Blood and circulation

[Carrie Naturalway]

Has anyone tried anything to improve their blood and circulation? I've been trying to figure out why I feel so much better in the summer and I can't find out anything or figure out why but I do get cold so easily and just love the heat. Sun, fresh air, more oxygen, something plants give off, I don't know but I am exploring the circulation idea because I think it suffers in the winter. I know we have low blood volume, hypoperfusion, dysautonomia, orthostatic intolerance, pots, the sodium/dehydration issue. I have read that in Chinese Medicine winter is considered a time to tonify and nourish the blood because the cold makes blood vessels constrict and blood can stagnate. I have herbs all ready to try in the winter and a red light device to try but I am curious to know if anyone has explored this and tried anything. It seems like some people with CFS feel better in the summer but most feel worse so I'm not sure if this will be a helpful route to take.

 

[pamojja]

My main disease has been a walking-disability from PAD 16 years ago. 13 years ago an additional COPD. 9 years ago, after the remission of COPD and the Walking disability, continuous PEMs (exhaustion, brain fog, pains) remained.

My main treatment modality was comprehensive lifestyle changes (including as much sun as possible) and supplementation. Did the PAD already respond to Linus Pauling's therapy, the COPD practically forced me to escape the deepest winter to a South Indian beach, and to additional Ayurvedic remedies. I continued to take my yearly vacation in winter, always to the same beach.

Except 2 corona years, when it was prohibited without vaccine. And when I found, infrared light would replicate some of the effects of sunshine.

PEMs finally went into remission 7 years ago. However, by now I used so many interventions, it would be difficult to entangle all co-factors at play. It did coincide with my only root-canal treated tooth (done just before it all started) being extracted, 32 Magnesium-sulfate infusion (against a by oral intake, irresponsive deficiency), and LDN more consistently above 2 mg/d.

Sunshine played an essential part in all my 3 remissions. Retold in more detail here: https://www.longecity.org/forum/stacks/stack/111-pad-and-additional-remissions/

 

[Carrie Naturalway]

Thanks for your comment! Glad you are doing a lot better. I read through your protocols, I've done many of not most of them and others and they helped. I feel like l am almost cured in the summer but not in the winter. I also catch a lot of viruses in the winter and that has increased after COVID, starting in late 2023. But even if I catch a virus in summer I still do better.

Maybe it's as simple as sunshine. I go in the sun all year round but it must be summer or tropical sun that works. If I go on vacation to a tropical place in the late fall it will prolong my feeling better for longer. For example - no vacation and by late November I will begin feeling poorly, vacation in November and I won't feel badly until mid January. My PEMs are much better in the summer, they're not nearly as bad and I recover quicker. I look forward to testing this out with a red light device in winter.

 

[pamojja]

vacation in November and I won't feel badly until mid January.

That's why I always fly middle of January till end of February. Otherwise, this time of winter would be the worst for me. On the other hand, with such pronounced CVD, I've been a clear subset of ME/CFS, and obvious why blood flow and circulation is so important.

Despite so many parasitic or bacterial infections, viral had been absent for me. Fever already since my last malaria in 1999. With the only exception of my initial COPD escape (after a 1-year persisting chronic bronchitis) for the first time on my beach. Where I suffered for one month high fevers, chills, vomiting and diarrhea. Stool test implied typhoid fever. And such high fevers for so long probably killed the bacteria in the lungs. Needless to say, with so much damage from antibiotics in my life, I avoid now like the pest.

and they helped. I feel like l am almost cured in the summer

For me, my interventions seem still necessary to stick to. Or some symptoms do return. For example, during corona winters without tropical sun, slight walking-pain in my legs returned for the first time again.

Also had for the first time severe pains in my major joints last fall. Probably first bouts of rheumatic arthritis. Analyzing my supplement intake, I realized having reduced all anti-inflammatories which would help with that too (like Boswellia, Curcumin, Ashwagandha, GLA or Ginger), the last couple of years. Loading up on them again, joint pain bouts have mostly ceased again.

 

[Carrie Naturalway]

That's why I always fly middle of January till end of February. Otherwise, this time of winter would be the worst for me. On the other hand, with such pronounced CVD, I've been a clear subset of ME/CFS, and obvious why blood flow and circulation is so important.

Despite so many parasitic or bacterial infections, viral had been absent for me. Fever already since my last malaria in 1999. With the only exception of my initial COPD escape (after a 1-year persisting chronic bronchitis) for the first time on my beach. Where I suffered for one month high fevers, chills, vomiting and diarrhea. Stool test implied typhoid fever. And such high fevers for so long probably killed the bacteria in the lungs. Needless to say, with so much damage from antibiotics in my life, I avoid now like the pest.



For me, my interventions seem still necessary to stick to. Or some symptoms do return. For example, during corona winters without tropical sun, slight walking-pain in my legs returned for the first time again.

Also had for the first time severe pains in my major joints last fall. Probably first bouts of rheumatic arthritis. Analyzing my supplement intake, I realized having reduced all anti-inflammatories which would help with that too (like Boswellia, Curcumin, Ashwagandha, GLA or Ginger), the last couple of years. Loading up on them again, joint pain bouts have mostly ceased again.

It's helpful to know that you seem to have a robust immune system because that takes the idea that sunshine is helping the immune system out of the equation. Sunshine is found to help autoimmune disease so I thought maybe that is the reason I feel better in summer, because sunshine is helping my immune system. That still may be the case, but since we seem to share the circulation/blood issues it could point to something there. I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about the benefits of the sun. Now I'm wondering if I should have gotten a combination UV/red light device and not just red light.

I can't travel in the winter because there's a good chance I will have a virus when it's time to go, or I will catch one on the plane going. So I push my vacation to the very end of fall. I seem to always get sick around the last week of November so I know how long I have. Though actually I should have October be the cutoff because last year I went in November and caught something while on vacation at a place with a lot of tourists. Lots of non-symptomatic carriers. Terrible to get typhoid, that's a bad one. I'm glad you got over that. I never get fevers, so I'm jealous of your fevers are robust immune system, lol!

I take a lot of anti-inflammatories too, very helpful. I take all the ones you do and some more. Always looking for others to try. I also really like resveratrol, it helps a lot, and it seems to work synergistically with turmeric/cucurmin. I have some mild joint/muscle aches, but I'm thinking more about my brain inflammation. I take grape seed extract to try and help with that, for one thing. My neurological problems are kind of on the bad side. Have you looked into nattokinase? I can't remember if that was on your list.

 

[pamojja]

I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about the benefits of the sun.

There are simply too many pleiotropic effects of sun-light and -warmth, to be aware of them all: Mitochondrial endogenous melatonin synthesis (which isn't reached by supplementation), nitric oxide in the vascular system; microbiome, immune (beyond vitamin D), and neurotransmitters modulation - to name a few.

Terrible to get typhoid, that's a bad one. I'm glad you got over that. I never get fevers, so I'm jealous of your fevers are robust immune system, lol!

Well once in 25 years a singular 1-month lasting fever, I don't consider really that robust. I even had the illusion in youth of a really strong immunity, since I overcame so many onslaughts apparently without difficulties. However, all those infection (malarias, bilharzia, amoebae, tubercles, etc.) in reality all damaged almost all organ or metabolic systems. I got the repair bill not surprisingly around age 40, when resilience and endogenous repair usually declines.

Have you looked into nattokinase? I can't remember if that was on your list.

I do have clear mainstays in my supplements, with clear correlations to whole remissions. But there are too many, to give each a full trial on their own. Therefore, I copy the Ayurvedic approach, where a combination of low dosed mutually supportive extracts show greater synergistic effects, than high-doses of individual herbs. I do feel really different to many ME/CFS, who allegedly can feel differences in taking a new supplement within days. As I posted just the day before yesterday on phoenix rising:

For me, it was different, I never expected 1-day improvements, with my failing heart, lung, liver, kidneys, spleen, androgens, thyroid, glucose metabolism, etc.

I knew this damage had been done during decades, practically my whole life. And indeed thought the chance for repair, even a fraction of it in further decades, rather unlikely.

So I never expected quick results, though in retrospect some did occur. But I really don't immediately 'feel' any supplements. Except a few disturbing sleep, better taken in the morning.

Nothing more to lose, I persisted with my lifestyle changes and comprehensive supplementation. I did however track improvement or worsening of interventions with a many as possible lab-markers. But felt not much otherwise.


The remission of PAD took 7 years, PEMs a whole 10 years to subside. With all major body systems failing, it takes time, and addressing the whole of it, which 1 supplement simply can't (except in rare case, with much less involved).


The chronic diseases in my case were caused by a plethora of things, how could they ever resolve with an isolated agent? I'm just over-joyous that they did.

In such a case patience and persistence is key. Not felt, but improving blood-markers kept me on track for so many years.

Nattokinase I trialed low dose together with serrapeptase, papain and mainly bromelain. And, as with most individual nutrients, nothing isolated to report.

A post later (there on phoenix rising), I did mention the main nutrients, which did show surprising isolated effects. But neither of them would have been able to cause the strong synergy for such improbable remissions, as from PAD, COPD or PEMs.

I will have a virus when it's time to go, or I will catch one on the plane going. So I push my vacation to the very end of fall. I seem to always get sick around the last week of November so I know how long I have.

Despite my stunning success with vitamin C, I never succeeded to enthuse anyone about its high dose applications with active viral infections: http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html - it seems just too otherworldly and inconvenient for most. To dose so many grams down to every 20 minutes, for overcoming viral infections. But it would work in most cases, once the aversion to ingest so much of an acidic powder during 1 day overcome. Thought, I should mention anyway.

 

[suzanne-wa]

Has anyone tried anything to improve their blood and circulation? I've been trying to figure out why I feel so much better in the summer and I can't find out anything or figure out why but I do get cold so easily and just love the heat. Sun, fresh air, more oxygen, something plants give off, I don't know but I am exploring the circulation idea because I think it suffers in the winter. I know we have low blood volume, hypoperfusion, dysautonomia, orthostatic intolerance, pots, the sodium/dehydration issue. I have read that in Chinese Medicine winter is considered a time to tonify and nourish the blood because the cold makes blood vessels constrict and blood can stagnate. I have herbs all ready to try in the winter and a red light device to try but I am curious to know if anyone has explored this and tried anything. It seems like some people with CFS feel better in the summer but most feel worse so I'm not sure if this will be a helpful route to take.

I did try a supplement blend of Nattokinase and Serrapeptase in hopes it might help. I decided to discontinue after about three weeks when I noticed an unexpected a bruise on one of my palms.

 

[pamojja]

when I noticed an unexpected a bruise on one of my palms.

Baby aspirin only, causes blood in stools for me. Found it alleviated by using lecithin or straight Phosphatidylcholine at the same time. Despite taking so many supplements with potentially anticoagulating action, none of them seem to have that side-effect of aspirin. Though, might be accumulative, by so many supplemental anticoagulating agents.