Oxygen


Overview

Oxygen (chemical symbol 02) is an important element within the body. Many of the body's processes require 02 to live, and in a sense, one can think of it as a nutrient. When it is reduced, the processes that consume it are reduced.

FMS and Oxygen
When muscles don't get enough oxygen, they become sore, therefore, reduced oxygen is another cause of soft tissue pain (FMS).

CFS and Oxygen
Most ATP energy is synthesized in the Electron Transport Chain (a biochemical process, abbreviated ETC), and this consumes oxygen; therefore, less oxygen leads to less energy leads to more fatigue. The ETC burns oxygen like your car engine burns air. The gas for this engine is carbohydrates and the spark to light the fire are cytochromes. The result is ATP energy, like the energy that enables you to accelerate up a big hill at 70mph while on the interstate in 100F heat, with a full load of kids in the back seat.

Oxygen is transported to the various processes within the body by the circulatory system. The blood vessels are like a network of roads in a city, where the blood cells are the cars that transport gear from one part of the city to the other. Oxygen, more specifically, is held within a part of the blood called "heme". If the heme's ability to hold oxygen is reduced, the O2 supply to the rest of the body will diminish. Also, if the blood thickens a little (coagulates), less blood will flow to the tissues, and hence they will receive less O2. Coagulation can be accidentally induced by the part of the immune system that tells blood to coagulate when there is a cut in one's skin. If this area of one's immune system becomes impaired, life can get a little wacky.


Things That Reduce The Supply Of Oxygen

Below are several pathologies that can inhibit Oxygen:

1) Bacteria can induce coagulation, and subsequently reduce the O2 supply. For example, the Streptococcus Viridian's bacteria creates toxins when it ferments, and these toxins induce blood coagulation. Streptococcus can live under teeth (i.e. in the jaw tooth sockets), in the small intestine, in the joints and in bone (Osteomyelitis). To check for bacteria, one can take a sample of fluid infected with the bacteria and do a culture to see if bacteria grow. Also, if one wants to look for toxins produced by the bacteria themselves (e.g. the toxin that will coagulate blood), they can do so with tests from http://altcorp.com/. The altcorp tests enable one to help identify more specifically what is causing the blood to coagulate.

2) Vitamin E Deficiency

3) Omega 3 Oil Deficiency

4) Heavy metals can encourage the blood to coagulate and therefore reduce the transport of oxygen, as noted in REFERENCE #19. Did you test positive for heavy metals?

5) Sulfur and Nitrogen based toxins can inhibit heme's ability to transport oxygen throughout the body. These can originate from food additives or from fermentation in the small intesting by bad bacteria and fungi.

How to Reduce Blood Coagulation
The safest way to reduce coagulation is to take vitamin E, omega 3 oils, and aspirin. The herbal Ginkgo can also be helpful. The Rx meds Warfarin (cumadin) and Heparin are also extremely affective. If you take these Rx meds long term, you risk Cholestasis or internal bleeding, especially if the doses are high or you are weak internally. These drugs are potent. Cholestasis is when bile ducts are blocked and bile accumulates in the liver subsequently impairing or damaging it. If Cholestasis occurs, one can take Actigall (ursodeoxycholic acid) and possibly SAMe (the Italians use SAMe for Cholestasis). If your blood is coagulating to a point of causing symptoms, it is recommended that you try to track down why it is coagulating, as opposed to long term use of potent anticoagulant Rx meds. For example, if heavy metals are causing the blood to thicken, as noted in REFERENCE #19, one should detoxify the existing metals from the body and stop the flow of new metal into the body.

The Leader in Coagulation Research And Testing
The leader in coagulation research and testing as it relates to FMS/CFS is this fellow David Berg, who is the director of http://www.hemex.com/frameset.html, which specializes in services relating to the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of hematologic, clotting and/or bleeding disorders.


How To Test For Blood Coagulation induced Problems

To see if increased blood coagulation is causing oxygen deprivation based symptoms, take a blood decoagulant such as Warfarin or Halperin for 5 to 14days and see if symptoms abate significantly. Even if you don't want to be on this kind of Rx drug over a long period of time, it is recommended that you take it for 1 to 2wks to learn about how coagulation is affecting your body, then discontinue use, and look for a cause of coagulation if you tested positive.


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