Hi, I was really sick these last ten days. A heavy sinus infection on top of my usual chronic stuff. Now it looks as if I have managed to come out the other side. In the middle of the whole thing I nearly gave in and went to see a doctor who would have undoubtedly given me antibiotics. Now I am not aganst antibiotics per se. They are amazing when necessary and I would not be alive today if I had not taken them for example when I was 18 and had severe pneumonia. But for a sinus infection I'd much prefer other solutions. Especially since antibiotics really damage mitochondria and my mitochondria are unfortunately really weak.
So here is what I tried:
onion juice: one onion in blender, add 1 tbs of honey (or more if you don't have to watch your carbs), cover and let sit over night. Hold your breath and drink with the thought that it's really going to help.
This was quite certainly the most helpful of all the things I did. It does taste awful but it works..
gargling with salt water (sea salt): best with warm water
heaps of vitamin C: I went up, slightly above bowel tolerance
red light lamp: costs about € 10 and is really great against the pain in the sinus cavities
wolly hat: worn at all times and especially at night
drinking lots of herbal teas (as much as humanly possible)
and I am really chuffed that my poor battered immune system managed to kick the infection. This makes me quite optimistic for the future.
A VERY HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Monday, 31 December 2012
Friday, 14 December 2012
Vitamin D3 - what are ideal levels?
Vitamin D3
I tested my Vitamin D3 levels 5 weeks ago, then I took 12000 - 15000 IU a day (sublingual spray) and now I tested again:
my levels were at 31 ng/ml and rose to 139 ng/ml in these 5 weeks which means, that the spray is pretty effective.
my naturopath wants me to have levels between 180 and 230 but I am sceptical because of the research of Dr. Gominak http://drgominak.com/lecture who says 60-80 are best. This sounds quite convincing since Vitamin D is no vitamin but a hormone or a prohormone, and as with other hormones you don't want too little and you don't want too much either.
Anyway, I do sleep much better since taking the D3, more specifically I wake up less often at night and I can now sleep 6-7 hours in one go where before I managed 3 hours at most.
update 05/04/13: I now found a site listing natural Vitamin D levels in different groups.
I.e. lifeguards: Lifeguards: 163 nmol/L http://www.vitamindsociety.org/benefits.php
for more details go to my 05/04/13 post on natural vitamin d levels:
http://annacorinnasblog.blogspot.fr/2013/04/natural-vitamin-d-levels.html
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
I tested my Vitamin D3 levels 5 weeks ago, then I took 12000 - 15000 IU a day (sublingual spray) and now I tested again:
my levels were at 31 ng/ml and rose to 139 ng/ml in these 5 weeks which means, that the spray is pretty effective.
my naturopath wants me to have levels between 180 and 230 but I am sceptical because of the research of Dr. Gominak http://drgominak.com/lecture who says 60-80 are best. This sounds quite convincing since Vitamin D is no vitamin but a hormone or a prohormone, and as with other hormones you don't want too little and you don't want too much either.
Anyway, I do sleep much better since taking the D3, more specifically I wake up less often at night and I can now sleep 6-7 hours in one go where before I managed 3 hours at most.
update 05/04/13: I now found a site listing natural Vitamin D levels in different groups.
I.e. lifeguards: Lifeguards: 163 nmol/L http://www.vitamindsociety.org/benefits.php
for more details go to my 05/04/13 post on natural vitamin d levels:
http://annacorinnasblog.blogspot.fr/2013/04/natural-vitamin-d-levels.html
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Glutatione and ATP
Glutathione and ATP
As I wrote earlier I follow a protocol to increase my glutathione levels
Before I started I had blood tests done:
Glutathione: 3.20 mmol/l range: 3.1 - 5.9 mmol/l
ATP: 0.46 nmol /1 million cells range: 0.38 - 0.99 nmol/1million cells
Then I took S-Acetylglutathione for 4 weeks (and 3 days) at 800 mg/day
Then I tested again after 6 weeks:
Glutathione: 5.30
ATP: 0.50
the increase in Glutathione is quite spectacular, the one in ATP not so much but it still is an increase. At this moment in time, even though the glutathione levels have improved I do not feel much better, just a tiny little bit which corresponds to the mini improvement in ATP. I did have a few better days but now I am flat on my back again. So, maybe it just takes longer for the new glutathione levels to positively influence ATP production or, maybe there is a different cause for my impaired mitochondrial function. I'll keep researching.
For the time being I will continue taking the Acetylglutathione but only 400mg/day and test again in 4-6 weeks. Ideally I would like to have a level of 5.80 which is what Dr.Gesswein advises.
His initial protocoll for CFS is:
(but he stresses that regular testing is imperative to adjust/reduce the doses as necessary to arrive at the ideal levels and not overmedicate)
S- Acetylglutathione 800 - 1200 mg ideal levels: 5.80 mmol/l
B12 (Methylcobalamine) 10.000 mcg min. 0.8 mcg/l
D3* 20.000 IU* 180-230 ng/l*
Vitamin C 2-3 gr
Vitamin A 10.000 IU 1.5 mcg/ml
Zinc 50 mg 15
Magnesium 500 mg
Calcium 500-1000 mg
Quercitine 1000 mg
Amino acid complex 18,250 mg
* Gesswein'.s opinion regarding D3 is very different from others and his ideal levels might well be too high. Check out Dr. Gominak at http://drgominak.com/lecture , she says ideal levels are 60-80.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
As I wrote earlier I follow a protocol to increase my glutathione levels
Before I started I had blood tests done:
Glutathione: 3.20 mmol/l range: 3.1 - 5.9 mmol/l
ATP: 0.46 nmol /1 million cells range: 0.38 - 0.99 nmol/1million cells
Then I took S-Acetylglutathione for 4 weeks (and 3 days) at 800 mg/day
Then I tested again after 6 weeks:
Glutathione: 5.30
ATP: 0.50
the increase in Glutathione is quite spectacular, the one in ATP not so much but it still is an increase. At this moment in time, even though the glutathione levels have improved I do not feel much better, just a tiny little bit which corresponds to the mini improvement in ATP. I did have a few better days but now I am flat on my back again. So, maybe it just takes longer for the new glutathione levels to positively influence ATP production or, maybe there is a different cause for my impaired mitochondrial function. I'll keep researching.
For the time being I will continue taking the Acetylglutathione but only 400mg/day and test again in 4-6 weeks. Ideally I would like to have a level of 5.80 which is what Dr.Gesswein advises.
His initial protocoll for CFS is:
(but he stresses that regular testing is imperative to adjust/reduce the doses as necessary to arrive at the ideal levels and not overmedicate)
S- Acetylglutathione 800 - 1200 mg ideal levels: 5.80 mmol/l
B12 (Methylcobalamine) 10.000 mcg min. 0.8 mcg/l
D3* 20.000 IU* 180-230 ng/l*
Vitamin C 2-3 gr
Vitamin A 10.000 IU 1.5 mcg/ml
Zinc 50 mg 15
Magnesium 500 mg
Calcium 500-1000 mg
Quercitine 1000 mg
Amino acid complex 18,250 mg
* Gesswein'.s opinion regarding D3 is very different from others and his ideal levels might well be too high. Check out Dr. Gominak at http://drgominak.com/lecture , she says ideal levels are 60-80.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Vitamin D and sleep
I haven't had a good night's sleep in more years than I can remember. But it has improved quite a bit recently after I started taking high doses of Vitamin D. And that's what I want to write about today.
My main problems with sleep are/were:
1. Problems going to sleep before 2:00 am.
2. Waking up often and needing to go to the bathroom (every 2-3 hours)
3. Waking up in the morning and feeling unrefreshed and totally exhausted
number 2. has now massively improved
And that's how it happened:
Three months ago I bought a pulse oxymeter. A little gadget that measures blood oxygen levels and pulse rate. It costs around € 80 or $90 to get one which can be programmed to measure it all over night and produce nice printable graphs on the computer.
I measured my oxygen levels for 5 nights and found that I have sleep apnea. Luckily not a very severe form (where oxygene levels dip dangerously low) but my sleep is disrupted 63 to 121 times a night by so called desaturation events. A desaturation event is when oxygen levels drop by at least 4% for a minimum duration of 10 seconds. One doesn't necessarily wake up completely because of such a desaturation event but the brain kicks into gear because of the relative drop in oxygen levels and pulls the sleeper out of deep sleep. So, with an avererage of 90 disruptions a night I don|t seem to be getting much deep sleep at all.
I then looked for solutions. What could reduce or better eradicate these deep sleep disruptions. The first thing I came across were CPAP machines. They seem to be quite costly and irritating but I was still prepared to try it if it helped. But then I came across several blogs and sites talking about the relationship between low Vitamin D levels and disrupted sleep:
http://pandemicsurvivor.com/category/sleep-apnea/
and the series of lectures by Dr.Gominak the blog refers to:
http://drgominak.com/lecture
They say sleep apnea is caused by a Vitamin D deficiency.
And I thought, why not try this first and see if it works. So I started taking 15.000 IU Vitamin D in a peppermint flavoured sublingual spray every day after breakfast.
And yes it worked. For the past four weeks I have been sleeping 6.5 to 7 hours without waking up and having to go to the bathroom. And that's huge for me, since I didn't sleep more than 3 hours in one go for the last 8 or 9 years. And I did not drink more or less than before. It may not be true for everybody, but for me it is certainly true: you don't wake up because you need the bathroom, you go to the bathroom because you wake up.
I am now a little less exhausted upon awakening but I'd say it's only a 10% improvement. But that's already something and may improve over time. I'll post about it again.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
I haven't had a good night's sleep in more years than I can remember. But it has improved quite a bit recently after I started taking high doses of Vitamin D. And that's what I want to write about today.
My main problems with sleep are/were:
1. Problems going to sleep before 2:00 am.
2. Waking up often and needing to go to the bathroom (every 2-3 hours)
3. Waking up in the morning and feeling unrefreshed and totally exhausted
number 2. has now massively improved
And that's how it happened:
Three months ago I bought a pulse oxymeter. A little gadget that measures blood oxygen levels and pulse rate. It costs around € 80 or $90 to get one which can be programmed to measure it all over night and produce nice printable graphs on the computer.
I then looked for solutions. What could reduce or better eradicate these deep sleep disruptions. The first thing I came across were CPAP machines. They seem to be quite costly and irritating but I was still prepared to try it if it helped. But then I came across several blogs and sites talking about the relationship between low Vitamin D levels and disrupted sleep:
http://pandemicsurvivor.com/category/sleep-apnea/
and the series of lectures by Dr.Gominak the blog refers to:
http://drgominak.com/lecture
They say sleep apnea is caused by a Vitamin D deficiency.
And I thought, why not try this first and see if it works. So I started taking 15.000 IU Vitamin D in a peppermint flavoured sublingual spray every day after breakfast.
And yes it worked. For the past four weeks I have been sleeping 6.5 to 7 hours without waking up and having to go to the bathroom. And that's huge for me, since I didn't sleep more than 3 hours in one go for the last 8 or 9 years. And I did not drink more or less than before. It may not be true for everybody, but for me it is certainly true: you don't wake up because you need the bathroom, you go to the bathroom because you wake up.
I am now a little less exhausted upon awakening but I'd say it's only a 10% improvement. But that's already something and may improve over time. I'll post about it again.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Monday, 3 December 2012
Glutathione and mitochondrial function
Glutathione and mitochondrial function
Today I would like to write about a new treatment protocol I have been following for the last 3 weeks. It is centered around the master anti-oxidant GLUTATHIONE and its importance for mitochondrial ATP production. (ATP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate)
I had had a test done two years ago which stated that I had extremly low levels of ATP. Interestingly this low ATP count seems to correspond very exactly with my very low strength/energy. Which makes sense of course. I think that the ATP test is probably the very best proof of chronic fatigue / exhaustion. And I have noticed that, when people ask me what my health problem is and I tell them about mitochondrial ATP production, they tend to believe me. Not at all like when I say I have chronic fatigue and they all think it's a psychological problem and I am a lazy nut case.
So I tried to find out more about the causes of low mitochondrial function. That's when I came across
Konynenburg and Dr Nathan who say that a lack of glutathione in the cells damages mitochondria who then cannot produce enough ATP.
So I took a deep breath and listened to Richard van Konynenburg:
http://iaomt.media.fnf.nu/2/skovde_2011_me_kroniskt_trotthetssyndrom/3/0
He talks about methylation and glutathion and mitochondrial function. He also talks about a clinical trial of his theories in the private practice of Dr. Neil Nathan.
Dr. Nathan has recently written an amazing book 'On Hope and Healing. For those who have fallen through the medical cracks'. It's easily availabe online, and in my opinion, a must read for everybody with chronic illnesses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ_ER3ilSvo
Unfortunately they also say that glutathione cannot be raised directly but only indirectly, through B12 and folinic acid, because glutathion doesn't make it through the body into the cells. It sounds complicated and apparenty leads to uncomfortable detox symptoms but I think that it is of course absolutely worth trying.
At roughly the same time (about six weeks ago), a friend mentioned an article by a German doctor on the same subject. This guy, a Dr. Gesswein has recently published a book on how to raise intercellular gluthation in a more direct way. He uses ACETYL GLUTATHIONE which allegedly reaches the cells and then reverts back to glutathione.
Gesswein's approch is very pragmatic:
1. test your levels of glutathion, D3, ATP and a few others
2. take a number of supplements
3. test again after 4 weeks
4. take more supps according to your test
5. test again after three months
6. take supps according to your test
7. and so on and so on
It's all pure biochemistry, exactly like Konynenburg and Nathan and it's very straight forward.
I'll post my complete protocol next time.
So, I've been doing this for over three weeks now and next Monday (at 4 weeks and 3 days) I'll do my first follow up test. And I'll let you know the results.
Just now I'd rather not write about how I am feeling because I don't want to jinx it.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Today I would like to write about a new treatment protocol I have been following for the last 3 weeks. It is centered around the master anti-oxidant GLUTATHIONE and its importance for mitochondrial ATP production. (ATP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate)
I had had a test done two years ago which stated that I had extremly low levels of ATP. Interestingly this low ATP count seems to correspond very exactly with my very low strength/energy. Which makes sense of course. I think that the ATP test is probably the very best proof of chronic fatigue / exhaustion. And I have noticed that, when people ask me what my health problem is and I tell them about mitochondrial ATP production, they tend to believe me. Not at all like when I say I have chronic fatigue and they all think it's a psychological problem and I am a lazy nut case.
So I tried to find out more about the causes of low mitochondrial function. That's when I came across
Konynenburg and Dr Nathan who say that a lack of glutathione in the cells damages mitochondria who then cannot produce enough ATP.
So I took a deep breath and listened to Richard van Konynenburg:
http://iaomt.media.fnf.nu/2/skovde_2011_me_kroniskt_trotthetssyndrom/3/0
He talks about methylation and glutathion and mitochondrial function. He also talks about a clinical trial of his theories in the private practice of Dr. Neil Nathan.
Dr. Nathan has recently written an amazing book 'On Hope and Healing. For those who have fallen through the medical cracks'. It's easily availabe online, and in my opinion, a must read for everybody with chronic illnesses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ_ER3ilSvo
Unfortunately they also say that glutathione cannot be raised directly but only indirectly, through B12 and folinic acid, because glutathion doesn't make it through the body into the cells. It sounds complicated and apparenty leads to uncomfortable detox symptoms but I think that it is of course absolutely worth trying.
At roughly the same time (about six weeks ago), a friend mentioned an article by a German doctor on the same subject. This guy, a Dr. Gesswein has recently published a book on how to raise intercellular gluthation in a more direct way. He uses ACETYL GLUTATHIONE which allegedly reaches the cells and then reverts back to glutathione.
Gesswein's approch is very pragmatic:
1. test your levels of glutathion, D3, ATP and a few others
2. take a number of supplements
3. test again after 4 weeks
4. take more supps according to your test
5. test again after three months
6. take supps according to your test
7. and so on and so on
It's all pure biochemistry, exactly like Konynenburg and Nathan and it's very straight forward.
I'll post my complete protocol next time.
So, I've been doing this for over three weeks now and next Monday (at 4 weeks and 3 days) I'll do my first follow up test. And I'll let you know the results.
Just now I'd rather not write about how I am feeling because I don't want to jinx it.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Sunday, 2 December 2012
My really helpful supplements
My really helpful supplement list
I am finding it very difficult to get sarted with this blog. I tried it in August but then I got stuck. So I am trying again now.
As a starting point I wanted to just write a list of supplements that have helped a lot in the past. I'll write more in detail it in future posts.
Magnesium : helped me with heart palpitations, leg crams, restless leg syndrome and muscle pain
Vitamin C : helps me with fighting off colds and it helps to reduce bleeding gums
Calcium : was amazing when I had very horrible heart palpitations
GABA : calms me down and makes it easier to go to sleep
low carb diet : I have lost 18 lb over 12 months and my hypoglycemia is nearly gone
also my Hb1Ac went down from 5.9 to 5.2 in just a few months
gluten free food : much less stomach and bowel cramps
nature identical progesterone cream : no more menstrual cramps and PMS hugely improved
Dead Sea salt baths : are very refreshing and great for my skin
Omega 3 : made a big difference for my skin, it's much smoother and softer now
this is just a first list
I'll be writing about all the suff I have tried and all the books I have read in more detail
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
I am finding it very difficult to get sarted with this blog. I tried it in August but then I got stuck. So I am trying again now.
As a starting point I wanted to just write a list of supplements that have helped a lot in the past. I'll write more in detail it in future posts.
Magnesium : helped me with heart palpitations, leg crams, restless leg syndrome and muscle pain
Vitamin C : helps me with fighting off colds and it helps to reduce bleeding gums
Calcium : was amazing when I had very horrible heart palpitations
GABA : calms me down and makes it easier to go to sleep
low carb diet : I have lost 18 lb over 12 months and my hypoglycemia is nearly gone
also my Hb1Ac went down from 5.9 to 5.2 in just a few months
gluten free food : much less stomach and bowel cramps
nature identical progesterone cream : no more menstrual cramps and PMS hugely improved
Dead Sea salt baths : are very refreshing and great for my skin
Omega 3 : made a big difference for my skin, it's much smoother and softer now
this is just a first list
I'll be writing about all the suff I have tried and all the books I have read in more detail
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
Hi my name is Anna
and I am writing this blog to accompany my search for health. I have Chronic Fatigue Symptom, probably caused by a mixture of Crohn's disease, gut disbyosis, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, borderline diabetes/insulin resistance and problems with mitochondrial ATP production. I am rating myself at 25 on the CFS ability scale and I spend a lot of time in bed. Even though I have been ill for a long time now I am 100% committed to getting well. I have tried a lot of things in the past, some of them helped most of them didn't. And I am trying a lot of things at the moment - keep yout fingers crossed. I also have a plan B and a plan C in case my current treatment protocol doesn't work.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
and I am writing this blog to accompany my search for health. I have Chronic Fatigue Symptom, probably caused by a mixture of Crohn's disease, gut disbyosis, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, borderline diabetes/insulin resistance and problems with mitochondrial ATP production. I am rating myself at 25 on the CFS ability scale and I spend a lot of time in bed. Even though I have been ill for a long time now I am 100% committed to getting well. I have tried a lot of things in the past, some of them helped most of them didn't. And I am trying a lot of things at the moment - keep yout fingers crossed. I also have a plan B and a plan C in case my current treatment protocol doesn't work.
(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am only searching for solutions and trying out things to improve my quality of life. Do not try anything I did. Always ask a qualified doctor for advice before trying something. All I am writing about are my personal experiences as my very own guinea pig. Everybody is different and I cannot be held responsible for anything anybody tries out.)
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