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Introduction


As a rule I don't hold with chemical answers to ills, but sometimes you doctors advice you on what's best. When they do I, for one, like to get a head start on Google to see what the effects are…

Nurse: He's dead! He's had a massive anaphylactic reaction to the injection!
Doctor: Yesss, but on the bright side we've cured his migraines.


Aspirin and Paracetamol
I think we have some in the cupboard but I for one won't take them, far, far to many side effects to be healthy.

Ibrufen
There are times when the pain and/or headache is so bad you really couldn't care less about 'possible' side effects. I try to avoid touching them, but if I must, I will.

Steroids
No, no. Really, no, I won't try them, Doc!

Baclofen
This is a commonly prescribed muscle relaxant.
They put me on these and I read up - and refused to take them.

As my own condition worsened they made me promise to try them. A dirty trick in my opinion, but a promise is a promise and so I tried. You have to be concerned about anything that you have to build up from half a tablet to two over the course of a month. I've spend the last few months lowering the dose gradually to be rid of the things. Beside other problems with them, they seemed to interact with my Venlafaxine, making me tired all the time. Can't maintain a web site when you need to sleep 18 hours a day. Blah!

Venlafaxine
A commonly described anti-depressant

I put off taking anything remotely like this, but between one consultant and another I gave it a try. It has made a difference, actually. I still don't hold with them, but for the sake of my kids I keep taking them. My wife refers to them as my 'happy pills' and even the kids know to check if I've taken them if I'm extra, extra grumpy in the morning. Louise is of the opinion I still need to double the dose. I'm of the opinion it's time to come off them, or at least try after the school holidays are over. That said, I am rather more volatile when I forget them, which is why I've got into the habit of taking them mid-cereal.

Vitamin supplements
These are NOT a substitute for a healthy diet and never should be looked at as such, but older people often need a boast and children today can be incredibly fussy over eating habits. Me, even as a child I'd happily take second servings of sprouts, radishes, kelp and so forth. As Jamie Oliver pointed out on his TV series, most kids today wouldn't know and cumcumber from a brocolli if you beat them over the head with it, so to speak.

There's a lot of press about not taking them, but I am for them, even in a balanced diet. Not overdoing it mind. Personally I wish I'd taken them all as a kid, but that's 20:20 hindsight for you. Fish oil is especially good for children - but you try getting them to take it!

My own choice, is for Holland & Barrett's 'ABC Plus multi-vitamin and multi-mineral formula' (with antioxidants), Wilkos Cod Liver Oil High Strength (with EPA)* and Wilkos Garlic one a day. I'd take ginseng as well, but it all adds up…
*(I prefer H&B's EPA version, but at quadruple the cost I think it is grossly overpriced)

Incidentally, as a minimum, I like an apple, orange and raw carrots as part of my lunch.

Louise is happy with Boots 'Multivitamins, minerals and iron', while we have settled on Basset's 'Soft and Chewy Multivitamins' for Ryan (blackcurrant flavour).

Erin, however, spits the lot out. Until they make a vitamin supplement that looks, smells and tastes like Cadbury's chocolate I can't see her taking them. Smiley Boggle!



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