Did I Leave This Brain Chemical Here?

That’s what B matter-of-factly said to me as I was sitting at the dining-room table yesterday. I’m used to this sort of question from him. He was referring to a bottle of DMAE (which claims to enhance mental concentration) that was on the table. B has had various allergies his whole life. Years of steroid inhalers and allergy shots weren't too effective. He now prides himself on his self-medicating finesse. When GNC introduced its Gold Card Club, he signed up with enthusiasm so he could add to his collection of herbs and supplements. (He even got a card for superhealthy me.)

I had the opportunity yesterday to take a closer look at his collection while trying to locate a bottle of Tylenol, and I discovered these intriguing products on his shelf:

• Minor Blue Dragon
• Ginkgo Power from Japan!
• Pink Bismuth
• Lacto-Safe
• Nasafrin

This is but a small fraction of what has accumulated on that shelf (much of which I think he tried a few times and abandoned). While I found the names of these products amusing, I am somewhat disturbed by it all. B is about as straight an arrow as you’re ever likely to find when it comes to illegal drugs--he’s never even smoked weed--but, boy howdy, when it comes to the “legal” stuff, he’s kind of a junky. Most of what he takes is for respiratory issues and a few have to do with food allergies and some (like the DMAE brain booster) I think he just bought on a lark because that Gold Card was burning a hole in his pocket. I just hope all this stuff is safe. I guess it can't be as bad as the steroids.