does lions mane upset the stomach?
Lion's mane mushroom is generally well-tolerated, but it can cause stomach upset in some people, particularly when starting out. Common digestive side effects include:

• Mild nausea, bloating, or discomfort, especially at higher doses
• Diarrhea or loose stools in sensitive individuals

A few tips to minimize this: start with a lower dose and gradually increase, take it with food rather than on an empty stomach, and consider the form you're using — some people tolerate cooked whole mushroom better than concentrated extracts or powders.

People with mushroom allergies or sensitivities should be extra cautious. If you're on blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, it's also worth checking with a doctor first, as lion's mane may have mild anticoagulant properties.

how about omega 3
Omega-3 supplements (fish oil, krill oil, algae oil) are one of the more common supplements to cause stomach issues. Typical complaints include:

• Fishy burps and aftertaste
• Nausea, bloating, and indigestion
• Diarrhea, especially at higher doses

To reduce stomach upset:

• Take with food — this is the biggest one, ideally with a meal containing some fat
• Start low and work up to your target dose
• Try enteric-coated capsules — they dissolve in the intestine instead of the stomach, which cuts down on fish burps and nausea significantly
• Freeze your capsules — a popular trick that slows digestion and reduces fishy reflux
• Switch forms — algae-based omega-3 tends to be gentler on the stomach than fish oil, and krill oil is often better tolerated too

If you're consistently getting GI issues even with these adjustments, it might be worth trying a higher-quality supplement, as cheaper fish oils with more impurities tend to cause more problems. Brands that use triglyceride form (rather than ethyl ester) are generally easier on the gut as well.

magnesium?
Magnesium is notorious for causing stomach issues, but it depends heavily on the form:

More likely to upset your stomach:

• Magnesium oxide — cheap and common, but poorly absorbed and a well-known laxative
• Magnesium citrate — better absorbed but still has a strong laxative effect
• Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) — primarily used as a laxative

Gentler on the stomach:

• Magnesium glycinate — one of the best tolerated, also good for relaxation and sleep
• Magnesium taurate — gentle, often recommended for heart health
• Magnesium threonate — well tolerated, marketed for cognitive benefits
• Magnesium malate — generally easy on the gut, popular for energy and muscle soreness

The main side effects are diarrhea, cramping, and nausea — mostly from the oxide and citrate forms. If you're getting stomach issues, switching to glycinate is usually the go-to recommendation.

Other tips: split your dose throughout the day rather than taking it all at once, take it with food, and stay within recommended amounts (around 200–400mg elemental magnesium daily for most adults).

Given your interest in lion's mane and omega-3 too — are you putting together a supplement stack?

creatine monohydrate?
Creatine monohydrate is generally easy on the stomach for most people, but it can cause issues in certain situations:

Common complaints:

• Bloating and water retention (especially during a loading phase)
• Stomach cramping and nausea
• Diarrhea if taking too much at once

How to avoid problems:

• Skip the loading phase — taking 20g/day for a week is the classic approach but is the main culprit for GI distress. Just take 3–5g daily and you'll saturate your muscles in a few weeks instead
• Take with food or mix into a meal/shake
• Stay well hydrated — creatine pulls water into your muscles, so dehydration can worsen cramping and bloating
• Dissolve it fully — undissolved powder sitting in your stomach can cause irritation. Warm water helps it dissolve better
• Split the dose if needed — 2.5g twice a day instead of 5g at once

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and cost-effective form. Fancier forms like creatine HCL are marketed as easier on the stomach, but the evidence for that is thin — most people do fine with monohydrate if they just dose it sensibly.

It's one of the most well-studied supplements out there with an excellent safety profile overall.

c?
Vitamin C can definitely cause stomach issues, especially at higher doses:

Common complaints:

• Nausea and heartburn (it's ascorbic acid, so it's literally acidic)
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea — this is the main one, often called "bowel tolerance"

How to minimize issues:

• Use buffered forms — sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, or Ester-C are much gentler since they're less acidic
• Take with food — helps a lot since it buffers the acidity
• Keep doses moderate — your body can only absorb about 200–500mg at a time efficiently. Megadosing (1000mg+) is where most stomach problems start
• Split doses throughout the day rather than one big hit

Most people are fine at normal supplemental doses (250–500mg). The diarrhea issue typically kicks in at individual "bowel tolerance" levels, which varies person to person but is usually somewhere above 1000–2000mg at once.

Worth noting that if you're eating a decent diet with fruits and vegetables, you may not need to supplement vitamin C at all — it's one of the easier nutrients to get from food.

Daily Supplement Stack Guide

Your Products

Currently Taking

Adding

🧠 Brain Power Stack

Four of your supplements form a cognitive support layer, each working through different mechanisms. Together they cover energy, structure, growth, and connectivity in the brain.

The Big Four for Brain Function

How They Work Together

Creatine ──────► Powers brain cells with energy (ATP recycling)
                        │
Omega-3 DHA ───► Builds and maintains brain cell membranes
                        │
Omega-3 EPA ───► Protects brain from inflammation
                        │
Mag Threonate ─► Strengthens connections between brain cells (synapses)
                        │
Lion's Mane ───► Grows new brain cells and repairs existing ones (NGF/BDNF)

Think of it like building a house: creatine is the electricity, DHA is the building material, EPA is the weatherproofing, magnesium threonate is the wiring between rooms, and lion's mane is the construction crew building new additions.

Supporting Players (From Your Multivitamin)

Your One A Day also contributes to brain health:

Combined Daily Totals

Notes

Vitamin D: Only 700 IU

Without standalone D3, you're only getting 700 IU from the multivitamin. This is below the commonly recommended 1,000–5,000 IU range. Vitamin D also plays a role in brain health — receptors for it exist throughout the brain, and deficiency is linked to cognitive decline and mood disorders. Bloodwork will tell you if this level is enough.

Zinc-to-Copper Ratio: Good ✅

24mg zinc and 2.2mg copper from the multivitamin gives an 11:1 ratio — healthy range.

Everything Within Limits ✅

With the B-Complex removed, all nutrients are now within their upper limits. No flags.

Daily Schedule

Morning — With Breakfast

Evening — With Dinner or Before Bed

Introduction Plan for New Supplements

Since you're already established on your multivitamin, vitamin C, omega-3, and creatine, you only need to phase in the two remaining:

Wait 5–7 days between each new addition. If something causes issues, stop it, let things settle, and try again at a lower dose.

Stomach Upset Risk

Important Interactions

⚠️ Supplement–Medication Interactions to Discuss With Your Doctor

Tracking

Keep a simple daily log as you add new supplements:

• Date
• New supplement added
• Any side effects (stomach, energy, sleep, mood)
• Cognitive function — note changes in focus, memory, clarity, brain fog
• General wellbeing (1–5 scale)

Get bloodwork after 3–6 months to check: vitamin D (especially important since you're only at 700 IU), B12, zinc, copper, magnesium, thyroid panel (TSH/T4), and general health markers.

Last updated: February 2026