rest of your life is very significant. For a while he used both products. Powder when he was at home and capsules when he was away from home for convenience. Cost wise, the PureBulk powder was less expensive than the Solgar capsules but more expensive than the Vitacost brand capsules. To give an example, the Solgar 500 mg Thiamine HCI is currently $20.70 on Amazon for 100 capsules or about $.414 per gram and The Solgar brand is $14.93 from Vitacost for the 100 capsule jar or about $.30 per gram. The Vitacost brand of 500 mg Thiamine HCI containing 300 capsules is $30 or about $.20 per gram.

Bulk powder Thiamine HCI at 100 grams for $24 or $.24 per gram. Obviously the capsules are more convenient, but long term consumption of the fillers and gelatin might also be a consideration since, if it works, will be a lifetime commitment. The standard PD meds already have gelatin and fillers also, so that is probably another point worth considering in the big picture.

I tried both the capsules and the bulk powder just to see how I would react to it at 4 grams per day. I didn't notice a difference between the two, but I was not trying to treat anything, just mainly checking to see how I tolerated it. The powder is bitter and has to be mixed with something. I chose a small glass of Gatorade to help cut the bitter taste. Still a little bitter, but tolerable for me. I would mix both daily doses at one time in one glass or bottle and then drink half at Breakfast and the other half at lunch. If I was going to do it long term, I would mix a weeks worth of powder in say a quart of Gatorade and take one seventh of the bottle total per day or roughly 2 1/4+ ounce per serving twice daily just to make it easier to take and leaving the bottle in the refrigerator between uses. The powder dissolves easily in Gatorade and you can make it more concentrated if needed so that a bottle could last longer than a week........just something to experiment with to find what works the easiest. I may experiment more with mixing if one of my other friends with PD decides to try Dr. Costantini's protocol.

I imagine a little mannitol in the mix would go a long way toward cutting the bitter taste down as well as adding to total mannitol intake if using mannitol for PD simultaneously.

These are the "other ingredients" in the Solgar Thiamine HCI tablets:

Dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable cellulose, vegetable stearic acid, silica, vegetable magnesium stearate and vegetable glycerin.

These are the other ingredients in Vitacost B-1 capsules:

Gelatin, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable stearic acid and vegetable magnesium stearate.

There are no "other ingredients" in the pure thiamine powder.

I imagine that daily consumption of these "other ingredients" over years are likely to have some effect of their own at the dose taken.

Art

[AmyLindy in reply to Hidden]

Love the practical advice & cost comparison!

[MylovedhasPd in reply to Hidden]

UK people - Konrad Nutraceutical ; look up via amazon.co.uk They do a variety of powders. Personally I am a no-tablet bigger than a wee pill.....and the fillers give me indigestion, so thank you for the encouragement given re powders. Beloved and I already have msm powder- lucky, it seems to be multipurpose!

[Hidden in reply to MylovedhasPd]

I'm not sure what the MSM powder is for? Did you mean mannitol?

Art

[MylovedhasPd in reply to Hidden]

Methyl-Sulfonyl Methane Powder - I can't tell you all about it now, but it is multipurpose in terms of wellness, so please do google it. I got ours from Ancient Purity.

[Hidden in reply to MylovedhasPd]

I know what MSM is and have used it extensively, I just didn't understand why you mentioned it as part of this post?

Art

[glenandgerry in reply to MylovedhasPd]

My PWP also has MSM from Ancient Purity but we find there's no time in the day when he can take it as it is not supposed to be taken with any other supplements or tablets (think this is due to it's de-toxing effects) & he always seems to be taking something else! It would be good if the MSM could be taken together with powdered Thiamine but firstly it would taste awful & secondly I assume one would counteract the other? What do you think?

[MylovedhasPd in reply to glenandgerry]

Someone else will I hope be able to give a good response to your question as I have no idea myself.

[geneschnipke in reply to Hidden]

Good wrap!! When using bulk... how many milligrams per tspn? And...do you have any issues with diarrhea?

[Hidden in reply to geneschnipke]

geneschnipke,

I don't currently have any of the bulk powder to weigh or measure, sorry. I did not have any issues with diarrhea and thiamine, but I saw some members said it helped considerably with constipation.

Art

[Ajssister in reply to geneschnipke]

Hi. I use the Bulk Thiamine for my bro n I take it too, just a lot less. 1/4 tsp is approximately 500mg. I also use 1/2 tsp of Bulk Manitol together and I mix them in about 12oz of coconut water and 4oz of aloe water. Both are low sugar and GI better. Good luck

[geneschnipke in reply to Ajssister]

Thanks

[Juliegrace]

I have purchased many Bulk supplements from purebulk.com. They have Thiamine HCL powder.

[1953bullard]

Thank you! I think the powder may be the best way for me to do

[ruff1 in reply to 1953bullard]

Def use powder I dissolve it in black current for my husband do not use orange grapefruit or lemon - Dr Costantini advises against them 😀

[MylovedhasPd in reply to ruff1]

I give Beloved fresh lemon tea with honey every morning - is this what Dr Constantini advises against? Or something else, I wonder.

[ruff1 in reply to MylovedhasPd]

Dr Costantini said juice was ok as long as it wasn’t lemon, orange , pineapple or grapefruit juice - which I took to mean fresh juice . Hope thus helps 😀

[eromaine]

With water and pill in mouth, lean your body/face towards the floor so that your neck is extended and relaxed, swallow. The pill will have floated towards your throat, so when you swallow, it's right where you need it to be. I have no trouble taking pills, but....I vigorously brush my tongue waaaay back with my oral hygiene routine. Deep, slow breathing through my nose, while doing this, really helps me relax. We build up fear over simple actions that we can overcome with slow, steady breaths. All the best, M

[Greenday]

Open the capsules and empty the powder in a glass of sweet juice to mask taste.

[M1tz1 in reply to Greenday]

I used to open capsules or grind tablets and put the powder into my busband's food. He had lost his sense of taste in addition to smell. I think they're related.

[ruff1 in reply to Greenday]

If you do this - which is what I did for my husband to start , then I bought bulk powder and accurate scales , I weighed the powder out of 4x500g capsules, it weighed on average 1.7g , not sure if this really matters ? I now use powder bought in bulk much easier than using capsules also not taking in the ingredients in the capsules. 😀

[Hikoi]

I take my tablets with a mouth full of fruit smoothie drink. I dont notice them that way.

[MylovedhasPd in reply to Hikoi]

I give all meds with a spoon of yoghurt - someone said the other day they found it amazing and also do it having seen us I know protein is in yoghurt, and they advise against meds + protein, but noone told me and Beloved seems to get the required benefit, still after 12 years, of the meds....

[1953bullard]

Thanks everyone, I just ordered the bulk powder. Seems easier than the pills. One teaspoon is right at 2 g. So I’ll start with a teaspoon twice a day

[ruff1 in reply to 1953bullard]

I’ve bought Salter weighing scales weigh .05g accurately 😀

[ruff1 in reply to 1953bullard]

Not all teaspoons are the same size they may not weigh 2g I’d buy some scales to be accurate 😀

[1953bullard in reply to ruff1]

Yes I am

[Despe in reply to ruff1]

Measuring spoons we use for baking, etc., are accurate and they are all the same.

[ruff1 in reply to Despe]

I tried a level teaspoon ( levelled off with a knife ) but it only weighs 1.66g , I think all measuring spoons will be slightly different . I just find it easier and def more accurate to use scales . I did try emptying the contents of 4 x500g capsules on to the scales and they only weighed 1.75g so perhaps it’s not too important to be accurate? 😀

[Surfdivinity]

In Italy (and I am sure elsewhere as well) thiamine is also available as injectable solution. The dosage however is very different than when taken in the form of pills therefore please write to Dr Costantini to seek his specific advice on the dosage.

Thank you

Best regards

[Beckey]

Bullard, My guess is that you will find the Vitacost capsules go down easy. That's been the case for me, and I have a hard time swallowing pills.