Co enzyme Q10

[Lillybelly]

Hey up Guys,

Anyone tried the Coenzyme Q10?

If yes, how long did you take it before you noticed any benefit?

How much do you take? Is there an 'optimum' time to take it?

Any side effects?

Thanks... Eileen

[silvestrov]

Eileen,

Yes I take CoQ10 at 1,200 mg/d = 400 mg after a meal. It greatly helped me and its effect was immediate. I felt relief the same day I took it.

CoQ10 has a variable history in treating PD. In 2002 there was a study in which it slowed the progression of PD by 44%. The followup 2011 study showed no effect on the disease. And that is how the studies have gone - completely inconsistent.

2002 study: ninds.nih.gov/news_and_even...

2011 study: alzforum.org/news/research-...

Fortunately, I felt immediate improvement and could not do without it. To complicate matters there are other types of CoQ10 and some suggest PQQ is better:

lifeextension.com/magazine/...

Basically it is safe but can cause liver enzymes so if you have a bad liver you may not want to try it. If your liver is not so good there are several supplements you can take.

Rich

[Lillybelly in reply to silvestrov]

Thanks Rich,

For the links, I'll give them a look over...

[lempa_nik in reply to Lillybelly]

Hi Lillybelly,

If you plan to try CoQ 10, evidence suggests you'll do better with the form called Ubiquinol.

There are two forms of CoQ-10, the oxidized form (Ubiquinone), which I believe was used in all major trials up until 2015, and the reduced form (Ubiquinol), which has come on the market only in recent years. It is the latter, Ubiquinol which is more bioavailable--the body uses it directly. If you take "old" CoQ-10, Ubiquinone, the body first needs to chemically "reduce" it (i.e., attach extra electrons) before the body can use it.

As you know from Silvestrov's 2011 clinical trial, and other trials, Ubiquinone failed to yield any benefits, despite early promise in a smallish 2002 study. Now , however, there is a recent pilot trial in Japan that suggests Ubiquinol may actually be effective--and at much lower doses:

dailyhealthpost.com/coq10-t...

or, see the abstract of the original paper:

prd-journal.com/article/S13...

For patients who took standard drugs, but were seeing a "wearing off " in their effectiveness, 48 weeks on Ubiquinol rolled back their symptoms on average by 4 points (UPDRS rating scale), an improvement of almost one year!

A plus point is that you'll only need to take 300 mg/day of Ubiquinol, whereas with the study of 2002, it looked like you would need to take 1200 mg/day of Ubiquinone (oxidized CoQ-10), 4 times as much. Not to mention the expense of taking 12 x 100mg a day!

Please also bear in mind that according to Dr. K.N. Prasad, a much better strategy than "mono-therapy," using just one micronutrient, is taking a well-chosen mixture of supplements. Prasad, who is a leading world expert on healing disease with micronutrients, argues this is more likely to hit all the bases in this complex disease of Parkinsons. Most clinical trials with just 1 or 2 supplements have yielded disappointing or contradictory results for major modern diseases such as PD, Alzheimers, Cancer, etc. Here is Dr. Prasad's recent book, which everyone with PD should be aware of:

amazon.com/Fight-Parkinsons...

[Lillybelly in reply to lempa_nik]

Thanks Dumpelkin,

Sounds like taking supplements or non prescribed meds is as much of a 'suck-and-see' kind of affair, as is Doctor prescribed meds... But I suppose it is always going to be like that as the condition is unique to each of us!

I'll have a look for the Ubiquinol and give them a try when I've finished the CoEnzyme Q-10 I've got at the mo...

Thanks once again

[BUZZ1397 in reply to Lillybelly]

Unique is an evident theme in finding "therapeutic" supplements. Our body's need varies, not only by individual but by time of day, activity, state of health...etc. So doesn't it make sense that before you embark on experimenting with Co Q10, get the blood work to determine your current level. My cardiologist's clinic's lab charges 125 and that seems to be about average cost. He said to me that he believes that for an average patient a blood level around 300 seems to be therapeutic for cardiovascular issues. And he noted it may assist me with maintaining the fight against PD. If you are in the US and on Medicare, you have to pay it because medicare considers that test investigative. The clinical summary noted above by another poster about ubiquinol being the preferable formula is agreeable with what I heard from my cardiologist. He also said that dosages should be divided not all at once and with a snack or a meal that has some natural fat, as noted by Rich in earlier posting because Co Q10 is a fat soluble and you will have better absorption when fat is present in your stomach with the capsule.

[wifeofparky]

the most recent large scale study showed no significant improvement with CoQ10. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet yet. Keep moving, eat healthy foods and take your meds as directed. Good luck.

[silvestrov]

Regardless of what the latest trial on CoQ10 stated, Parkinson's is a disease in which everyone seems to manifest different symptoms and different degrees of response to drug/neutraceutical therapy. Really the only therapy that seems to work for everyone is exercise. Fortunately, my body cannot read the latest PD trial about CoQ10 & PD and it responded wonderfully to the coenzyme. I have had a strong non-placebo reaction to CoQ10 for the last 4 years. Placebo effect lasts 2 years. I think you should just give it a try. 1 bottle of CoQ10 costs me about 11 dollars and lasts me 10 days. Get a month's supply and see what happens. If it does not work there was no real loss of money. It is worth the gamble.

[AmmieM]

I've been taking 1200 mg of CoQ 10 and didn't notice any difference. So I stopped. And noticed my balance getting worse and now I'm adding it back into my regimen

[Hidden]

Eileen - My husband was diagnosed 15 years ago and has been on Co-Enzyme for that long! We had gone to a meeting where a man said he finally got some help with his Parkinson's when he took a VERY HIGH dose of Q-10. I mentioned this to my husband's neurologist and he said he would not approve that high a dose but I could give my husband 400 mg. a day....couldn't hurt him. That is what he has been on for 15 years with no side effects. He is still walking but I can't say if the Co-Enzyme has anything to do with it. At this point he is taking Rytary.

[tickmeoff1]

I have had PD for 20+ years and have taken 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 four times a day for approx. 10 years. My neurologist at that time said it was a waste of time and money but I continued to use it. After a few years of research I understand she supports its use. I know that I found it beneficial when I ran out of it and didn't get any for about a month. I started to get leg cramps and constant pain. I then realized that it had to be the absence of CoQ10. I bought some and took it that day and by the next morning the cramps and pain were gone. I will not start the day without it.

[HeartSong]

I started taking a low dose of CoQ10 (200 mg per day) about 3 or 4 years ago. I don't know if it has helped the PD; however, it took care of the minor urinary stress incontinence I'd been having for years (meaning, whenever I coughed or sneezed, I'd pee just a little [isn't it amazing what you'll tell strangers] and also that I had trouble making it to the bathroom fast enough when I first got up in the mornings.) I've been considering increasing the dosage to see if it will affect the PD symptoms.

[Lillybelly]

Thank you so much to all the lovely people who have responded to my question... I am in no doubt now. I shall have a trial period taking 400mg with breakfast and a further 400mg with lunch, I'll see how I get on with that.

Thanks once again, kind people.

[Bridielena]

Im going to try it too.

Enough testimonials to its benefits.

Thank you

[kashiri]

Yes I take 100mg of every day in the morning COQ10 and have been taking it for 4 years and it has phenomenal results. No side effects experienced.

[Julia0710]

I have been taking 400mg a day for a couple of months I feel it does help. I buy only Solgar, it has 400 mg pills. There are so many new companies which offer us vitamins and supplements but I prefer to pay a little more from Solgar, I trust it more...