Supplements to help??

[Hardy150612]

Can anyone recommend any vitamins or supplements that help with symptoms?

I am 4 months post viral meningitis and am still on the pain medication I was taking in hospital. I still have a constant headache however it's has eased alot in the past couple of months. The problem I have is that if I do any 'normal' activity for a couple of days I end up back in bed for a few days absolutely shattered. I just want back to normal and back to work and off all this bloody medication. I honestly thought I would be fine after a couple of weeks.

Thanks in advance x

[CharlyM]

Hi, I too thought it would be a couple of weeks and now 5months post VM I,m still on the road of recovery.

The recovery of meningitis is full of ups and downs so I’m never sure if the suplements are actually helping, but I did feel improvements in my energy levels when I startet taking some natural remedies to boost the inmune system: echinacea and royal jelly. Also I started taking ginko biloba for the headache as it’s good for blood circulation. Also I’ve noticed that coffee does me good.

Hope you recover soon

[Hardy150612 in reply to CharlyM]

Thanks @CharlyM it's so hard as people see you getting on with it and think oh she's better and then boom floored again!!!

I too found coffee and Red Bull of all things helpful. Will give the ginko biloba a try too.

Hope you are feeling better soon too.

Thanks x

[Chopper201]

Hi, I was advised by a physician to take B1, B6, B12, Folate, Chromium Picolinate and Magnesium so am I taking a pill a day and I must say I do feel more robust and have no headaches nor fatigue. Perhaps add these supplements to your daily regimen?? Paul

[Rowi]

Don’t go too crazy on the supplements, and do research them. Everyone is different. For example, cofffee really makes me worse. I’d recommend introducing a supplement a week to see how it sits with you. That said, I was taking the following: A, B complex, buffered C, D, E, magnesium glycinate, lecithin, reishi, EPA/DHA. I upped all of this very slowly. I also make sure I have plenty of calcium in my diet. See my post of “what helps” from a while back. You’ll need to be patient, though. This takes a while.

[forbessr]

Magnesium, b12,D3,Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vit.C, and Zinc

With lots of water, no caffeine, no sugar,plenty of rest

[Starry]

Hey,

So sorry you have gone through that.

Firstly, recovery is a slower journey than medics tell us as the impacts of vm are still very much underestimated by them. The vm fact sheet on the resources page of meningitis now was a godsend to me and well worth a read.

Firstly Its vitally important to pace yourself and be patient early on and not go beyond your energy limit to avoid long term issues. Give your self permission to need recovery time. Build in restbreaks. Only increase activity in tiny increments once you are sure there is no payback. I think this is more important than supplements. I only learnt to pace after I had developed full blown ME (and I still suck at it).

I would highly recommend seeing a nutritionist if you are interested in supplements and diet, so as to be targeted. What works is very variable by person.

The website examine.com researches the validity of health claims and science quality of supplements which is helpful in avoiding pseudoscience.

Some ideas for you to explore....Generally I tried to do things nutrionally rather than pop vitamin pills as I think absorbtion is better that way.

I upped turmeric and ginger intake, both proven anti inflammatory. Maybe worth researching anti inflammatory diet more generally?

I took a probiotic strain that had solid research evidence of being immune system boosting (G Rhamnosus by culturelle) on my nutritionist's recommendation.

I wholesale changed my diet to cut out most of the bad processed stuff thats sugary or acidic most of the time. No carbonated drinks, boosted veg intake etc etc. Having adapted I do feel healthier for it and dont fall off the wagon often.

I take vitamin B12

I boosted my omega 3 intake by sprinkling linwoods ground flaxseed on cereal and salads.

I take pumpkin seeds on my cereal and use a peanut butter like spread on toast, crackers etc for magnesium and zinc.

I also supplemented with D3 but only as I was found deficient in blood tests.

I experimented with d ribose but only really got on with it as an emergency pick me up.

I'm also having treatment by a cranial osteopath aided by the Meningitis Now scheme, which I would highly recommend as it is definitely making a substantial difference to my quality of life. It does seem to be helping vascular blood flow or releasing csf or something.

Hope some of these ideas will help.