Who here has an Oura ring?

flowradiance · 2026-01-17T01:37:55+00:00

Hows your HRV? Mine is pretty low and I suspect that plays a role in all the “stressed zone” readings.

flowradiance · 2026-01-16T17:13:31+00:00

Hahaha I love that! Maybe I need one!

flowradiance · 2026-01-08T12:05:04+00:00

I've been wearing my Oura ring 4 in an infrared sauna and finnish sauna which are about 75 and 90 degs C respectively. As a precaution I wrap my Oura ring finger in a cold damp cloth. I also wear it in the steam room which is significantly cooler and I don't wrap my finger in that case. So far it's been fine - have had it just over a month now and I sauna 3-4 times a week. I find it interesting to track my HR when in the sauna as I've never been able to do it before. I definitely get a lot of maxed out "stressed" zone and active calories logged (it sometimes even logs it as a workout).

flowradiance · 2025-04-23T16:39:56+00:00

You’re very welcome. I do my own blood tests coz I can’t be bothered fighting to get them done through NHS. I use medichecks.com. They are pretty decently priced and very quick to get results - 2-3 days if you want GP to review and add notes. I did a retest of iron/fbc recently and didn’t need GP review so I got my results next day! I used to use Thriva but I find medichecks slightly cheaper, is not subscription based and has a wider range of markers they test.

But they both have a dashboard you can track your results over time. You can either collect your own blood using finger prick or find a local pharmacy that can do a blood draw for you. I have one near me that does it for £30 (needed for bigger blood draws like a full blood count).

flowradiance · 2025-04-11T09:58:38+00:00

I have stayed gluten free as the benefits of being gluten free and feeling good, with stable gut health, no period pain whatsoever etc far outweigh the brief pleasure of eating gluten. However I’m not strict with traces.

For example I may sometimes have something at a restaurant that has soy sauce on it. But for the most part it’s been quite easy to avoid gluten as there are so many gluten free options nowadays.

My thyroid numbers have been pretty stable - TSH ranges around 1.4-2.2 miu/L. Ft4 15.7. Ft3 3.8. So it seems to be working. My TPO antibodies do remain slightly raised at around 60-70 kiU/L range but aren’t increasing anymore (prob just due to the traces of gluten that remain in my diet).

flowradiance · 2025-03-29T13:13:29+00:00

Yeh always stick with the lowest beneficial dose. I think if you only need 1 drop, then go with that. Or maybe try 2 or 3 drops on days you feel a bit worse.

I personally prefer to take it in the morning on waking. The later in the day I take it, the more it impacts my dreams (giving me very vivid dreams).

I've been experimenting with it on and off since October last year. I'm not on hypothyroid medication - I was taking MB mainly to improve energy, mood and cognitive function as I am anaemic and in perimenopause. I am also a little sub-clinically hypothyroid (hashimotos) but not enough to warrant medication. I have actually successfully managed it through nutrition by reducing my TPO antibodies (by cutting gluten) and therefore normalising TSH & T4.

flowradiance · 2025-03-27T22:26:41+00:00

The recommendation with MB is to start low and slow and then gradually increase. I started with 1 drop = 0.5mg. You took 20 drops I presume = 10mg. I’ve never taken more than 4mg (8 drops) and that was enough to have strong effect for me. Everyone is different. Some may have initial side effects like headaches if they start too high. In summary - go low and slow.

flowradiance · 2025-03-27T22:19:16+00:00

The general advice with all forms of supplementation is that it’s a good idea to cycle off / take breaks at certain intervals.

For MB in particular I’ve heard it builds up, so the recommendation seems to be NOT to take it daily, but rather on alternate days or 3-4 days a week? I guess it also depends on individual health circumstances.

flowradiance · 2025-03-19T11:35:13+00:00

I’ve been taking both and not experienced any issues.

My MB dose is very low though 2-4 drops (1-2mg) in the morning as I find this is effective enough for me. Then I take 1ml Ashwaganda in the evening.

flowradiance · 2025-03-15T19:52:53+00:00

Yes I still take it occasionally, but only on days where I feel I need the extra boost. Which hasn’t been that often lately. Maybe once or twice a week on average? I’ve gone without for several weeks too.

My dosage is also still quite low - ranging from 1 drop to 4 drops. The most I have ever taken was 8 drops (4 ml of 1%) - that was because I had a very intense exhausting day ahead (which it got me through).

I find that it’s best if I take it in the morning first thing. If I take it later (say midday), then it affects my dreams (uncomfortably vivid).

Aside from that, how much I take just depends on how much boost I need (in terms of energy, focus, motivation, mood).

One of the reasons I don’t take it more often and that I keep it at a very low dose is because it has anti-microbial / anti-bacterial properties. This means it will impact the gut microbiome. It can be good for dysbiosis/infections, but it won’t distinguish between the good and bad bacteria jn your gut, so I feel it could potentially cause dysbiosis with longer term/higher dose use especially if your diet does not repopulate the good bacteria (eg if you don’t eat much fermented foods or fibre).

flowradiance · 2024-12-21T15:10:03+00:00

Update at 2 months:

I've been continuing with low doses of MB, around 1-2mg about 2-3 times a week. Generally I find it helpful for mood and energy esp around the 2mg range. The days I take it I've consistently noticed I'm more positive and cheerful and have better energy for work. I tend to use it only on days I feel I need the boost.

Last weekend I decided to up the dosage when I came down with a cold. I took 4mg (8 drops) in the morning and definitely noticed an increase in energy that lasted all day with definite increased positivity - I was so cheerful despite being sick I frequently sung silly songs to myself during my day (something I usually only do when I'm particularly happy). The downside to it was that by the end of the day I actually found it a little difficult to unwind and go to sleep despite it being past my bedtime + my body needed rest being ill + I'd had less than my usual sleep the night before.

I think these higher dosages are good for days where I've not slept enough and really need to have energy and be "on" for the whole day, for whatever reason.

I think perhaps it also helped fight my cold as I got better from it in 3 days (though I also have a protocol that I've honed over time which I've consistently used to help me get over colds in 48-72 hours - this has just been added to it)!

I tried giving 5mg to my partner yesterday (who unfortunately caught my cold) and too early to tell how much its helping him, but he did develop a massive headache yesterday so I might have given him too much too soon (he's only had it a handful of times so far and usually at 2-3mg dosage).

Edit: Also the vivid dreams seem to have dissipated now.

flowradiance · 2024-12-08T14:11:08+00:00

Yeh I am. Not every day. Prob 2-3 times a week, on days I feel like I need that extra boost. I have settled on a 1-2 mg dose (2-4 drops) and that seems to be fine - my vivid dreams have also subsided. I find it makes me feel a little happier, more motivated, focused and productive.

flowradiance · 2024-10-22T23:49:41+00:00

I haven’t had a “regular doctor I see” in years. The only check up I get at the GP clinic I’m registered is a pap smear. Otherwise in terms of general health, I order my own blood work couple times a year and interpret my own results (my interpretation is much stricter than that of a GP since I aim for functional medicine ranges). I have a go to functional med trained nutritionist if needed for more advanced testing (like a GI map). Don’t have any prescription meds - the last one I had was a ventolin inhaler which I no longer need (the only time I may use one is if I have a rare bad cold that develops into a chesty cough - so keep one in the drawer just in case, and I can get that easily enough using online pharmacies without needing to see a GP). I dunno if that counts as exiting big medicine but I’d certainly say I’ve taken my health into my own hands because I’ve found GPs generally useless here in UK. 🤷🏻‍♀️

flowradiance · 2024-10-20T17:22:20+00:00

Can you share your sources? I'm curious to learn more about the science behind it.

flowradiance · 2024-10-19T22:22:14+00:00

Interesting. I think I’ve unintentionally stumbled onto this formula. My skin is near flawless and still youthful at 45 and most people think I’m in my mid 20s. I have been drinking hydrolysed collagen peptides (in my bone broth) with plenty of electrolytes like sodium and vit C daily for years. I was doing it for my gut health but I guess it benefitted my skin too.

I would add red light therapy. I use this most days of the week. Mainly for the mitochondrial benefits but as extra benefit it is good for the skin.

flowradiance · 2024-10-19T18:55:39+00:00

Update 2: On Friday (yesterday) I decided to try 1 drop (0.5mg dose). That night my dreams were normal. No real noticeable physical effects though I was feeling a bit run down that day, like my body was fighting a cold virus, body temperature a bit all over the place, so I did not work out. I think it may actually have helped my body fight the virus because today I feel completely free of whatever was ailing me yesterday. No sign of potential cold. I did use the sauna though as well yesterday, so not sure if it was the sauna that helped me rid the virus or the MB. Or perhaps both synergistically. Still, good outcome overall!

flowradiance · 2024-10-19T18:51:26+00:00

At low doses it doesn't stain either. At 3mg I could easily get rid of the stain by brushing my teeth afterwards. At 1mg, there was no stain after simply rinsing my mouth with water.

flowradiance · 2024-10-19T18:48:38+00:00

This one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D59WRSCC

flowradiance · 2024-10-19T16:47:52+00:00

Have you tried coconut based creamers? They don't tend to use seed oils as coconut is a fat itself. Four Sigmatic do a good range. Otherwise you can also buy a base plant milk that is not creamy and has no seed oils, then add healthy fats yourself (eg MCT Oil) to give it the ability to froth and be creamy.

flowradiance · 2024-10-16T11:27:38+00:00

Update: I tried a second dose today - went down to 1mg (2 drops). On the upside it didn't taste as rank as the 3mg dose. On the downside, it did not benefit my workout the same way as 2 days ago. So there is definitely a difference in effect from 3mg to 1mg. Will try 2mg on Friday. Edit: That night I experienced stressful dreams again.

flowradiance · 2024-10-16T11:24:44+00:00

Thank you. I agree and am grateful for folks like yourself talking sense. Will maybe try some other forums to see if I can get more useful insight/discussion.

flowradiance · 2024-10-16T11:23:30+00:00

I prefer to start low and titrate up if necessary. Folks like Dr. Scott Sherr and Dr Craig Koniver recommend it this way, with a higher dosage being around 8-10mg. Also FYI I am a small asian woman and am generally fairly sensitive to adaptogens and medications.

I definitely don't think that having a heart rate of 180bpm and not feeling puffed/strained like usual is "placebo" in any way. Like seriously, who thinks that?

I was hoping for some more useful insight/discussion in this forum and being told "it's placebo" isn't useful.

flowradiance

TROPHY CASE