Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[Comstock]

Question:
What’s the minimum distance from a nuclear plant you would want to live?

Answer:
I would prefer not to be closer than at least 12,000 miles.

 

[Mauritio]

Q:
Hello Mr. Peat,
I found your comments on the anti-fungal and anti-viral properties of the macrolides very interesting.

You also talked about some macrolide inhibiting a certain kinase. Would you tell me which kinase you were referring to ?

You said:

"After it was discovered to be a great treatment for fungal infections it was found to have many other effects, anti-inflammatory effects, which are typical effects of that family, azithromycin for example and in exploring how the anti-inflammatory effect works, they found that it works on a particular kinase, an enzyme that attaches phosphate groups to particular enzymes and functional proteins. And the phosphorylation directs towards growth and inflammation and they found that the antibiotic inhibiting this particular kind of phosphorylating enzyme, extended life span drastically and reduced cancer and inflammatory diseases."


Thank you!

A: The was mTOR and the antibiotic rapamycin.

 

[Mauritio]

Q: Hello Mr. Peat,

You recommend cycling progesterone.
What about pregnenolone? Would'nt the liver also upregulate the enzymes that remove pregnenolone ?

Thank you.

A: It’s possible, but I haven’t seen evidence that it happens.

 

[JamesGatz]

I TRIED to get it out of him
PEOPLE - I TRIED

 

[CecilRoids]

In light of Ray's passing and how vital his advice was to my wife's health during and after her pregnancy in 2020/21, I feel like it's high time I post this exchange that we had between April 23-28th of 2021. Topics included preeclampsia, intrahepatic cholestasis, among others that might be relevant to someone else's pregnancy. I hope others might find this info as valuable as we did.

Good morning Dr. Peat,

I'm emailing you with a degree of urgency regarding whether you could do a consultation for me and my wife; she is 21 years old, 30 weeks pregnant with our first child and at risk for pre-eclampsia, and we're getting a lot of recommendations from our doctor. We're also worried she has intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy because of a severe itch that she's had for the past week.

So far the doctor seems to have given good recommendations, including progesterone and aspirin, but I am trying to wrap my head around some of what he's prescribing, including betametasone injections for the baby's lungs in case of early delivery, which I've not been able to find out much about. Even if I could, my knowledge of how steroids/cortico steroids work is still extremely limited. I am also concerned because he has told us that we should consider inducing labour considerably early.

I would greatly appreciate if you could help us.

Sincerely,
[Redacted]

Ray Peat said:
Has she had blood tests for thyroid, vitamin D, and the ratio of progesterone to estrogen? Have you been following her temperature? What are her main foods? How much milk does she drink? How much protein does she average per day? Does she salt her food to taste? Why do they think she’s at risk of pre-eclampsia?

I replied:
Thanks for the reply. He believes her to be at risk because her mother had high-blood pressure and preeclampsia during all of her pregnancies, and lost one child to it in the late 3rd trimester. In fact there was no worry on part of the doctor until I mentioned this to him, and then he got worried, taking her blood pressure (which was 138systolic / 97 diastolic, 91 bpm heartrate), and then he had her go to get betametasone shots today, which has given me a very uneasy feeling. We are supposed to get the second and final dose tomorrow, but I am not sure if we should; the injections were very painful for my wife, stressed her out very much, and she has felt nauseated all day afterwards. It has felt like a whirlwind of tests and medication that we don't feel comfortable about since I mentioned to the doctor that her mom had preeclampsia. I've attached screenshots of a typical day of eating for her. She hates milk on its own so it's difficult for her to drink it unless it's made into hot chocolate, which I make for her with gelatin on some nights. We try to get salt her food, but I suspect it's not enough, so when she ever feels nausea I have her drink either salted orange juice or water. I was surprised to just find out now that she has not had either progesterone or estrogen tested; I assumed she had since the doctor had prescribed her vaginally inserted progesterone. She has not had vitamin D tested either, but here is her thyroid profile: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 4.058 uUI/mL Total Triiodothyronine (total T3) 1.42 ng/mL Free Triiodothyronine (free T3) 2.5 pg/mL Total Thyroxine (T4) 7.74 ug/dL Free Thyroxine (free T4) 0.69 ng/dL T3 Uptake 38.34% Thyroxine (T4) Recruitment 0.93 ug/dL Free Thyroxine Index 2.2
I will add that we have not been tracking her temperature, but after breakfast today it was 36.1°C

We just had a test done to measure protein lost in the urine over 24 hours and the result was 242mg. Does that tell you anything?

Ray Peat said:
50 to 60 years ago, a few doctors’ (e.g., Brewer, Shanklin, Hodin) research clarified the nature of preeclampsia and toxemia of pregnancy, but medical schools continue to teach a strange gene-based doctrine, that used to be closely involved with the ideology of eugenics. Have you seen any changes in her blood glucose, temperature, or cholesterol level? I think her TSH indicates that her thyroid function is low, which can contribute to the various signs of preeclampsia.

"The new recommendations for TSH levels during pregnancy are the following: First trimester: less than 2.5 with a range of 0.1-2.5. Second trimester: 0.2-3.0. Third trimester: 0.3-3.0.Nov 9, 2011"
Guidelines for Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy: Key Pointshttps://www.medscape.com › viewarticle

I said:
Thanks for that... I am frustrated with our doctor because even just today when I asked him if there was any way to prevent the kidneys from dumping protein into the urine, or what's causing it, and he said "No, we just have to watch and if it gets too high, it's pre eclampsia and we'll have to get the baby out."

It seems very irrational to me, but it appears he is used to people who don't ask him any questions, and my education is still lacking so there's not much I can say.

Do you know how intrahepatic cholestasis and its symptoms can be reversed? My wife is suffering a terrible itch that prevents her from sleeping.

I appreciate the help, I will make sure we test her progesterone, cholesterol, estrogen, and cortisol in her next test.

Ray Peat said:
Has she been salting her food? How much milk was she drinking previously during the pregnancy? Is she taking vitamin D? That should be tested too. Has she used aspirin for the itch? Has she used a lotion with an antihistamine or local anesthetic? A solution of aspirin in warm water, or with a little alcohol such as vodka, might help the itch.


Annals of Internal Medicine August 1, 1995
Effects of Naloxone Infusions in Patients with the Pruritus of Cholestasis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Nora Valeria Bergasa David W. AllingThomas L. Talbot Mark G. SwainCihan Yurdaydin Maria L. Turner Joseph M. Schmitt …
To determine whether endogenous opioids contribute to the pruritus of cholestasis by studying the effect of the opiate antagonist naloxone on the perception of pruritus and on scratching activity in patients with this form of pruritus.
Design:
Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with four periods.
Setting:
Clinical research referral center.
Patients:
29 pruritic patients with liver diseases of various causes.
Intervention:
Each patient received as many as two naloxone and two placebo solution infusions consecutively in random order. Each infusion lasted 24 hours.
Measurements:
During the infusions, visual analog scores of pruritus were recorded every 4 hours while patients were awake; scratching activity independent of limb movements was recorded continuously.
Results:
One patient had a mild reaction consistent with a naloxone-precipitated syndrome similar to opiate withdrawal. A significant 24-hour rhythm of scratching activity was seen in 7 of 11 patients for whom complete 96-hour data were collected. The mean of a visual analog score of the perception of pruritus (maximum, 10.0) recorded during naloxone infusions was 0.582 lower than that recorded during placebo infusions (95% CI, 0.176 to 0.988; P < 0.01). Furthermore, the ratio of the geometric mean hourly scratching activity during naloxone infusions to that during placebo infusions was 0.727 (CI, 0.612 to 0.842; P < 0.001) and was greater than 1.0 in only five patients.
Conclusions:
Naloxone administration is associated with amelioration of the perception of pruritus and reduction of scratching activity in cholestatic patients. Because of the opioid receptor specificity of the action of naloxone, these findings support the hypothesis that a mechanism underlying the pruritus of cholestasis is modulated by endogenous opioids and suggest that opiate antagonists may have a role in the management of this complication of cholestasis.
======

Effect of oral naltrexone on pruritus in cholestatic patientshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC4087908
by F Mansour-Ghanaei · 2006 · Cited by 85 — Injection of cholestatic patient's serum to monkey's medulla can cause pruritus that is controlled by naloxone[24]. Several recent studies indicate that opioid antagonists such as naloxone and nalmefene are effective in reducing pruritus in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis[18,25-27].

======

Use in Pregnancy
Teratogenic Effects: Pregnancy Category C: Teratology studies conducted in mice and rats at doses 4-times and 8-times, respectively, the dose of a 50 kg human given 10 mg/day (when based on surface area or mg/m2), demonstrated no embryotoxic or teratogenic effects due to NARCAN (naloxone) . There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, NARCAN (naloxone) should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

I said:
She has been salting her food. The most she would ever drink was maybe 1-2cups per day, I've found her a strawberry milk that she likes and have her eating sugary cereal with milk in the morning, so she's probably drinking a litre per day now.

She is taking vitamin D, I will make sure we test that too.

I gave her a large dose of aspirin (1g) and baking soda last night, and it helped a little bit but not much. Do you mean applied topically with water/vodka?

She has taken oral antihistamines to no effect, I will see about a topical antihistamine.

So, it looks like NARCAN could help the symptoms, but I'm assuming it doesn't address the root cause?

I didn't receive a reply but I asked him for more help on the 16th of May. He said:

Is she salting her food to taste? It’s important, along with thyroid and progesterone, ror maintaining her blood volume, to perfuse her kidneys and placenta. I think the aspirin is helpful as long as it’s helping the symptoms. What city do you live in? In recent years I’ve noticed an exaggerated authoritarianism in Mexican doctors, and don’t know what explains it. In the 1960s, there was a wave of humanization in the medical schools, but that faded away quickly.

 

[CecilRoids]

This was an exchange from about a week after, a few days before our boy was born via c-section:

I said:

Hi Dr. Peat, I'm messaging you again because I don't know what to do, and the doctor has ramped up the urgency; we just got my wife's test results from yesterday of proteins lost in the urine, and it was extremely high.

2016mg/24hrs, which I think is over 10x normal.

Can it be because we have increased the amount of protein in her diet? Her previous result last week was around 300-400mg/24 hours but since then we have increased her protein intake quite a bit.

Now the doctor is recommending removing the baby immediately, and I honestly don't know if my wife's kidney/liver function can be restored before it hurts the baby, if we weren't to go forward with the C-section. We are extremely uncomfortable with delivering this early, 34 weeks, for every reason you can imagine. They estimate he weighs only 5.15 lbs at this moment.

I know you probably can't give direct advice for legal reasons but I am completely at a loss for what to do, and I am extremely worried about the baby and what they will do to him for a month in ICU. Never mind the cost.

Thank you,

Ray Peat said:
What kind of protein did she increase? How did she feel at the time? Did her level of activity change? Did her blood pressure increase as suddenly? Has her blood glucose changed? Has she had cravings for salt or sugar? Is she using progesterone or thyroid or other supplements? The amount of protein you eat, and your activity level, will affect both protein and creatine. Did he measure the protein to creatine ratio?

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013 Oct;170(2):368-71.
Comparison of 24-hour urinary protein and protein-to-creatinine ratio in women with preeclampsia
Semra Kayatas, Emre Erdogdu, Erbil Cakar, Vefa Yılmazer, Sevcan Arzu Arınkan, Vedat Erkan Dayıcıoglu
Objective: To compare the spot urine protein-to-creatinine (P/C) ratio and 24-hour urine protein excretion in pregnant women with preeclampsia and also to determine the best discriminator values of the spot P/C ratios for 300 mg and 2000 mg protein per 24h.
Study design: Prospective study of 200 pregnant women with new onset hypertension at or greater than 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks of gestation. Women were instructed to collect urine during a 24-hour period, and after the 24-hour urine sample collection was completed a mid-stream urine specimen was obtained for P/C ratio determination. The correlation between 24-hour urine protein excretion and spot urine P/C ratio was calculated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the cut-off values of the spot P/C ratios for 300 mg and 2000 mg protein per 24h. Areas under ROC curves were calculated.
Results: There was a significant correlation between 24-hour protein excretion and the urine P/C ratio (r=0.828, p<0.0001). The cut-off P/C ratio for 300 mg per 24h was 0.28: sensitivity and specificity were 60.4% and 77.9%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 77.5% and negative predictive value (NPV) was 60.9%. The cut-off P/C ratio for 2000 mg per 24h was 0.77: sensitivity and specificity were 96.8% and 98.6%, respectively. The PPV was 96.8% and NPV was 98.6%. Area under ROC curves for 24-hour urine total protein of 300-2000 mg/day and >2000 mg/day were 0.74 (95% CI 0.66-0.80) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.95-0.99), respectively.
Conclusions: Spot P/C ratio is a poor predictor of 24-hour proteinuria but can predict proteinuria >2000 mg better than 300-2000 mg.

I said:
Hi Dr. Peat,

We did not end up doing the c-section. However, my wife appears to only be getting worse, and our new doctor (our old one dropped us I think because I told him "no" to the c-section) is just as eager to get the baby out as the old one.

To answer your questions:

We increased all kinds of protein: potato, meat, gelatin, milk.

Her activity levels have decreased, she is getting weaker and she gets nauseous if she's standing for any significant amount of time.

Her blood pressure has slowly but steadily been climbing. This morning we measured 146/106.

She is taking both thyroid and progesterone.

Her swelling/edema in the legs is getting worse, and she constantly has a feeling of "not feeling good." And she has remarked occasionally that she feels like she is slowly dying.

I have been wondering, could the blood thinning drugs she is taking actually be worsening the problem? Isn't it an issue of blood volume, and could the blood thinners be contributing to low blood volume? She is taking:
-Anhydrous Methyldopa (1g throughout the day)

-Nifedipine (60mg throughout the day) (both this and the methyldopa were prescribed for her hypertension)

And between 600-1200mg aspirin daily, depending how she's feeling.

Her high blood pressure and edema has persisted despite how much salt she supplements. It is hard to get her to eat enough protein because it is difficult for her to eat at all, I think partly due to organ cramming, and because she spends most of the day now lying down. We have been shooting for 2L of milk every day.

Any help or tips are appreciated. The new doctor wants another blood test and protein/creatinine test, we will probably be doing those on Wednesday.

Ray Peat said:
Is she drinking any orange juice? Was the blood for the test drawn early in the morning? If she had eaten anything, I think her blood glucose should have been higher. Is she drinking any orange juice? It might make her feel better, and it would lower inflammation.

I said:
Hey Dr. Peat, my wife suddenly got very sick and began to have many contractions, so we ended up having the c-section last night.

I appreciate all your help, I wondered if you knew of any resources to help baby since he is so premature? He weighed 2.5 kg at birth. It looks like he will be out of the NICU in a few days. I hope to mitigate the negative effects of his unideal birth as much as possible.

Ray Peat said:
Putting a little progesterone on the soles of his feet for a couple of weeks will reduce stress and help his nervous system to mature.

 

[Apple]

Q: Would you consider parboiled rice as a good alternative to nixtamalized corn ? (or white rice is better ?)
In parboiled rice the starches are in gelatinized form though I don't understand the exact chemistry of it.

A: I think thorough cooking of white rice is better. Corn and other grains can be nixtamalized easily with calcium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, or sodium carbonate.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	May 30, 2021, 11:30 PM

Q: I'm really sorry to bother you Mr. Peat but my question hasn't been asked on several occasions on your podcast with Danny and Georgi and I had to send you an email.

Question is about EAR HEALTH:
-Hearing loss and can it be improved/reversed
-Constant feeling of pressure
-Constant earwax buildup
-Tinnitus
-Extreme pain around the whole ear region when it's cold, so I always need to wear a hat.

Just to put things in context I think I've done most of the things you recommend for 8 months except using thyroid and few other supplements. I have crohn's which is under control and some brain lesions as well

RP: Have you had blood tests? Low thyroid function is the most common reason for ear problems. Have you noticed any changes in the tinnitus according to what you eat? What are your main foods?

[After this I sent him a long email explaining everything but he didn't reply.]

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Jun 7, 2021, 1:15 AM

Q: I'm sorry to bother you Mr Peat. // It's funny I called him "Mr" Peat :)) //

I have two questions to which you can just reply quickly.

1. Have you ever heard of someone improving their hearing - specifically people who are experiencing hearing loss?
2. Why do the fried/heated fats (no matter which ones - coconut, olive, butter etc) give me eczema, dry skin and scalp as well as some blood sugars dysregulation while "raw" fats have no problems?
EXAMPLE: If I cook steak or meat on a grill or use an oven I have 0 issues and If I add some fats to it, or fry in a pan I get all of these skin issues? Are they harder on the liver or is there something else which I'm missing!

Love you Mr Peat!

RP: Do you supplement vitamin D and get enough calcium in your diet relative to phosphate? Heated fats are more irritating, and the intestine is exaggeratedly sensitive if vitamin D, calcium, and thyroid are low.

Q: I have been supplementing Thorne VIT D+ K topically every day for the past 4 months. I eat a fair bit of cheese and I had to cut back on milk after using doxycycline because I get these intense chest pains/stiffness after I wake up. I have no idea what this could mean. My doxy cotanied silica, titanium dioxide and a few other nasty stuff so I probably made a big mistake in taking it.

What about the hearing question Mr Peat? Did you ever know or hear of anyone hearing improving?

Thank you so much for everything!

RP: Some people experience improved hearing when they move to a high altitude; I think it has to do with improved circulation.

Q: Thank you so much for answering Mr Peat.
Will breathing in the bag by increasing CO2 also improve circulation? What are the best ways that you know of that can improve one's circulation?
Also there is a study stating that higher altitudes and hypoxia states can cause deafness and hearing problems: Influence of high-altitude hypoxic environments on the survival of cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons in rats

RP: People going to a high altitude, e.g., 6500 feet or more, sometimes notice improved hearing. Adapting to altitude increases the CO2 retained in the body, improving capillary circulation. The drug acetazolamide increases CO2, and can have similar effects. Thyroid and vitamin D, caffeine and thiamine can help to maintain CO2 levels.

Am J Otol. 1989 Mar;10(2):142-5.
Long-term effect of acetazolamide and chlorthalidone on the hearing loss of Menière's disease
J Corvera 1, G Corvera
Abstract
A retrospective computerized analysis of the records of patients with Meniere's disease was made to evaluate the effect of acetazolamide and chlorthalidone on the rate of hearing loss. Three groups were compared as follows: (1) 79 patients treated with chlorthalidone for 5 to 13.4 years; (2) 42 patients medicated with acetazolamide between 5 and 7.8 years; and (3) a control group of 71 patients who received only intermittent symptomatic treatment for vertigo, followed for 5 to 24.1 years. In the short term, after 2 to 6 weeks of treatment, a statistically significant decrease of the average hearing loss was observed with both chlorthalidone and acetazolamide. In the long term, more than 5 years, no preventive effect on the deterioration of the hearing loss could be detected. Both acetazolamide and chlorthalidone can be useful for diagnostic purposes by causing a fluctuation of hearing, as well as for the management of the vertigo attacks, but it is not useful for the long-term prevention of the hearing deterioration in Meniere's disease.

Q: Thank you so much Mr.Peat! You are the best! I appreciate you very much!
The acetazolamide sold in my country contains: Povidon, Glycerol, Microcrystalline cellulose, Sodium gluconate, Colloidal Silicon dioxide, Magnesium-stearate and Talc.
I think it has the worst possible ingredients I would say, would you say that the risk outweighs the benefits and I should focus on alternatives until I find a purer form of the drug?

RP: Yes, the bag breathing can make your skin noticeably pinker, and lower blood pressure. Calcium, vitamin D, thyroid, and progesterone are things that help capillaries.

That’s when the change is so extreme that adaptation doesn’t happen. When climbers on Mt. Everest were suffering such symptoms, and dementia, breathing CO2 corrected the problem.

Yes. There are many other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors available in pure form; coffee, vitamin B1, and a good ratio of calcium to phosphate can help.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Fri, Jun 11, 2021, 2:23 AM

Q: Hi Mr. Peat

You've said once:

"The only analysis of gelatin that I have seen showed very little fluoride. Since most of the fluoride in an animal is concentrated in the bones, and gelatin is made from skin, it probably doesn't contain much."

I am making my gelatin from ox tails and whole legs which includes the bones as well.

My question: Would you say this is a safe way of making gelatin since it can extract fluoride from the bones or is there a better way?

RP: The bone fluoride is very insoluble, so I don’t think there’s a problem. Long bones contain marrow, and prolonged cooking of that produces a lot of fat oxidation products. The tendons and ligaments around joints are the main source of gelatin, rather than the bone itself.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Jun 14, 2021, 12:02 AM

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

What is the mechanism behind INTENSE chest stiffness/pain and inflammation and also around the kidney region after waking up. It usually happens if during the day I ate milk and/or some heated/fried fats. It got worse after doxycycline use (Which somehow seems to push me into a fat oxidation state) but It started happening around the 25th-26th year of my life. I'm 31 now.

This study seems to confirm my experience:
Doxycycline Alters Metabolism and Proliferation of Human Cell Lines

"Here, we report that in human cell lines, commonly used concentrations of doxycycline change gene expression patterns and concomitantly shift metabolism towards a more glycolytic phenotype, evidenced by increased lactate secretion and reduced oxygen consumption. We also show that these concentrations are sufficient to slow proliferation.".

Thank you for everything, love from Serbia!

RP: Foods that cause stress can cause changes in energy metabolism similar to the doxycycline changes. What are your main foods? Have you checked your thyroid function?

Q: Hey Dr Peat

I don't want this to come out the wrong way but I've been eating pretty clean and the way you've talked about. Minced beef a few times a week, Oysters, Cheese, Mushroom and carrot salad (every day), occasional cooked kale, lot's of fruits, honey, OJ, Coca cola, occasional bread, organic wheat pasta, and milk.

My inflammation gets worse after milk and fried/heated fats and better after mostly fruits and/or baking soda before bedtime.

I have to mention that the doxy I've used was full of titanium dioxide and silica and other nasty stuff.
Could it be that those things somehow messed up with my sugar oxidation/oxidative metabolism or is it something else?

RP: When a person becomes sensitive to gluten, the inflammation from an occasional meal with bread or pasta can become very prolonged.

 

[GodsHound]

08/10/22

Q: Do you think there are any concerns with synthetic clothing?

Ray: Some of the new things with nano-silver for example are very toxic.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Email exchange lasted from Jun 16, 2021 - Jul 20

Q: Hi Dr. Peat

I am going to do some blood work and some other analyses. Could you recommend what is relevant to check for?
What Thyroid hormones should I look for and what are other useful things to look at as well?
Thanks for everything!

RP: TSH and vitamin D should be included along with standard blood chemistry.

Q: //I've sent him a long email of my blood work + my issues with hearing, other stuff etc...//

.. Thank you and forever grateful

RP: After a few weeks on the present fourth of a cynoplus you should notice an increase in your temperature and improvement of some symptoms. As your temperature rises, the TSH should get lower, and the albumin higher. Cholesterol might rise a little, which would be better. You are likely to need to increase the amount of cynoplus to get things normalized.

Q: Thank you so much Dr Peat
Would you say I need to increase cynoplus to half of a tablet or just add a bit of T3 (cynomel) to a 1/4 of cynoplus or should I experiment with both?
Much love

RP: After about two weeks the effects of cynoplus will be apparent, and you might want to try small amounts of T3 while watching for its effects.

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

I'm a bit confused about how to increase my thyroid dosage at the moment.
I'm on 1/4 of cynoplus for 15 days. I haven't experienced much greater temperatures (maybe afternoon rose just a fraction but it's not constant) and most of my problems still linger on.

You once said no more than 10mg of T3 per meal so maybe I can do 1/4 cynoplus + 1/8 of cynomel [ Which is 10.725mg of T3 ]
Or I can have two doses around the day. 1/4 cynoplus with Breakfast/Lunch and then 1/4 cynomel for dinner?
Or the easiest way would be to just increase my cynoplus to half a tablet [ Twice a day]?

What do you think?

Thank you for everything!

RP: Just increasing it to 1/4 tablet twice a day would be simplest. If you use Cynomel, it should be taken at a different time than the Cynoplus, since that contains T3 too.

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

Would you say that if your liver is not functioning properly then T4 [1/4 Cynoplus 2x a day] over time could give you some problems like slowing down the liver, bloating etc.

I've been experiencing some pain/tenderness and pain in my ileocecal valve - which tends to get really tender and painful during my Crohn's flare up.. And also it seems that I have some Inability to use [my already low] dietary fat as my skin becomes red and flaky and I break out in eczema after using them. [Similar as to when I was using Doxycycline]

I'm considering instead of using 1/4 of Cynoplus 2x a day to use 1/4 Cynoplus + 1/4 Cynomel maybe.

Or did you know anyone who used only T3 with no T4?

Thank you

Q: I'm so sorry to bother you again Dr Peat
Could you maybe explain some mechanism in which thyroid supplementation [Cynoplus 2x 1/4] would give me the same results as Doxycycline?
So, since increasing thyroid to 2x 1/4 cynoplus I had blood in my stool, pain in my ileocolic valve, eczema on my face and scalp, flaky skin, extreme hardening of the scalp. Almost the same effects as when using doxycycline.

I cannot make sense of it. I'm so stuck and confused. I thought this would help me and not harm me in any way.

Could it be that thyroid uses a lot of VIT D and since I'm already deficient in it [and not supplementing it for 1 month] it creates some environment of low VIT D?

Or do you have anything else in mind?

Please, any advice would be helpful to make sense of it.

Thank you so much

RP: Many people start with only T3 in small divided doses, and then gradually introduce some T4 when their liver is more active. Are you checking your temperature and pulse rate? T3 takes effect very quickly, so it’s important to watch closely for its effects.

RP: If your liver is very sluggish, an accumulation of T4 can have antithyroid effects, which could include eczema. Using T3 only can reverse that effect. It’s important to watch your temperature and pulse rate, to normalize your vitamin D, and to get enough calcium and magnesium.

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

I've been using only 2xT3 [Cynomel] for the previous 7 days and I had some improvements skin wise but I still have some blood in my stool and pain and discomfort in the gut [ileocolic valve and also on the opposite
side as well]. As you know I am a Crohn's sufferer but I was mostly without problems and bleeding for 2 years until now.

With the gut problems I also got this tingling sensation in the middle of my chest - making me cough - which I don't remember ever having. Also some pressure in my head and some headaches. General feeling of not being well [Except for only one day where I really felt "euphoric" and had a sense of "wellbeing".]

My ears are better in terms of not clogging and not feeling full at all but my hearing is mostly the same - maybe slightly improved because of no congestion.
My morning temperatures are between 35.9 - 36.4 degrees celsius. My morning pulses are between 74 - 78 and after breakfast or lunch my temperatures vary from 36.6 -37.1 and my pulse increases to 80-90 BPM.

But I'm bleeding somewhere in the intestine still after T3. Milk gives me more problems gut-wise and makes me have some bad stools but also makes me feel better overall [probably because of calcium]. I haven't supplemented VIT D still [Which was already low] but I will start from monday.

I reduced my cynomel to 1/8 a day to see if there is going to be any improvements but I'm still very much stuck. I've been using carrot salad and mushrooms pretty regularly and with no improvements.

So my ears are better but overall I'm worse. And tremendously confused.

Any further advice Dr. Peat?

RP: Years ago I had seriously bleeding colitis, and I found that a single oral dose of lidocaine of about 20 mg (in the form of 2% lidocaine gel) stopped the bleeding immediately, and it never returned. Much larger doses have been administered rectally, but it can also be used transdermally.

Q: Yeah I know about that. I've heard you say it many times and for the past 3 days I'm re-reading everything regarding lidocaine on a forum.

I've been applying it topically for months but I never took it orally because I have 5% lidocaine cream at my disposal.

Would you take 5% if that's what you've had at that moment?

RP: Covering more skin with the lotion will provide a good systemic dose.

Q: Thank you Dr. Peat. I always try to cover the whole stomach so I will try it again.

But wouldn't you say that the problem seems to be that I've somehow reactivated the entire system which gave me crohn's in the first place. It could be the bacteria or fungus or whatever. And I wouldn't say the bleeding is the main problem, it's what is causing the bleeding. And it all seemed to start after using the thyroid.

Do you see any correlation there?
Would the thyroid thin the blood and my damaged ileocecal valve had problems with that?
Would you say that the intestine [Which in my case was probably the lowest metabolic organ in my body] couldn't keep up with the increased metabolism and demands from the organism?
Was my liver in a very weak state and the increase of T4 put my liver in a state of shock and it released all of the bacteria and viruses etc back into the intestine?

I just can't seem to grasp the whole situation.

RP: Have you had blood tests for TSH and vitamin D? How much milk are you drinking? What other foods?

Q: Hi Dr Ray.

My results are:
Cholesterol -3.9 [3.4 - 5.2]
HDL - 0.80 LOW [1 - 1.90]
Blood calcium C - 2.10 [2,02 - 2.60[
Blood Phosphor P - 0.95 [0.87 - 1,62]
VITAMIN D3 - 20,80 LOW [30+]
Albumin - 31,20 LOW [35-52]

Calprotectin - 223,30 HIGH [< 50]
TSH - 3,93 [0,25 - 4,30]
PTH - 32,90 [4,60 - 58,11]
T3 - 1 LOW [1,08 - 3,08]
T4 - 65, 70 [51,60 - 141,90]

For the past 2 weeks I've been drinkin up to 1.5 - 2l of milk a day. Before that maybe 0,5 + some cheese.

Foods: Minced beef a few times a week, Oysters, Cheese, Mushroom and carrot salad (every day), occasional cooked kale, lot's of fruits [watermelon, melon, cooked apple, dates], honey, OJ, Coca cola, milk etc.

And Dr Peat you have most of the information in this email thread. We've exchanged 18 email regarding this topic and thyroid usage and my intestine problem. That is in case you need some extra information or you forgot how we came here. Most of the information is in this email thread.

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

Do you think that the cynoplus/cynomel contain some form of nanoparticles? I cannot seem to explain digestion problems and endotoxins symptoms I've experienced other than that. My problems started after increasing Cynoplus from 1/4 once a day to twice a day. You've said that I've maybe shocked the liver with too much T4 and after that I've used only T3 for 10 days. But after using only T3 I've had bloody stools and diarrhea as well. After reducing T3 to 1/8 a day I don't have blood in my stool but still have diarrhea every day. Bloating, skin issues. hardening of the scalp, eczema, lung issues, headaches - all point to endotoxin.

How could thyroid cause these symptoms? Nanoparticles? Should I try some natural thyroid?

RP: What are your foods? Do you use any nutritional supplements? Do you keep track of your temperatures and pulse rates?

Q: No supplements at this point. Only some 5% lidocaine creme which I use every other day. I've been following your food advices for over a year with no issues so it must have been the thyroid supplement,

Foods: Minced beef a few times a week, Oysters, Potatoes, 2-3 Eggs, Cheese, Mushroom and carrot salad (every day), occasional cooked kale, fruits [watermelon, melon, cooked apple, dates], honey, OJ, Coca cola, milk [1l-2l a day] etc.

My morning temperatures are between 35.9 - 36.4 degrees celsius. My morning pulses are between 74 - 78.
After breakfast or lunch my temperatures vary from 36.6 -37.1 and my pulse increases to 80-90 BPM.

RP: Are the mushrooms cooked? Melon, potatoes, apples, and dates are potential problems. What kind of cheese do you eat?

Q: //I sent him a long mail with no response//

Q: Hello Dr.Peat

Apparently these are the ingredients of Cynomel [And probably Cynoplus] tablets:

Corn Starch
Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate
Sugar glass
Talc
Stearate acid powder
Gelatin
Ethyl alcohol
Purified water

Would you say there is something in here which could make my already weakened intestine bleed and create inflammation?

Thank you.

RP: Using a vitamin D supplement dissolved in pure olive oil should reduce inflammation in your intestine; it’s possible that excipients in pills irritate the inflamed membranes. Tightening and hardening of the skin suggests that your parathyroid hormone might be very high, and normalizing your vitamin D might remedy that.

Q: Thank you Dr. Peat. The bottles of Thorne VIT D and very high quality olive oil are arriving on Wednesday. Can you maybe suggest some other way to supplement thyroid in the meantime? Maybe Georgi's product or some pure desiccated thyroid which you are familiar with?

RP: Talc can contain toxic impurities.

RP: There are products that contain vitamin D in only olive oil. The Thorne product contains some problematic materials. It can be used on the skin safely, but with only about 5% absorption. Armour thyroid, USP, is relatively safe; a pure powdered glandular product would be ideal, if one can be found.

Other Ingredients: Hypromellose Capsule, Leucine, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Vitamin E (d-Alpha-Tocopheryl)

Q: Hey Dr. Peat

Wow, thank you very much for that information you are helping me tremendously.
I'm going to order thyroid from Lifegivingstore.com. I hope that you are familiar with them and that their product is reliable.

As far as Thorne VIT D I'm a bit confused. There are several brands of VIT D from thorne and you are probably referring to the capsule one [Vitamin D-5,000 - NSF Certified for Sport: Get the vitamin that supports healthy teeth, bones, and muscles, as well as cardiovascular and immune function*] which contains all the ingredients you've mentioned.

But I'm getting the liquid one [Vitamin D Liquid: Good health starts with vitamin D, which supports healthy bones and muscles, cardiovascular health, and immune function*] and they've stated "It comes in a base of medium chain triglyceride oil without soy oil or sesame oil, and it is preserved with mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin E)" and as far as I can tell those are the only other ingredients.
What do you think?

I sincerely hope that you think more highly of this specific product since I ordered a few and I was planning to use it orally with some HQ olive oil.
At least until I find an even more quality brand of VIT D3.

Love and gratitude Dr. Peat!


RP: Some people react very badly to MCT taken orally; it can promote the development of food allergies.

Q: Thank you Dr.Peat

So you would still advise to take this one topically until I find the purer version.
It would extremely help If you could suggest one for me. I know you probably don't want to endorse anyone or something like that but It would be of great help.
High quality VIT D3 with good bioavailability would probably really improve my condition.

Love,

RP: There are several brands in pure olive oil only, but they vary a lot in price; I think this one is fairly priced:

Amazon product ASIN B00E028SD0View: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Vitamin-Softgels-Bottles/dp/B00E028SD0


Q: You are just the best!

Thank you so much!

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Wed, Jul 21, 2021, 7:08 PM

Q: Hello Dr.Peat

Is there any mechanism through which dietary calcium [from milk] would go into soft tissues?

It seems that when there is some systemic or intestinal inflammation in my body I become very stiff when drinking milk.

I always had some chest pain and stiffness but now I have that pressure/stiffness on the back of my head and neck. It seems to increase when I try to breathe deeply, maybe suggesting that I cannot get enough oxygen to my brain through these blood vessels?

RP: Inflammation in the intestine can cause body pains and stiffness by increasing circulating endotoxin and serotonin and histamine. Dietary calcium and vitamin D lower parathyroid hormone, and elevated parathyroid hormone is the main factor causing calcification of soft tissues.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Sat, Jul 31, 2021, 2:26 AM

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

You've said that old studies with oxidized cholesterol were the cause for everyone to think that cholesterol causes heart disease, atherosclerosis and all of these fibrotic conditions.

So my question is since I usually have problems with "heated fats" would that mean that the heat will make the cholesterol oxidize and therefore lead to my "fibrotic-like" problems?

Much love

RP: Those effects take years to progress.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Sat, Jul 31, 2021, 12:47 AM

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

If I do certain things to increase my CO2 [bag breathing, slow breathing, holding my breath] while living at low altitude, how long will that CO2 be retained in my blood and tissues before I need to do the exercises again?

Much love

RP: Even if higher CO2 is continuous, it keeps changing things for months; studies after months in a submarine with high CO2 showed that their bones were still assimilating it.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Sun, Aug 1, 2021, 2:35 AM

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

What do you think about Lactulose usage as the laxative?

Do you think It's safe?

RP: I think it’s safe unless it causes too much gas.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Sun, Aug 1, 2021, 12:02 AM

Q: Hi Dr. Peat

1. What are the things that "break down" hardened collagen in our bodies?
2. And what would you think it's preferable? Pure high quality glycine supplement or gelatine made from factory farmed animals?

Much love

RP: I think gelatin is preferable. Things that reduce stress (and so increase the ratio of progesterone to estrogen) help to reverse the aged state of collagen.

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Aug 2, 2021, 1:26 AM

//I thought about not sharing this personal story but who gives a f//

Q: Hi Dr Peat

This might sound funny but is there any way that we can "uncondition" ourselves. It seems like we can only add more conditioning/knowledge.

I've had some "traumatic" experiences when I was a kid which keeps repeating in my nervous system over and over again. I pooped my pants in kindergarten and It left me ashamed and now most of the time I have fear of pooping my pants. For example when there are no bathrooms around.
The funny thing is - that I can really make myself need to go to the bathroom in a matter of seconds when I'm in this fearful/anxious state. All the muscles and "energy" in the intestine start "pushing down" and all hell break loose. There is no way I can stop it.

I've noticed some improvements [the stress not being that intense] when following your principles of health which could indicate that high serotonin rewired my nervous system in some way?

RP: Have you tried cyproheptadine in very small doses to reduce the serotonin effects?

 

[UG Krishnamurti]

​	Aug 3, 2021, 2:33 AM

Q: Hello Dr. Peat

I've listened to the recent podcast on fibrosis with Danny and Georgi and It all finally makes sense. All of my symptoms and problems with chest and intestine stiffness. Sometimes I even feel like my intestines are made of stone. And it is usually after some big inflammation [like the recent one where I bled out my intestine due to cynomel and cynoplus inpuritues].

All pointing to my constant gut inflammation and crohn's disease leading to the accumulation of calcium which all leads to fibrosis and calcification.

The only thing that ever radically helped me [ and this was before I found you ] was basically a fruitarian diet.

So. you've said: "But if the cells are de-energized then calcium starts to accumulate too much and then i guess under the influence of parathyroid hormone starts to become part of the fibrotic tissue is that correct?"

So my questions are:
1. Would that mechanism translate to a high calprotectin in the feces?

2. Would you say cutting off calcium while you are in an inflamed and de-energized state, beneficial? I always found that milk for example would make me more and more stiff and painful after some inflammatory state took place - indicating that the calcium is becoming a part of the fibrotic tissue?

3. Also, heated fats would do the same things as milk. I've removed heating any fat and just boiling some eggs and seafood, eating a bit of parmigiano reggiano cheese and that made me feel 60% better in a matter of 2-3 days. Would that indicate that the oxidized cholesterol also plays a role in fibrosis and calcification?

So sorry for the long email

Much love to you Dr. Peat

RP: High parathyroid hormone and high iron intake, with low vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium and magnesium in the diet, and hyperventilation are things that contribute to abnormal calcificaiton.