Paracetamol

[Murph]

THIS POST HAS BEEN COPIED FROM THE FOLLOWING THREAD, AND SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE THREAD Hi! Hoping to engineer an effective treatment by finding others users whom had similar non/negative response to same treatments. AS THEY SPARKED AN OFF-TOPIC DISCUSSION ABOUT PARACETAMOL

Welcome! You sound quite similar to me - long slow onset, still only mild, located in Australia, work part time.

I have had me/cfs for a long time and I have found a few things seem to work.

#1 is obviously pacing. Keep the exercise below the thresholds for PEM! Sounds like your body knew this back when you gave up exercise.

#2 is hydration. For me, blood volume/pressure seems to be a problem, but I can manage it with lots of water and salt. In this line of enquiry - how are you with alcohol? I find I can't drink booze, it gives me similar symptoms to exercise.

#3 is whey. My body seems to get more energy out of whey protein isolate than carbs or fats. I use it everyday, and make sure I increase intake whenever i do exercise (and I'm able to do some limited things, like walking the dog, gentle hit of tennis etc.). This was doctor-recommended and I use the VPA brand.

Other things I like to use are paracetamol - it prevents microglia activation and I think can reduce brain fog by reducing brain inflammation. I used to use it only in response to PEM but now I use it before exercise, preventatively. I also take glutathione and ubiquinol for their antioxidant properties. I also take probiotics because I have fodmap issues and they seem to help/

I've tried many more things. It's very hard to tell what really works and what just came along at the same time as natural variations in intensity. The above listed are things I have some confidence in.

 

[bertiedog]

Other things I like to use are paracetamol - it prevents microglia activation and I think can reduce brain fog by reducing brain inflammation

I was very interested to read this as I find that just one paracetamol with caffeine taking with a fairly weak cup of tea on getting up helps my brain to be more grounded and I just feel better in myself. For the first couple of hours on getting up I have tendency to get a migraine type head pain for no obvious reason, but often if I take just one paracetamol as described above it stops these symptoms from developing.

To be honest I have never really understood how just one paracetemol could do this. Is it common knowledge that it prevent microglia activation?

Pam

 

[Murph]

Is it common knowledge that it prevent microglia activation?

It's possible I've spoken inaccurately there: it seems what it does is reduce the production of prostaglandins in activated microglia. (prostaglandins being a kind of hormone that presumably communicates /spreads the inflammation.)

https://www.researchgate.net/public...t_phospholipases_and_prostaglandin_E_synthase

Is this really the mechanism by which paracetamol makes me feel better? idk. Theory followed practice in my case. I was taking them to protect against PEM long before I googled to try to come up with an understanding of why they worked. But since Jared Younger's work and his description of microglia activaiton, it. makes sense to me.

 

[bertiedog]

Thanks for your explanation @Murph. I have known for years that paracetamol and caffeine were a treatment for migraine but never understood how a paracetamol first thing in the morning just made my brain and body feel better so it was good to read some sort of explanation.

Pam

 

[Cherry]

Other things I like to use are paracetamol - it prevents microglia activation and I think can reduce brain fog by reducing brain inflammation. I used to use it only in response to PEM but now I use it before exercise, preventatively. I also take glutathione and ubiquinol for their antioxidant properties. I also take probiotics because I have fodmap issues and they seem to help/

Hi, I was surprised to see your statements on paracetamol/acetaminophen. I didn't know it inhibits microglial activation! So I spent some time on Google Scholar to learn more. I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of taking high does, but I thought I would include a few references for others who may not be aware.

Toxicity at higher doses
I use this drug occasionally, but I am aware that it is a liver toxin at doses not that much higher than those needed to get the beneficial effects. (I read that this drug is the number one cause of acute liver failure in North America due to people taking large doses of opioid plus acetaminophen combinations.)
From my reading today I learned that preliminary studies show that taking this drug while pregnant may lead offspring to develop ADHD. source 1 source 2
In high doses, (not high enough for liver failure) it may cause neurotoxicity source, more specifically, neurotoxicity at high doses, neuroprotection at low doses source

 

[Murph]

Hi, I was surprised to see your statements on paracetamol/acetaminophen. I didn't know it inhibits microglial activation! So I spent some time on Google Scholar to learn more. I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of taking high does, but I thought I would include a few references for others who may not be aware.

Toxicity at higher doses
I use this drug occasionally, but I am aware that it is a liver toxin at doses not that much higher than those needed to get the beneficial effects. (I read that this drug is the number one cause of acute liver failure in North America due to people taking large doses of opioid plus acetaminophen combinations.)
From my reading today I learned that preliminary studies show that taking this drug while pregnant may lead offspring to develop ADHD. source 1 source 2
In high doses, (not high enough for liver failure) it may cause neurotoxicity source, more specifically, neurotoxicity at high doses, neuroprotection at low doses source

Yes, I've recently become aware about a developing line of thought that even at recommended doses it might be dangerous in the long run. It's a shame because I get a lot from it! But I have tried to limit my 24 hour intake since hearing about that.

 

[Hufsamor]

it seems what it does is reduce the production of prostaglandins in activated microglia. (prostaglandins being a kind of hormone that presumably communicates /spreads the inflammation.)

This is really interesting.
Ive often wondered why paracetamol helps the way it does.
And I also take them in beforehand as well as after activity.
At the same time, I know about the danger so I really try to keep down the doses.

When I was still working I used lots of wather with salt.
Now, when I'm laying down most of the time, I don't feel like I need it that much.

(I react to whey, so obviously I don't use that)

Anyone knows the "new recommended limit" for paracetamol?
(I realise such a limit most likely don't exist, but how much are they talking about?)

 

[Sushi]

Yes, I've recently become aware about a developing line of thought that even at recommended doses it might be dangerous in the long run. It's a shame because I get a lot from it! But I have tried to limit my 24 hour intake since hearing about that.

I used to work in Medical Intensive Care and deaths from paracetamol/acetaminophen were all too common. Usually the patient had exceeded the recommended dose but sometimes they had taken the top dose for a week or two or had combined it with alcohol or another drug processed by the liver.

 

[Murph]

This is really interesting.

Anyone knows the "new recommended limit" for paracetamol?

I think they used to say no more than two tablets every 4 hours. Now as well they say no more than 8 tablets a day.

 

[vision blue]

deleted

 

[S-VV]

A principal arachidonyl metabolite of paracetamol is a full TRPV agonist and downregulator. TRPV has been implicated in chronic nociceptive diseased like neuropathy