Chest Pain/Discomfort At Night

Fractality

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What could this mean? It seems to have gotten worse since the winter time change. Magnesium helps reduce it. I take magnesium, vit c with lysine/proline, vit e regularly.
 
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Amazoniac

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What could this mean? It seems to have gotten worse since the winter time change. Magnesium helps reduce it. I take magnesium, vit c with lysine/proline, vit e regularly.
I don't know if you mean something related to the heart, but it can still radiate from it.

In this case:
Selenium (maybe with zinc as well, due to vit E), copper (vit C), thiamine (with friends), taurine, vit K (E again), creatine (not sure if it's possible to deplete arginine to a point where it compromises creatine synthesis). Vitamin D deficiency can be a contributor (calcium dysregulation and muscle function) but supplementation might make it worse.

Just search for each nutrient and 'ingrown toenail' for more information.
 

danielbb

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I ignored chest pains in my younger days (when I was 44) and while driving to work one day had a massive heart attack. They found one artery blocked, placed a stent to correct it, and told me it was my smoking habit that caused it so I quit. Six years later, I wasn't quite feeling right (kind of like your post here) and I went in to get my heart checked. The stent they had placed in my heart had become blocked along with another artery. Thankfully, I did not have another heart attack but I was forced to have open heart double-bypass surgery as you cannot stent a stent. I realized then it was not smoking that caused my heart disease but poor diet.

When it comes to your heart, do not GUESS. If you have some blockage, they can determine that with a heart catheter. They may be able to prevent a heart attack if so. After finding out you are in the clear, you can then apply dietary means like we are discussing here to hopefully reverse the disease and what I am hopefully doing now. I always carry nitroglycerin pills with me just in case. They are cheap and could save your life in the meantime while you are looking into this issue (you would need a prescription for these). Listen to your body and go to the doctor today.
 
OP
Fractality

Fractality

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I think it is stress/anxiety related and the earlier darkness is triggering it. My last bloodwork came back low with CRP and other markers.
 

danielbb

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What was your diet like?
Standard American Diet (SAD). Pizza, French fries, chicken wings, subs, fast food, oil-based and fried food restaurants such as Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, processed food of all types including chips, pretzels, candy, pop, etc. and so forth. Other than that, it was quite healthy (sarcasm off). I am embarrassed to even say that is what my diet was but that is the type of food I was raised on. My parents were excellent parents but most of the stuff I no longer eat was just what was available at the grocery store and just about any restaurant that we went to. Nobody told them this was unhealthy.

The first light bulb that came on for me was when I realized that quitting smoking did not do anything to halt the disease. The first ray of hope I had was when I read the book "How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell Esselstyn (of Forks Over Knives fame). He actually showed heart scans in his book where the disease went in the opposite direction (heart arteries getting larger rather than more constricted) according to his vegan diet plan. In the book he absolutely demonizes saturated fat and all animal protein. He does have one interesting restriction however - for those already diagnosed with the disease - he allows absolutely no fat (other than one tablespoon of flaxseed per day) which obviously would exclude most PUFA. Thus, I now believe there is some merit to his argument that heart disease can be reversed because I firmly believe PUFA and not saturated fat is to blame.

I tried veganism and did not feel exactly right. I believe I goofed up my thyroid function because I was eating a ton of raw vegetables. Per Ray Peat and experimentation, I've found that saturated fat is protective and does not cause me any inflammatory issues. The only Ray Peat suggestion that has not worked well for me is coconut oil - it makes my nose run so therefore I avoid it. I am now basically on a no-oil/no-PUFA diet if at all possible. If I need to sauté which is infrequent, I use butter or water. I like to bake which does not require oil. My next experiment is getting an air-fryer which many have told me they are very pleased with. I feel like my health has been restored to 100% following just about all of Ray's advice. If most people would just substitute whole food in place of processed food, I am convinced a large part of this battle is already won.
 

danielbb

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I think it is stress/anxiety related and the earlier darkness is triggering it. My last bloodwork came back low with CRP and other markers.
I didn't even mention stress in my original post but it plays a huge part in heart disease and potential heart attacks. I'll just say this one more time and pray you take action now. Go to a doctor or emergency room immediately and tell them about your chest pain. It is not NORMAL to have any type of chest pain - no matter how much stress you are under or how much darkness there is or any other type of rationalization you can come up with. I am not trying to be a wise guy. This is serious, serious stuff and you have a golden opportunity to prevent from EVER having a heart attack.
 

Wagner83

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Standard American Diet (SAD). Pizza, French fries, chicken wings, subs, fast food, oil-based and fried food restaurants such as Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, processed food of all types including chips, pretzels, candy, pop, etc. and so forth. Other than that, it was quite healthy (sarcasm off). I am embarrassed to even say that is what my diet was but that is the type of food I was raised on. My parents were excellent parents but most of the stuff I no longer eat was just what was available at the grocery store and just about any restaurant that we went to. Nobody told them this was unhealthy.

The first light bulb that came on for me was when I realized that quitting smoking did not do anything to halt the disease. The first ray of hope I had was when I read the book "How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell Esselstyn (of Forks Over Knives fame). He actually showed heart scans in his book where the disease went in the opposite direction (heart arteries getting larger rather than more constricted) according to his vegan diet plan. In the book he absolutely demonizes saturated fat and all animal protein. He does have one interesting restriction however - for those already diagnosed with the disease - he allows absolutely no fat (other than one tablespoon of flaxseed per day) which obviously would exclude most PUFA. Thus, I now believe there is some merit to his argument that heart disease can be reversed because I firmly believe PUFA and not saturated fat is to blame.

I tried veganism and did not feel exactly right. I believe I goofed up my thyroid function because I was eating a ton of raw vegetables. Per Ray Peat and experimentation, I've found that saturated fat is protective and does not cause me any inflammatory issues. The only Ray Peat suggestion that has not worked well for me is coconut oil - it makes my nose run so therefore I avoid it. I am now basically on a no-oil/no-PUFA diet if at all possible. If I need to sauté which is infrequent, I use butter or water. I like to bake which does not require oil. My next experiment is getting an air-fryer which many have told me they are very pleased with. I feel like my health has been restored to 100% following just about all of Ray's advice. If most people would just substitute whole food in place of processed food, I am convinced a large part of this battle is already won.
Interesting, how much saturated fat do you eat in a day though?
 

danielbb

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Interesting, how much saturated fat do you eat in a day though?
Not a lot. About 5 glasses of 1% milk give me about 12.5 grams per day from that source. I like hamburger which is about 20g of fat because I discovered for me at least, it has anabolic effects and it makes me feel good. I know Ray is against iron in meat but I do use gelatin as well and also donate blood to mitigate iron. I am usually less than 40g of fat per day.
 

Amazoniac

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- Heart and hormones

"When a muscle or nerve is fatigued, it swells, retaining water. When the swelling is extreme, its ability to contract is limited. Excess water content resembles a partly excited state, in which increased amounts of sodium and calcium are free in the cytoplasm. Energy is needed to eliminate the sodium and calcium, or to bind calcium, allowing the cell to extrude excess water and return to the resting state. Thyroid hormone allows cells' mitochondria to efficiently produce energy, and it also regulates the synthesis of the proteins (phospholamban and calcisequestrin) that control the binding of calcium. When the cell is energized, by the mitochondria working with thyroid, oxygen, and sugar, these proteins rapidly change their form, binding calcium and removing it from the contractile system, allowing the cell to relax, to be fully prepared for the next contraction. If the calcium isn't fully and quickly bound, the cell retains extra water and sodium, and isn't able to fully relax."

"In the stressed, energy depleted failing heart, muscle cells die and are replaced by connective tissue cells. The growth produced by over-exposure to adrenergic stimulation leads to stiffening and reduced functioning. However, under the influence of thyroid hormone a high work load leads to functional enlargement, which simply increases the pumping ability. Because of the traditional belief that heart cells can't replicate, this functional growth was believed to be produced purely by the enlargement of cells, but in recent years the existence of stem cells able to create new heart muscle has been recognized. Thyroid is likely to be one of the hormones responsible for allowing stem cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

In this context, of cellular differentiation as a life-long process, we can see the changes of a failing heart as a differentiation which is forced to take an inappropriate course. The calcification of blood vessels caused by phosphate excess and vitamin K deficiency involves the expression of a protein which has its proper place in the skeleton. The replacement of heart muscle by fibrous connective tissue and even bone is a basic biological problem of differentiation, and the responsible factors--stress, increased estrogen, deficient thyroid hormone, suppression of glucose oxidation by fatty acids, etc.--are involved in the problems of differentiation that occur in other degenerative processes, such as sarcopenia, dementia, and cancer."

"Some problems that become very common by middle age are "palpitations," orthostatic hypotension, orthostatic tachycardia, and varicose veins. The negative inotropic effect of estrogen in the heart has a parallel in the smooth muscle of veins, in which the muscles are weakened, and their distensibility increased, when estrogen isn't sufficiently opposed by progesterone."​

- Palpitations And Cardiac Events, KMUD, 15-03-2013
 

Wagner83

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Not a lot. About 5 glasses of 1% milk give me about 12.5 grams per day from that source. I like hamburger which is about 20g of fat because I discovered for me at least, it has anabolic effects and it makes me feel good. I know Ray is against iron in meat but I do use gelatin as well and also donate blood to mitigate iron. I am usually less than 40g of fat per day.
Thanks, do you feel like you get clogged from more? E.g. when running, walking upstairs etc..
 

danielbb

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Thanks, do you feel like you get clogged from more? E.g. when running, walking upstairs etc..
I am not sure I properly understand your question. Hopefully and prayerfully, I am no longer clogged i.e., my arteries are open and are getting back to full health each and every day. I walk all the time and always take the stairs when I encounter them. I do light treadmill work (no running) and lift weights. I have no symptoms whatsoever of any type of chest pain, head aches, redness or swelling in the face, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, etc. and so forth. As far as I know and can tell, I am healthy. I also see my doctor regularly. I took myself off of statins and blood pressure medications (since April) and I am sure my Doctor is going to kick my butt when I tell him at my physical in a couple of weeks. I noticed side-effects with those drugs such as headaches, redness on my arms, muscle aches, some brain fog, and most certainly ED. My Doctor said that was a small price to pay (for the protection the statins and blood pressure meds provide) and prescribed Cialis which also has side effects. My daughter is a pharmacist and she is against my decision to go off the meds but my whole body seems to be working properly. As I mentioned above, as a precaution, I carry nitro-pills in case something goes awry (and I pray it does not) because I believe I have gotten to the underlying chronic issues (poor dietary choices) of my chronic disease. Time will tell.
 

Wagner83

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I am not sure I properly understand your question. Hopefully and prayerfully, I am no longer clogged i.e., my arteries are open and are getting back to full health each and every day. I walk all the time and always take the stairs when I encounter them. I do light treadmill work (no running) and lift weights. I have no symptoms whatsoever of any type of chest pain, head aches, redness or swelling in the face, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, etc. and so forth. As far as I know and can tell, I am healthy. I also see my doctor regularly. I took myself off of statins and blood pressure medications (since April) and I am sure my Doctor is going to kick my butt when I tell him at my physical in a couple of weeks. I noticed side-effects with those drugs such as headaches, redness on my arms, muscle aches, some brain fog, and most certainly ED. My Doctor said that was a small price to pay (for the protection the statins and blood pressure meds provide) and prescribed Cialis which also has side effects. My daughter is a pharmacist and she is against my decision to go off the meds but my whole body seems to be working properly. As I mentioned above, as a precaution, I carry nitro-pills in case something goes awry (and I pray it does not) because I believe I have gotten to the underlying chronic issues (poor dietary choices) of my chronic disease. Time will tell.
Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience. I meant feeling clogged, like when one tries to run, or have some physical activity and feels..well clogged. I'm not sure how to describe it otherwise, but blood flow feels less optimal, muscles don't feel light either (this may not be only about blood flow).
 

Wagner83

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- Heart and hormones

"When a muscle or nerve is fatigued, it swells, retaining water. When the swelling is extreme, its ability to contract is limited. Excess water content resembles a partly excited state, in which increased amounts of sodium and calcium are free in the cytoplasm. Energy is needed to eliminate the sodium and calcium, or to bind calcium, allowing the cell to extrude excess water and return to the resting state. Thyroid hormone allows cells' mitochondria to efficiently produce energy, and it also regulates the synthesis of the proteins (phospholamban and calcisequestrin) that control the binding of calcium. When the cell is energized, by the mitochondria working with thyroid, oxygen, and sugar, these proteins rapidly change their form, binding calcium and removing it from the contractile system, allowing the cell to relax, to be fully prepared for the next contraction. If the calcium isn't fully and quickly bound, the cell retains extra water and sodium, and isn't able to fully relax."

"In the stressed, energy depleted failing heart, muscle cells die and are replaced by connective tissue cells. The growth produced by over-exposure to adrenergic stimulation leads to stiffening and reduced functioning. However, under the influence of thyroid hormone a high work load leads to functional enlargement, which simply increases the pumping ability. Because of the traditional belief that heart cells can't replicate, this functional growth was believed to be produced purely by the enlargement of cells, but in recent years the existence of stem cells able to create new heart muscle has been recognized. Thyroid is likely to be one of the hormones responsible for allowing stem cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

In this context, of cellular differentiation as a life-long process, we can see the changes of a failing heart as a differentiation which is forced to take an inappropriate course. The calcification of blood vessels caused by phosphate excess and vitamin K deficiency involves the expression of a protein which has its proper place in the skeleton. The replacement of heart muscle by fibrous connective tissue and even bone is a basic biological problem of differentiation, and the responsible factors--stress, increased estrogen, deficient thyroid hormone, suppression of glucose oxidation by fatty acids, etc.--are involved in the problems of differentiation that occur in other degenerative processes, such as sarcopenia, dementia, and cancer."

"Some problems that become very common by middle age are "palpitations," orthostatic hypotension, orthostatic tachycardia, and varicose veins. The negative inotropic effect of estrogen in the heart has a parallel in the smooth muscle of veins, in which the muscles are weakened, and their distensibility increased, when estrogen isn't sufficiently opposed by progesterone."​

- Palpitations And Cardiac Events, KMUD, 15-03-2013
From what I remember you had differing views on calcium intake, do you think the phosphate overload of a high potatoes diet could lead to heart disease? They do contain a decent amount of vitamin c and nutrients.
 

Amazoniac

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From what I remember you had differing views on calcium intake, do you think the phosphate overload of a high potatoes diet could lead to heart disease? They do contain a decent amount of vitamin c and nutrients.
If you've been experiencing these issues, a likely cause is the combination of impaired gut barrier and microbial feast on undigested food.


An attempt to lower cholesterol levels directly at least makes sense when you consider that endotoxins are carried by lipoproteids.

This situation will increase your nutrient requirements and might create a viscous circus. As you know, poison A and hormone D are very important, including the nutrients required for them to work.


I doubt the calcium/phosphorus ratio in white potatoes is to blame for immediate effects, but a ratio of 1:6 is concerning over time (2 kg gives you about 200 mg of calcium and 1200 mg of phosphorus) if not balanced with enough leafy greens, orange juice and other sources of calcium.

But sweet potatoes are much better, their ratio is 1:[1.5-2.5]. There are other tubers with a good profile as well.
Roots, tubers, plantains and bananas in human nutrition - Nutritive value
T0207E07.GIF
 
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Wagner83

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If you've been experiencing these issues, a likely cause is the combination of impaired gut barrier and microbial feast on undigested food.


An attempt to lower cholesterol levels directly at least makes sense when you consider that endotoxins are carried by lipoproteids.

This situation will increase your nutrient requirements and might create a viscous circus. As you know, poison A and hormone D are very important, including the nutrients required for them to work.


I doubt the calcium/phosphorus ratio in white potatoes is to blame for immediate effects, but a ratio of 1:6 is concerning over time (2 kg gives you about 200 mg of calcium and 1200 mg of phosphorus) if not balanced with enough leafy greens, orange juice and other sources of calcium.

But sweet potatoes are much better, their ratio is 1:[1.5-2.5]. There are other tubers with a good profile as well.
Ok, thanks for the link, magnesium will be taken care of promptly, gas/stomach issies are suspects. The annoyance was there at various times but the main problems were at night, I wonder if rice cooked in mineral water (50% calcium carbonate, 20% magnesium) may prevent its own digestion by carrying its own anti acids with it, leading to issues. Regarding gut barrier, elephanto posted concerns with potatoes.

About D'N'A, I have increased my fiber and beet greens intake significantly so some of those fibers may have been problematic (bell pepper, bok choy for immediate cold hands and feet :hearteyes: , carrot), the beet greens don't give smelly stools and may help digestion. However, combined with 1kg of potatoes the overall bulk may be questionable, it makes more sense to mince them or pair them with rice. Bamboom shoots appear safe and helpful.

There was a short discussion on the travis corner about tubers and calcium : phosphorus. Thanks for the picture. Sweet potatoes are fine in low amounts but then become sickening and expensive.
Last time I drank some store bought oj and coke with 2 drops of energin half of my eye became red (felt it), so I'm tempted to give it a rest.

As you know I've been wondering about fat intake and its relevancy for a while, I do wonder if removing most fats for a while provides a relief which cannot be escaped since upon resuming the system is suddenly overloaded with crap. I'm not sure how low fat fits with inflammation of the stomach either.
 
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Amazoniac

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Review: Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis (worth reading everything)

Last time I drank some store bought oj and coke with 2 drops of energin half of my eye became red (felt it), so I'm tempted to give it a rest.
It's easy to find out if it's the orange juice or Energin.
I guess that small amounts of extra B-vitamins when there's lack of magnesium can make it worse to the point of becoming apparent, and there are many publications on magnesium and eye health. It's less likely to feel the twitches if calcium has also been low.
 

Wagner83

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Review: Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis (worth reading everything)


It's easy to find out if it's the orange juice or Energin.
I guess that small amounts of extra B-vitamins when there's lack of magnesium can make it worse to the point of becoming apparent, and there are many publications on magnesium and eye health. It's less likely to feel the twitches if calcium has also been low.
Thanks, I started the magnesium so we'll see.
 

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