I should get myself to specsavers.
I have mis ordered from iHerb, I’ve got Thorne stress B when I wanted B Complex
I see the quantities are slightly different, does that matter? It’s higher in B6 and lower in B12 folate and biotin.
Unfortunately I had already opened them when I noticed. Just wondering if I should bin them or carry on and take them 🤷🏽♀️
🌱
Hi Regen- I personally would just take it. Or double up if you think strength is not high enough- your body will just pee out what you don't need of B- vits. are you trying to raise B12 and folate or just maintain your current levels?
Im currently trying to raise my levels and am taking 2 b complex per day in addition to other separate B's and im doing really well on it
thanks Lucy, levels are really good, so just to maintain. I did the same when mine were low, I think it was SD who suggested Thorne and then separate B12 and Folate. The B Complex has maintained my levels since raising them which is fab. I just keep those two for testing week. Orange pee it is 🤣🌱
Yeah.... fluro orange pee! Ive forgotten what normal pee looks like!!
Also regen- whilst ive got you I wanted to ask you a question... im currently on NDT and T3 but im actually thinking of switching over to levo and T3 combo. I have issues with mannitol and lactose and I believe the only brand free of these 2 excipients is Aristo. And you are on Aristo right? How are you finding it?
I’m on Aristo yes, not a great case study, I feel amazing, brilliant but new bloods back today suggest I am even more over range than 3 months ago despite a T4 reduction. Got an appointment with Roseway and the GP to discuss. Could be a Hashi flare, HR has been up for a few weeks. Otherwise no symptoms. Aristo definitely feels nicer than Teva, I have zero tummy gurgles on it 🌱
I’m so happy you feel brilliant - well done 😘. Hopefully the levels get sorted. As you know I desperately wanted to get well on NDT but there is something about it that isn’t working for me and still not well. I’m working with a Kinesiologist now and seeing her every 2 weeks to try to start getting things under control - I took loads of different meds with me- types of NDT, diffferent brands of T3 and T4 that I’ve been able to get my mitts on! It turns out my body wants aristo and Thybon Henning T3. I already get the Thybon prescribed by private dr so am waiting for app with GP to get him to precribe me with aristo. It will be nice to finally get something for free!!! I’ve already got my reasoning in place to tell him why it has to be aristo - namely lactose and mannitol free. So fingers crossed for app on Monday. Up until now I have not even involved my GP in any of this so my concern is that I’m going to have to deal with the stupidity of him freaking out about my supressed TSH- but I’m have all my rebuttals and research papers showing why it’s not an issue at the ready. Hopefully this will be thr winnnng combo.
But so pleased you are feeling brilliant. I can’t wait to be will enough to get back on my mat again - it’s going to take a long while to get back to my old level of ability but all part of the journey right!!!! Take care xx
Get them to specify Vencamil on the script as this is the named Aristo so you shouldn't get fobbed off with Teva at the pharmacy 😉
Aristo/ Vencamil has been great for me 🤗
Wow, how interesting that kinesiology helped select an alternative treatment option. I’m thrilled for you. I look forward to updates from your trial. I am sorry to hear NDT isn’t working out. So frustrating. I remember how keen you were to find a natural solution, I’m a knit your own yoghurt type and have had to make a whole lot of compromises, I was appalled that my homegrown diet packed full of freshly harvested goodness needed to be supplemented by a drawer full of plastic bottled s…. stuff 😐
Yes, there is hope, I am back doing headstands and working on arm balances, as the pains have receded my muscles and joints are finding space and improving. Are you managing restorative yoga asanas and pranayama, I found these helped no end.
If you are able to get an NHS prescription for T4 I would make friends with your local independent pharmacists, they can unbelievably helpful and are usually the ones that decide which brand you get. The GP can specify, but the pharmacists also have their own systems. My GP doesn’t have a clue which one I’m on.
Yes presenting your current situation will be hard work in the GP appointment. I wish you well, you sound well prepared, try and have a single clear goal E.g. I want a prescription for T4. That way you can stay completely focused. I’ll have everything crossed for you 🤞🤞🤞
Aww bless you regen…. Thankyou 🥰
So glad you are rebuilding strength and back to headstands and inversions. I miss it so much. I’ve been so weak and sufferers so much pain it’s literally just been savasana and pranayama since last November. Got some issues with hips very locked and tightened now from months in bed but working with an osteopath to help. But to be honest until I get the thyroid hormone levels sorted I seem to be going round in circles with the osteopath. Gives me real encouragement that you’ve done so well and inspires me.
Yes at this point I’m not even going to tell the GP tha I have a private dr who prescribes T3. Im just going to tell him I want to do straight switch from 2 grains of NDT to 100mcg levo. I’ve I’ve got that rolling in I can tell him about T3 later when he freaks about my low TSH. But one step at a time. Yeah the Kinesiology has been mind blowing.. my iron was really low and I was taking a he max dose of 3 arrows to get it raised. Thought it was working but when I did iron panel- after 4 months on 3 arrows- my iron was less than before I started taking it. I took the 3 arrows to the Kinesiologist not mentioning my experience but wanting to check it. Apparently my body really didn’t want it and wanted just a regular bisglycinate. Been taking that for 2 months and iron levels have masssiveky shot up.. who knew!! Again further confirmation of how different all our bodies and their needs are.
Yes.. really wanted the NDT to work but at this point I just want to be well and to function and if it means synthetic then so be it! As you say you have to make compromises. Xx
wow again, that iron thing is fascinating. Just goes to show we are all wired up differently doesn’t it. Saw a thing in TV that said animal heme iron isn’t good for cardiovascular health, certainly not in the quantities I’ve been taking to raise ferritin, so definitely having second thoughts. Now it’s up I’ve ordered a vegan biglycinate that is apparently no risk to long term cardiovascular health. Will trial and see. 🌱
Think it's the high B6 that is the odd one with this as it is 3 x the Basic B... don't they say not to take more than 10mg a day?... can't remember 🤯I shall have a dig around later 🤗
Why didn’t I think of that, it’s different when it’s you and your stuff isn’t it, when it’s someone else I’ve got lots of great ideas 😬
hmm quick google reveals nerve damage can occur over 500mg, prolonged supplementation at high levels for 12 months is risky. stress B bottle says this says 28.4mg so probs ok but I’m tempted to fling the darned things. Expensive pee that will be 🙃
Seems a shame to throw 😕 perhaps just intersperse with others? I do remember comparing them once before but didn't really understand what the higher B6, Riboflavin and lower B12 were all about compared to the Basic B ones?.... they don't make it easy when all their labels look so similar 😎
Supplement buying is a bloomin nightmare with so many things to watch out for 😒
sounds sensible, can barely shut the cutlery drawer where I have my supplements but another bottle for a few months won’t hurt 😬
TiggerMe has a great idea there. You should take occassional supplement holidays anyway to get rid of any excess B6.
didn’t know that, thanks for the tip!
How much vitamin B6 do I need?
Life Stage Recommended Amount
Adults 19–50 years 1.3 mg
Adults 51+ years (men) 1.7 mg
Adults 51+ years (women) 1.5 mg
Pregnant teens and women 1.9 mg
How long does it take for B6 to wear off?
While vitamin B6 is water-soluble, it has a half-life of 25–33 days and accumulates in the body, where it is stored in muscle, plasma, the liver, red blood cells and bound to proteins in tissues.
Wish I hadn't googled it 😳 Jaydee1507
that’ll be a fling it decision made then … thanks for taking the time to help me, much appreciated 🙏
If I stop for any length of time I'm sure I'll slide right to the bottom of the enormous snake 🐍
Makes the 10mg in Basic B seem excessive doesn't it 🤷♀️
I have a separate B12 & folate for when I take a break pre blood tests.
I've switched to Pink Tribe Sublingual Complex which has 7.5mg B6 though the softgel has 10mg?? and a separate sublingual B12
They do a sublingual complex? I'll have to take a look. Do you mean the liquid they do?
You can take the separate B12 right up until the day before your blood test/s.
Just dropped down that worm hole...
Softgel version...
Looks pretty good. Couldn't find it on Amazon. Where do you buy it from?
Got the singles and doubles but 4 pack out of stock... amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BD56K5H6?...
Yes thats the liquid I was refering to. I thought you meant they had a softgel sublingual. It's late...
Sublingual
hmmm now my levels are up the ladder I may switch to a rotation of B12, Methylfolate and biotin and see how that goes. I’m starting to think the B Complexes are too strong for my needs now. I’ll trial for 3 months and retest. See what happens. 🌱
TBC...
I’m starting to think the B Complexes are too strong for my needs now. I’ll trial for 3 months and retest.
When I think that I've probably fixed any low levels in my nutrients, I don't want to stop taking them altogether because I don't want to slide down the slippery slope to having low levels again.
There are several ways to deal with this :
1) Buy weaker products.
OR
- my personal preference :
2) Continue to take the supplements I'm happy with but only take them e.g. On a Sunday, OR take them Monday and Thursday, OR take them Monday, Wednesday and Friday, OR Weekend only, or however many days a week I think works for me. This saves money, and means that I don't risk wasting money on something I find I can't tolerate.
I do take supplement holidays quite often - my poor memory for taking them helps with this. 
very smart idea thanks HB 🌱
hello, late reply but wanted to point out that the stress version has majority pyridoxine hcl for b6, which inhibits active b6. Not sure if that’s already been mentioned in the replies.
thanks for this, what does that mean in layman’s terms? I don’t really understand B6. It was the significant amount of B6 that worried me as googling the side effects of excess sounded awful.
Not a complete answer, but a few words which might help are on my blog:
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
have I said this already? I love your blog 🍄 🌱
helvella, I’ve been assuming b6 in the form of food-based pyridoxine (for example in whole-food-based supplements which include b6, assuming the supplements are actually food based as they claim to be), as opposed to synthetic pyridoxine hcl, would not cause this problem, but wondering if you have any thoughts?
An example of such a supplement, if helpful to see: gardenoflife.com/mykind-org...
I think many of these companies are over-claiming.
Looks to me as if they are using a brewer's yeast process to make their B6. Whilst this might be somewhat better than total chemical synthesis - especially regarding lower levels of certain impurities - I wouldn't call it food-source even if we accept yeast as a food ingredient. I think of food source as when you juice a carrot and extract the juice including its beta-carotene.
I suspect the final product is close to indistinguishable.
There again, I'm not educated in these things, nor am in any way qualified in vitamins!
thanks helvella & asidist you prompted me to read more and understand. So I now know what to look for and what to avoid. ⭐️
Thanks helvella. I just looked it up and found out this particular company was bought out by Nestle, so all bets are definitely off re anything they produce. Too bad though! Was using their Vit C and really liked it, and liked that they produced supplements that had doses that werent super excessive. 😕
Yeah, I've been approaching whole foods supplements with skepticism as well - - no regulations for using that term, and as you suggest, no way to know they aren't just marketing yeast-based as "whole foods based," even when they make a distinction between the two as Garden of Life does (why I was looking at their B complex and some others). I've actually emailed a couple of those manufacturers in the past for more info but it wasn't easy to get answers and answers weren't too helpful.
That said, had been thinking any vits/minerals including B6 that are organically produced (even if some or many of the nutrients are yeast-based) would at least not be in the synthetic form or carry the known and unknown risk that some of those synthetics do - and that there's always the chance that they are actually whole-food based (at least I want there to be!!😅) )?? But eh yeah now knowing GOL is owned by Nestle I don't know of any other manufacturers I feel super keen on trusting more than I would a well-reputed manufacturer that provides more information and transparency for synthetically produced supplements. Back to square one!
B12 & B Complex confusion
Basic B Complex reaction? 
B complex; which one?
Thorne Basic B complex
When to take B complex?
