A Note on Self-Dosing

Whether it’s a prescription drug, vitamin, tea, herbal pill or tincture, it’s important not to overdose, to find one’s balance with the active ingredients. Thus, always start with the smallest amount possible, no matter what the bottle says is the recommended dose.

For instance, the full-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement Spectro by Solaray recommends five pills a day for the amounts listed on the label, all of which are higher than the RDA. So take just one. See how you feel. See what it does to the color of your urine. If it turns deep yellow, then you aren’t absorbing it all, and taking more would be pretty pointless.

Some people think if a little is good, more must be better. This is not always true. Sometimes more is just more, or even dangerous. Balance is key!

When I do vitamins, I tend to do one every-other day, as that is how often I test positive for their use via kinesiology. When I was recovering from candida, I needed more than that for a time, but I’ve never needed as much as I thought I did, or as much as the bottles recommended.

If you’re taking something like a liver supporting herbal complex in order to cleanse and detox, expect to get a detox headache or other reactions and increase the dose until you do. This lets you know your appropriate dose and that the compound is appropriate - you really do have toxins that must be taken out. You can leave the dose where it is and hope the headache stops as you get better, or lower it until you’re in your comfort zone. If you stay in your comfort zone for awhile, try increasing the dose to see if your threshold has increased. This will keep the cleansing and detoxing moving at a brisk pace.

If you’re taking a myriad of supplements, it’s best to cycle through them. Don’t give your body too much to do all at once. Break them up into stages, cycles (anti-fungals) or alternate days.

Always have an end date in mind with any supplement, there are very few supplements that should be taken forever. The end date can be as simple as when the bottle runs out. Most supplements and medications are temporary intervention, the goal being no longer needing them. The exceptions are certain teas, spices, super foods and essential minerals and salts.

Also be aware of the amount of intervention you are doing when choosing protocols and try to find what’s appropriate. It's often best to start with the least amount of intervention and gradually increase as necessary. Herbs should be respected – they can be every bit as powerful as a prescription drug.

So say you’re trying to be more regular. The least amount of intervention would be to drink a large cup of water first thing in the morning to induce a bowel movement. The next step up would be to take in some good oils, as bile induces peristaltic action. If these work, they’re better than taking Senna, which is a strong laxative herb that can create dependency over time. So make sure you know your options and understand the hierarchy of which intervention is stronger or weaker and try to start out somewhere in the middle, or perhaps start off strong and then be sure to back off.

Have a clear goal in mind when you take supplements. Keep a list of your symptoms and update it weekly. After adding in a supplement or two, ask yourself weekly whether your symptoms list has changed. Are you closer to your goal? Feeling less brainfog? More energy? If you’re feeling worse, is it a legitimate healing crisis, or is the compound simply not right for your body type?

The “Eat Right for Your Type” database does include guidelines on herbs and vitamins. It’s worth a look, even if you end up taking something that is not recommended for your blood type for awhile.

Since so many of the issues we deal with in restoring vital health are confusing, overlapping and don’t have definitive tests available, our symptoms become our best signposts. Beware of saying things like “I have IBS” or “I have CFS” on your symptoms list because a syndrome is general and can mean different things. Better to say “I have fatigue and experience bouts of diarrhea and constipation” because these symptoms are easily understood require different, specific interventions. You’re no longer lost in “syndrome land.” It also helps you to write your goals: “Increased energy,” for instance.

Hope that helps! :)
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