Good signs from coq10 - now what?

[frogsquid13]

Hello, recently I have been feeling some good effects from co10 including increased energy and mood. I’m wondering if this can potentially give clues as to what my body is lacking and needs. Also, I’m wondering if boosting the dose (currently 200mg ubiquinol) will bring additional benefits or if I should just leave it for now.

Secondly, for those that have benefitted from co10, what other supplements or treatments have brought you some benefit? And if anyone wasn’t successful with it but has ideas for complementary treatments with coq10 I’d be happy to hear.

 

[Judee]

Others might disagree but I would say if something is working for you to just stick with it as is until it doesn't and then try to add other things or increase the dose.

This disease is tricky that way. More isn't always better and sometimes it can even be worse.

 

[LINE]

It is clearly a sign that the antioxidant system needs that attention. There are other AOs that could be complimentary. Everything I know about antioxidants is that they tend to network with each other, in other words, the sum is greater than its parts. I use Coq10 but also a wide array such as QualiC (good vitamin C), natural Vitamin E (not synthetic which is DL), Alpha Lipoic acid, grape seed extract and others.

I never noticed that Coq10 was beneficial until I got older. As @Judee says, supplements that benefit, may adapt thus lessening their effects. Pulsing is a good choice for me, e.g. a few days on and then a rest period, then resume.

Keep in mind that ME is a taxing disease process and with this taxation, it creates a lot of oxidative stress, antioxidants are the only thing I know that can stave off the oxidative stress. Keep the oxidative stress at low levels which equates to being more energetic.

 

[heapsreal]

Hello, recently I have been feeling some good effects from co10 including increased energy and mood. I’m wondering if this can potentially give clues as to what my body is lacking and needs. Also, I’m wondering if boosting the dose (currently 200mg ubiquinol) will bring additional benefits or if I should just leave it for now.

Secondly, for those that have benefitted from co10, what other supplements or treatments have brought you some benefit? And if anyone wasn’t successful with it but has ideas for complementary treatments with coq10 I’d be happy to hear.

It's a guess or you have to experiment in some way to know what aspect of Q10 is helping you.

Q10 could be helping you in a few ways altogether or more in way one then others.
It may be helping through its antioxidant effects and lowering oxidation. It could be helping improving mitochondrial function and energy production or it might be having more direct effects on improving cardiovascular function. But probably a combination of all three.

As hinted at in other posts, go low and slow. You could look into other things that can enhance what I mentioned Q10 may have helped with. So possibly add other antioxidants, as also mentioned, they seem to work well in combination with other antioxidants. Natural vitamin E is usually called vitamin E as mixed tocerophils. NAC is a very popular antioxidant as the body uses it to make glutathione, which is the bodies main antioxidant and it is poorly absorbed if taken glutathione orally, so NAC is one of the best oral ways to increase glutathione levels. Alpha lipoic acid is said to help recycle other antioxidants you use in your body as well plus it has other functions but worth looking into.

Mitochondrial supplements some find helpful are things like creatine, ribosome, carnitine.

Generally strong overlap with antioxidants and mitochondrial supplements with improving cardiovascular health. But try to be your own naturopath and research these things yourself and don't just go off what someone says, dare I say even doctors when it comes to supplements??? It's good to know what your getting into especially being a cfsme patient as we all can react differently not just amongst each other but sometimes very differently to the average person.

Sometimes the only way you're going to know if something is going to help is to start with a low dose and increase slowly. We are like our own personal lab experiments
Good luck

 

[lenora]

Hello.....most people may be aware of this, but I believe it's age 50 that Co-Q-10 should be taken as Ubiquinol. We've been taking it that way for years. My husband had two cardiac arrests (far worse than a heart attack) and his doctor told him when when to change the form.

Some doctors are actually helpful in using both holistic and medicines in their practices. Of course they age too, so we're back on the younger set. Yours, Lenora

 

[Murph]

I've been taking ubiquinol for ages. I ran out and boy oh boy do i feel like shit. Rare example of a supplement I'm taking that has a noticeable ffect. I can also feel the difference in taking it once a day vs twice a day: twice gives me more oomph.

Last note, I reckon I can tell the difference between different brands and the Now Foods brand seems to be the best one. (I have no stake in that company, just sharing my experience!)

 

[heapsreal]

I've been taking ubiquinol for ages. I ran out and boy oh boy do i feel like shit. Rare example of a supplement I'm taking that has a noticeable ffect. I can also feel the difference in taking it once a day vs twice a day: twice gives me more oomph.

Last note, I reckon I can tell the difference between different brands and the Now Foods brand seems to be the best one. (I have no stake in that company, just sharing my experience!)

That's good yummy have found that out. What dose do you take?

 

[Mary]

@frogsquid13 - I've found BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to be very helpful for me. I don't know if they're complementary to CoQ10 in any special way, but I take both CoQ10 and BCAAs (and a ton of other stuff) with no problem. Anyways, the BCAAs have helped with energy and also cut my PEM recovery time by more than half. I take 4000 - 5000 mg. of BCAAs a day in 2 divided doses, on an empty stomach.

I have learned (the hard way!) that not all brands are the same and generally cheaper brands of BCAAs do not give me the same results. Two brands I've found which do work for me are Optimum Nutrition and Now Foods. And I have to keep taking them. I've been taking them since 2014 I think. Every once in awhile I get low on it or I try a cheaper brand and before long I start going downhill, less energy, crash more often and take longer to recover. And when I go back to the good brands, usually within a week I'm back to baseline.

Here's a thread with a few articles about how BCAAs may be helpful with ME/CFS: https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/bcaas-reducing-pem.34719/

 

[frogsquid13]

bit of an update, but unfortunately the coq10 stopped working for me after a few weeks. i feel it's quite cruel to have something that provides benefit be ripped away from you. like that little glimmer of hope squashed. oh well, i won't stop trying new things but i think next time i wont be as disappointed if it didn't work long term.

@frogsquid13 - I've found BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to be very helpful for me. I don't know if they're complementary to CoQ10 in any special way, but I take both CoQ10 and BCAAs (and a ton of other stuff) with no problem. Anyways, the BCAAs have helped with energy and also cut my PEM recovery time by more than half. I take 4000 - 5000 mg. of BCAAs a day in 2 divided doses, on an empty stomach.

I have learned (the hard way!) that not all brands are the same and generally cheaper brands of BCAAs do not give me the same results. Two brands I've found which do work for me are Optimum Nutrition and Now Foods. And I have to keep taking them. I've been taking them since 2014 I think. Every once in awhile I get low on it or I try a cheaper brand and before long I start going downhill, less energy, crash more often and take longer to recover. And when I go back to the good brands, usually within a week I'm back to baseline.

Here's a thread with a few articles about how BCAAs may be helpful with ME/CFS: https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/bcaas-reducing-pem.34719/

thank you mary, i'll try out BCAA's

 

[Mary]

bit of an update, but unfortunately the coq10 stopped working for me after a few weeks. i feel it's quite cruel to have something that provides benefit be ripped away from you. like that little glimmer of hope squashed. oh well, i won't stop trying new things but i think next time i wont be as disappointed if it didn't work long term.

I know how you feel! And I'm so sorry to hear the CoQ10 stopped working for you. Back in 2002, 2000 mg. of l-carnitine a day gave me 7 to 10 good days, no crashing, I felt well, and then it stopped working - grrrr!!!

NADH did the same thing too - this was in 2004 I think. It was pricey but I decided I'd pay the price, worth it to have my life back . . . I had an amazing 10 days . . .

 

[heapsreal]

bit of an update, but unfortunately the coq10 stopped working for me after a few weeks. i feel it's quite cruel to have something that provides benefit be ripped away from you. like that little glimmer of hope squashed. oh well, i won't stop trying new things but i think next time i wont be as disappointed if it didn't work long term.

Just take a break from it for a couple of weeks and then reintroduce the Q10. Might find using it every second day or some other intermittent use might keep it working for you. It's worth a try

 

[Alvin2]

I found it helped a bit for cognition but it wore off.
Sometimes i can take it again and get some cognition back.