Visit a doctor before taking supplements

A friend of mine recently started playing rugby. In a bid to get a more mascular body like his teammates, he was told of an easier way through the use of supplements. My friend quickly ran and bought the particular supplement he was told to buy and it worked just fine. However, many questions lingered in his mind on the safety of this product that had changed his body image in just a short period of time.

Experiences
When Stella Nantale, 32, started to gain weight, she tried to get rid of the excess weight through dieting and exercise. However, after a while she says, she realised that the weight loss was very insignificant.

“I realised that I still ate the normal portions of food and loosing weight was going to be hard. I started taking a supplement that helped to lower my appetite. In a short time, I managed to reduce the weight,” says Nantale.

She adds that although she was always worried about the side effects, she did not get many aside from a change in the colour of her hair and continued paleness, which she attributes to dehydration.

Phoebe Talemwa, a dealer in herbal supplements in Wankulukuku insists that unless poorly used, supplements do not cause harm to the human body. “People don’t follow directions on how to use the supplements. This is what causes most of the complications,” says Talemwa.

Going amiss
However, although some people are not affected, for some others it has not been a walk in the park.

The faster my rugby friend gained the muscles, the harder it became for him to carry out even the simplest of tasks such as putting on a shirt. His body had become rigid and it was extremely hard for him to turn at an angle. “I soon became uncomfortable with my new body,” he says.

According to Dr David Senfuma of Destiny Pharmacy in Kalerwe, one should seek a doctor’s assistance before they embark on increasing body weight.

He adds that the doctor will first carry out a thorough medical background on that person before recommending a supplement.
“Some supplements have chemicals that have an effect on the body, brain and blood. If you talked to a health worker first and then did as instructed, you would be able to use the supplements safely,” he advises.

Signs you are reacting negatively

Dr Senfuma says there are long term adverse effects of using supplements given that most of them are drugs. One might take long to realise how dangerous they are until the symptoms manifest.

Dorothy Misanya, a student at Makerere University, used dietary supplements for a while until she developed heart complications. Doctors advised her to stop taking the supplements in order to regain her health.

“I used supplements to lose weight but my body started itching and I could hardly sleep. I started getting joint pains and general body weakness. So I stopped using them,” recounts Misanya.

Samuel Mbazira, a general practitioner at Care Health Centre in Matuga says not all supplements are good because some contain toxins.
“Some people have died as a result of using the wrong supplements or taking more than their bodies can handle. Many people use them but they are not good,” says Dr Mbazira.

“The supplements will cause a hormonal imbalance which will lead to restlessness. For men especially, after taking the supplements to get ‘muscles’, they will get flushed skin, a yellowish skin colour and constant headaches,” he warns.

Dr Senfuma cites some of the effects as having an unusually fast heartbeat, breathing too fast, constant dizziness and constant sweating.