unexpected but positive

[Blossom]

I bought mine from inhousepharmacy.biz. I currently take it twice per day, 1 in the morning and one at night. I experimented with only one per day and 3 per day and for me 2 seems just right. I don't have what's thought of as sleep apnea, nor do am I using it for altitude adjustment both of which are legitimate reasons. Since I work in a hyper-oxygen environment and I do not think it is wise to expose ourselves to unnaturally high oxygen levels I am using it as protection against that. I spoke with Benedicte about this so I didn't just willy nilly decide to take it. I feel it has helped my body fluid regulation a lot and the improved venous tone seems to suggest that as well. I will continue to take it for a couple more months until I am done with my present job and then reevaluate. I'm sure a persons context would determine if it is a beneficial supplement for them. It shouldn't be taken in severe emphysema though because those people really do have an impaired ability to 'blow off' CO2 from loss of lung tissue elasticity. That's just an FYI, not a real common problem, but potentially for a few people. I'm a real fan of CO2 and feel optimizing it in my own body has paid off after living so long with impaired cellular respiration, some of which was my own doing and some was my environment.

 

[Blossom]

I also have cut back my aspirin while taking diamox to less than 2000mg per day. There is a risk of 'acidosis' when high aspirin dose of 3000mg or more is taken with diamox.

 

[5magicbeans]

Thanks so much for your reply! You also answered my next question before I asked :)

 

[Blossom]

The positive news first. Today I got guessed for 29 years old by someone 50 so I think it was a legitimate compliment!
I think I'm going to have to go back on cyproheptadine. I've been off of it over a week now and it's becoming clear that for me it is still necessary. I took a zofran and that helped for about three hours. I have a new/renewed appreciation for cyproheptadine to say the least. So I'm looking great apparently, but my GI tract just isn't there yet when left on its own. Oh well. I'm living instead of dying and I'm equipped with the tools I need for continued healing thanks to Ray Peat.

 

[Blossom]

I was telling a coworker about the gentleman that complemented me by thinking I was 29 and she said "I would guess you between 28-35, even younger if you'd do something with your hair!" I wore it in a headband today so it wasn't anything fancy. That was really nice but then another person said " I always thought you seemed to know a lot for someone 25!" Wow, he was serious. Unbelievable. Who doesn't love to hear that!

 

[Blossom]

Just for the record I do not look 25! I do think I look better now than I did at 34 though and that's just being honest. So a helpful NP at work today gave me a script for phenergan at the urging of my boss who hated to see me nauseated. I looked up this drug and it's antihistamine and anticholinergic. I haven't filled it yet because I wanted to do a little more research but I thought it would be nice to have something until I get more cyproheptadine. If anyone has any information about phenergan please post it or pm me!

 

[Blossom]

The potential problems I see with phenergan are 1. It is promethazine hydrochloride and I believe Mittir pointed out that RP doesn't feel the liver is designed to handle chloride in in this manner. 2. It is a weak 'dopamine antagonist' so would be counter productive if one was working on moving things in the opposite direction.
I do appreciate my co-workers concern but I'll skip this one for now. The drug has been approved since 1951 so I'm sure if Peat were impressed with it then it would be common knowledge in Peat inspired circles. I think it is my obligation to myself to use the brain I have been given to try to figure these things out. Thanks to Peat I better know what to look for these days. Like with most things in life there are pros and cons but it seems in this case the cons win out. I'll stick with benadryl until my cyproheptadine arrives. It's been a great way to test my renewed mental capabilities though.

 

[Blossom]

The HCL portion may not be a problem after all. I noticed naltrexone which is pretty Peaty in certain circumstances is also bound to HCL. When I searched promethazine it turned up in the references section for Peats recent news letter on meat physiology. If I'm understanding this correctly it is a quanternary ammonium compound. I suppose it is time to brush up on the chemistry. The research continues. I have a cousin with a PhD in pharmacology I could ask but the last time I talked to him he was giving me unsolicited dietary advice to not eat sugar and get plenty of gluten free whole grains! This approach definitely keeps one searching for truth, questioning and using the mind. Active participation in life at this level would not have been possible before. It is very encouraging to realise the confidence I have developed in myself to find the answers. I will still use all the tools at my disposal because that just makes sense but in considering all that, what's a little nausea?!

 

[kiran]

Well, I think it doesn't fall foul of that rule. I believe the substances which have Chlorine/Fluorine bound to a carbon atom are the ones which potentially cause liver problems. One example of such is cetirizine(zyrtec).

 

[Blossom]

Thanks kiran. I let myself take things in the past that I should have questioned so I'm going through this whole new process of looking at things from a different perspective. I talked to my cousin who I just love and he told me to vaporize some cannabis. I know one thing, I'm not going to let myself run out of cyproheptadine again. When I do my next trial off of it I think I'll make sure I have a back up supply handy.

 

[charlie]

Thanks kiran. I let myself take things in the past that I should have questioned so I'm going through this whole new process of looking at things from a different perspective. I talked to my cousin who I just love and he told me to vaporize some cannabis. I know one thing, I'm not going to let myself run out of cyproheptadine again. When I do my next trial off of it I think I'll make sure I have a back up supply handy.

Cannabis dries out the digestive system from end to end. Which of course interferes with tons of stuff. Estrogen starts backing up, metabolism lowers, etc etc. Like Peat said I am sure there are some protective properties. And it does seem to fix something that is broken with social activities/skills. But it definitely comes at a price of less then optimal cellular respiration. Btw, I am talking about smoking it. I am sure vaping it would be slightly better, but still a negative hit to the metabolism.

 

[Blossom]

That was recommended by my cousin that also told me too avoid sugar and eat plenty of whole gluten free grains! I love him but that doesn't mean I would take his advice. Some people are really sweet and well meaning but lethal nonetheless. I'm not that bad off! Thanks Charlie for looking out for me. I really think I've been pushing myself too hard so I think I'll just relax for the weekend and reevaluate. I did pose the question about phenergan to Benedicte via email which isn't my normal M.O. so I'll see if she has any insights from her biochem perspective. You guys are so great!

 

[charlie]

A nice relaxing weekend sounds wonderful. Time to enjoy the fruits of your metabolic labor. You have obviously come a long way already. :)

 

[Blossom]

Thanks, will do!

 

[Blossom]

Apparently I had a stomach virus or something. I know terrain is everything but when you take your terrain into a building with 150 sick people 4-5 times a week it's risky! Obviously with my GI history you think the worst, but once again I've been reminded that things have definitely turned around! So everything's back to normal, Peat-improved me!

 

[Blossom]

Today is day 188 for me following this Peat inspired approach so I thought I would briefly update my progress.
The number one most important thing is that I continue to improve in all areas. Since this is really unheard of I wanted to emphasize it clearly. Everyday is not the same and some days are better than others but the general overall theme is one of regeneration. When there is a minor issue now I can pretty easily identify and correct the root cause of the problem. This the total opposite of my previous experiences and I believe it truly illustrates the empowering nature of Peat's work. I really know I can, have and will continue to heal myself. Here is a list of specifics I have noticed positive changes in since my original posting:
1. Blood sugar is more stable
2. Sleep well through the night
3. All but very minor pain is resolved
4. Less bulging veins
5. No hair loss- not even a little
6. Pinker nail beds, redder lips etc(better oxygenation)
7. Able to go longer between meals without negative impact
8. Improved outlook on life and generally more positive
9. More resilient physically and mentally
10. No fatigue but more relaxed at the same time
I get a lot of compliments these days which is nice and it opens up the opportunity to talk with people when they want to know what I'm doing to get results. They may not understand or listen at first but at least a seed has been planted. I have to say I really never expected this level of healing but I'm thrilled just the same. I know I will continue to change and grow and look forward to all that is to come. It's so nice to know that in middle age there is more to look forward to than a slow or even rapid decline. How does one even begin to expenses the gratitude that comes from getting your life back? I'm not sure yet but I'll figure it out!

 

[Kray]

Everything is synergistic to me but if I had to narrow it down I would choose diamox and Progest-e and not necessarily in that order. Those are the two that I've seen a visible difference with. I believe it was mittir that posted about that progesterone:estrogen ratio and then I read exactly what he was talking about in From PMS to Menopause. Now I use the veins in my hands as a guide among other things as to how my progesterone status is doing. When I added in diamox I noticed an immediate improvement but since CO2 is so important that really should not have surprised me. I still get surprised often to see things moving in a positive direction rather than the declining one I was so used to. We all experience that some days are better than others but any minor set backs are easily corrected for me on this approach. Here is an inspirational quote from Peat that I know is true from experience:"Regeneration seems to be the capacity of every tissue, given the right environment" From PMS to Menopause page 29

Blossom,

Can you provide more details about progesterone dosage and vein status? I'm trying to fine-tune my progesterone dose. Also, is cyproheptadine ok to take daily during allergy season? Do people tend to get loopy/sleepy on that as compared to something like Benadryl?

Thanks!
Classicallady

 

[Blossom]

I don't think it's the same for everyone. I just keep an eye on the veins on the back of my hands. My understanding is that the hands should be a waist level when you check the venous tone. I imagine if they were dangling down or raised above the head it would not be a fair judgement because of positioning related to the heart. That is just how I understand it though. My veins still vary a bit through out the day but they no longer bulge as much or constantly like before. I'm probably different than many people in the way I use Progest-e for a couple reasons. I guess the safest way to figure out your unique needs would be to use 3 drops every 10 minutes, as Ray describes in From PMS to Menopause, until your veins appear normalized. By keeping track of how much you needed for this effect you could then base your daily doseage at that amount. That's just what I ended up doing because I felt better having a visual confirmation that I was taking enough. So I hope that gives you some ideas that might help.

 

[Kray]

I don't think it's the same for everyone. I just keep an eye on the veins on the back of my hands. My understanding is that the hands should be a waist level when you check the venous tone. I imagine if they were dangling down or raised above the head it would not be a fair judgement because of positioning related to the heart. That is just how I understand it though. My veins still vary a bit through out the day but they no longer bulge as much or constantly like before. I'm probably different than many people in the way I use Progest-e for a couple reasons. I guess the safest way to figure out your unique needs would be to use 3 drops every 10 minutes, as Ray describes in From PMS to Menopause, until your veins appear normalized. By keeping track of how much you needed for this effect you could then base your daily doseage at that amount. That's just what I ended up doing because I felt better having a visual confirmation that I was taking enough. So I hope that gives you some ideas that might help.

Wow, that's a great tool. I'll try it. And just to confirm-- you take the Progest-E orally, correct? I'm not sure what you meant by being different in your using it. Even though I'm menopausal, I'm not sure I'm getting enough. I've tried pregnenolone but just not sure if it has any positives for me. I took probably about 20-30mg Progest-E last night at bedtime and only slept about 5 hours straight; other times I don't take any and I sleep all night. Can't figure it out.

I was just looking up cyproheptadine and see that it can be helpful for eczema and such rashes-- I'm not sure why you were taking it, but is it something I might want to try for eczema at half-dose for starters? I realize you aren't a doctor, just wondering what your experience has been with it. I assume it only comes in 4mg dose. Appreciate your feedback.

 

[Blossom]

It's an anti serotonin and antihistamine medicine that has helped many forum members myself included. I've read that RP recommends 1 mg as a starting dose to see how it effects you. 1 mg is 1/4 tablet. I think most people seem to feel drowsy from it so taking it at night time is probably wise at first. The forum is packed with information on cyproheptadine that I'm sure would help you make a decision. I found it instrumental in my healing.