A helpful link, Digdirt, thank you. I was in a brewing store two nights ago so I just picked up some Campden tablets, which are also covered in the link. I had to laugh to see that one tablet will treat 20 gallons of water. There were 100 tabs per packet. They were cheaper than I'd thought ($3) , and it is more convenient for me to keep on hand the Campden tabs or vitamin c tabs than to buy distilled water. I've already started several batches with NO treatment for chloramine and will see how it goes. For sauerkraut in the past it worked fine, but green beans do not release their own water as easily as cabbage does, so I'm adding brine from tap water,

Do you have a health store in your area with a trained nutritionist? They would be able to help you figure out what is safe for you, they can probably recommend a supplement that has most, if not all of these in it. One of the GNC's in our town is staffed only by trained nutritionists, no college kids like the others. They are incredibly helpful. Ask at the store if there is someone available who is trained in nutrition or vitamin therapy. It does not look like there is anything there that will hurt you, but it is always best to check with someone who knows before putting something you are unsure of in your body!

Anyway, Kelly - wow! Your weight loss is quite an accomplishment! What type diet did you follow? Biotin is good for your nails too isn't it? Can you tell a difference there? Tina, I first started on Weight Watchers and exercise but even though I had wonderful success I decided that I wanted to know more about the calories and nutrients I was putting into my body. I switched to using an online journal (myfooddiary.com) that gives me more detailed info including what percent of my calories are coming from fat/carbs/protein. I'm doing some serious weight lifting and need to keep my protein up to 30-35%. My total calories that I eat everyday is based on my resting metabolic rate and the calories I burn through working out. If I have a light workout day I eat fewer calories. When I'm really on top of things and meeting my daily goals I can easily lose 2.5 to 3lbs per week. Biotin is great for nails and hair as well as boosting the metabolism. I have a hypothyroid and starting taking medication a year ago and my hair fell out badly. It's still not back to the way it was but is a little thicker. Yes, the niacin reaction is immediate. I don't get the hot flash feeling or flushing (which is weird because I am very fair and flush very easily). My rash is/was a ring around my neck and slightly raised. It took a little over a week to go away.

Make sure you read the label carefully when starting something new. I missed the side effects warning on something as simple as the magnesium bottle. OMG, the "may cause gastric upset" was immediate, unbelievable, just awful, I can't stress strongly enough !!!! and took days to resolve. These additions to our diets can be just as harmful as complex prescription drugs. Just be sure you really need them, not just because we think we might, or some article (like I read) says you "probably" do. A simple multi vitamin for seniors and Calcium w/D is usually enough. When I needed to start taking something for cholesterol, my doctor had to change my medication/dose several times until we found one that I could tolerate without the leg cramps and aches. Is your husband taking anything for cholesterol that might be causing the pain? I hope he gets it resolved. Chronic pain is so hard to tolerate every day.