When Parkinson's disease first shows up, it's very mild. But as time goes by, the symptoms can progress to the point where they are completely incapacitating. If only there was a way to stop the progression of the disease. Well, there is.
Although there are a number of nutrients that must be present in adequate amounts in order for the mitochondria to be working well, perhaps none are more important than coenzyme Q10.
Most Parkinson's patients are very familiar with CoQ10. The fact that it slows the progression of Parkinson's is nothing new.
But I'm going to show you a way to use it to completely stop the progression of Parkinson's.
First, let's look at how CoQ10 works.
As you may know, Parkinson's is a mitochondrial disease. Mitochondria are the energy-producing parts of the cell. Every cell in your body has thousands of mitochondria. As long as the mitochondria are working efficiently, the cells (and you) will have boundless amounts of energy.
But as we get older, mitochondrial efficiency decreases. And as this happens, two things occur.
First, the cells become deprived of energy and we start to function a lot like a flashlight with a weak battery.
Second, poorly functioning mitochondria are the primary cause of the free radical damage that not only causes Parkinson's disease, but every other neurological disease associated with aging.
CoQ10 is essential for the first two phases of mitochondrial energy production called complex I and complex II.
Science Proves Its Effectiveness
Scientists at the University of California in San Diego recently examined the effects of CoQ10 supplements in patients with Parkinson's. They studied 80 patients with early Parkinson's disease. Their symptoms were so mild that none of them needed medication.
The researchers divided them into four groups. One group took 300 mg of CoQ10 each day, one group 600 mg, one group 1,200 mg, and one group took a placebo pill. The researchers then watched what happened over the next 16 months.
At the end of the trial, the patients who received the largest dose of CoQ10 demonstrated an impressive 44% slower rate of decline compared to the placebo group. Even the people getting the smaller doses had less disability than the placebo group. But the benefits were greatest in the 1,200 mg group.
How Much Should You Take?
Now for the easiest way to completely stop the progression of this nasty disease:
I’ve been recommending a daily dose of 2,000 mg of CoQ10 to all of my patients with Parkinson's for several years now. How does it work?
Although I don’t have a double-blind, placebo-controlled study like these researchers, so far in many of my patients this dose has completely stopped the progression of the disease.
You can find high-potency forms of CoQ10 online and in health food stores. Vitaline makes a high-dose product that researchers have used in many studies on Parkinson's disease.
There's another form of CoQ10 called ubiquinol that's better absorbed. Studies show that it's absorbed more efficiently than regular CoQ10. So 50 mg of ubiquinol provides virtually the same high blood levels of CoQ10 as 100 mg of the regular form. If you choose to use this form, you need to take ten soft gels daily to reach the equivalent of 2,000 mg per day of regular CoQ10.
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kaypeeoh
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Based on what he said, you will have to take 5 (200 mg each) of these per day to get to 1,000 mg of ubiquinol. The bottle has 30 tablets, so a bottle will last 6 days at 63.70 per bottle or about 5 bottles per month at 318.50 per month plus tax or roughly $344 per month depending on your sales tax rate. By the year, $344 x 12 = $4,128 per year. Insurance is not going to cover a supplement like this so it will be out of pocket. Not bad if it really stops disease progression. There are other ubiquinol sellers that are significantly less such as this one:
This bottle of 60 softgels (200 mg each) (not tablets) costs $32 and will last 10 days per bottle or 3 bottles per month at 3 x 32 = $96 + tax per month or roughly $104 per month or $1248 per year. Very significantly less than the brand he suggested at less than 1/3 the price, but is it as good and will it work the same? A much more affordable option, this second one if it can do the same as the first option???
They are both rated fairly well in their respective reviews on Amazon, but the second option has over 2,400 reviews compared to the first option which only has 10 reviews. In my experience, the greater the number of reviews, generally the ratings tend to decline. This second product has maintained a 5 star rating of 83% with over 2,400 reviews, while the first option with only 10 reviews also has a 5 star rating at 83%. Based on the unscientific process of my method, I would say the second product is at least as good as the first product at less than 1/3 the price ???
90 capsules, 200 mg ea. CoQ10, $14.54, less than half the cost of the Qunol version.
Regarding Amazon reviews, I look at % of 1-star reviews. Anything under 5% I deem acceptable. Also, there should be >100 reviews to be valid. Some new vendors will put in 25 fake 5 star reviews initially to "prime the pump". Both Qunol and Swanson pass by this standard.
Yes, I also like the one star reviews to be low, such as 6 % or less and both of the products are well below that which doesn't mean much at just 10 reviews, but does have significance when there are over 2,400 reviews.
Swanson also sells a Qunol product, but it is only the 100 mg size.
Bottom line is if it does what Dr. S is saying, a reasonable price should be able to be found and would be more than worth it. The RCT I linked to tends to confirm what he is saying, but it was done in 2015 with no follow up studies. It seems to always come down to money with these studies!
I just posted this study. By "wearing off" they meant between CL doses. Perhaps this is a stretch but if it helps in the time between doses, it is effective to some extent and might be at least a little effective in brain preservation? Maybe I'm just grasping.
This Pwp RCT tends to add confirmation to Dr. Shallenberger's claim, however they only used 300 mg of ubiquinol instead of the 1,000 mg he is recommending. At 300 mg/day, the study noted improvement in UPDRS scoring over 48 weeks compared to placebo group. A statistically significant difference between placebo group and treated group.
Well, the newly diagnosed group B is likely "relatively low symptom or almost symptom free", so possibly not much room for improvement.
The "wearing off", I took to mean that ubiquinol showed its benefit during the off time in terms of reduced motor symptoms in group A which were more advanced patients already experiencing extended off time.
This article sounds very encouraging, however I am concerned about safety of high dosages CoQ10 - here is some old mice study saying that prolonged intake of CoQ10 may cause cognitive impairment researchgate.net/publicatio...
Technically the study you linked to is discussing Co-Q~10 whereas the study I linked to used Ubiquinol and they may not be comparable in terms of effects in the body.
300 mg/day ubiquinol sounds reasonable but I would not go up to 1000mg/day. I wonder what would be Dr. Mischley's opinion on this? She just got a new course out, hopefully I'll find time to listen and ask her this question.
Has anybody checked out the credentials of Dr Shallenberger ?? I googled him and there are stories of him in the past being cited for mall practice resulting in him losing his license to practice in some states..Also it is a very big claim to say extra high doses of Co-q10 can completely stop the progression of PD.Surely if this was the case everybody living with this terrible disease would be using his advised procedure to recover...I don’t doubt that the use of Co-Q10 can be beneficial for sufferers but without proper scientific proof that the extra high doses stop the progression completely could taking said doses have a detrimental affect on the health of anybody who does?? I have this godforsaken disease myself going into my 4th year and I suffer dreadfully with tremors and Dystonia of my left arm/hand/leg and foot and I have tried most of the prescription meds but cannot tolerate most of them due to severe side affects... I am all for trying and using natural remedies and products to alleviate my symptoms without a doubt and I do try supplements which have helped people on here...So my question is basically has anybody out there tried the doses advised and if so what were the results...
I've followed Dr Shallenberger for years. His specialty is ozone therapy but he's not a one-trick-pony. He claims most disease is the result of poor oxygen levels at the cellular level. Low oxygen damages mitochondria, the cell's batteries.
Thanks for the reply Kaypeeoh and the Doctors daily post which I found very interesting.....Sorry if you thought I was calling him a ‘one trick pony’ I definitely was not and no offence was meant ..I was merely asking if anybody knew anything about Dr Shallenberger and if anybody had tried the high dosage regimen he advises as I am interested in trying it for myself.....I have ordered some today from Amazon and as soon as I receive it I will start on a high dose...Hopefully it will help me in some way....I will post my results as,if and when any of my symptoms subside
I am NOT taking High dose Ubiquinol but have been taking 200mg Ubiquinol per day (100 morn. +100 eve.) for 3 + week so far. I read this post and remembered that I had upped the anti by going from CoQ10 to Ubiquinol (still calling it CoQ10) in the summer and recently have observed a slight but noticeable improvement in my thinking (Multi tasking was impossible for quite a while-brain FOGG). I take a min. of a tspn daily of MCT oil with a large avocado.
Dr. Shallenberger also advocates for the use of high dose melatonin (HDM) and uses it in all of his patients as a preventative. He uses very high dose melatonin (VHDM) in his stage 4 cancer patients and in those cases he uses it around the clock. Low dose melatonin has shown benefit in a PwP RCT at 10 mg/day.
The mid dose ubiquinol study in PwP also showed benefit. It seems that together ubiquinol and melatonin are likely to have synergy together given that they have different mechanisms of action.
HDM has already shown a proven track record of safety over continuous years of use in humans. At higher dosing than 10mg, such as a study of 50 mg/day, melatonin showed potential to improve motor score during off periods. An RCT using melatonin at 1 mg/kg/bw or higher dosing is needed to show exactly what the full capability of melatonin is to alter the course of disease activity in PwP. HDM or VHDM in combination with Ubiquinol at high dosing seem very likely to be beneficial for PwP, but such a study is lacking. HDM has shown the ability to keep Co-Q10 levels higher under high oxidative stress conditions.
"He uses very high dose melatonin (VHDM) in his stage 4 cancer patients and in those cases he uses it around the clock"To what effect? Do they recover?
Dr. Shallenberger has explained in his lectures as has Dr. Reiter, that in cancer patients, the cancer can be temporarily stopped as long as the patient is in total darkness under which condition, melatonin is not degraded as it would be in lighted conditions of day or artificial night lighting. They both maintain that by keeping melatonin levels higher through the night and day can make cancer not progress or metastasize. The downside of course is that the circadian rhythm is highly likely to become unregulated with high daytime melatonin levels, but this is a relatively minor trade off compared to death. Dr. Shallenberger suggests it as being able to live with cancer without having to fight it to the death, through the use of VHDM. Melatonin is a well known anticarcinogenic, but this is a whole other level of using melatonin for cancer.
Good post in CoQ10 ...I just bought some for My daughter who has PD ...didn’t quite understand how much you were saying to take though. Oops what I have is ubiquinone 200mg with black pepper. I guess she needs the ubiquinol ?
I’ll taje this and then change. I ordered it from Stop Aging Now , so I’ll have to take it...it wasn’t cheap. I’ll get her some of the other if you think it would be better? Thanks for your article.🥗🌲
Although Dr. Mischley recommended it (liquid form), it is not the right form for PwP. He stopped it and takes Ubiquinol capsules (300mg ea X 4/day) to reach 1,200mg which is the ideal daily dose for slowing PD progression according to the Mayo MDS we consulted. Ubiquinol is the active form of COQ10, Ubiquinone (COQ10) is not. Here is what he now takes:
Oh, why isn't it the right form for PwP? Was Dr. Mischely recommending it for people in general? That is a great brand recommendation... I can't seem to find any capsules that are more than 200mg. Thanks so much for sharing 🌸
If you open the link I added to my post above, you will find what my husband is taking now. PwP have difficulty converting COQ10 to its active form UBIQUINOL. The bottle on the read explains it better than me.
Wow, I didn't know they have ubiquinol in liquid form. Thank you! I order most of the supplements from Amazon (although I am looking for alternative sellers), and they don't have it. The one my husband uses is 300mg/soft gel, so he takes four a day to meet 1,200mg which the MDS recommended.
It seems really difficult to find liquid ubiquinol!! I think we will try the soft gels you use. Does he take all four at once or is it spread throughout the day? Is there an ideal time of day to take it? There are so many supplements he takes and we have to figure out where to put it in...! Thanks!
one more question! my dad is a bit shocked at how high the dose is! has anyone experienced any unwanted side effects when starting at 1200mg right off the bat? wondering if its better to slowly ease into taking 1200mg.... thanks!
Hi Despe, Was the Mayo MDS suggesting it based on the phase 2 study? The phase 2 looked so promising but surprisingly the phase 3 did not. Yet Dr. Mischley still recommends it too. I'm not sure what to do. I'm digging online but not finding anything significant.
CC, I don't remember if the doctor mentioned any specific trial. He just said based on trials, COQ10 may help. What he also suggested was walking 10,000 steps a day.
I’ve been taking 1200 mg of CoQ10 (400 mg, 3x per day) for about 2005. I was diagnosed in November 2001 and unmedicated until March 2009, though I should’ve started meds one and a half to two years before that. I was trying only alternative therapies until then.
Originally I used N0W brand as they seemed to be the only manufacturer that made the 400mg capsule. When it became too expensive I was able to switch to Swanson vitamins. I use three bottles a month They are currently priced at $9.99 for 30 capsules of Swanson brand.
I only just recently increased my total daily C/L dosage to 4 1/2 tablets of 25/100.
I’m also on Amantadine 100 mg at 2- 2 1/4 per day, Neupro 8 mg, though I use it every 48 hours instead of every 24 hours.
Hi pyckle hope you are well..I was just wondering if you could tell me how you get on with taking Amantadine as I have just started taking it myself at 100mg first thing in the morning Regards
Alpha-synuclein, epigenetics, mitochondria, metabolism, calcium traffic, & circadian dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. An integrated strategy for management
Oliver T Phillipson 1
Affiliations expand
PMID: 28986235 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2017.09.006
Cite
Abstract
The motor deficits which characterise the sporadic form of Parkinson's disease arise from age-related loss of a subset of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. Although motor symptoms respond to dopamine replacement therapies, the underlying disease process remains. This review details some features of the progressive molecular pathology and proposes deployment of a combination of nutrients: R-lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carnitine, ubiquinol, melatonin (or receptor agonists) and vitamin D3, with the collective potential to slow progression of these features. The main nutrient targets include impaired mitochondria and the associated oxidative/nitrosative stress, calcium stress and impaired gene transcription induced by pathogenic forms of alpha- synuclein. Benefits may be achieved via nutrient influence on epigenetic signaling pathways governing transcription factors for mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant defences and the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, via regulation of the metabolic energy sensor AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR. Nutrients also benefit expression of the transcription factor for neuronal survival (NR4A2), trophic factors GDNF and BDNF, and age-related calcium signals. In addition a number of non-motor related dysfunctions in circadian control, clock genes and associated metabolic, endocrine and sleep-wake activity are briefly addressed, as are late-stage complications in respect of cognitive decline and osteoporosis. Analysis of the network of nutrient effects reveals how beneficial synergies may counter the accumulation and promote clearance of pathogenic alpha-synuclein.
It is very plainly stated in the work of Oliver T Phillipson referenced above:
‘...R-lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carnitine, ubiquinol, melatonin (or receptor agonists) and vitamin D3’, produces a ‘network of nutrient effects’ with the collective potential to slow progression of Parkinson.
It is never a single nutraceutical. Mono-therapy is a non starter🌺
It is also worth noting the word "potential". Like"mice" the more you review pd research, filled with understandable hope, the more you realise these are not the same as human trial evidence. Exercise caution treating them as if they are definitive proof.
It depends on whether you are taking COQ10 or ubiquinol. Ubiquinol made by Kaneka is the real deal because 50 mg =100 mg of COQ10. So 1000 mg or 5 capsules of 200 mg would give you the amount Dr Shallenburger recommends.
We use the Swanson brand ubiquinol 200 mg which is made by Kaneka.
Dr Shallenburger is also an advocate of high dose melatonin
Mayo MDS suggested that COQ10 up to 1,200mg may slow progression according to trial results. Also, Dr. Mischley recommended COQ10 in the liquid form to my husband. He has been taking 600mg a day. He might double the dose. It sure goes fast though!
Which trials Despe? Last time I looked Dr Mischley was saying"even though the trials show no benefit i still recommend using it"And I think she participated in the trial
I didn't ask him as I didn't question his knowledge (Mayo MDS). We followed his advice (and Dr. Mischley's) although husband doesn't take the full 1,200mg COQ10 but half the dose. A few days ago, he gave it a go with 1,200mg. On his third year after diagnosis, no balance issues, no motor issues (walking at least an hour every other day), and tremors are mild and intermittent. He is also active at home, helping me with housework, washing clothes and dishes, ironing, and minor home maintenance projects. I can't pinpoint what supplements/minerals have helped him the most.
Pleased to hear that your husband is doing so well. Long may it continue. CoQ10 seems to be a favourite potential therapy in many situations, which are sadly not confirmed by clinical trials. The Japanese trial is the sole exception i am aware of, was ubiquinol not regular CoQ10, and it is a little confusing, and does not appear to have been followed up from 2015. I wondered if there had been others
UBIQUINOL IS THE BEST ONE TO TAKEI have taken it over the coenzyme Q10 for years and so far so good...mine is made by QUNOL BUT IT IS WATER AND FAT SOLUBLE, I take 3 in the am With a multivitamin called source of life and I take 3 more in the evening just before bed for s total of 600 mg per day..I started taking it years ago because of I was taking a 40 mg of statin and it helped the absorption of the statin now I take 50 % less of the statin and three times the amount of ubiquinol....I think ubiquinol probably is the best thing next to the multivitamin that I have ever taken.....
Any doctor who 'pushes the envelope' would have to deal with mistakes, which is why malpractice insurance exists. But mistakes don't mean his contributions to medicine should be ignored. Reminds me of Ignatz Semmelweis, a Viennese physician in the mid 1850's who was the first doctor to prove that hand-washing protected women from peurperal fever. He eventually died of the infection himself. But the British doctor Lister followed up on his theory and eventually the world did also.
5 years ago when my husband was diagnosed with PD I researched every supplement that was suggested that might help with delaying the progress. COQ 10 came up a few times and I read about the trial as above. I also read that other research didn’t find the same results with people with PD. My husband still takes 300 gms a day as well as a few other supplements, similar to above. He does take PD meds but has recently cut down the Madopar since adding in the red light hat and starting on the broccoli seeds. Feeling more positive which is a bonus!
My husband purchased the light from the Tasmanian Men’s Shed, in Australia. He’s been using it for about 3 months now and he has been helped with PD symptoms. I wrote about it in a post a few weeks ago called
The broccoli seed protocol was from research by Wriga, a valued contributor here and its best to contact him regarding how much and how it can help with symptoms of PD.
Other supplements he takes are B1, magnesium, COQ10, Tumeric, and multi vitamins.
If you email Wriga he will recommend you some names of organic ones. Mine came from Italy before the lockdown but I don’t know if you are able to buy from other countries now due to COVID restrictions.
healthunlocked.com/cure-par... is the link to wriga s post about broccoli seeds. You could send him an email about suppliers.
Yes, got some improvement in lack of motivation, fatigue, brain fog, memory and mood changes. However, tremor, stiffness and urinary urgency remained the same.
Yes, I rotate between Thiamine HCL 100 mg, Thiamine mononitrate (sublingual) 100mg, Benfotiamine 200 mg/day. Tried higher doses Thiamine HCL but was getting jittery. May be should try again. How much are you taking?
Very much appreciate your advice Kia! Will start on 500 mg thiamine (Vitacost brand which I got a while ago) today and will increase gradually. Just placed an order on amazon for Solgar b-1 500mg tablets as Vitacost was out of stock. Not sure if some brands are better than others. Which one do you use?
You’re welcome. Please speak to your doctor before changes to any of your medications or supplements.
I was taking thiamine from Solgar untill recently that because of COVID-19 ,Solgar delivery to the UK was affected and I got some from Vitacost and quite happy with its quality.
IN my esperience 100 mg thiamine hcl I.M. 2 x week are a normal dose, (original HDT protocol), but it makes a difference, as thiamine HCL is very short-lived in the body and it's the peak dose that makes it work.
IMO even with pills it is better to take a high dose once a day , around 1000mg , or every other day, in an attempt to duplicate the effect of the I.M.
All other forms of thiamina I would leave them as they are not optimal, (do not work , side effect ) .
Appreciate your input Gio - will try to replicate the effect of IM delivery of thiamine. Feeling so blessed to have people like you and Kia to provide advice and support!
You are so sweet and humble Gio! I always enjoy your posts which reflect your sensitive, creative, beautiful spirit - if more people in the world were like you, the world would be a better place.
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) Dr. Mischley recommended liquid "Qunol, Liquid COQ10." It's patented water and fat soluble.
How many know that H2, hydrogen water has positive effects for those with Parkinsons? I didn't know.
PD and vitamin B12 - cyanide and substantia nigra
LEVODOPA VERDICT: Start Early/Late = Same Outcomes
