Quercetin

[tootsieroll]

Hi All! I was taking some Quercetin for some symptoms and I had to stop last couple of days due to coming down with a cold from hell. I’m dealing with so much mucus in the nasal area and in the throat from the post nasal drip, that it is suffocating. I read that Quercetin can actually be used to help the cold.

I want to continue taking it but I’m afraid if I might need to take an expectorant that includes Guaifenesin in the ingredients or something that includes a decongestant just in case mucus becomes too much. Quercetin seems to have such a long list of interactions with medications but no listing of these over the counter medications. Still I don’t want there to be any issues.

Has anyone here taken quercetin along with over the counter cold meds and not have adverse effects? Thanks

 

[Gingergrrl]

Quercetin seems to have such a long list of interactions with medications but no listing of these over the counter medications.

I have been taking Quercetin since mid 2015 and still take it today. I took 2000 mg per day for at least 2 yrs and then tapered down to my current dose of 500 mg per day. I take a lot of meds and supplements and have never had a problem with it and had no idea that it had lots of interactions with OTC meds! I was curious if you had a link or list of what it interacts badly with?

Has anyone here taken quercetin along with over the counter cold meds and not have adverse effects?

I have never taken an OTC cold med (that I am aware of) and definitely have never taken one since starting Quercetin in 2015 (so I cannot comment on that). But hoping others will see this post and you will get some replies.

 

[tootsieroll]

Thanks for reaching out. I'm glad to hear you haven't had issues with it.

Here's the list of interactions:

https://www.emedicinehealth.com/quercetin-page3/vitamins-supplements.htm

They don't list otc meds but one has to wonder since it can alter the way the body reacts to prescription meds.

 

[tootsieroll]

I have been taking Quercetin since mid 2015 and still take it today. I took 2000 mg per day for at least 2 yrs and then tapered down to my current dose of 500 mg per day. I take a lot of meds and supplements and have never had a problem with it and had no idea that it had lots of interactions with OTC meds! I was curious if you had a link or list of what it interacts badly with?



I have never taken an OTC cold med (that I am aware of) and definitely have never taken one since starting Quercetin in 2015 (so I cannot comment on that). But hoping others will see this post and you will get some replies.

I am curious..were your meds on that list?

 

[Gingergrrl]

I am curious..were your meds on that list?

As far as I could tell from skimming down the list, none of the meds that I take are on it.

 

[tootsieroll]

That's good! Then you can use quercetin with no worries. I do wonder if it has any effect on Tylenol.

 

[Carl]

I saw very recently that Quercetin among other things can alter the Phase I detox enzymes, lowering their function and therefore slowing down Phase I detox. That can be a good thing to have. A herb that I take which has a small amount of quercetin in it also has this effect which was a concern when I first read about it. However after reading further Phase I detox enzymes can produce some highly toxic compounds which need to be dealt with by the Phase II enzymes and if those are not working properly then big problems can be caused. Therefore slowing down Phase I and trying to uprate Phase II can have positive effects.

Phase I enzymes can produce potentially cancer causing products and also highly reactive oxidative molecules which the body has to deal with which can potentially increase inflammatory processes. A deficit of antioxidants such as glutathione could be a problem due to it's role as both an antioxidant and it's role in detoxification which is dramatically increased in CFS because of wastes flooding into the bloodstream due to the Increased Digestive Permeability.

Why don't you take smaller doses of quercetin many times throughout the day rather than taking large doses all at once? That should reduce it's effect and not have such a big impact on the phase I enzymes.

I was under the impression that quercetin was a natural antihistamine? There are some essential oils which can work to lessen congestion. Peppermint is one and there are others. Using a carrier oil and rubbing some on your chest is one way. Using a essential oil ultrasonic atomizer is another to get it into the air so that you can breathe it. Using a bowel of warm water and a few drops of essential oil with a towel over your head and breathe in the steam. Read more online.

I do not take any oral pharmaceuticals, I avoid them.

 

[tootsieroll]

I saw very recently that Quercetin among other things can alter the Phase I detox enzymes, lowering their function and therefore slowing down Phase I detox. That can be a good thing to have. A herb that I take which has a small amount of quercetin in it also has this effect which was a concern when I first read about it. However after reading further Phase I detox enzymes can produce some highly toxic compounds which need to be dealt with by the Phase II enzymes and if those are not working properly then big problems can be caused. Therefore slowing down Phase I and trying to uprate Phase II can have positive effects.

Phase I enzymes can produce potentially cancer causing products and also highly reactive oxidative molecules which the body has to deal with which can potentially increase inflammatory processes. A deficit of antioxidants such as glutathione could be a problem due to it's role as both an antioxidant and it's role in detoxification which is dramatically increased in CFS because of wastes flooding into the bloodstream due to the Increased Digestive Permeability.

Why don't you take smaller doses of quercetin many times throughout the day rather than taking large doses all at once? That should reduce it's effect and not have such a big impact on the phase I enzymes.

I was under the impression that quercetin was a natural antihistamine? There are some essential oils which can work to lessen congestion. Peppermint is one and there are others. Using a carrier oil and rubbing some on your chest is one way. Using a essential oil ultrasonic atomizer is another to get it into the air so that you can breathe it. Using a bowel of warm water and a few drops of essential oil with a towel over your head and breathe in the steam. Read more online.

I do not take any oral pharmaceuticals, I avoid them.

Thanks Carl! This is really helpful. I was using another oil (oregano) and it may be causing me some trouble and die off. Actually I don’t know which one could be causing this since I was taking both oregano oil and Quercetin when the cramping/diarrhea started a couple days ago. I’m assuming it’s the die off from oregano oil that I have been using for a week before I tried Quercetin. But then it coincides with the use of Quercetin 2 days ago? Idk but I really don’t want to stop the quercetin if I had a choice cause the phlegm is yet to be gone.

I also want to keep steaming but don’t know if it’s okay to keep lungs moist for over a weeks time. I hope it doesnt cause other issues like bronchitis from steaming for long periods. I’ve been steaming daily (3 times a day) for a little over a week. I occasionally use the Vicks face steamer but I can only add colloidal silver in water since it doesn’t leave an oily residue. I was also drinking ginger tea. Now I truly don’t know what is causing my die off. Quercetin? Oregano oil? Ginger? Colloidal silver? This cold will be the death of me.

Also I know you don’t take pharmaceuticals but do you think Tylenol would be okay to take with quercetin? I only want to take it if this die off cramp/diarrhea pain becomes too much to handle and heating pad is no longer helpful. Sorry for the questions. Ending week 2 of this cold and the phlegm is stubborn in chest/nose and I can’t wait for this to be over. Thanks for the replies!! They help keep me calm!

 

[tootsieroll]

I also forgot to ask you Carl. When you say there is a small amount of Quercetin in your herbs, how much is small? I am taking 400mg twice a day, once in afternoon and once before bed. Should i split them into half capsules and take throughout the day? I heard quercetin stays in body for at least 12 hours so not sure if splitting makes a difference?

 

[Gingergrrl]

That's good! Then you can use quercetin with no worries. I do wonder if it has any effect on Tylenol.

I've never had any problem taking Quercetin and Tylenol at the same time. Do you know what the potential problem would be?

 

[tootsieroll]

I've never had any problem taking Quercetin and Tylenol at the same time. Do you know what the potential problem would be?

Possible Quercetin can potentiate the strength of Tylenol. I'm not 100% sure. To some people that may be a good thing.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Possible Quercetin can potentiate the strength of Tylenol. I'm not 100% sure. To some people that may be a good thing.

I never had that experience (of Quercetin potentiating the strength of Tylenol or any other med) but we are all so different, you just never know!

 

[Carl]

Thanks Carl! This is really helpful. I was using another oil (oregano) and it may be causing me some trouble and die off. Actually I don’t know which one could be causing this since I was taking both oregano oil and Quercetin when the cramping/diarrhea started a couple days ago. I’m assuming it’s the die off from oregano oil that I have been using for a week before I tried Quercetin. But then it coincides with the use of Quercetin 2 days ago? Idk but I really don’t want to stop the quercetin if I had a choice cause the phlegm is yet to be gone.

I also want to keep steaming but don’t know if it’s okay to keep lungs moist for over a weeks time. I hope it doesnt cause other issues like bronchitis from steaming for long periods. I’ve been steaming daily (3 times a day) for a little over a week. I occasionally use the Vicks face steamer but I can only add colloidal silver in water since it doesn’t leave an oily residue. I was also drinking ginger tea. Now I truly don’t know what is causing my die off. Quercetin? Oregano oil? Ginger? Colloidal silver? This cold will be the death of me.

Also I know you don’t take pharmaceuticals but do you think Tylenol would be okay to take with quercetin? I only want to take it if this die off cramp/diarrhea pain becomes too much to handle and heating pad is no longer helpful. Sorry for the questions. Ending week 2 of this cold and the phlegm is stubborn in chest/nose and I can’t wait for this to be over. Thanks for the replies!! They help keep me calm!

You are taking a number of things which might be contributing to what you are experiencing so I cannot make a guess as to what might be causing it.

I also forgot to ask you Carl. When you say there is a small amount of Quercetin in your herbs, how much is small? I am taking 400mg twice a day, once in afternoon and once before bed. Should i split them into half capsules and take throughout the day? I heard quercetin stays in body for at least 12 hours so not sure if splitting makes a difference?

The research article that I have does not correlate with the form that I use, an aqueous extract of the seeds. The references use ethanol extracts on both humans and rats so there really is no comparison with what I use. I would guess that the concentration is very low, a tiny fraction of what you take in capsules, probably less than 10mg at a wild guess. The ethanol extracts have very different properties and effects BTW. The aqueous extracts have immune suppressive effects which makes it good for autoimmune illnesses but the ethanol extract has immune stimulating effects. The ethanol extracts are meant to be the only form which provides liver protective effects, raising liver antioxidant levels.

The rats were given 0.85 g/kg 95% ethanol extract of the Cuscuta chinensis seeds by gavage. They found that the highest concentration of quercetin was 0.401 ng/mL after 0.333 h (Zheng et al., 2004).

The PK of hyperoside was studied after oral administration of Cuscuta chinensis ethanol extract in 5 healthy female volunteers by HPLC-UV. At 3.259 h, the highest concentration of hyperoside was 3.902 ng/mL (Peng, 2010). All the parameters of PK are shown in Table 3. This information showed that the main phytochemical constituents that were found in the body after oral administration were flavonoids(quercetin and hyperoside). Moreover, there is a report that quercetin can inhibit CYP450 enzymes (Gaudineau et al., 2004).

hyperoside concentration was significantly higher (~x10) than quercetin but comparing apples(humans) to oranges(rats).

Gaudineau, C., Beckerman, R., Welbourn, S., Auclair, K., 2004. Inhibition of human P450 enzymes by multiple constituents of the Ginkgo biloba extract. Biochem- ical and Biophysical Research Communications 318, 1072–1078

That research reference is linked in the article but is looking at Ginkgo so I do not know why it is quoted and why it is relevant.

 

[kurt]

I take Quercetin and Guaifenesin together every night. They are great at helping my sleep, presumably due to anti-inflammatory and cellular detox properties. I use a timed-release Guai product, which seems to help more than a single dump.

 

[tootsieroll]

I take Quercetin and Guaifenesin together every night. They are great at helping my sleep, presumably due to anti-inflammatory and cellular detox properties. I use a timed-release Guai product, which seems to help more than a single dump.

thanks Kurt. I'm sorry for late reply. I'm not getting notifications oddly.

This is good news. I had to pass on the Guaifenesin though cause it made me so thirsty and no amount of water could quench it. It would also dry out my airways which then made the phlegm even stickier. I want to restart quercetin again but theres no answer as to whether this will affect me as it is a COMT inhibiter and I already have low COMT. But is it possible to have other pathways that would allow the use of quercetin without it further inhibiting the COMT gene. As in some people with Low COMT can't tolerate it and some others who can? Or should all persons with Low COMT avoid quercetin??

Also thank you Carl for the informative reply to my questions. REally helpful!