Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[windinthepines]

[2017]

[Topical DHT]

It’s effective topically, but it might take several milligrams on the skin to absorb one mg.

[MS-like symptoms... including numbness in some finger tips, loss of dexterity in those same fingers, depression.]

Have you tried pregnenolone? DHT is probably safe, since it can’t turn into estrogen.

[DHEA turning to estrogen when taking a few mg]

I don’t think that’s a risk with 5 mg or less. Things that protect against aromatase include aspirin, thyroid, vitamin D, pregnenolone, and sugar.

[Thanks. Is there anything else I should try for sudden onset of possible MS-like symptoms (numbness in hands, clumsiness, mild visual distortion, memory problems)? I take thyroid, aspirin, pregnenolone, vitamin A. I just started taking more vitamin D, and using the chicken lights more.]

That list of symptoms reminds me of the first woman I knew who used progesterone for MS. She recovered completely, and gave a good lecture to my endocrinology class at the NCNM naturopathic school.

Iran J Med Sci. 2015 Nov;40(6):507-514.
Progesterone Enhanced Remyelination in the Mouse Corpus Callosum after Cuprizone
Induced Demyelination.
Kashani IR PhD(1), Hedayatpour A PhD(1), Pasbakhsh P PhD(1), Kafami L PhD(2),
Khallaghi B MSc(3), Malek F MSc(1).
(1)Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tehran University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. (2)Department of Pathobiology, School of
Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran ; Shefa
Neurosciences Research Center, Tehran, Iran. (3)Shefa Neurosciences Research
Center, Tehran, Iran.
BACKGROUND: Progesterone as a sex steroid hormone is thought to affect and
prevent demyelination, but its role in promoting myelin repair is far less
investigated. In this study, remyelinating potential of progesterone in corpus
callosum was evaluated on an experimental model of MS.
METHODS: In this experimental study, adult male C57BL/6 mice were fed with 0.2%
(w/w) cuprizone in ground breeder chow ad libitum for 6 weeks. At day zero, after
cuprizone removal, mice were divided randomly into two groups: (a) placebo group,
which received saline pellet implant, (b) progesterone group, which received
progesterone pellet implant. Some mice of the same age were fed with their normal
diet to serve as the healthy control group. Two weeks after progesterone
administration, Myelin content was assessed by Luxol-fast blue staining. The
myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) expression were assessed
using Western blot analysis and the changes in the number of oligodendrocytes and
oligodendroglial progenitor cells were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and
flow cytometry.
RESULTS: Luxol-fast blue staining revealed enhanced remyelination in the
progesterone group when compared with the placebo group. Densitometry
measurements of immunoblots demonstrated that MBP and PLP proteins contents were
significantly increased in the progesterone group compared with the placebo
group. Flow cytometry and IHC analysis showed increases in Olig2 and O4 cells in
the progesterone group compared with the placebo group.
CONCLUSION: Overall, our results indicate that progesterone treatment can
stimulate myelin production and that it may provide a feasible and practical way
for remyelination in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

2. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2015 Jul;28(4 Suppl):1563-6.
Review: Effect study of sex hormone in the multiple sclerosis of common
neurological disorders.
Xin Y(1), Xu D, Yang X(1), Liu A(1), Zhou X, Guo B(1).
(1)Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Zhengzhou City, Zhengzhou City, Henan
Province, PR China.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of most common neurological disorders, mainly
affecting women. The central nervous system (CNS) of this autoimmune disease is
characterized by intermittent or chronic damage to the myelin sheaths
(demyelination), local inflammation and axonal degeneration. During the early
relapsing/remitting stages of MS, myelin can regenerate. However, as the disease
progresses, both amount and activity of regenerated axons becomes insufficient,
leading to impaired axon conduction, neurodegeneration and the worsening
symptoms. Epidemiological study found that distinct symptom alleviation of
diseases at a certain periods would be shown in women during pregnancy. The
following basic researches indicated that sex hormones especially progesterone
can significantly reduce the disease severity, moreover, the protective effect of
sex hormone on the nervous system has become the research focus.

Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 2015;132(199):62-70.
Hormonal and gender-related immune changes in multiple sclerosis.
Airas L(1).
(1)Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Similarly to many other autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS) is more
common among women than men, and its incidence among women is rising. There are
also qualitative differences in the disease course between men and women, with
male patients experiencing increased disease progression, brain atrophy, and
cognitive impairment. During pregnancy, women with MS typically have a greatly
reduced relapse rate, whereas very soon after the delivery, the disease activity
returns, often even at a higher level than seen in the prepregnancy year. The
reasons for the increased postpartum activity are not entirely clear, but factors
such as the abrupt decrease in estrogen levels immediately after the delivery and
the loss of the immunosuppressive state of pregnancy are likely of importance.
There is compelling evidence that estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
control MS pathology by influencing immune responses and by contributing to
repair mechanisms in the nervous system. Hormones may thus offer important
insights into MS disease prevention and treatment. In this review, the possible
reasons for the sex bias in autoimmune diseases will be discussed. The
pregnancy-related alterations in MS, including the effect of pregnancy on disease
activity, long-term disability accumulation, and prevalence will be reviewed, as
well as the hormonal and immunological mechanisms potentially underlying these
changes. Finally, the present thinking on the effect of hormones on the changing
incidence of MS will be elucidated.

1. EMBO Mol Med. 2013 Jun;5(6):891-903. doi: 10.1002/emmm.201202124. Epub 2013 May 17.
A TSPO ligand is protective in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.
Daugherty DJ, Selvaraj V, Chechneva OV, Liu XB, Pleasure DE, Deng W.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University
of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Local production of neurosteroids such as progesterone and allopregnanolone
confers neuroprotection in central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases.
The mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) performs a rate-limiting step in
the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone and its steroid derivatives.
Previous studies have shown that TSPO is upregulated in microglia and astroglia
during neural inflammation, and radiolabelled TSPO ligands such as PK11195 have
been used to image and localize injury in the CNS. Recent studies have shown that
modulating TSPO activity with pharmacological ligands such as etifoxine can
initiate the production of neurosteroids locally in the injured CNS. In this
study, we examined the effects of etifoxine, a clinically available anxiolytic
drug, in the development and progression of mouse experimental autoimmune
encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model for multiple sclerosis (MS). Our
results showed that etifoxine attenuated EAE severity when administered before
the development of clinical signs and also improved symptomatic recovery when
administered at the peak of the disease. In both cases, recovery was correlated
with diminished inflammatory pathology in the lumbar spinal cord. Modulation of
TSPO activity by etifoxine led to less peripheral immune cell infiltration of the
spinal cord, and increased oligodendroglial regeneration after inflammatory
demyelination in EAE. Our results suggest that a TSPO ligand, e.g. etifoxine,
could be a potential new therapeutic option for MS with benefits that could be
comparable to the administration of systemic steroids but potentially avoiding
the detrimental side effects of long-term direct use of steroids.
Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd on behalf of
EMBO.

2. J Neurochem. 2010 Aug;114(3):921-32.
Sex-dimorphic changes in neuroactive steroid levels after chronic experimental
autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Caruso D, D'Intino G, Giatti S, Maschi O, Pesaresi M, Calabrese D, Garcia-Segura
LM, Calza L, Melcangi RC.
Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano,
Italy.
Our previous observations have shown that neuroactive steroid levels in the brain
are affected by acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) with sex
and regional specificity (Giatti et al. 2010). To better understand the effect of
EAE on neuroactive steroids, we have here assessed the levels of pregnenolone,
progesterone and its derivatives (i.e. dihydroprogesterone,
tetrahydroprogesterone and isopregnanolone), testosterone and its derivatives
(dihydrotestosterone and 5alpha-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-diol) in different CNS
regions of male and female rats affected by chronic EAE. Data obtained by liquid
chromatography tandem mass spectrometry revealed that chronic EAE results in sex
and regional specific alterations in the levels of neuroactive steroids in the
brain, which are in many cases different to those produced by acute EAE. The
specific changes in neuroactive steroid levels after chronic EAE may be of
relevance to design new possible therapeutic strategies for the disease.

3. Maturitas. 2003 Dec 10;46 Suppl 1:S71-5.
Differential effects of progestins on the brain.
Gruber CJ, Huber JC.
Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University
of Vienna Medical School, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
[email protected]
Interactions exist between progestins and the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
receptor subtype A where C(21)-steroids function as activators. Other
interactions between progesterone and neurotransmitter systems include
stimulation of dopamine release in striatal tissue, stimulation of GnRH release
from hypothalamic neurons and inhibition of opioid receptor binding and
activation. Cyproterone acetate increases dopaminergic responses and binds to
opiate receptors independently of its classical effect on the androgen receptor.
Progesterone substitution in perimenopausal women promotes length and quality of
sleep. This effect seems most prominent for progesterone administered vaginally.
Progestins also play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine. Migraine symptoms
occur predominantly during the perimenstrual stage. Women who suffer from
menstrual migraine triggered by premenstrual progesterone loss often benefit from
cyclic progesterone administration. This may be because progesterone and
allopregnenolone reduce meningeal release of substance P and inhibit the
development of neurogenic oedema. Women whose migraine symptoms subside during
pregnancy, however, benefit from intramuscular medroxyprogesterone acetate.
Progesterone, generated from pregnenolone by Schwann cells, also enhances myelin
synthesis. Myelination of axons is promoted when progesterone is added to
cultures of rat dorsal root ganglia. No reliable data exist with respect to the
effects of other progestins on demyelinating disease. Progestins promote the
growth of meningioma as progesterone receptors predominate in meningioma tissue.
Progesterone and synthetic progestins should therefore not be prescribed in these
patients.

 

[windinthepines]

[2017]

[progesterone for male with MS-like symptoms effect on testosterone / sex function]

Are you getting enough protein, calcium, and vitamin D? Have you checked your temperature? I took some very big doses of progesterone 30 and 40 years ago, and more recently use small amounts regularly, and it hasn’t affected my sexual function, except a couple of time briefly affecting the sensation of ejaculation. Pregnenolone, and/or a combination of DHEA and progesterone can give similar effects while avoiding the anti-testosterone action.

[Check PTH for problems, which include insomnia, eczema, etc.?]

What about your TSH? A small dose of thyroid at bedtime, and/or something sweet or salty, will often improve sleep.

[2018]

[How to visualize Kozyrev idea of time's physical effect on objects]

I think it has to be seen in terms of “fields” or “ether.” The same perspective helps to interpret Rupert Sheldrake’s and Frank Brown’s and Halton Arp's ideas. I think Horace Dudley’s “neutrino sea” is a reasonable approach. Changes, energy, absorbed by the “sea” affect other processes in the sea; the idea of a gravitational lens describes similar facts, but with different assumptions.

[Ear pain connected to intestine]

I think there are nervous reflexes that cause symptomes in particular places when certain places in the intestine are inflamed. Sometimes antiinflammatory things such as aspirin, antihistamines, caffeine, can break the pattern, sometimes one of the antiinflammatory antibiotics (tetracycline or erythromycin) is helpful, and different fibrous foods—maybe cooked mushrooms—or laxatives might help, but it’s good to consider whether low thyroid function, low vitamin D, or a deficiency of calcium relative to phosphate might be the original problem.

[Two cups of white sugar safe a day with a diet of lots of beef, lots of coca cola, an occasional egg, cheese, butter, and a little orange juice. I also eat liver or liverwurst, canned oysters, and scallops when I can.]

If the sugar calories are too high you gain fat weight, otherwise it’s o.k. when the rest of your diet is rich in nutrients, as you describe.

[DHEA solubility / Spanish Yoghurt farm ("'At La Fageda, these people don’t have a label – they are totally integrated – and they start improving, reconstructing themselves without any intervention.'") (The Spanish yoghurt farm that cultivates better mental health)]

The first time I used DHEA it was in olive oil, but I don’t remember the proportions, but 50 mg in 50 ml should be o.k.; warming the oil while stirring it is quicker; in an average kind of vitamin E, it was stable in a 4% solution. The students who came to Blake College sometimes experienced a sudden improvement in their abilities, away from the authoritarian situations.

 

[yerrag]

Me:

If oxidized ldl is already oxidized, does it continue to cause lipid peroxidation in our blood vessels and cause inflammation and oxidative stress? Or is oxidized LDL only partially oxidized, and being so, it would continue to have a pathological effect?

Ray:

Yes, the oxidized fragments keep spreading the oxidation, with the smaller products often being the most toxic.

 

[yerrag]

Me:

I wonder what your thoughts are on HRV - heart rate variability. I'm curious as I see it used in a lot of wearables and it is said to be a measure of heart health.

I wanted to read more about it. But reading to simple article on it, I am discouraged to explore further the topic as it seems to be tied favorably to the idea that the lower the heart rate, the more healthy.

This article gave me that impression:

What is heart rate variability? How to measure HRV and what it means

A higher HRV may indicate better physical fitness and resilience to stress, while a lower HRV is associated with anxiety and cardiovascular mortality.

www.insider.com

"A higher resting heart rate — which is generally considered less healthy for adults — leads to a lower heart rate variability. Research has suggested that a lower HRV is associated with anxiety disorders and earlier death from cardiovascular diseases."

Ray:

I think it’s just a fad, deriving from an evidence-free theory about the parasympathetic nervous system. Anxiety and hypertension decrease the effects of breathing on heart pumping.

 

[yerrag]

Me:

Hello Ray!

I hope you can help me out there. I seem to recall you having said something about the QT intervals as indicative of how responsive heart muscles are in relaxing, and with that it can be used as a gauge for hypothyroidism.

This lines up also with the behavior of the Achilles tendon as used in the Achilles Tendon reflex test.

While the Achilles tendon test requires one to observe the speed of the reflex and make a qualitative judgment on thyroid status, I find having an ECG and using the computed QTc value more easy to use to determine the thyroid state.

I have been using 440 msec as my basis. If the value value is higher, one is hypothyroid. Is this a correct cut-off value to use?

Ray:

I think it might be quite a bit shorter than 440 when thyroid level is best.

 

[windinthepines]

[2018]

[Prescription progesterone "Prometrium" problems?]

A little peanut oil isn’t a serious problem, but if it contained silica or titanium I wouldn’t use it. I don’t know whether they are using safe dyes. The progesterone is good, but the other things help to give it a “product identity."

[2019]

[Temperature 96.9 waking but rises to 98.3]

I think that’s the effect of a mild hypothyroidism, in which the morning food increases the conversion of T4 to T3. In more serious hypothyroidism, the stress hormones can rise excessively during the night, raising the waking temperature; in that situation, having carbohydrate in the morning lowers the stress hormones, allowing the temperature to fall.

[Taking 50 mcg of T3, plus T4]

How long have you used that dose? Are you getting enough protein, vitamin D, calcium?

[...]

T4 accumulates, building up over a period of weeks. Sunlight exposure can help to increase the metabolic rate.

[Sitting in CO2 bag / why feel good in Santa Fe / lidocaine]

Adapting to altitude is probably better than the bag because of electrical air ionization effects and the sunlight. Lidocaine has some antistress, antiinflammatory effects, stabilizing cells.

[2020]

['BPD' diagnosis]

I’ve known a couple of people with that diagnosis who were just poorly nourished and very hypothyroid.

[Particular biological problems or deficiencies for 'BPD']

Vitamin D deficiency, various vitamin B deficiencies, hypothyroidism, and poisoning from bad intestinal flora, especially when the diet contains starches and raw vegetables. When the problem is nutritional or toxic, increased thyroid dosing increases the stress hormones, instead of decreasing them.

[2021]

[Testosterone active orally]

A small amount of testosterone either in olive oil or as powder seems fully effective when swallowed; DHEA, similarly effective, but with about 3 times the dose.

[Follow up on "Since RNA vaccines haven't been used before, there's no way of telling in detail, but there's no doubt general immunity will be seriously damaged. Looking at the dismal results of vaccination campaigns so far, I think it could reduce world population by 80 or 90%." Do you think the deaths will occur over many decades and be reported as increases in cancer, heart diseases, etc.?]

It’s what could happen if the proposed universal application of these experimental genetic treatments takes place. I’ve been following the biological warfare research for many years, and I think it’s plausibly deliberate. Ron Unz describes it as the “excluded third possibility.” American Pravda: 'The Truth' and 'the Whole Truth' About the Origins of Covid-19
If a nucleic acid code for the viral spike protein becomes integrated into our system, the expected outcome would be a chronic decline in vitality and general health, a tendency toward increased inflammation, and an accelerated rate of aging and the diseases of aging, such as circulatory disease, cancer, and rheumatic diseases.

[Land near Zacapu]

The prospect of inflation makes land in Mexico, with its low taxes, seem very desirable. If the area is very rainy, it might be possible to collect enough water (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/371867), but I would want something with a well or stream access, and water rights. The growing season is short at 7800 ft. There’s a lot of nice looking land around Zacapu, but something to investigate, if the land has a well, is what the trend in the water table has been—in Coeneo, the water level in the wells has fallen seriously in recent years.

[Collecting rainwater vs well]

Big sheets of plastic to line cisterns aren’t very expensive. I made a concrete tank, one meter deep, that’s about half above ground, that I intended as a small swimming pool, and during the rainy season we pump some of the water into the well, helping with the ground water. Plastic-lined ponds work in some areas. Friends in Coeneo had a big house built in 1900, and they used city water, but when the city’s pump failed, having thousands of gallons under the patio was convenient.

[2022]

[RF radiation level of .0030 miliwaters / m2 safe compared to a reading of .0004]

I think it’s safe.

Limit guidelines in U.S. are from 200 uW/cm2 to 1000 uW/cm2 (2 W/m2 to 10 W/m2) for RF radiation depending on frequency. Countries developed different standards based on either *Thermal Effects *Non-Thermal Effects or *Precautionary Considerations.
Conversion Chart, World Exposure Limits, Human Exposures ...
https://mdsafetech.org › conversion-and-exposure-limit…

 

[windinthepines]

[The rest I'll post aren't from me. They were sent to me from friends or collected from Facebook groups. I hope I'm not repeating any. Please let me know if I am.]

[In one of the latest podcasts with Danny Roddy you mentioned some cultures being very open based on what was the indigenous background culture. In Mexico, which of the various "subcultures" do you consider best/most open? I have thought it could be Michoacan, but I perceived it had a int of conservatism in a way.]

I was thinking of the Mixtecos of the Oaxaca-Veracruz area. The Tarascans of Michoacan probably contributed to the conservatism there, very good at staying independent by outwitting the Spaniards.

[Dealing with grief of not having children]

In small tribal villages, everyone functioned as family members, and the “extended family” function persisted longer in agricultural societies, but has disintegrated in recent times. The idea of wives and children as a man’s property blended with the doctrine of “genes,” so that ownership and inheritance of property/genes became a deep part of our culture’s ideology. I think the sense of sharing, participating in, contributing to social life is primary, and the sense of private ownership usually has harmful effects on the people involved. Have you had tests recently for TSH and cholesterol?

[Dental fillings]

I think Sorel cement is the best filling material, but few dentists know about it. Gold is safe in the presence of RF radiation.

The zinc eugenol fillings are often used, and they can last a long time; I’ve known several dentists who were willing to use them, but they call them temporary.

[Zinc eugenol fillings safer than ceramic or gold?]

They are all very safe (especially the real baked ceramic used for inlays and crowns).

[Composite resin fillings toxic?]

If they are very small they are probably o.k.

[To help prevent dementia, or to help with fatigue and obesity, would 10 mg DHEA be a good dose for a woman over 40?]

Without progesterone it can cause a moustache to grow.

Tests could show whether it’s being converted to estrogen.

[Reverse osmosis water from stations at supermarket]

That’s the kind I use. Distillation can produce purer water, but it’s probably expensive and unnecessary.

[Complex question about choosing between housing options in relation to cell tower proximity]

I think the small town is safer.

[Lead in ceramics from China for making coffee]

If it doesn’t have a shiny glaze, it’s probably not a lead problem. I use glass and a paper filter, but I’ve often though that a perforated ceramic or glass dripper would be more convenient. I like to start with some warm water before adding hot water, to avoid breaking down aromatic things before extracting the caffeine.

[Nickel in stainless steel coffee maker]

The shiny, high nickel kind can when it’s new, but nearly all the mobile nickel goes into the first ten batches.

[Cookware]

I normally use glass pans, Pyrex or Vision, but sometimes use the steel pans without nickel. Although they darken a little when they age, they don’t rust.

There are two main types of stainless steel, magnetic and nonmagnetic. The nonmagnetic form has a very high nickel content, and nickel is allergenic and carcinogenic. It is much more toxic than iron or aluminum. You can use a little "refrigerator magnet" to test your pans. The magnet will stick firmly to the safer type of pan

I think the nickel content should be less than 2%; the magnetic pans are hard to find (used stores sometimes have old ones), because people generally prefer the slick high nickel type.

 

[windinthepines]

[I hope the way I'm posting this is clear. I'm putting a few separate responses from Peat under the same subject header tag.

[Large ovarian cyst]

Everyone that I have known with ovarian cysts got them to break by taking a large dose of progesterone. If you have tried that without effect, than maybe the surgery is necessary. Naloxone is another thing that sometimes corrects ovarian cysts.

Most often it was a single dose of about 100 mg.

I’ve heard from women who didn’t have shrinkage with progesterone but did with prolonged high thyroid supplementation. Fluid filled capsules anywhere in the body respond to hypothyroidism by swelling, and they shrink in the presence of increased thyroid hormone.

Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Jun 15;116(4):551-6.
Preoperative hormonal therapy of cystic adnexal masses
W J Spanos
PIP: 286 patients between ages 16-48 with cystic adnexal masses were treated with estrogen and progesterone for 6 weeks. Persistence of the adnexal mass occurred in 81 patients and surgical exploration was done. All patients explored with an ovarian enlargement had an ovarian neoplasm causing the enlargement. There were 7 patients with normal sized ovaries but an associated paraovarian cyst or unilateral hydrosalpinx was found. No patient was subjected to surgical exploration with the finding of a physiologic cyst causing the adnexal mass. In this series, suppression of the pituitary gonadotropins for 6 weeks was long enough to cause all significant physiologic cysts to regress. It would seem that menstruating women with a cystic adnexal mass and a differential diagnosis that included a physiologic cyst should not be subjected to operations without a trial of pituitary suppressions. Also, the use of pituitary suppression with estrogen and progesterone removes indecision as to how long a physiologic cyst will remain before undergoing regression.

[Healing emotional trauma from childhood]

I think the lingering effects involve changes in the brain’s metabolism of neurosteroids. Just saturating the system with the hormones has to be combined with redirection of attention, until new habits of attention and brain metabolism are formed. Ordinary authoritarian relationships, which are the norm, make everyone forget what it felt like to just be a self, before language and assigned identities existed. When relaxing after a very nice meal, pleasant feelings pass through the torso. Getting into the habit of looking for those feelings whenever you have a free moment, you can make them occur more often; they represent part of self-possession. The state of the brain models the state of those perceptions; the crucial neurosteroids that let new patterns develop are pregnenolone, progesterone, vitamin D, and (cautiously) a little DHEA; the energy-supporting high calcium diet supports their metabolism. With practice, this sense of well being and wholeness grows.

[Things to try when not tolerating thyroid]

Have you tried things to change your intestinal flora, such as antibiotics or bacteriophage? Have you used cyproheptadine for the anxiety?

I use mostly penicillin, but erythromycin is good for preventing constipation and reducing inflammation.

[Erythromycin dose]

People vary greatly in sensitivity, but I find that 250 mg once a day has a strong effect on the bowel.

[Carcinoid tumor diagnosis]

It’s commonly associated with deficiency of vitamin D and niacin. Besides watching thyroid function, blood CO2, and TSH, using acetazolamide might be helpful if tumors are identified.

BMC Cancer. 2013 Aug 8;13:378.
Combination of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, acetazolamide, and sulforaphane,
reduces the viability and growth of bronchial carcinoid cell lines.
Mokhtari RB(1), Kumar S, Islam SS, Yazdanpanah M, Adeli K, Cutz E, Yeger H.
(1)Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON,
Canada. [email protected].
BACKGROUND: Bronchial carcinoids are pulmonary neuroendocrine cell-derived tumors
comprising typical (TC) and atypical (AC) malignant phenotypes. The 5-year
survival rate in metastatic carcinoid, despite multiple current therapies, is
14-25%. Hence, we are testing novel therapies that can affect the proliferation
and survival of bronchial carcinoids.
METHODS: In vitro studies were used for the dose-response (AlamarBlue) effects of
acetazolamide (AZ) and sulforaphane (SFN) on clonogenicity, serotonin-induced
growth effect and serotonin content (LC-MS) on H-727 (TC) and H-720 (AC)
bronchial carcinoid cell lines and their derived NOD/SCID mice subcutaneous
xenografts. Tumor ultra structure was studied by electron microscopy. Invasive
fraction of the tumors was determined by matrigel invasion assay.
Immunohistochemistry was conducted to study the effect of treatment(s) on
proliferation (Ki67, phospho histone-H3) and neuroendocrine phenotype
(chromogranin-A, tryptophan hydroxylase).
RESULTS: Both compounds significantly reduced cell viability and colony formation
in a dose-dependent manner (0-80 μM, 48 hours and 7 days) in H-727 and H-720 cell
lines. Treatment of H-727 and H-720 subcutaneous xenografts in NOD/SCID mice with
the combination of AZ + SFN for two weeks demonstrated highly significant growth
inhibition and reduction of 5-HT content and reduced the invasive capacity of
H-727 tumor cells. In terms of the tumor ultra structure, a marked reduction in
secretory vesicles correlated with the decrease in 5-HT content.
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of AZ and SFN was more effective than either single
agent. Since the effective doses are well within clinical range and
bioavailability, our results suggest a potential new therapeutic strategy for the
treatment of bronchial carcinoids.

[Worth using imagining and scope to verify carcinoid tumor presence?]

No, I think good tests of 5-HIAA, serotonin, and platelets, while doing the corrective things, is the right approach. Have you used ciproheptadine for symptoms?

[Doctors want to use MRI with gadolinium]

The MRI technology was developed (in the 1970s, by Ray Damadian) specifically because of its ability to distinguish tumor tissue from normal tissue without using a contrast medium, because of the appearance of the cell water even if the shape of the tissue hasn’t changed, but since the tumors they are looking for form actual lumps, it doesn’t take any specialized MRI technique.

Science. 1972 Dec 22;178(4067):1288-90.
Recognition of cancer in vivo by nuclear magnetic resonance.
Weisman ID, Bennett LH, Maxwell LR Sr, Woods MW, Burk D.
Pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance has been used to differentiate in vivo between
normal mouse tail tissue and a malignant transplanted melanoma, S91, located on
the tail. The tumor displayed a nuclear (proton) spin-lattice relaxation time of
approximately 0.7 second contrasted with the simultaneously measured normal tail
tissue relaxation time of approximately 0.3 second.

Magn Reson Med. 1992 Mar;24(1):53-63.
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies on water structure in peritumoral
edematous brain tissue.
Iwama T, Yamada H, Era S, Sogami M, Andoh T, Sakai N, Kato K, Kuwata K, Watari H.
Department of Neurosurgery, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) of water protons and cross-relaxation times
(TIS) between irradiated protein and water protons were measured to study the
water structure in peritumoral edematous brain tissue of rats. Despite small
changes in T1, water, and electrolyte contents, TIS values of water protons were
significantly reduced in peritumoral edematous brain tissue when compared to
those of the controls. Results indicate that the water structure in brain tissues
may become altered at an early stage of edemic formation without causing any
significant changes in cellular hydration. TIS might serve as a sensitive
parameter for studying the water structure in a variety of tissues, such as in
edematous brain tissue.

 

[windinthepines]

[Mechanism by which a variety of substances help alliveriate hunger symptoms for periods of a few weeks-- myo-inositol, metformin , niacinamide]

For such different substances to have similar effects, I think it’s likely that they were acting on the intestinal bacteria, temporarily changing their production of toxins.

[Follow up on question about intestinal bacteria]

Have you tried psyllium hulls or ground flaxseed? A bacteriophage, such as Florassist or Floraphage sometimes changes the intestinal flora helpfully. Two antiseptic bacteria are sometimes available in a supplement to improve intestinal ecology: Bacillus subtilis and Bacillis licheniformia.

[Important to combine myo-inositol with d chiro inositol? Some women combine the two to treat PCOS?]

I don’t know of any research on that.

[CO2 from welder shop ok for immersion therapy]
[(Personal note from RPForum poster of these emails: CO2 therapy can kill you if something goes wrong.)]

I get mine from a welder’s shop, and the valve on the tank works for filling a big plastic bag, but because the tanks are heavy, it’s convenient to use a hose for filling a tub. My tank’s valve is like a water faucet, and a simple rubber hose screws onto it, it doesn’t need a pressure gauge or anything fancy. A lighted candle is good for telling when the tank is full enough, it goes out when the CO2 reaches the flame. The flow should be fairly slow so that it doesn’t create turbulence that blows the gas out of the tank.

 

[windinthepines]

[Why Eugene?] [2018]

Eugene used to be the least conservative town, with a history of wobblies, socialists, and communes. Ashland has had a slightly progressive aspect, but generally southern Oregon was dominated first by the early immigrants, then the immigrants from the southern US states in the depression, and more recently by the creepy right-wingers who didn't go to Idaho. California is horribly expensive, crowded, and just generally awful, with fumes from crop dusting and millions of cars.

 

[Mauritio]

From a recent danny roddy video:

 

[JCastro]

From May 2018, I asked about case studies where thyroxine (T4) precipitates adrenal crises

Me:
Acute adrenal crisis precipitated by thyroxine. - PubMed

Primary Adrenal Insufficiency Misdiagnosed as Hypothyroidism in a Patient with Polyglandular Syndrome

Deterioration of symptoms after start of thyroid hormone replacement - BMJ. 2001

Levothyroxine replacement before glucocorticoid replacement leading to adrenal crisis in a case of autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type II (Schmidt syndrome)

Thyroxine replacement precipitating adrenal crisis - Endocrine Abstracts (2009) 19 P64

"The patient was started on 25 μg thyroxine daily. This resulted in an immediate exacerbation of symptoms. On examination she was pigmented and had orthostatic hypotension. She was hyponatraemic and hyperkalaemic . Basal serum cortisol was undetectable. Adrenal and thyroid microsomal antibodies were positive. The patient's condition improved dramatically with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement therapy."

Why does this happen? Would the same thing happen with T3?

Ray Peat:

Addison’s disease should be immediately recognizable by any medical student; prescribing thyroxine for Addison’s disease is the sort of thing they call medical mistakes, and try not to admit to in court.

Active thyroid hormone is needed for the adrenals to use cholesterol to make the hormones, and nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin A, can limit the ability to produce the steroids. Selenium is needed for local conversion of T4 to T3. Supplementing T4 will reliably increase T3 in healthy people, but not in sick people.

 

[JCastro]

February 2022

Me:
Hi Dr. Peat,

Do you think there is significance to caffeine inhibiting human acetylcholinesterase? There seems to be a "moderate" inhibitory effect but there are no in vivo studies as far as I know.

“We can estimate that blood AChE is not significantly inhibited when people take one coffee. However, the combination of coffee and energy drink or caffeine tablets can easily reach plasmatic caffeine concentration when the AChE is inhibited.”
—Caffeine Inhibits Acetylcholinesterase, But Not Butyrylcholinesterase

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by caffeine, anabasine, methyl pyrrolidine and their derivatives

Do you know of anyone who's had problems with coffee or caffeine that indicated elevated acetylcholine?

Ray Peat: If it’s integrated with meals it’s safe.

 

[JCastro]

May 2022, asked about silicon dioxide in caffeine tablets, and whether or not he consumes coffee from whole beans that he grinds himself or buys pre-ground coffee.

Ray Peat:
Pre-ground coffee is good, but freshly ground beans have a little more flavor. Products with silicon dioxide should be avoided.

 

[JCastro]

August 2022

Me:
Hi Dr. Peat,
Someone shared an email where you advised a maximum of 30% dietary fat. You seem to praise saturated fat almost in a supplemental context but not as a bulk of the diet.
Do you think exceeding that amount above 30%, even with only saturated fats and no PUFA, causes metabolic problems?

Ray Peat:
Hydrogenated coconut oil doesn’t contain any PUFA; I have used larger amounts of that, with no visible effects.

 

[JCastro]

October 2022
Hi Dr.,

In your recent newsletter you mention the catabolic effects of living in the mountains.

Can you elaborate on that, what about the mountains is catabolic?

Thank you

Ray:
That was to point out how bad science is predominant in some areas.

 

[windinthepines]

[T3 intolerance]

I think it would help with your symptoms and hormone regulation if you raise the vitamin D to 50 or 60 ng/ml. If you take the glandular thyroid in one dose, it’s best around bedtime. Have you kept a record of its effects on your pulse rate and temperature, especially before getting up in the morning? By powdering the Cynomel, and dividing each tablet into about 20 pieces, each dose will be just enough to be able to sense an effect, starting within seconds, and then fading away in the next few hours. By checking your pulse rate, you’ll be able to correlate the dose with changes in the fatigue and waakness. If you space the doses by 3 or more hours, after several days you should be able to see some slight but consistent changes in your pulse rate, and when you do, whether it’s slower or faster, wait for it to be steady at that rate for a few days before deciding to increase the dose. T3 and vitamin D work closely together, and help to keep calcium out of soft tissues; that lets them store up more energy, while reducing inflammation and anxiety.

[Adult growth hormone deficiency / How to temporarily lower IGF-1]

Has your vitamin D been tested? It can alleviate a GH deficiency. It should be around 50 ng/ml, or 125 nmol/l.

Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 EP908
Vitamin D status of adults with growth hormone deficiency
Ivayla Uzunova1, Georgi Kirilov1, Sabina Zacharieva1 & Krassimir Kalinov2

Introduction: Vitamin D and growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (GH/IGF-1) axis are reported to interplay at both endocrine and paracrine levels, with a positive correlation between IGF-1 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in healthy subjects. Hyposomatotropism is among the conditions predisposing to lower vitamin D status due to several direct and indirect mechanisms. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate vitamin D status in a representative sample of adults with GH deficiency (GHD) and to investigate the association between serum 25(OH)D and age, gender and onset of hyposomatotropism.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 129 adults (aged 42.1±16.6 years, 70 males) diagnosed with GHD (41.9% with childhood-onset GHD (COGHD)) in the Clinical Centre of Endocrinology in Sofia, Bulgaria. Total serum 25(OH)D was the vitamin D metabolite used to assess vitamin D status and was measured by electro-chemiluminescence binding assay. Vitamin D status and GHD were defined according to the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline recommendations.

Results: Major part of the patients was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency (79.1%, n=102) and another 14.7% (n=19) had vitamin D insufficiency. 25(OH)D levels >30 ng/ml were found in only 6.2% (n=8) of the subjects. Mean 25(OH)D levels (15.1±7.6 ng/ml) did not differ between men and women (15.7±7.2 vs. 14.5±8.1 ng/ml, P=0.387) and correlated negatively and weakly with age (r=−0.256; P=0.003). In the AOGHD subgroup, however, mean serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower compared with COGHD participants (14.0±7.2 vs.16.8±8.0 ng/ml, P=0.039).

Conclusion: Data from our study demonstrated considerably high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in GHD adults, with lower 25(OH)D concentrations among the subgroup with AOGHD. Therefore, 25(OH)D testing is highly recommended in patients with hyposomatotropism. Normalization of vitamin D status might have beneficial effects in GHD subjects, especially considering the additive effects of vitamin D and GH replacement.

[Taking high doses of cyproheptadine to relieve possible Cushing's disease symptos (Rebound elevation of Cortisol following cyproheptadine withdrawal in Cushing’s disease from a pituitary macroadenoma - Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, A Case of Serotonin Syndrome Following Cyproheptadine Withdrawal)]

Both of those articles are mostly about medical ineptness, more concerned with words than with a particular person’s problem. There are many ways to reduce cortisol, and they can be combined. Saliva tests could conveniently show the immediate effects on cortisol of a particular dose of aspirin or cyproheptadine or progesterone, etc., making it possible to adjust the dose. Bromocriptine and cabergoline are also often used for treating Cushing’s.

[Old vet aspirin that smells like vinegar]

Aspirin breaks down into acetic acid and salicylic acid; if it’s extremely sour, a little baking soda would neutralize the acid, and salicylic acid has almost the same effects as aspirin.

 

[windinthepines]

[The responses in this post are part of a complicated exchange related to Beta thalassemia minor that I don't know how to summarize]

Cyclic progesterone is safe, but the need for it decreases as thyroid function increases. A couple of people have found that they could increase their tolerance for thyroid by starting with a transdermal solution, very diluted in water--e.g., ten mcg in three ounces of water, starting with a drop of solution on the hand. It was an allergist who discovered that, from his experience with desensitizing doses

If your cortisol is steadily extremely low, then taking some with each bit of thyroid would be appropriate, since it takes effect immediately. Prolonged use, combined with low thyroid function, wouldn't be good.

Have you used the progesterone on a monthly cycle? Was the estrogen measured when you were using progesterone?

Has your cortisol been measured? The slightly high DHEAS suggests that your adrenals are being slightly over-stimulated.

Do you eat shell fish regularly? A copper deficiency can cause microcytosis; excess zinc, molybdenum, and sulfur can contribute to a copper deficiency. Increasing thyroid helps with copper assimilation and hemoglobin production, and would lower your cholesterol. Normalizing your vitamin D might help to increase the hemoglobin.

[When is the best part of the cycle to test estrogen and progesterone for menstruating women?]

For a single test, the luteal phase, a few days after ovulation.

 

[windinthepines]

[Iodine hypersensitivity]

Too much iodine interferes with thyroid function, and that slows down the liver, letting T4 accumulate. The high TSH shows that your T4 isn’t high now, and selenium and progesterone will help to restore functions. Cynomel is the product with the least iodine, and it would be good to periodically test doses of about one microgram (starting by dissolving a tablet in an ounce or two of water, and testing the water starting with just a drop or two per day).

 

[windinthepines]

[Your thoughts on living in an A/C controlled environment; can that be harmful?]

===Some of them can spread allergens and infections.

[Do you exercise at all? I find it easier to pile on juice and
nutrients when physically exerting myself playing ball, but impossible
to do so from home when I don't do anything.]

===I occasionally do things like cutting wood, doing repairs, etc.;
physical exertion is good, especially when it feels good.

[Does raw milk have any benefits over pasteurized, and if one is able
to obtain it, is it better even though the bacteria could potentially kill?]

===It's important to get it from a clean dairy. Pasteurization reduces
the content of vitamin B2 and B12 and folic acid very slightly, but the
main differences are that raw milk should taste better, and it generally
doesn't have the additives that are in most commercial milk.