I just wondered if anyone has had similar experiences to me. I have had CFS for about 3 years and up until a year ago had been taking high strength multi-vitamins and minerals. A year ago I developed quite severe anxiety, vertigo and mild mental problems which lessened when I stopped taking the supplements.

A year later my CFS has become even worse and I have recently had a test for magnesium which showed I had a marked deficiency. However, when I take supplements, including magnesium and B-complex, my vertigo become unbearable, I get motion sickness, very bad dizziness, numbness and tingling in my face and mild auditory and visual hellucinations. The only supplements I have found which I can tollorate are Vitamin C/E, probiotics and Aloe Vera. I have tried NAET allergy desensitisation which has had no effect and am at a loss as to what to try next.

My doctor is completely unable to help me, has no idea what could be causing this and has told me she thinks I am just depressed and that its all in my head. I do not suffer from depression, before this happened I was a happy and fun loving person. I am getting no help but someone must have had similar experiences to me.

Any help greatly appreciated. x

I seriously believe you should go to another doctor for a 2nd opinion.

were you taking a serperate multi vitamin pill and then a mineral pill?

Did you know that multi vitamins already contain minerals in it also?

You might of been overdosing on certain vitamins and or minerals.

OpenDoor,

The vitamins and minerals in supplements are VERY TINY quantities. In order to make a pill or capsule large enough to pick up with your fingers, the manufacturers have to put "fillers" of various sorts in them. And they also use various dyes to make them pretty -- B-Complex often uses yellow and/or green dyes. And they need binders to hold it all together. And they need oils to suspend fat-soluable vitamins (A, E, K, D) in the capsule. It may be that what you are reacting to is not the vitamin or mineral itself, but the starch, dyes, oils, binders, etc. Read the "fine print" list of ingredients on the packages you are having problems with, and if necessary, write to the manufacturers and ask for further information. Once you are able to figure out which of the "extras" are giving you problems, you may be able to find another brand which doesn't have those ingredients, and which you can tolerate.

Good luck on trying to supplement your diet with things that will build you up, not make you sick.

--Rheanna

More about the extra ingredients:

I looked at my packages of B-Complex and Magnesium and this is what I found (translating from German as best I can):

Magnesium 380 tablets: Magnesium hydroxide (this is where the magnesium is!), filler cellulose, corn starch, thickener arabic gum, coating agent hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, stabilisor (vernetzte? don't know what that means) sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, separating agents talc and magnesium stearate, color Titanium dioxide.

B-Complex coated tablets: various b vitamins blah blah, lactose monohydrate (this comes from milk), copovidon (haven't a clue), sodiumcarboxymethyl starch, microcrystaline cellulose, cellulose powder, highly dispersed siliciumdioxide, talc, stearinpalmitin acid, calcium carbonate, magnesium stearate, shellack (excuse me???) saccharose (sugar substitute), tragant (haven't a clue), arabic gum, montanglycol wax, titanium dioxide (white coloring), riboflavin (a b vitamin that gives a yellow coloring.

This is just what's in the vitamins I'm taking -- yours will probably differ. I'm trying not to think about what I just wrote. As you can see, if you're reacting to taking the vitamin/mineral tablets, it could be ANYTHING in there, not necessarily the vitamins/minerals themselves.

--Rheanna

I take new chapter they are 100 percent natural. Stay away from that garbage sold in the drug store, or walmart. buy from health food stores only.

I just wondered if anyone has had similar experiences to me. I have had CFS for about 3 years and up until a year ago had been taking high strength multi-vitamins and minerals. A year ago I developed quite severe anxiety, vertigo and mild mental problems which lessened when I stopped taking the supplements.

A year later my CFS has become even worse and I have recently had a test for magnesium which showed I had a marked deficiency. However, when I take supplements, including magnesium and B-complex, my vertigo become unbearable, I get motion sickness, very bad dizziness, numbness and tingling in my face and mild auditory and visual hellucinations. The only supplements I have found which I can tollorate are Vitamin C/E, probiotics and Aloe Vera. I have tried NAET allergy desensitisation which has had no effect and am at a loss as to what to try next.

My doctor is completely unable to help me, has no idea what could be causing this and has told me she thinks I am just depressed and that its all in my head. I do not suffer from depression, before this happened I was a happy and fun loving person. I am getting no help but someone must have had similar experiences to me.

Any help greatly appreciated. x

Doctors know illness. Do they know alot about vitamins, minerals and nutrition? Doubtful.

Mega doses can cause symptoms. Why here's just one snipet I found about niacin toxicity:

Signs and symptoms:
Body flush, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea,
weakness, lightheadedness, headache, fainting, sweating, high
blood sugar, high uric acid, heart rhythm disturbances,
jaundice.

Wow, that's alot of trouble for just one vitamin!

But in moderation, I think supplements are ok, for insurance since we don't always eat right. B-vitamins and magnesium alike are good for all sorts of ailments, but maybe you should seek out alternatives to mega-doses.

Vitamins can also interact with medications if you are on any. Best to eat right, find food sources of the b-complex and magnesium, and supplement mildly for insurance.

A member of my family had a long-standing problem that stopped after stopping high strength multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplements. I was amazed and a bit sceptical at first. But yes, the HIGH-strength vitamin/mineral supplement was the culprit. Now he uses a reasonable strength brand (Centrum) and it's cheaper too.

Everyone is different.

Thanks everyone for your words of advice and encouragement. I seem to react of even very low doses of magnesium (50% RDA) but you are right saying that it could be the fillers. I have also always used Mg Citrate so maybe its the particular molecule that I'm reacting to and should try something else like a chelate or sulphate.

Things have been pretty bad this last few days because like many others I feel I have been completely rejected by the medical establishment. It just amazes me that the aparent M.E specialist at the hospital can say it's all in my head when they haven't even got a clue what is wrong with me.I simply have no standard of living any more and yet no one seems to take it seriously.

I have decided to spend the last of my money and have booked myself in to a private environmental medicine hospital next Monday. The doctor I am seeing is a specialist in M.E and allergies so I desperately hope that something will come of it.

I'll let you know what happens but thanks again for your time and advice!

Hi OpenDoor
I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I also get dizzy when I take certain vitamins/herbal remedies. If I take ginger, DGL, aloe vera, or any stomach medicines (zantac, losec etc) I get really dizzy. I had vestibular neuronitis a few months ago and have suspected gerd. Its really frustrating. If you find out any answers Id be interested to hear.
Good luck
Tesss

Thanks everyone for your words of advice and encouragement. I seem to react of even very low doses of magnesium (50% RDA) but you are right saying that it could be the fillers. I have also always used Mg Citrate so maybe its the particular molecule that I'm reacting to and should try something else like a chelate or sulphate.

Things have been pretty bad this last few days because like many others I feel I have been completely rejected by the medical establishment. It just amazes me that the aparent M.E specialist at the hospital can say it's all in my head when they haven't even got a clue what is wrong with me.I simply have no standard of living any more and yet no one seems to take it seriously.

I have decided to spend the last of my money and have booked myself in to a private environmental medicine hospital next Monday. The doctor I am seeing is a specialist in M.E and allergies so I desperately hope that something will come of it.

I'll let you know what happens but thanks again for your time and advice!

Yeah, the it's all in your head diagnosis is probably used more often than the it's probably a virus diagnosis. Why can't they just admit they really don't know for sure?

What's wrong with that, we don't expect them to hold the secrets of the universe in their hand. I can accept that they don't know; medicine is outrageously advanced these days but still some things haven't been solved yet....I can accept that, why can't the profession?

They don't need to save face with me in that case. But if they just are guessing and insist they are right, or give me harmful/wrong meds or diagnosis, they've got alot of "splaining to do honey!"

Say, I have a list of magnesium rich foods here, maybe they'll be better than the supplements? Good luck with your environmental hospital stay I hope they can help.

MAGNESIUM-RICH FOOD ITEMS

MAGNESIUM
FOOD ITEM SERVING (oz) CONTENT(mg)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peanuts, all types, roasted 1/2 cup 131
Tofu, raw, regular 1/2 cup 127
Peanuts, all types, raw 1/2 cup 123
Broccoli, cooked 2 large stalks 120
Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 79
Chard, Swiss, cooked 1/2 cup 76
Soybeans, cooked 1/2 cup 74
Tomato paste, canned 1/2 cup 67
Simulated meat products, meat extender 1 ounce 61
Small white beans, cooked 1/2 cup 61
Sweet potato, canned, mashed 1/2 cup 61
Black beans, cooked 1/2 cup 60
Dock (sorrel), cooked 1/2 cup 60
Nuts & seeds, all types 1 ounce 60 avg. (9-152)
Pumpkin seeds 1 ounce 152
Chestnuts 1 ounce 9
Chili with beans, canned 1/2 cup 58
White beans, cooked 1/2 cup 57
Baked beans 1/2 cup 55
Navy beans, cooked 1/2 cup 53
Peanut butter 2 tablespoons 51
Succotash, cooked 1/2 cup 51
Beet greens, cooked 1/2 cup 49
Lima beans, baby, cooked 1/2 cup 49
Refried beans, canned 1/2 cup 49
Mung beans, cooked 1/2 cup 48
Artichoke, cooked 1 medium 47
Pinto beans, cooked 1/2 cup 47
Whole grain cereals, ready-to-eat 1 ounce 47 avg. (22-134)
Blackeyed peas, dried, cooked 1/2 cup 46
Okra, cooked 1/2 cup 46
Great Northern beans 1/2 cup 44
Squash, acorn, baked 1/2 cup cubes 43
Lima beans, large, cooked 1/2 cup 41
Kidney beans, all types, cooked 1/2 cup 40
Chickpeas, cooked 1/2 cup 39
Purslane, cooked 1/2 cup 39
Yogurt, low fat varieties 1 cup (8 oz.) 37
Broadbeans, cooked 1/2 cup 36
Split peas, cooked 1/2 cup 36
Lentils, cooked 1/2 cup 35
Milk, fluid, all types 1 cup (8 oz.) 35 avg. (28-40)

Tesss, It's kind of comforting to know I'm not alone but I'm sorry you're also going through this. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. If I have any great revelations I'll be sure to share them with you.

Jennita, thanks for the list, I'll see what I can do with my diet. I do have a pretty good diet anyway but I have bad IBS and I suspect I'm not absorbing much of the nutritonal content of my food. I'm hoping that the hospital will be able to support my digestion a little so I don't need supplements.

I guess it all comes down to money and the way the medical profession has formed itself over the years. Through my own research I've come to the conclusion that things like M.E and IBS can have a number of different causes which all result in similar symptoms. These causes are often a result of system wide problems and what is needed is a wholistic approach and system wide testing. The problem is as soon as you go to the doctor they try and send you to a specialist who only knows about his/her limited area of the body.

When my problems first started I had allot of fatigue, digestive problems and joint pain. My doctor sent me to see a rheumatologist who wanted to give me steroids to help the joint pain but didn't have any idea about the other problems I was facing, even though a fool could see they were obviously related. I tried to explain that I thought the problem was something more fundamental and that using steroids to treat the symptoms wasn't the answer.... I got shown the door pretty quickly.

My own personal opinion is that as people become more and more disillusioned with the medical profession they will start turning more and more to environmental, nutritional and energy medicine. Hopefully someone will then sit up and take notice but I somehow doubt it'll happen for a long time.

Same here. I've been advised to take supliments, especially B1. However when I take supliments (admidtantly from supermarkets or Walmart) the following day is usually a nightmare of depression/anziety and stress pain in my lower neck and shoulders. I'd love to know a natural B supliment I can take.