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Vitamin B5 Information

Panto · 2003-12-30T01:08:25Z

I have noticed a large amount of posts pertaining to vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), with usually the same questions asked over and over agian. Therefore I have decided to make a thread with hopefully all the information someone would need to go on the supplement. Dosage First off, the thing that irks most people is the very high dosage that is needed of B5. In Dr. Lit-Hung Leung's study the dosage that was mainly used is 10 grams. This is ideally how much you should take to get the best results. However, do not begin taking 10 grams right away. Your body needs to get used to the high intake of B5. Since you will be taking 10 grams a day, it is best to buy Vitamin B5 in capsules that are 500mg each. 1000mg (milligrams) is equal to 1g (gram). Therefore, 2 pills is 1 gram. -For the first 3 days, you will want to take a dosage of 5 grams a day. This is a total of 10 pills a day. It is good to have it spread out throughout the day, so it might be good to take 5 pills in the morning, and 5 pills at night. -When the 3 days are up, you will be moving up the full 10 gram dosage. This will mean 20 pills a day. Again, you will want to have a steady supply of B5 throughout the day, so taking it in intervals is important. You will be taking 5 pills, 4 times a day. It is very key to be as consistent as you can. -Keep taking the vitamin B5 for 3 months. I saw results after the 1st week, some people see first results after 2 weeks. After 3 months you should hopefully have clear skin. Make sure you take the b5 consistenly and EVERY DAY for 3 months. (Note: Some people have an initial breakout. This can be caused from pre-existing pimples that are just pushing through. But keep with it, it WILL help you.) -After your acne has finally cleared up, you will still want to continue taking B5, but not in such high doses. Maybe drop down to 5 grams a day. If you get more acne, increase your dosage immediately, and then adjust to a dosage where you do not break out. Overtime you can keep decreasing. -Another point I would like to mention is to make sure you take vitamin B complex vitamins. Taking this much vitamin b5 might cause a deficiency in the other b vitamins. I just take 1 pill of the complex twice a day. Possible Side Effects The good thing about B5 is that it doesn't really have many side effects. Here is what most people have reported: -Stomach irritation -Mild or severe diarrhea -Frequent bathroom visits -Hairloss (rare) Some cases on message boards have reported hair loss but it isn't something I would worry about, and it definetly shouldn't keep you from taking B5. -Increased appetite (I seem to always be hungry, I am eating lots more than I ever have before) -Chapped lips Personally, I had some stomach grumbling for the first few days. I went poop frequently, and farted a lot. But this pretty much went away after 5 days. It is VERY GOOD to take your B5 with food. This will minimize diarrhea or stomach troubles. B5 is water-soluble, so it is impossible to overdose on it. It is very, very safe. I read that it might not be the best idea to take it while pregnant or breast feeding. How it works Basically what the high doses of B5 do is create high amounts of Coenzyme-A. People with acne are lacking in the metabolism of fats. This is because they do not have enough Coenzyme-A in the body. The fats do not break down, but get deposited in your sebaceous (oil) glands and get secreted as sebum (oil). The p.acne bacteria feeds off of this sebum, and creates acne. With all of this extra Coenzyme-A, all these fats can be broken down, and you do not have oily skin. Since you have a minimal amount of oil on your skin, no acne is produced (Hurray). Accutane also minimizes oil production, but it does so by shrinking your oil glands. The pantothenic acid doesn't need to shrink your oil glands, because it causes there to not be oil there in the first place. An extra bonus from pantothenic acid (B5) is that is makes your pores smaller. This results in making your skin smooth and good looking. Where to get it This is a department that some people have trouble in. You probably won't find it in super markets, or stores like CVS. You will need to find it in shops that are specialized in drugs or vitamins. This means stores like GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, etc. I personally get it from a local Vitamin Shoppe. Many times it will not be under the name B5, but Pantothenic Acid. Here is a Vitamin Shoppe link of what their brand looks like. You can order it on their site if you want too. Note how it has 500mg capsules, and there are 300 of them. Make sure you buy a lot because they get used up quickly. Many people do not like the price, but it's worth it to get rid of your acne. So KEEP AT IT, clear skin is just around the corner. I will probably update/edit this post where I see fit, or if I get asked to. Feel free to add any/all useful info. Useful Linkshttp://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3f978/B5.htmlhttp://www.freewebs.com/krg/b5.htmlhttp://gmuntz.tr...

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snizz

MemberMember

(@snizz)

Posted : 03/03/2006 11:03 am

Whoops. I meant 500mg. You'd think being a self-proclaimed math geek, I'd get conversions a bit easier. Ha.

I'm curious what everyone's pill popping lineup and schedule is. B5, B-Complex, Zinc, etc.

PS - I'm a 'she'.

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T A C

MemberMember

(@tac)

Posted : 03/03/2006 1:51 pm

Whoops. I meant 500mg. You'd think being a self-proclaimed math geek, I'd get conversions a bit easier. Ha.

I'm curious what everyone's pill popping lineup and schedule is. B5, B-Complex, Zinc, etc.

PS - I'm a 'she'.

I try to stay as consistent as possibly with my pill popping. Here's what I do.

About 7 a.m. I take 2.5 grams B5, 1500 mg Biotin, 1 super B-complex.

Then in the evening just before bed I take the same except I don't take the Biotin.

I also drink Green Tea twice a day. And that's basically all I am doing at the moment.

I will say I am considering incorporating a Zinc supplement soon. But only because of what I've heard about it. Not because what I'm doing isn't working for me.

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Dingo Jellybean

MemberMember

(@dingo-jellybean)

Posted : 03/03/2006 4:24 pm

Your body will take what it needs and discard what it does not. You will notice your urine color to be a flourescent yellow after taking B5.

Not quite. The neon yellow urine is the result of B2. Even a little bit of B2 can make your urine really yellow. Taking B5 alone however will not turn your urine yellow.

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Pam 32570

MemberMember

(@pam32570)

Posted : 03/03/2006 9:18 pm

I take 500mg pills as follows (equals 5 grams per day)

3 w/ breakfast & B-complex

2 w/lunch

3 w/ dinner & b-complex

2 w/ late night snack

I take other vitamins too, which I don't think affect the acne. I'm considering zinc too! The only reason I spread out the dosage so much is to go easy on the stomach.

I'm having good results!!

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F 4 W Epic

MemberMember

(@f4wepic)

Posted : 03/05/2006 5:19 am

This work for teens as well?

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T A C

MemberMember

(@tac)

Posted : 03/05/2006 7:40 am

This work for teens as well?

My daughter (15 yrs. old) is also taking B5. I do feel it's working for her. When I ask her if it is she isn't real straight forward. I feel she doesn't think it's working. Maybe it's too soon to tell for her. She's been on birth control pills for just over a month as well so it it going to be difficult for me to know which is helping her when things finally do start to work.

I'll try to get a better idea from her and let you know.

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Mr. Handsome

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(@mr-handsome)

Posted : 03/05/2006 8:53 pm

Buona sera Andrew, come stai?

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hilfiger

MemberMember

(@hilfiger)

Posted : 03/06/2006 5:27 pm

doctors dont perscribe this bc it does not get rid of acne. it can aid to help but very minimal.

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mental-miracle

MemberMember

(@mental-miracle)

Posted : 03/07/2006 10:25 am

HOW to measure the powder form ? is one teaspoon = 1 g ?

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snizz

MemberMember

(@snizz)

Posted : 03/07/2006 5:37 pm

Rereading this forum, I've noticed a lot of people have more of a reaction to 5 or 6g than 10g, so I think I'll try that and add more if it doesn't work.

I'm going to start with 3g for a week or so. Should I adjust the B-Complex to these lower dosages? It was recommended to take the B-Complex twice a day with the B5 when using 10g, but should I still be taking that much with only 3g?

I don't know how much the B-Complex is really a factor.

I'll also be taking a multivitamin if that matters. I already have them and figure they shouldn't go to waste.

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Jen 121

MemberMember

(@jen121)

Posted : 03/07/2006 8:35 pm

I tried it for 2 weeks and I noticed that my oil went down but the breaking didnt stop.. in fact I think it got worse than before. I was waking up with a new whitehead everyday almost like the inital breakout on accutane. And I figured it wasn't worth it since I didn't even know if it was going to work. I also didn't like how it made me tired all the time and I just didn't feel right. But good luck to whoever tries it!

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Sebastian C

MemberMember

(@sebastianc)

Posted : 03/07/2006 11:02 pm

what about hair loss? Is it really something to worry about?

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T A C

MemberMember

(@tac)

Posted : 03/08/2006 1:49 pm

what about hair loss? Is it really something to worry about?

I've been taking 1500 mg of Biotin daily while on B5 and I have noticed no hair loss. The Biotin actually has been helping and I have less hair loss than prior to taking the Biotin and B5. But everyone is different.

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Spectralis

MemberMember

(@spectralis)

Posted : 03/08/2006 2:45 pm

Has anyone tried to modify their fat intake while using B5? As I understand it, from reading the 1997 study, the issue of too much fatty food consumption was highlighted as a cause of acne.

I'm wondering if a reduced fat intake may require a lower intake of B5 and provide the same results as a higher dose of B5 while eating a regular (higher fat diet).

What do people think?

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Sebastian C

MemberMember

(@sebastianc)

Posted : 03/08/2006 10:04 pm

what about hair loss? Is it really something to worry about?

I've been taking 1500 mg of Biotin daily while on B5 and I have noticed no hair loss. The Biotin actually has been helping and I have less hair loss than prior to taking the Biotin and B5. But everyone is different.

Do you know how much Biotin and B-Complex you have to take for different B5 doses?

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T A C

MemberMember

(@tac)

Posted : 03/09/2006 12:16 pm

Do you know how much Biotin and B-Complex you have to take for different B5 doses?

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wasting_days_away

MemberMember

(@wasting_days_away)

Posted : 03/13/2006 4:07 pm

I bought D'Pantothenic Acid... is it the one?

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All_business

MemberMember

(@all_business)

Posted : 03/16/2006 9:34 am

OK I have read this post beginning to end but I didnAaat really read anything about how people are washing there face and what they are apply after. Is everyone just washing gently and then applying moisturizer after? Please let me see a couple of your full regiments. Thanks

Andrew

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snizz

MemberMember

(@snizz)

Posted : 03/16/2006 11:42 am

My regimen log is here. I'm only a week in, but I have the B5 and the topical regimens in there.

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wasting_days_away

MemberMember

(@wasting_days_away)

Posted : 03/16/2006 5:37 pm

why does the b-complex has to be taken???

and also, i don't know if it's cos of b5 but i've been feeling like shit lately(low energy and tired.) what can i do?

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ppx 11

MemberMember

(@ppx11)

Posted : 03/16/2006 9:49 pm

The B5 has been working great for me! Cut down the oil and I haven't had a new pimple in about a week and half (I hope I don't jinx myself)! BUT, I've been going to the bathroom a lot more and my dumps have been a bit uncomfortable. It comes out semi-diarrhea and it sometimes its a bit painful (not that much though) and I've been having alot more gas lately. I'm not taking a B Complex. Is that the reason? Anyone else have more success with the bathroom aspecT?

PS: It seems that if I'm taking 8+ grams a day, my bathroom trips are uncomfortable but I have to take at least 8+ grams for it to stop my acne. If I take a lower amount like 5-6g then it doesn't work as well but I have no problems taking poops.

Also, I've read a few posts saying that this could cause liver problems. Anyone care to explain?

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Sebastian C

MemberMember

(@sebastianc)

Posted : 03/16/2006 10:11 pm

I'll take Pantethine instead of Pantothetic Acid, also I will take max 1MG/day. Pantethine is more bioavailable and doesn't cause problems with the liver or stones because it doesn't have Calcium.

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All_business

MemberMember

(@all_business)

Posted : 03/16/2006 10:12 pm

This is one post that i found

http://www.wildoats.com/redesign/hn.php?or...ntentID=2927004

I just did allot of searching for pantothenic acid (B5) and all i really found was that its ok in high doses but might give you nausea and if you take a real lot then you will probably have diarrhea. Also taking it with B-complex will help to transfer it into the body. plus doses should be taken over a length of time to evenly release it into the body and not all at once (like im sure most of you do)

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All_business

MemberMember

(@all_business)

Posted : 03/16/2006 10:25 pm

alos i think that every one doing this regiement should look into milk thistle. I have been takin suppliments for working a long time and this really helps to protect you liver. helps to keep things moving while still allowing your body to soak up what ever it is that you are taking. its cheap and you can get at at CVS, wal-Mart, where ever.

here is a sort description

"several scientific studies suggest that active substances in milk thistle (particularly silymarin) protect the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins, alcohol, and certain drugs such as acetaminophen (a common over the counter medication used for headaches and pain; acetaminophen, also called paracetamol, can cause liver damage if taken in large quantities or by people who drink alcohol regularly.)"

from: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/MilkThistlech.html

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wasting_days_away

MemberMember

(@wasting_days_away)

Posted : 03/17/2006 5:41 pm

The B5 has been working great for me! Cut down the oil and I haven't had a new pimple in about a week and half (I hope I don't jinx myself)! BUT, I've been going to the bathroom a lot more and my dumps have been a bit uncomfortable. It comes out semi-diarrhea and it sometimes its a bit painful (not that much though) and I've been having alot more gas lately. I'm not taking a B Complex. Is that the reason? Anyone else have more success with the bathroom aspecT?

PS: It seems that if I'm taking 8+ grams a day, my bathroom trips are uncomfortable but I have to take at least 8+ grams for it to stop my acne. If I take a lower amount like 5-6g then it doesn't work as well but I have no problems taking poops.

Also, I've read a few posts saying that this could cause liver problems. Anyone care to explain?

wow i can't imagine taking 8 grams a day

i'm taking 1 gram a day and i just got off accutane

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