mom is very low on energy - Vitamins & Supplements Message Board

koden · 03-27-2003, 08:30 PM

hi everyone
my mom is 42 years old & always tired & exhausted. she can't get a job cos she has no energy & she says her muscles are always aching & so i've been looking for a good energy supplement. i also need the energy but i don't know if she has chronic fatigue syndrome & if i should take her to the doctor or just get a supplement. any advice would be appreciated. thanks for reading!

Jen23 · 03-28-2003, 07:42 AM

Hi, take her to a doctor first to rule out any other possible problems. If your doctor says that he/she can't find anything wrong with her, then suspect that she has chronic fatigue. In that case, here's what's recommended:

- An antioxidant formula: Chronic fatigue syndrome can be caused by excess free radicals in the body so antioxidants work really well fighting these free radicals. Get a formula that has vitamin C, vitamin E, natural beta carotene and selenium in it.

- B Vitamins: Important for energy. Get a B complex that has 50 to 100 mg of all the B vitamins

- Calcium and Magnesium: A Deficiency of both has been associated with chronic fatigue. Get 500 mg of each in a chelated form.

Or if you do not want to buy the vitamins and minerals seperately, get her a really good, balanced multivitamin/mineral that has good amounts of antioxidants in it.

Another supplement she should definately try is called Astragalus. This is an asian herb that works tremendously well on the immune system by renforcing it. She can take it indefinately. A good product recommended by Dr. Weil that has Astragalus in it is called Astra-8. Just look for it on the web.

Another important thing she should do is regular aerobic exercise even if she doesn't feel like it. This is really important to overcome chronic fatigue. Exercise brings oxygen to the cells. She can start off with taking a 5 minute walk every day, and then go up to 10 min, 15, 20 etc.

Also, avoid junk foods, fried foods, excess sugar and make sure she gets lots of essential fatty acids like fish, nuts, flax seeds. EFA's are very anti-inflammatory. Also, lots of antioxidant-rich veggies.

So to sum it all up, if she has chronic fatigue syndrome: - A good multivitamin/mineral w/antioxidants
- The tonic formula Astra-8
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy foods

Good luck!

isolated one · 03-28-2003, 08:11 AM

I suggest you find information on the herbs Korean Ginseng, Maca, and Rhodiola.

[This message has been edited by gar fla (edited 04-02-2003).]

koden · 04-11-2003, 12:41 AM

sorry for being so long in responding but thanks for your help. i kinda thought about getting her some of that stuff that's on tv sometimes that helps rebuild cartilage or helps aching muscles but i'm not sure. my mom is also kind of moody sometimes so i'm interested in the rhodiola for that but as far as the energy i'm not sure if it'd be enough cos she needs a lot. i know she's taken st.john's wort in the past but i don't know what for but it's probably depression since my grandpa recently died. i have a ? for gar fla tho; how much energy does rhodax give u & does it make u jittery? thanks guys

mlgable · 04-11-2003, 09:19 AM

The first thing needed is a thorough examination by the doctor to rule out any physical cause. She could have low iron or hypothroidism or any number of things causing her problems. Until she is medically cleared by the doc save your time looking for supplements as they may do more harm then good if she has a medical problem causing her lack of energy and muscle pains. Make an appointment for her to see the doc ASAP and get this taken care of.