Health Matters

I think that breathing slowly and deeply is difficult when in an anxiety state.
Focusing on the breathing, and trying to relax it and control it, especially breathing deep into the stomach and back of stomach does help many people. For some people this alone is enough.
I haven't mastered it as yet, but it does seem to help.
I seem to need to take a rest both between my inhale and exhale (ie hold my breath for a short while) and between breaths.
I went to a psychologist who told me initially about the breathing, but he didn't think one needed to have a rest between breaths or to hold breaths. He just wanted me to count as I breathed in and out and breathe slowly.
He also told me that the people who thought it would not help, or who thought they couldn’t do it, it didn’t help! Like there might be a reason why they have difficulty in breathing deeply, and they may need more guidance than just counting breathing in and out.. like instruction on how to breathe, or even B1 which helped me to breathe.

I think the ideas in the links here are better.
http://www.breathing.com/articles/anxiety.htm
http://www.breathing.com/articles/breath-holding.htm
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030902/msgs/257663.html
http://www.breathing.com/results.htm#Adrenal%20exhaustion,%20anxiety

However I don't think the breathing is the cause of anxiety.. just a symptom, and sometimes treating the symptoms is enough to get one back to normal eventually. I think it helps, at the very least it does no harm.

One other thing, I couldn't take a deep breath properly. It was like I had a tight chest. I felt I just couldn't get enough oxygen, I'd be gasping for air, until I started on B1.
At least now I can breathe, at least while resting
I have yet to try exercising again, I'll update this when I try it!
Before, even in bed at night, I'd wake from sleep gasping for breath and feeling short on oxygen! The lack of oxygen feeling would wake me up ..almost in a panic. The docs refer to it as a panic attck.. but I honestly believe it is a lack of oxygen!
The B1 somehow helped my lungs allowing me to do the breathing exercises, although I'm not great at them and do need to spend more time on them.
I haven't had ANY of these panic attacks when I wake in the middle of the night gasping for air since starting on B1.
Before the B1 I'd always had difficulty in breathing especially when exercising...my lungs woud feel "raw" and I'd be gasping for breath almost if I pushed myself. My muscles didnt get tired when I was younger, it's my lungs that would prevent me!
Here's a possible explanation of why low B1 may hinder breathing link
However, for MOST people, getting their breathing corrected is enough .. most are not low on B1(it's supposedly rare, but something that may help or be worth looking at if you can't get your breathing right, and are having difficulties breathing)

Off topic..
I also clench my jaw and grind my teeth, suck in my cheeks tight and twist my ankles around each other (cross ankles )and squeeze tight(like a clench) or cross kness and ankles.
I think this is why my knees have been painful and "out" and giving way lately.. so the "tension" is thru my whole body.
I haven't any solution for my bad habits above. I do them in my sleep too!!...sigh...
so if anyone has any ideas on this ,I'd be most grateful
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Other recommended ones, I have yet to look at
http://www.anxietycoach.com/breathing.htm

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA330184/
Dr Weil "The Master Key to Self Healing"
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Blood pressure can also be lowered by breathing
http://www.breathing.com/articles/blood-pressure.htm
http://www.naturezonehealth.com/resperateadd.html
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http://www.breathing.com/articles/udb.htm

"Treat the symptoms presented" method helped

http://www.geocities.com/arojann.geo/sisterkenny.html

http://www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/australians/ekenny.htm

"describes her method as hydrotherapy in warm salt baths, extended manipulation of affected arms and legs, together with daily massages … much like contemporary physiotherapy." [link]

Check out the difference between beef and pork:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20td.html beef steak

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Y6.html pork

The steak certainly has a much higher mineral content, especially zinc,selenium, and potassium. B12 too.

The pork has a higher B1 content(thiamin). I find if I stop B1 injections for a while I start feeling like pork.. at least sweet and sour pork, Chinese style.

The content of each piece of food does vary though depending on where the animalgrazed or plant was grwon that was used to feed the animal, the mineral content of the water the animal drank.. basically the mineral content..especially things like selenium vary greatly depending on the content of the soil.
The vitamin content would vary too.. but I would suspect within some range for each animal.

Pork is noted for its higher B1 content due to the lower activity level of the enymes that work on thiamin in pig...will find ref someday!

Curcumin, found in tumeric, may fight early stage Alzheimers by increasing amyloid-beta uptake by macrophages. In Alzheimers this amyloid-beta phagocytosis is not optimal. [2]

Amyloid-beta plaque deposits in the brain that are associated with Alzheimers.
Phagocytosis is a “gobbling up” by immune system cells. Flash link
In animal experiments, curcumin enhanced brain clearance of amyloid-beta.

The age of the patient and the stage of the Alzheimer's disease appeared to influence the effectiveness of curcumin. The most benefit occurred in the cells from younger patients and patients with early-stage Alzheimer's.

Curcumin appeared to have no effect on the macrophages from the healthy controls.

According to the researchers, “Immunomodulation of the innate immune system by curcuminoids might be a safe approach to immune clearance of amyloidosis in [the] Alzheimer’s disease brain.”

Reference
1.Zhang L, Fiala M, Cashman J, Sayre J, Espinosa A, Mahanian M, Zaghi J, Badmaev V, Graves MC, Bernard G, Rosenthal M. Curcuminoids enhance amyloid-beta uptake by macrophages of Alzheimer's disease patients. J Alzheimers Dis. 2006 Nov;10(1):1-7

2. Ineffective phagocytosis of amyloid-beta by macrophages of Alzheimer's disease patients

3. LPS receptor (CD14): a receptor for phagocytosis of Alzheimer's amyloid peptide

“The study found that there was no difference in dry-eye outcomes between the 79 patients treated with flaxseed oil and the 73 patients treated with doxycycline. More importantly, no patient in the flaxseed oil group had anything more than mild dry eye at three months,” Dr. Chan said.
Results are also positive with 80% to 85% of patients who use BioTears, which contains omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils, as well as GLA from black currant seed oil and the necessary co-factors to push the metabolic process and other ingredients, Dr. Thornton said. Patients usually notice a difference in their dry-eye symptoms after two or three weeks, he said. "

http://www.eyeworld.org/article.php?sid=3385

I use ground flaxseed in my muesli.
I don't seem to be able to tolerate fish oils upps, but eating fish is fine. I don't like tuna though. and I don't like any oily fish (which are the highest in these omega 3's.
I like sardines on toast occasionally.

The omega 3 researchers seem to think 1 capsule a day is enough for an average size adult.. at least any more doesn't alter the membrane composition(which is what would affect dry eyes) over the longer time frame.
The human's ability to change the ratio of omega3megas6 used in our cell membranes is limited to within a range; excess gets stored in fat (adipose tissue), but it may have other uses when still circulating in the blood as many report psych/energy benefits.
I guess any excess being stored in body fat is helpful too, as when we lose our body fat.. it comes out as omega-3's? .. which would mean an excess of omega-6's etc may be around in people losing weight initially which would have to be balanced by more omega 3's... getting complicated here again

Cleopatra's Bath Milk and Body Cream
Dairy Farmers: Trevor & Sheryl Mahaffey (07) 5486-5613
4 Webster Rd Goomboorian Via Gympie, Qld 4570
mahaffeyfamily@ hotmail.com

Eco Farms are in BN.

This is non pasuterised milk.
It tastes great and is very creamy as its from Jersey cows (unblended with other cows)..and you can tell by the colour.
It is also not homogenised. It doesn't separate as much as the pastuerised milk, but you can see the layers of cream and milk.

I purchased some from a market in northern suburbs of Sydney.(wish I cold buy it regularly, but its too far)
It lasted a good 5 days fresh, by the 6th day it was just begiining to taste off but still drinkable..almost all gone anyway. It was delicious, just like the fresh milk I remember taste like out of a cow!... surprising

$5 for a 2 litre plastic bottle. Stored in the usual 2L plastic milk container around here unfortunately, but I guess lighter and easier for transport.

Arch Neurol Vol. 39 No. 8, August 1982
Thiamin monophosphate in the CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
M. Poloni, C. Patrini, B. Rocchelli and G. Rindi

http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/8/507

Free thiamin and thiamin monophosphate levels were determined by an electrophoretic fluorometric micromethod in plasma and CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), alcoholics, and controls. In plasma of patients with ALS as well as in plasma and CSF of alcholics, both thiamin and thiamin monophosphate concentrations were decreased so that the thiamin-thiamin monophosphate (T/TMP) ratio remained unchanged compared with that of controls. In CSF of patients with ALS, however, thiamin monophosphate values decreased much more than thiamin levels, so that the T/TMP ratio was significantly increased. The selective impairment of thiamin monophosphate production by nerve cells is likely to result from the reduction of the activity of thiamin pyrophosphatase, an enzyme synthetized and highly concentratd in the Golgi complex. Thiamin pyrophosphatase is known to diminish in ALS as well as in experimental motor neuronal degeneration or axotomy. Thus, the T/TMP ratio could be taken as an index of the impairment of neuronal protein synthesis in ALS

from email from Dr Teitelbaum

site here
https://www.endfatigue.com___##0##___ the form to fill in is at end of email.

D-Ribose- A very promising and safe new fibromyalgia/CFS treatment.

Information and an invitation to be part of a study (very simple to do)

Dear Readers,
This is in follow up to the e-mail newsletter below. We got 170 applicants for the 150 spots in the study the first day and then closed applications. As it turns out, ~ ½ had significant osteoarthritis or other problems which makes one not eligible, so we have room for ~ 70 more applicants for the ribose study. If you’d like to be in the study,and

DO NOT HAVE SIGNIFICANT ARTHRITIS ,the study is open to anyone who:

1-Has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by a physician and is at least 18 years old

2-Does not have severe medication/chemical/supplement sensitivities

3-Does not have diabetes or other severe illnesses (e.g.-significant arthritis [if its mild arthritis or only fibromyalgia pain, you can answer "no" to the arthritis question], cancer, hepatitis, congestive heart failure) and is not pregnant or breast feeding.

4-Lives in the United States (sorry Jenny)

D-Ribose (Corvalen) is a safe nutrient that works by directly increasing energy production. In our last study, 2/3 of CFS/Fibromyalgia patients improved after ~ 2 weeks. It is natural, quite safe, tastes good (sweet like sugar but healthy) and very low in side effects. Rarely, it leaves people over-energized/anxious. If so, you can simply lower the dose or take it with food.

This study will be a “Gold Standard” placebo controlled study. This means that ½ of you will get the real Ribose, and the other ½ an inert placebo with no effect. Neither the investigators nor participants will know who is getting the real thing vs. placebo till you finish the study. After taking 1 month’s worth of Ribose and returning your questionnaire and what remains in your container however, we will send you a free (definitely real) container as our way of saying thank you for participating. You can do the entire study by mail and continue any treatments you are currently on. However, we do ask that you not change anything you are taking during the month you’ll be on the study.

To be part of the study, all you need to do is:

1- Take 1 scoop of ribose 3 x day. It can be mixed with food, water, other beverages, etc. It is normal to occasionally miss a dose, so do not worry about that being a problem.

2-Fill out a simple questionnaire on the date you start the treatment and again in a month when you are taking the last dose.

3-Stay on your current treatment(s), if any, and do not add any other new treatments while you are on the Ribose.

4-After a month on the Ribose, mail the questionnaire and the ribose containers in the SASE envelope we supply (even if empty). We’ll then send a free container.

5-If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Angie at claims@endfatigue.com. The first people who return the form and fit the above criteria will be entered in the study. You can E-mail the form below to claims@endfatigue.com or fax it to 410-266-6104. Thank you for helping
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Dr Teitelbaum ran a pilot study on d-ribose supplements for CFS.(abstract below). They are now running a larger double blind study.

How do VitB1 and d-ribose fit in again.. somewhere in those metabolism cycles??

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are debilitating syndromes which are often associated with impaired cellular energy metabolism. As D-ribose has been shown to increase cellular energy synthesis in heart and skeletal muscle, this pilot study was done to evaluate if D-ribose could improve symptoms in Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.

Design

Forty-one (41) patients with a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome were given D-ribose, a naturally occurring pentose carbohydrate, at a dose of 5-g TID for a total of 280 grams. All patients completed questionnaires containing a Visual Analog Scale and global assessment pre- and post- D-ribose administration.

Results

D-Ribose, which was well tolerated, resulted in a significant improvement in all 5 Visual Analog Scale categories: energy, sleep, mental clarity, pain intensity, and well being, as well as an improvement in patients’ global assessment. Approximately 66 % of the patients experienced significant improvement while on D-ribose, with an average increase in energy on the Visual Analog Scale of 45% and an average improvement in overall well being of 30%.

Conclusions

D-Ribose significantly improved clinical symptoms in patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
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http://www.csupomona.edu/~macaudill/fn434files/fn434thiamin.ppt

Synthesis of NADPH and Pentoses
TDP is coenzyme for transketolase
key enzyme in HMS (Phase 3)
“reshuffling” of carbon atoms
achieved by transfer of two-or three-carbon units to appropriate acceptor molecules
ie, carbons 1 and 2 of D-xylulose-5-phosphate are transferred by Transketolase (TDP) to an acceptor unit which is D-ribose-5-phosphate

....
so when I took d-ribose it felt like it built up after a while and then made me worse ..so I stopped it..
next idea was I was low on thiamin.. perhaps it had all been used up by this d-ribose?
I need to look at thiamin in more detail.. with diagrams etc to understand this

Then again, I had shingles last year which can be alleviated with taking thiamin i've read, so could be a sign of thiamin deficiency.----------------

THis
seems to be saying that blocking transketolase (which uses b1 has a cofactor)then more d-ribose is produced.. now have to work out why.. maybe as d-ribose doesnt get consumed at same time?
also did ya see this??"D-ribose, a five-carbon sugar, is used as a key intermediate for the production of various biomaterials, such as riboflavin and inosine monophosphate"
does this also happen in our bodies?? which may mean d-ribose is needed to make B2 and inositol?.. which may be why I needced to take more riboflavin (b2) and was considering and tried once inositol.then promptly forgot about it the next day.. sigh(maybe as the obne dose of inositol topped me up)

If less d-ribose from increased transketolase (via B1)..maybe.. then maybe less riboflavin and inositol..
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The availability of phosphoribosyl-5-pyrophosphate (PRPP) is rate limiting in adenine nucleotide synthesis and salvage pathways required to restore nucleotide pools and rebuild cellular energy stores.20-23 PRPP is formed through a pyrophosphorylation reaction from ribose-5-phosphate that is, in turn, synthesized from glucose via the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP; or Hexose Monophosphate Shunt). The activity of the PPP varies between organs, with those synthesizing fatty acids and sterols being most active. The rate limiting enzymes in the PPP, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, have limited expression in muscle. As such, energy production in muscle via this mechanism is delayed and cannot be relied upon to replenish depressed adenine nucleotide pools during or following a metabolic insult, such as prolonged periods of hypoxia.
http://www.bioenergy.com/Index.php?Content=JohnsonResearch4

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full copy of ribose link in above
RIBOSE in Maintaining Tissue Energy Stasis

Tissue hypoxia leads to a progressive depression of the cellular purine nucleotide pool creating an energy deficit (Figure 2). The adenine nucleotide ATP is the primary energy source of all living cells. In tissues suffering the metabolic stress of hypoxia or ischemia, ATP is broken down and the metabolic machinery to recycle expended energy is disrupted. As such, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) levels accumulate leading to a series of reactions undertaken by the cell to balance ATP/ADP ratios and maintain energy stasis. These reactions ultimately lead to increased concentrations of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in the cell. In a further effort to control energy balance, heart cells catabolize AMP, in reactions catalyzed by 5'-nucleotidase and AMP deaminase, to form inosine, hypoxanthine and adenine. These catabolic end products are washed out of the cell netting a reduction in the total pool of adenine nucleotides available to the tissue and lowering its phosphorylation potential (Figure 2). Up to 90% of these catabolites can be biochemically salvaged and recycled.20-22

The availability of phosphoribosyl-5-pyrophosphate (PRPP) is rate limiting in adenine nucleotide synthesis and salvage pathways required to restore nucleotide pools and rebuild cellular energy stores.20-23 PRPP is formed through a pyrophosphorylation reaction from ribose-5-phosphate that is, in turn, synthesized from glucose via the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP; or Hexose Monophosphate Shunt). The activity of the PPP varies between organs, with those synthesizing fatty acids and sterols being most active. The rate limiting enzymes in the PPP, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, have limited expression in muscle. As such, energy production in muscle via this mechanism is delayed and cannot be relied upon to replenish depressed adenine nucleotide pools during or following a metabolic insult, such as prolonged periods of hypoxia.

The rate of recovery of depressed energy levels following ischemia and/or hypoxia is important for functional recovery of muscle20,21,23,24, providing adequate levels of AMP and ADP necessary for complete repletion of ATP. Blocking the degradation of adenine nucleotides, or by providing metabolic supplementation to enhance nucleotide recovery via the salvage or de novo pathways are potential solutions to maintaining energy stasis. Exogenous ribose administration provides the metabolic support required to bypass the rate limiting enzymes of the PPP, form PRPP and restore energy stasis in metabolically stressed muscle.20-25

RIBOSE has been extensively studied in both hearts and muscles. Safety data is well accepted, with no noted significant adverse reactions. Experiments on the use of ribose to enhance myocardial and skeletal muscle adenine nucleotide synthesis and salvage have involved both animal and human investigations and the effects of ribose in hearts are not species specific.26 The low activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is in the same order of magnitude in human, rat, guinea pig and dog hearts.

The effect of ribose treatment in myoadenylate deaminase deficiency (AMP deaminase deficiency)27-31 and adenylosuccinase deficiency32,33 has been well documented. Like fibromyalgia, these conditions lead to progressive depletion of cellular energy pools, leading to muscle pain, soreness and stiffness. The beneficial role in energy recovery in these disease conditions with ribose treatment is suggestive of its potential role in energy recovery in fibromyalgia. As in the case of myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, anecdotal reports from fibromyalgia patients indicate a reduction in fatigue, muscle soreness and stiffness associated with the condition. While further research continues, it is apparent that ribose can play a beneficial role as an adjunctive, metabolic treatment for fibromyalgia.

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OK transketolase and ribose-5-phosphate

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/bcbp/molbiochem/MBWeb/mb2/part1/pentose.htm
still unsure where d-ribose fits in
http://www.dentistry.leeds.ac.uk/biochem/MBWeb/mb2/part1/15-pentose.ppt#16 (same as above link in powerpoint)
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and also
I wonder if B1 works with coQ10 this way too.. I could never take that for too long either?

Vopr Pitan. 1979 Jul-Aug;(4):53-6
Effect of adrenaline and hydrocortisone on thiamine absorption in the intestine [Article in Russian]
Kiriliuk AG.
The effect of a single intramuscular injection of adrenalin and hydrocortisone (0.5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, respectively) on the thiamine absorption was studied in an isolated part of the intestine in male albino rats. The hormonal action on the Na-K-ATPase activity in the intestinal mucosa was also investigated. The intestinal thiamine absorption rate was shown to increase 10 min after adrenalin and 60 min after hydrocortisone injection. The Na-K-ATPase activity in the intestinal mucosa rose 10 min after the adrenalin injection and did not change after the administration of hydrocortisone.

PMID: 225879 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]