Cumin (Cuminum cyminum): Possible PEM Blocker

[L'engle]

Finally remembered to buy cumin so trying it soon. I was able to buy a bag of powder for $4 so much less than the usual $15-30 to try pretty much any supplement.

I bought turmeric tea ($7), mainly to help with some mouth problems but it does seem to be energizing, to the point where I shouldn't have much of it in the evening.

 

[L'engle]

I hear you. I actually decided to change my approach a bit. I used to try things one by one to find out what works, right now I'm going to try several things at once, because treatments might work synergetically and also this way I'll probably find my answer faster.
I actually tried turmeric and cumin, and for whatever reason cumin worked much better. I don't know why.

I know what you mean. I try to be patient and try one thing at once, but I am also just really needing to feel even a bit better. Spacing things out by a couple of hours or so can help to sort out what is causing what effects. I think this is more viable for moderate/mild people. For the severely ill they have to be so careful of everything they take.

Seems one thing people are finding is that turmeric and cumin have quite different effects. I'll try to add what I learn if any of it seems useful.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

I'm actually back to trying 1 thing at a time, I need to know what's doing what. Also finding the right dosage of whatever you are taking is much easier this way.

 

[Hope_eternal]

I'm surprised they have him on Prozac and not a more modern ssri?

He is also on Welbutrin, his doctor has discussed changing his meds but because of how complex things are and he says he feels fine emotionally she didn’t want to disrupt things for now.

 

[L'engle]

I've just tried 1/4 tsp sublingual and held it under my tongue for as long as I could manage before spitting it out. Probably 30 minutes or so. In my experience sublingual things need a significant length of time to absorb.

So far I'm noticing subjectively a feeling of something moving up into my head, which I've had from high dose methyl b12 and possibly a couple of other things.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

I took cumin again after about 9-day break, still didn't work. I guess my brain needs more time to forget about it.

 

[L'engle]

I didn't really get a good effect from it, though it's hard to tell as I've been feeling sub-par the last couple of weeks. I'll probably try it again in a while. At least it didn't cost much. I wonder if pricier brands are better.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

Happy to say, that cumin started working for me again. Took it today and felt better within an hour. It's nice to feel somewhat decent at least sometimes.
My plan is the same, I'll take it once every 3 days, and hopefully it won't stop working.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

Recently realised, that the brand of cumin makes a massive difference. Some work like magic, some don't do anything at all. So it's important to find the one that works and stick to it.
So, to all the people out there,who decided to try cumin, try different brands, before you conclude, that it's not working.

 

[Wayne]

Recently realised, that the brand of cumin makes a massive difference.

Hi @ilivewithcfs -- Makes sense to me. Could you fill us in on what brand works for you? -- Thanks!

 

[ilivewithcfs]

Hi @ilivewithcfs -- Makes sense to me. Could you fill us in on what brand works for you? -- Thanks!

I live in Eastern Europe and buy local brands, that don't ship anything abroad. So, I guess, to most people on this forum the brand i use is irrelevant.
But I'm going to share it anyway, just in case. "Лидкон" is the best I've tried so far, but I'm going to keep experimenting.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

I promised to give an update, so here it is.
I took cumin once every three days, and it stopped working anyway.
I took a break from it, and now I'm using it occasionally as a PEM reliever during crashes. I'm still glad I found it. Not being bedridden during a crash is something to be grateful for.

 

[andyguitar]

I took a break from it, and now I'm using it occasionally as a PEM reliever during crashes.

So would you say you have a more normal life?

 

[ilivewithcfs]

So would you say you have a more normal life?

No. My life is very very far from normal. Cumin just alleviates my symptoms during particularly bad crashes.

 

[Wishful]

I'm pleased that it's still working at least part of the time. It may not have turned out to be a reliable treatment for everyone, but even if it's only helpful for a few people, that's at least a few people suffering less.

I wonder how many successes a treatment requires to make it worthwhile studying. If we had x people who showed a reliable response to it, it might be good for "what biological changes occur in people before and after they take a dose" experiments. Any verified changes in our bodies might lead to a better understanding of ME.

 

[Wishful]

I'm using it occasionally as a PEM reliever during crashes.

How long until the effects are noticeable? For someone studying PEM, the time delay might help narrow down possible mechanisms. I forget how long it took for me, when I forgot a dose and developed PEM, but it was within a couple of hours.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

How long until the effects are noticeable?

If I take it on an empty stomach, I usually feel better within 1-1,5 hours. If I take it after a meal - then it takes a little longer, about 2 hours. It doesn't prevent PEM for me, it alleviates already existing PEM.
I definitely think it's worth studying.

 

[Strawberry]

I also can’t take cumin regular or it quits working. But once or twice a month is great.

 

[MonkeyMan]

I would be much more up for a Vanilla experiment.!

Hi folks, I've done a little research on vanillin now that it is on Jarred Younger's list of potential treatments to test.
First of all, "vanillin" is NOT the same as vanilla. Vanilla is a natural substance, whereas vanillin is an artificial flavor created in a laboratory.
Food-grade vanillin powder can be purchased on Amazon, but it's harmful if you breathe it in, and you definitely don't want to get it in your eyes. And apparently, it tastes terrible if you ingest it by itself.
There is also a related artificial flavor called "ethyl vanillin", which is not the same as regular "vanillin".
Personally, I'm going to try "Dr. Oetker's Vanillin Zucker", which is sugar plus vanillin, and supposedly is so yummy that people dust their Christmas cookies with it!
My concern is that I read someone on here report that vanillin was stimulating and caused sleep issues. Insomnia is definitely not something I want!

 

[ChrisD]

I've been using cumin capsules for a few years after this thread but only when I was in bad PEM, and it does help quicker PEM recovery. However recently I thought, why don't I just take it every day? - and it does seem to have an accumulative effect.

I guess because we are always in some kind of PEM and/or the active compound acts on some of the disease pathology