Hello everyone…. I have had some success (I think - quite strongly) with varying Turmeric shots and soluble lozenges .
Some are way too expensive but I found some on Amazon that were really inexpensive and had a delivery of a few shots of Turmeric from Tesco.
The shot is called Plenish Turmeric defence and it has 100% of daily b12 r I like it but some may shudder at first as it’s quite strong.
The second which I bought from Amazon is called Fast&Up Turmeric & Ginger - Drop Fizz Go! And is mango flavoured with 25 effervescent tablets. Be careful not to stain anything
There were three days I didn’t take any Turmeric as I had run out and couldn’t be bothered to walk to a Tesco. I didn’t like the M and S ones and felt they were all aimed at a younger audience with plenty of bizzy marketing flourishes. Turmeric % was also low.
And during those few days I had a flare up that gave me annoying dinky little bruises, aches, pain and all the usual grief.
So, My Pred went from (Rheumy induced “....and lower dose taper taper” patter) to “Sod it and up to 10mg”
I’m now back on the Turmeric lozenges and they are quite blandly tasty. I will buy more. The aches are still there but, sort of, in the background. My wrists are always a good benchmark! When it comes to judging pain.
Was wondering last few days would it be any use. I'm still looking for the magic bullet!!! Though theres obviously no such thing. Its good you find it useful to you. I'd take arsenic this minute!! Thanks for info.
I understand! At the moment knowing what I know and do right now is..... Turmeric lozenge drink everyday AND have some of the Plenish shots in the fridge.
I'm still a bit achy and a little dull pain but I can handle that.
Sorry Piglette I've written my replies to the whole post in answer to you , so it's a reply for everyone as it was easier to put all the info together at once .There is a difference between the Turmeric used in supplements and normal spices used in food ( although not so much with these expensive shots touted in the supermarkets) .
The supplements have a higher mg of the quality active ingredient which can help with certain types of inflammation than found in the spices for cooking.
Much like with Omega 3 , Magnesium and CoQ10 and ginger or garlic , It's the reason that Turmeric can still be eaten in foods and have a beneficial effect but can affect certain medications and should be avoided as supplements, especially cardiac and anticoagulant ones when used in the higher doses .
Adding all the above with foods that contain them in your normal diet can be helpful for your health generally without the side effects of supplements and that in turn can help your inflammatory conditions feel a bit better , because your body is better nourished to fight the good fight!
Most supplements like Turmeric , especially those in drink shots don't work within a week, and especially not a day , except for having a soothing effect on the stomach and digestion and the " feel good" placebo effect on the mind (although not on the bank balance!). You are right in the belief that you'd be just as well eating it in foods as drinking a shop bought shot as the consistency of the dose you would receive in them , despite their costs ,isn't very accurate .
If someone wants the benefit of Turmeric and other stuff found in shots they would really be better making their own shot or smoothie in a blender or smoothie maker like a Nutribullet, adding the active Turmeric from a supplement capsule into it ( its what I did for years before the complementary health industry worked out a way to make money off them in supermarkets).
It's one heck of a lot cheaper, fresher and more likely to have a therapeutic effect too.
You can add the same stuff as in the shots including fresh ginger and the turmeric capsule broken open and the insides dropped into it , then add juice or fruit ( like pineapple, orange , cranberry or green apple , pomegranate, celery, wheat grass powder in any combo) , or make a version with a milk and oats base , and other things like cinnamon and possibly a quality probiotic . A touch of good local or Manuka honey also for antihistamine effect.
Much tastier , fresher and much, much cheaper.
But they are not filled with super powers , just super foods. And they definitely aren't a Magic Bullet or " Cure" for inflammation in the joints or muscles, from my systematic testing , and from other friends experience using the same systematic tests of 4 - 6 weeks tests then 2 weeks without it.
It's can take 4-6 weeks for them to have a systematic effect , and only if taken consistently, you can't try one here and one there of all different doses and sizes and expect any real therapeutic benefit except for the fact that it has relaxing effect on the mind which is what could be the reason it helps the body.
Otherwise, particularly when discussing these high priced power shots , whether it's Zoe or Tesco, you are just creating some really expensive wee even though they are tasty when you have them.
I took Turmeric supplements for years but it never made any difference to my PMR or Joint and Muscle Pain and Inflammation from other health issues either (except perhaps very marginally in the fact it helped reduce my digestive pain so less tension in my body helped with less tension in my joints).
It was , however. very helpful for my IBS and Neurological stomach pain , if I didn't take it for two or three days I felt more difference to my IBS without it than my prescribed IBS meds.
I only used pure Turmeric and only at half the recommended dose as I found the larger doses brought other stomach issues on.
Unfortunately, I can't take it now, as a supplement as the therapeutic doses, as it can't be taken with my cardiac meds, and even when spacing them well apart I found it was causing me much easier bruising than I have already , and increased my palpitations.
It's that increased risk of bruising and bleeding that people on steroids , or with more fragile skin need to be cautious about too. Large doses of Turmeric, much like garlic capsules, could make bruising worse after a number of weeks of using it.
In food and the occasional well timed Pukka Three Ginger tea it still gives some help to the stomach though but it's never been a great antiinflammatory for muscles .
Hope you are well and enjoying the Bank Holiday , take care , Bee
about a year ago I tried some turmeric and curcumin tablets but unfort I gave up on them after finishing what I had as they had made no difference to me
9.15pm and I've been out walking. Tidying up a wardrobe was ok. Loafing binge watching Dope Sick on TV. And I'm just about fine all day.
Painkiller is another programme on the same subject... I was living in the California and North Carolina during a lot of this. My neighbour was a pharma rep and was always out golfing with doctors....
I have been given Oxy over here and that was for heavy pain after a surgery - It stopped the pain and then I was given regular pain killers
I think the series was troubling but really well made
I did enjoy reading your post. Especially liked your term lower dose taper patter😀 Have been a PMR patient now for eight years and get so tired of it all. So was very interested in your Tumeric journey. I think I will give the Amazon one a try.
Anything that helps even just a little is welcome.
I’m with you! Turmeric definitely helps me. I’ve recently been recommended- and am trying - Curcumin Phytosome capsules from Nootropics. Supposedly stronger and more intense. 500mg. Quite expensive but only need a capsule a day. So far so good. Hope things continue to improve for you as time goes on….
It's the added Vitamin B12, and probably added Vitamin C that will have had the more immediate effect on your energy levels and activity tolerance , as well as the inflammation and muscle pain, rather than the Turmeric.Turmeric takes weeks before it has a significant effect on anything except for your digestion , if it has any on your muscles at all.
Vitamin B12 , however, is vital in muscle function and reducing inflammation and fatigue and reducing the risks of Anaemia and Vitamin D deficiency, and if you are on Steroids or PPIs your level of B12 can decrease significantly over time because your stomach acid changes and you don't absorb as much as you might need from food. If you are a vegan or vegetarian and don't have a high B12 diet it is also more likely to be the case.
Most people taking Steroids, or many types of prescribed medication in fact. would benefit from taking an active sublingual Vitamin B 12 supplement , and if they've been on Steroids for some time they'd feel the same effect you have done within as little as a week.
High doses of Turmeric and Ginger built up over a few days could actually be the cause of new bruising , rather than preventing them, as it can have an anticoagulant/ blood thinning effect on the body and Steroids do a similar thing, so bruising may be a reason to reconsider taking turmeric or ginger regularly.
I've added a more detailed reply to Piglette too which you might find helpful.
As I say it is very common to start getting miscellaneous bruises whilst taking steroids , especially if you are taking other required medication that can affect clotting , or have also been taking supplements that thin the blood .It's one of the side effects steroids can have especially as steroids are taken for a long time and the skin can become more fragile. Getting cut or scratched more easily and slower wound healing can also occur.
It's why we generally recommend that people on steroids are a little bit more mindful than they used to be about how they move and to avoid knocks and injuries .
Often it's helpful to have a bit more padding in your shoes , thicker socks etc. and check not to tie your shoes too tightly.
It can help to have thicker sleeves when doing jobs and try to reduce the pressure you use when leaning on things like knees and lower arms to do a job.
Thicker trousers can be helpful when doing something like walking around in places when you might brush or push your legs against things.
Loose clothing can help reduce bruises from clothes ridges , it can help to make sure you can put your fingers easily between your body and your belt as well.
Keep your body and skin well hydrated by drinking the recommended water each day and by moisturising, even if you've never done this before because it improves the skins elasticity and ability to reduce the risk of injuries.
A good fragrance free lotion with Zinc and Magnesium is the best option. Epaderm 3 in 1 is a good Unisex all round option and is none greasy.
BetterYou Magnesium lotion is also useful to put on in the evening to reduce any night time leg Neuropathy as well .
If you are on steroids and other blood thinners , remove supplements or herbal preparations from your diet that are known to also increase the bleeding time and thin blood , like things in the Ginger family , garlic, CoQ10 and Resveratrol among others .
Increase B vitamins , especially B12 and Folate and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, C and K2 in the diet or in supplements if you are low in these to reduce their affect on bruising and improve the condition of your skin and speed up healing if an injury occurs.
You can usually still include foods with blood thinning in the diet in small amounts , but if you still find the bruising us increasing it may be beneficial to reduce those too.
I missed this informative post! Very, very interesting and thank you I do take b12 in natural food and my last blood test showed that I'm fine in that department.
I will look for Epaderm 3 in 1 on Amazon.
All in all I do feel good despite the occasional moan here.
It's on a much smaller scale, but for people who are lazy or stingy like me, the Twinings Digest Ginger and Turmeric teabags are much more pleasant than they sound.
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