I've looked for L-carnitine but is not available in Canada, and the mail order sites I've looked at either will not ship it, or warn that it may be confiscated at the border. I have also quietly asked at the local non-conformist health food store, but they don't sell it either.

My husband tried St. John's wort a few years ago. He is one of those people who get the side effects if there are any to get. His reaction? Formication. No, not that! It means your skin feels like there are bugs crawling all over it. Also, a kind of skin claustrophobia - the slightest thing touching him made him crazy.

I have just started coenzyme Q10 and have been taking chromium as well. I can't say that I have seen any effects - I seem pretty much the same as usual.

I started taking 5-htp back in the winter to combat the february blues..... it works quite well. Help with the sad moods and overall attitude. I Slept like you wouldnt believe. But it's like echinacea, you cant take it all the time. 2 weeks on.. 2 off. Since I began LCing I havent needed anything to help with the moodiness and I sleep like the dead.

Nat

L-carnitine ... is popular with athletes as a sports nutrition supplement .... so you would be more likely to find it in a health food store that also carries sports stuff. I bought mine here in Ontario at a regular "chain" health food store in a mall - "under the counter" of course. I bought it because I'd heard it was helpful for fibromyalgia and myofascial pain .. it's supposed to help the muscle tissue take up fats to burn as fuel. It's prohibitively expensive, $41.99 for a bottle of 30 tablets, 1000 mg each. The recommended dose is 1000 to 3000 mg per day. Now I'm not sure that I even want to bother taking it ..
Apparently a number of combination formulas have some l-carnitine in them, like 50mg or less .... and this is way too little to be of any benefit at all, according to Dr. Atkins in his "Vita-Nutrient Solution"

I haven't taken 5-HTP, but I have taken L-tryptophan. It is available in Canada by prescription, and it too is outrageously expensive (once upon a time I had a drug plan). It worked well for my fibromyalgia-sleep disorder ... but again, I needed 3000mg per night. And 100 tablets, 1000mg each, cost over $140. So now I take a low-dose tricyclic, which helps, and is cheap ... and has weight gain and altered carbohydrate metabolism as side effect. And if I don't take it, within a week I am in so much pain I cannot function. Such is life.

St. John's Wort can be amazing for some, and it can have serious side effects for others. It interferes with a long list of prescription medications. It causes sensitivity to the sun, not just for increased sunburn risk, but also sun-damage to the eyes. This is of concern to folks who use bright light therapy in the winter months to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. There's a really good personal website about SJW, not commercial at all .... http://www.sjwinfo.org/

Doreen

I just started taking both supplements and am waiting to see what the affects of these drugs are. Its been almost a week and so far nothing, no side affects or weird happenings.

I was talking to my trainer about these supplements and the L-Carnitine came well recommended. The Tonalin she had no idea about, but my UN-LICENSED medical practitioner grandmother seems to believe it will be useful. She is the Guru of all that ails and heals in our family and she's pretty darn good I say.

We buy our vitamins, herbs and stuff from Swansons I will look for the web address.

goingfor60
Shannon

I was doing eight hours/week of serious cardio/weight lifting this summer and did a carnatine trial (as well as a CKD trial). This stuff is, at the levels you're supposed to take it, pricey, as people have mentioned. I saw no effect at all after about $50. I didn't burn fat miraculously as promised.

My understanding is that St. John's Wort is one of those herbs that have actually been tested and do have the promised mood enhancing effect for ?about half? the users. I took some once during a winter blue period, and had some irritating side effect, but honestly, I forget what it was! (lol ~ self--perhaps memory loss? )

I'm with you, Kay, about all the supplements not having any sort of noticeable effect. I'm trying CQ10 now--nada. Glutamine DID seem to help combat cravings, and I suppose chromium isn't hurting me, but...even as I swallow them, I suspect I'm swallowing a line of product-sales hooey.

Natrushka,

Did you take the 5-HTP before bedtime, or throughout the day? I'm wondering if you noticed any effect on your appetite?

Ken
a.k.a., Bookdude53

I wonder if you mean Tonalin CLA? I think Tonalin is a brand name. That specific brand was cited in three studies on CLA that Wa'il posted.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=13413

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...s=&threadid=360

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=31279

After reading only one of these I immediately ran out to buy some. I don't know if it's helping or not. Same goes for the L-Carnitine and all the other stuff I spent so much money on. Like Raz, I'm becoming doubtful of all these supps. I'm quite sure that ginko biloba has not improved my memory.

The one strong argument for CLA is that it's supposed to be in the beef we eat but isn't because cows don't get to eat grass anymore.

I do think that there's something to St. John's Wort, though. I started it years ago when I wasn't making other changes to my diet, etc., and truly noticed an improvment in my then mild depression. It's also the only supplement that actually smells good!

Allison

hey allison, about the smell...

somebody says that one should only take herbal supplements that smell good to them. The idea being, our bodies know best what we really need. I love the theory, even if it, too, is hooey.

And that "somebody" may be mercola...but don't trust my memory. you know me...were this board not bookmarked on my computer, I'd never find it again.

LOL! If that's the criteria, choosing supplements just got a whole lot easier. You've just given me license to throw out those nasty garlic tablets that were sent to me free with a purchase. I love fresh garlic, but these are garlic powder and artificial vanilla flavor -- EEWW!

Allison

A few days ago, I asked about the best time to take 5-HTP. I'm back to tell you . . . take it at night!

I'd read that it could help to reduce or control appetite, so I tried taking one before a meal. If falling asleep during a meal qualifies as appetite control, then, it works! (OK, I'm exaggerating a bit.)
I quickly learned to take a 50mg. capsule before bedtime. My sleep was amazingly sound and restful. Can't say that I've noticed any other effects yet, but I've only taken it three times.
I think I'll just keep it on hand for those rare times when I have difficulty sleeping.

By the way, I learn a lot from reading these messages. Thanks for the info, and the moral support!

According to Dr. Robert Atkins, he states in one of his books ('Vita-Nutrient Solution' I think) that 5-HTP should be taken at night ...that it is a wonderful supplement for insomnia (if I remember correctly, it aids in your quality of sleep). In fact, he also strongly recommends that before bed is also a great time to take calcium supplements ...it is known to aid with sleep as well (as a sleep inducer?). I have found this out to be true for myself.

I've been debating whether to buy this Atkins book. Do you find it helpful?

Thanks for the feedback on 5-HTP.

Ken
a.k.a., the Dude o' the Books

Before you buy it, you may want to check this and other Dr. Atkins' writings out at your local library first (it's a cheap way of finding out which book you really want). The one you like the best is maybe the one you want to buy to keep as a constant reference for yourself.

Personally, I benefitted from all of Atkins' writings. I especially appreciated the 'Vita-Nutrient Solution' book.

Just wanted to share my experience with 5-HTP....

I'd read it about and was particularly interested in it to help with mild insomnia and a lack of restful sleep...

I tried it on two different ocassions...I'd heard warnings about possible nausea/upset stomach, so I was careful to keep the dose low.

It did not work for me at all...on both ocassions, it only slightly help me get to sleep and reduced night wakings. That's ok...but when I woke, both times I had a sickeningly dry mouth and had a mild headache all day. I wouldn't have blamed 5HTP for this after trial 1, but this happened again to exactly the degree the second time. I will not take the product again.

I'm sure this is a YMMV kind of thing, and I don't argue with the success of others with this product...but it's clearly not for everyone. I sincerely hope other who try it don't have the same reaction...but don't be dissappointed if you do...