Why are so many people up at this hour ?

[SummerDad]

Just wondering ...

Thankyou. for the kind ithoughts itt is just so sureel .Ive just put a load of washing on the.I think Im losing the plot .
I cant stop worrying about my stepdad .

Hope you ask manage to get some sleep. Dh is fine (sprained a chest muscle) apparently) and I'vepicked him up (so we're all awake again.

good news, mrsHoarder :)
by tomorrow you may well be cursing him when you're knackered but hey

Life and death are surreal, wakeup, but we don't become aware of this until we have our own intensely personal experience of bereavement and the grief it engenders.

The Kubler Ross model that cafecito referred to has it that the 5 stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance but her research was based on the feelings expressed by terminally ill patients who were themselves facing their own mortality rather than those who would be left bereaved by their passing.

Unfortunately, this model has been applied to other forms of grief such as that experienced through divorce or other family break up. Some no doubt will fit the model, but others may not experience the emotions it defines sequentially, or may experience some but not all of the 5 alleged stages.

Bereavement is an intensely personal experience which defies any formulaic attempt to restrict it either by time, or by compartmentalising the various emotions it invokes in us, and all we can do is hold the memory of our loved ones clear and dear as we go through the uniquely individual rite of passage which is coming to terms with their loss - and it should be accepted that we may never come to terms with it.

You may find that any faith you may have in an afterlife will sustain you through these dark days but, even if your faith is strong, you may still want to scream 'Why?' at the universe because knowing why we are destined to be mortal beings may bring us some crumbs of comfort when we are faced with the enormity of losing those we love most in the world.

During the coming months you may feel as if you are trying to make sense of nonsense; please know that whatever feeings you experience are entirely natural and have been felt by others before you.

I first found reference to krill oil on this site, cafecito where another m/netter mentioned that it had relieved arthritis in her hip to the extent that she could get back down on the floor to play with her grandchildren.

Needless to say, I made an immediate purchase of this hopefully miraculous substance in the form of 500mg capsules for which the directions are 1-2 a day with the caution 'do not exceed stated dose'.

However, I have since discovered that krill oil is available in 1500mg capsules and Holland & Barrett's version recommends 2 a day 'do not exceed stated dose'.

So, do I up my 500mg numbers to 6 a day or do I simply invest in a bottle from H&B? What woud DrCafe prescribe?

Just want to note that I hate mornings.

I think nightmares & vivid dreams are a sign that your subconscious really wants to express it's feelings. Maybe talking therapy would diminish the nightmares & lead to more restful sleep?

I too would be very interested to hear about krill oil doses & stem cell treatment for my arthritis - I was told at 40 that there was no other option than a replacement but wish to avoid like the plague & soldier on.

anti-litigation hat on.. I'm not a doctor yet but midwife definitely try krill oil. In fact, I think I shall remind myself to buy some krill oil, I'm sure everyone could benefit at a low dose regularly. I bought some for someone once, quite a few years ago, cost loads but think was only just being made available at that time.

izzy I would say... go with the supplements you think are of the higher quality possibly not the holland&barrett ones though please HB dont sue me

I think with most of these things, cold processing is good (preserves as much of the good stuff..) and not using nasty gases and things in the processing of the supplement.

In terms of dosage I reckon it's probably pretty safe- unless you are pregnant (vitamin A) or have any bleeding disorders, or take any other drugs that can affect coagulation, because it can inhibit platelet aggregation.

It directly affects the liver and arachidonic acid (among many other things) but aa is used in the formation of prostaglandins, and leucotriene and thromboxanes.. it inhibits the COXetc enzyme pathways before they've begun, if you like, and how aspiring works as an antiinflammatory is directly on the COX enzyme, so it's a very advance pre-anti inflammatory..

and does loadsa other great things too

So I think anything between 1 and 3g a day would be safe

I doubt you'd see an enormous benefit in upping to 3g, maybe go middle of the road and have 1.5g a day for a time, then down it to 1g..

I only say this because there have been studies in long term fish oil supplementation that show high doses (sort of 2,3g a day) can be harmful- if we take krill oil to be a far superior fish oil, it could be that it could potentially cause some of the same effects as having too much fish oil supplementation. Obvs the body has to process and metabolise excesses of anything we take in.. and of course all these benefits really depend on co-actions in the body anyway, coenzymes and other substances and also our baseline diet

Krill oil benefits are reported at low doses such as 300g. while krill oil is probably very very safe, much more so than regular supplementation, I'd still say probably stick to 1-1.5g

when I can't sleep later, I might research carbon valencies in krill oil and come up with some marvellous reason why a certain dosage is just right because of how many bonds it can make and therefore how easily it could cause oxidative damage, and so on and so forth.. or I could google it.. but have to get a train now, don't want to go all the way to paddington (it's snowing, and I am very late)

Thanks Cafe - I will investigate online purchasing!!

wakeup - Am very deeply sorry for the loss of your mother; words are not enough! Thinking of you and sending love. xxx

Izzy - The benefits of zinc are enormous, especially if your everyday diet is lacking in certain nutrients BUT zinc should always be taken on its own and not mixed with other supplements! It interferes with the absorption of iron (which is also very important).

didn't know about not mixing zinc with other vits....I have high dose vit C and zinc (when I remember) often in the afternoon, but take iron in the morning.whaddyathink?

That's fine Mrs shrek. Yes jynier you're absolutely right about zinc, zn deficiency accounts for so many symptoms. Now on train, somewhere in a field...going to be a long night..

Try to avoid taking the iron with coffee or tea though, ideally

Orange juice would be good

yes, also heard about coffee/tea link. And also not to have coffee after a meal as it eliminates any iron content that your body may have got from that meal.

To all of you who are taking supplements: - always take zinc separately and never buy multi-vitamins in which z. is included. Best to take 15 mg dose late in the evening- it promotes healing and helps restore taste and smell. I have no medical qualifications, btw, but was able to dispense with my walking aids quite quickly after taking zinc. It is also supposed to help with sexual ... crikey, dunno what to say now!!!

Supposed to put a bit of lead in the pencil, IYKWIM!

can I please adopt the saying put a bit of lead in the pencil for future medical practice, jynier? It's masterful I am still on my train, in a rickety carriage doing medical quizzes listening to brazilian funk music...occasionally dance a bit when nobody can see me..my Friday night fun

Can't believe my post! For the first time in three years, I've taken an interest in other people rather than being mired in my grief! Thanks, MN and *SummerDad."

SummerDad obviously!

we have lengthy tutorials on what to call body parts in a dumbingdown for joepublic style, and when asking permission to do certain examinations. Always makes it sound much worse imo, we get marks for saying ridiculous stuff...I'm saving lead in pencil for my next osce

Yes thank you summerdad!

and thank you jynier, a. for making me crack a smile when I was very money and b. I didn't know about taking zinc separately

kitty hope you're ok if you are around and not too many quacks

I am almost always up at this hour

But this time I have learned something, and have taken note.

So thank you