Protocol request for idiopathic cardiomyopathy

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij
I am now taking approx 2000 mg MSM ( its in powder form with Vit C). Also chromium 200 mg in tablet. Tolerating well just passing a lot of flatulence! Sleeping really well! I seem to have more energy wanting to do things.

I also read on your forum that eating bananas helps with palpitations. I have funny little flutters in my chest at times just as I'm going to sleep. Last about 3-5 seconds. I Try taking my pulse in wrist and heart beat seems regular so not sure if these are palpitations?? Anyway since eating the 2-3 bananas a day I haven't had it??

Would love to know when I can start the real stuff??

Reards

[Gunnadoit]

Hi
The MSM & chromium is making me so sick ... Headaches, dizzy, nauseous, fuzzy head, flatulence +++ all day long, shivering, cramps And tired!! I feel like i am getting a really bad flu!! I am drinking lots of water and peeing lots but ughhhhh I feel just terrible. I got to 2000 mg but i have cut back to 1000 mg. i know you explained it is to detoxify but how long does this go on for? What am i detoxifying? Any advice would be appreciated. Regards

[Willy]

Reduce the MSM to 500mg a day. The detox effect of MSM is to strong for you

The chromium can stay. Chromium is not causing these problems

I will ask Corrij what steps to take next

[Corrij (therapeut)]

Hello,

Stop taking the MSM and start with the ubiquinol, carnitine and the ribose.
Maybe we can try to introduce the MSM in a couple of weeks in a small amount.

MSM contains considerable amounts of sulfur. In all but tiny concentrations, sulfur (or sulfite) can definitely cause headaches, as well as dizziness, fatigue, wheezing, and other symptoms.

Sulfur of any sort is metabolized in the body into a harmless compound called sulfate by the enzyme sulfite oxidase. But sulfite oxidase depends on the trace element molybdenum to do its job. Without enough molybdenum, sulfite oxidase doesn’t transform sulfite into sulfate efficiently, excess sulfite builds up, and any or all of the above-noted symptoms can occur.

greetings,
Corrij

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij

Thanks for your reply.

I stopped the Msm on Friday and headache and dizziness lasted until Saturday night. No headache etc today which is Sunday. I feel fine now though I do think my heart was more relaxed on the Msm. Maybe I was too keen and started it too quickly?? I will take my time next go!

I have the ubiquinol, carnitine and d ribose and I will commence that tomorrow. Do I keep taking the chromium? Do I take the full dose from commencement or do I gradually build it up like the Msm?

I went to a local cardiomyopathy support group meeting on Saturday. I noted that most folk only took krill oil or fish oil as a supplement. No one was taking ubiquinol although some had heard of it.

I gave a couple of younger people the web address of this forum so I hope they follow that up.

I really do appreciate your help with this.

Regards.

[Corrij (therapeut)]

Hi Gunnadoit,

Yes you can keep taking the chromium and you can start the full dose ubiquinol, ribose and carnitine.

greetings,
Corrij

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij

All is going well. I am taking daily

Chromium 100 mg x 2
Ubiquinol 100 mg x2
Carnitine 1500 mg (500 mg x3)
Ribose 10 mgs
Krill oil 1000 mg
And b12 lozenge 1000 mg x2 weekly (I had low end of normal b12 last year and GP said I had a Problem with my intrinsic factor so I started taking the lozenges myself).

I am doing heaps more and sleeping really well. No flutters of late. I still get a little breathless climbing stairs. I'm trying to exercise more but my left ankle is still swollen and sore so I do as much as I can ... problems still with stability of ankle.

Do you think I should start the msm? I see my cardiologist in 2 weeks.

Regards

[Corrij (therapeut)]

Hello,

Its nice to read that your doing well

don`t start the MSM yet. Your doing well now so don`t change a winning team.
Whats happen with your ankle?

regards,
Corrij

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij

My ankle. I didn't see a rut in the gravel when I went for a walk in early march and fell over!
I had thought I was being smart as it had started raining and I wanted to get home so I cut through the cemetery near where we live only to come across the fated rut in the gravel.
I was rescued by a group of young disabled workers - a story in itself! The ambulance driver thought it was hilarious stating he had never in all his career picked someone up from a cemetery!
I had a complete rupture of the ATFL, CFL and Spring ligaments in my left ankle. Unusual apparently. I have seen a ortho surgeon who thinks it may heal itself but will depend on the ankles stability ie if I have anymore falls. So it's a 'wait and see' thing. I try and walk normally most of the time, there is a bit of pain there most of the time. Really for me it is about confidence in my ankle and gaining that back. I loved my walks and have put some of the weight I had lost back on which is a bummer! I still go to the physiotherapist and chiropractor for treatment. I apply comfrey cream daily.
Regards.

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij

I'm reading a lot about the benefits for the cardio vascular system regarding the hawthorn plant. Any comments?

Regards

[Corrij (therapeut)]

Hello Gunnadoit,

Hawthorn can help improve the amount of blood pumped out of the heart during contractions, widen the blood vessels, and increase the transmission of nerve signals.

Hawthorn also seems to have blood pressure-lowering activity, according to early research. It seems to cause relaxing of the blood vessels farther from the heart. It seems that this effect is due to a component in hawthorn called proanthocyanidin.

Research suggests that hawthorn can lower cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad cholesterol”), and triglycerides (fats in the blood). It seems to lower accumulation of fats in the liver and the aorta (the largest artery in the body, located near the heart). Hawthorn fruit extract may lower cholesterol by increasing the excretion of bile, reducing the formation of cholesterol, and enhancing the receptors for LDLs. It also seems to have antioxidant activity.
Hawthorn is POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults when used at recommended doses short-term (up to 16 weeks). It is not known whether hawthorn is safe when used long-term.

In some people, hawthorn can cause nausea, stomach upset, fatigue, sweating, headache, dizziness, palpitations, nosebleeds, insomnia, agitation, and other problems.

Hawthorn can interact with many prescription drugs used to treat heart disease.

Digoxin (Lanoxin) interacts with HAWTHORN
Digoxin (Lanoxin) helps the heart beat more strongly. Hawthorn also seems to affect the heart. Taking hawthorn along with digoxin (Lanoxin) might increase the effects of digoxin and increase the risk of side effects. Do not take hawthorn if you are taking digoxin (Lanoxin) without talking to your healthcare professional.

Medications for high blood pressure (Beta-blockers) interacts with HAWTHORN
Hawthorn might decrease blood pressure. Taking hawthorn along with medication for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.

Some medications for high blood pressure include atenolol (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), propranolol (Inderal), and others.

Medications for high blood pressure (Calcium channel blockers) interacts with HAWTHORN
Hawthorn might decrease blood pressure. Taking hawthorn along with medication for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.

Some medications for high blood pressure include nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan), diltiazem (Cardizem), isradipine (DynaCirc), felodipine (Plendil), amlodipine (Norvasc), and others.

Medications for male sexual dysfunction (Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors) interacts with HAWTHORN
Hawthorn might decrease blood pressure. Some medications for male sexual dysfunction can also decrease blood pressure. Taking hawthorn along with medications for male sexual dysfunction might cause your blood pressure to go too low.

Some medications for male sexual dysfunction include sildenafil (***), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra).

Medications that increase blood flow to the heart (Nitrates) interacts with HAWTHORN
Hawthorn increases blood flow. Taking hawthorn with medications that also increase blood flow to the heart might increase the chance of dizziness and lightheadedness.

Some of these medications that increase blood flow to the heart include nitroglycerin (Nitro-Bid, Nitro-Dur, Nitrostat) and isosorbide (Imdur, Isordil, Sorbitrate).

greetings,
Corrij

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij & Willie
I've noticed that my hair seems to be falling out more than usual? Ie when I wash it I get a bulk of hair over the drain ... Not enough to block it but enough to pick up and throw in the bin!? Just running my hand through my hair i will get a lot more than normal?? Wearing black is rather embarrassing as i get covered in hair? I have a lot of hair so not worried yet! Any ideas?

I've also found a professor here in Australia who runs a cardiac wellness clinic for pre op cardiac patients. His clinic places people on coq10, fish oil and magnesium. Good results for patients suggesting better recovery time and less time in hospital. He has lots of research to back his protocols. I can give you the link if you like. I wasn't sure if I could just post it on here?

Also speaking to an elderly lady who has been making her own coq10 brew for the past 30 years. Seems she must be doing something right! Have you heard of people making their own coq10. She wants to help me make my own. Yikes ... I nearly passed out!

Regards

[Corrij (therapeut)]

hello gunnadoit,

I know that Ubiquinone can be bought relatively cheaply in powder form, and that you can fill your own capsules.

But,

After the CO Q-10 is produced in its powder form, it is either put in a capsule or mixed in an oil base. The oil form has a 3 x better absorption than the ‘dry powder’ when taken on an empty stomach. The ‘oil based’ form is most common product form & is referred to as Ubiquinone. Dry powder forms could be used for people with swallowing problems (cannot swallow a gel cap), but to get adequate absorption, it needs to be opened & mixed in a fatty food. Both the powder & ‘oil based’ forms are in the Ubiquinone form.

Is it the ubiquinone she makes?

Ubiquinol is extremely unstable and it is that instability that gives Ubiquinol its higher bioavailability and bioactivity in our bodies. While CoQ10(ubiquinone) is perfectly stable in virtually any environment, if Ubiquinol was left sitting out in the air, it will lose virtually all its potency in a matter of moments.

ubiquinone and ubiquinol. Both are forms of coenzyme Q10, which is a general term that encompasses both ubiquinone and ubiquinol (the name "ubiquinone" means "the ubiquitous quinone", by the way).

Ubiquinone is the oxidized form of CoQ10 and is the more common form of commercially available CoQ10. It has been around for ages, and if you've ever bought one of the cheaper CoQ10 supplements, it has most likely been in the oxidized form. If the label doesn't specifically mention which form of CoQ10 the product contains, it's very probably ubiquinone.

This is because ubiquinol, the reduced form of CoQ10, is relatively new and more expensive to produce - so when the supplement does contain ubiquinol, the manufacturer is quick to point it out in big letters. This form of CoQ10 is the antioxidant form which neutralizes free radicals and decreases cellular damage. Ubiquinone does not have this antioxidant effect.

Since the body converts ubiquinone into ubiquinol, there is an extra step involved, and not all of the ingested ubiquinone gets converted into ubiquinol. In healthy people, over 90% of the CoQ10 in the blood is in the form of ubiquinol, but as you get older, both the total level of coenzyme Q10 and the body's ability to turn it into ubiquinol decline.

Note that this doesn't mean that taking ubiquinone is ineffective; all it means is that taking ubiquinol is more effective. If you are in your twenties or thirties, your body can probably convert much of the ubiquinone into ubiquinol, which means that you can save money and get the cheaper form (then again, this also means that you probably don't need supplemental CoQ10 in the first place). If, on the other hand, you are over forty or concerned about your heart health, it may be worthwhile to go for the ubiquinol.

So how much ubiquinone is pure ubiquinol equal to? According to Kaneka, apparently the only manufacturer of ubiquinol, ubiquinol is up to six times as effective as ubiquinone in increasing blood levels of ubiquinol. So to get the same effect, you could take one sixth of the amount as ubiquinol compared to ubiquinone.

Hair loss in women can be triggered by about 30 different medical conditions, as well as several lifestyle factors. Sometimes no specific cause can be found. As a starting point, hair loss experts recommend testing for thyroid problems and hormone imbalances. In many cases, hair will grow back once the cause is addressed.

Medication can also cause hair loss,
The reason that some medications cause you to lose your hair is that they are toxic to the hair follicles — the cells responsible for hair growth. When hair follicles become damaged, the normal cycle of hair growth is disrupted, which eventually leads to hair loss.

The medications listed below most commonly cause hair loss:

Anticoagulants (blood thinners). Anticoagulant medications, which can help stave off blood clots and prevent complications in people with certain conditions, including heart disease, can also cause hair loss. The type of hair loss caused by anticoagulants is known as telogen effluvium, which is hair loss that can affect the entire scalp, rather than just a specific area. Hair loss typically begins after about 12 weeks of taking a medication. Anticoagulants that can lead to hair loss include warfarin sodium (Panwarfarin, Sofarin, Coumadin) and heparin injections.
Gout medications. Allopurinol, a medication used to treat a form of arthritis known as gout, can also lead to telogen effluvium. Brand names include Lopurin and Zyloprim.
Beta blockers. Beta blockers are medications that reduce the workload of your heart and help to lower blood pressure. Beta blockers are known to cause telogen effluvium, and include:

Atenolol (Tenormin)
Metoprolol (Lopressor)
Nadolol (Corgord)
Propranolol (Inderal, Inderal LA)
Timolol (Blocadren)
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors, are another type of blood pressure medication. ACE inhibitors, such as those listed below, can lead to telogen effluvium as well:

Captopril (Capoten)
Lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Vitamin A. When taken in large doses, vitamin A may lead to telogen effluvium. The acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane) is derived from vitamin A.
Female hormones. Taking female hormones can trigger hair loss. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and hormone replacement therapy can lead to hormonal changes that may cause your hair to fall out. Hormonal medications that been known to cause telogen effluvium and female pattern baldness include birth control pills, estrogen, and progesterone.

greetings,
Corrij

[Gunnadoit]

Hi Corrij and Willie

I saw my cardiologist today and had another stress echo test done. My EF after excercise was 64!! At rest it was 62! I'm still in shock! I knew I was feeling better but that is incredible. He also was surprised ... very surprised. I am to continue on with the coversyl and bicor (beta blocker and ace inhibitor) and to be reviewed in one year. He was quite happy for me to be on the protocol but warned me against the vitamins a d e & k as he said they can be quite toxic. He thought krill oil was a bit of a wank and suggested fish oil. Otherwise he was impressed with what I had done including the protocol and excercise on the excercise bike! He said i now need to build up my excercise tolerance and fitness as my heart was doing everything it should be doing to cope with extra stress. it was now a matter of getting fitter.

I have felt so much better since starting the protocol, sleeping better, not being aware of my heart thumping in my chest etc. I guess we can't put this great outcome down to just the protocol as I have only been on it a month or so. BUT I have felt so much better and have more energy etc. and I have read so much research to support what I am doing that I am a firm believer!!!!

I asked him did he have a better idea if my cardiomyopathy was due to a virus or maybe hereditary. He said he could not give a definitive answer because to assess if it was hereditary my ancestors would have to be tested then me, then my children, to determine what was the faulty gene that we were all carrying. He also suggested that it could have been environmental and in fact it truly was just something that was idiopathic to me. As my parents and grand parents are dead it becomes really just a guessing game. He suggested that I should educate my children as to the signs etc of heart disease and if they displayed the slightest sign or symptom then they should immediately see a cardiologist. What do you think of that??
Then of course he said I could have just had a mongrel virus that caused the problem in the first place.

I am so excited and still a bit in shock over today and the result. I knew I was feeling better and I kept telling myself I was going to get better and I would have been delighted with a EF of 36!! My mantra has been 'my heart is getting better more perfect every day'. Also I have prayed a lot which has helped!!

So I shall continue with everything. I am taking
My meds ... Coversyl 2.5 mg and Bicor 2.5 mg each morning
Then half an hour later I take
1000 mg carnitine and 5 g ribose
Then with breakfast
200 mg chromium
1000 mg krill oil
100 mg ubiquinol
1 garlic tab

half hour before lunch
500 mg carnitine and 5 g ribose

Then with dinner
100 mg ubiquinol.

I also eat 2 big bananas a day.

Thanks so much for this site and your generous and supportive information. Warmest regards x x

[Corrij (therapeut)]

Hello gunnadoit,

WOW WOW WOW

This is great news, i`m proud of you

It is important to understand that krill oil has a number of other advantages over fish oil:

Some studies have shown that krill oil may be 48 times more potent than fish oil. This means you need far less of it than fish oil, as confirmed by a 2011 study published in the journal Lipidsii.
This is because krill oil contains phospholipids, so the omega-3 fats are already in the form that your body can use. This bioavailability means krill oil is absorbed very quickly and crosses your blood-brain barrier, so is able to reach important brain structures. Also, phospholipids are one of the principle compounds in high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which you want more of.
Fish oil is quite prone to oxidation, and oxidation leads to the formation of free radicals. Consuming free radicals further increases your need for antioxidants. Fish oil is weak in antioxidant content, whereas krill oil is rich in antioxidants. Krill oil contains astaxanthin—probably the most potent antioxidant in nature—which is why it is so stable and resistant to oxidation.
Many, if not most, fish and fish oil are now contaminated with mercury and other heavy metals; even fish that is thousands of miles away from coal plants and other environment-polluting industries. Antarctic krill is not prone to this contamination.
Krill is also far more sustainable as a food source than is fish because it's the largest biomass in the world, making krill harvesting one of the most sustainable practices on the planet.

The only kind of krill oil I recommend is from genuine Antarctic krill. Look for a brand that is cold-processed, which preserves its biological benefits. Please make sure that hexane is not used to extract the oil from the krill as some of the most popular krill oils on the market use this dangerous chemical agent. It should also be free of heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants. You should also make sure the krill you take is harvested in compliance with international conservation standards.

Vitamin D has sometimes been regarded as the most potentially dangerous vitamin. In his 2001 article "Vitamin Toxicity," Mark Rosenbloom, MD, writes that, for vitamin D, "Acute toxic dose is not established, and chronic toxic dose is more than 50,000 IU/day in adults. In children, 400 IU/day is potentially toxic. A wide variance in potential toxicity exists." There were no fatalities cited.

Vitamin D has an important role in cardiovascular health. For example, not only can it prevent hypertension, it can help treat it. "Hypertension appears to improve with vitamin D supplementation whether or not the vitamin is deficient." This is an important point.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) may be caused by vitamin D deficiency. "Low vitamin D status can explain alterations in mineral metabolism as well as myocardial dysfunction in the CHF patients, and it may therefore be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of CHF." Not surprisingly, bone loss is associated with congestive heart failure. Dilated cardiomyopathy has been linked with rickets, both of which "responded well to supplemental calcium and vitamin D." )

diopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is a clinical diagnosis. After exclusion of all identifiable causes (except genetic), DCM is traditionally referred to as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. It is important to note that because the term idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy was used before evidence of genetic forms emerged, the diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy does not differentiate between genetic and non-genetic causes; therefore, a portion of individuals with ‘idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy’ may have genetic forms.

The most common cause of DCM (in which the term DCM is used generically to describe the morphology and function of the left ventricle regardless of etiology) is ischemic injury, such as that caused by coronary artery disease or prior myocardial infarction.

After ischemic injury, other common causes of DCM include valvular and congenital heart disease, toxins (e.g., anthracyclines), thyroid disease, inflammatory conditions, myocarditis, severe long-standing hypertension, and radiation. Most of these can be detected with a careful medical history, a targeted physical examination, results of laboratory testing, an echocardiogram and, if indicated, coronary angiography to exclude coronary heart disease.

When each of two or more closely related family members meet a formal diagnostic standard for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (i.e., all detectable causes of DCM, except genetic, have been ruled out), the diagnosis of familial dilated cardiomyopathy (FDC) is made.

Current evidence indicates that idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy may be familial (and therefore possibly genetic) in approximately 20%-35% of cases.

regards,
Corrij