Nitric Oxide

[yogini]

I must admit I haven't kept up to speed on the POTS theories floating around the forum. However, I think someone mentioned that a nitric oxide deficiency could be involved. I just saw this add on CNN.com for a nitric oxide supplement. Has anyone tried this type of product? Just thought I'd ask...

http://www.healthheadlines.com/article/content/fb_lgid=1956&fb_lpid=5814&fb_itid=9136188&pid=100&fb_itid2=8195&nid=27&aff_id=bridgeguypose_ii&sub_id=rad_srv_3

Edited February 8, 2012 by yogini

[issie]

Yes, I recently did a trial of l-arginine. If you take too much it will give you a horrible headache. It works like nitroglycerin and dilates your blood vessels. For someone who needs this - it works great. But, MOST POTS people need to constrict their blood vessels - so this would be the wrong thing for them. Even on a very small dose of only 250 mg. -I got headaches. Decided the benefits weren't worth it. It will however, give you energy and it does increase your oxygen levels.

Issie

[yogini]

Issie, sorry if this is a stupid question. Is l-arginine the same thing as nitric oxide?

[ramakentesh]

Its nitric oxide's precursor. the problem is there may be other chemicals interferring with NO levels so supplements may not work .

[issie]

Yeah, what Rama said. There may be other ways to increase NO but that is the most potent way from natural supplements. Some do well with it - but, for me it was too stimulating. Another way is to use olive leaf and I don't seem to have issues with that.

Issie

[sue1234]

A really simple way to see if NO would help you is to load up on foods known to naturally vasodilate(not sure if it's because they up NO). Garlic and especially beets. I used to eat beats a couple of times a week, but gave them up, as I didn't know if they were contributing to my whacky b/p changes.

[issie]

Another way is if B12 helps you - you probably have high NO - because it is a potent NO scavenger. It makes me sick - so therefore - probably I'm too low.

[KevInChester1]

Didn't want to start a new topic as I feel it may be more relevant here. I noticed that before/during/after thunderstorms many of us feel worse, the changes in barometric pressure/humidity etc. As 'lightning storms' help produce Nitric Oxide in the air, would any appreciable amount of it be inhaled due to it? (I'm doubtful, but could help explain why it bothers some but not others.

I've done some trials with Arginine myself, I can tolerate around 500-1,500mg but find that it eventually leads to making me feel as if I'm about to have an asthma attack, and also gives me slight chest pain. Bizarrely though it doesn't seem to give me headaches at all, well not directly, it seems to cause my sinuses to close up which then may or may not give me a headache.

[issie]

I've learned a little more since this thread was started. I had genetic testing done and despite my being low in NO - I can't use l-arginine. It makes me sick and feel worse. There is something in my methylation pathways that doesn't allow me to break down certain proteins properly and they turn into something else - rather then what they are intended (or should) turn into. I also found out that I tolerate the metyl form of B-12. But, not the more common one found in supplements. In fact, the more common one may cause my serum levels to be high - but, my cells haven't uptaken it properly for me to have the benefit I should with them. Once you get the pathways working better then everything (is supposed) to get better. I guess it takes time for that to happen. There are other ways to increase NO however. L-Arginine wasn't it for me. Not everyone has low NO ---most POTS people with more OI issues have too high levels. So, it takes a bit to discover which direction you need to go. NO is supposed to help with vasodilation. More people with POTS seem to need to vasoconstrict.

Issie

[RichGotsPots]

I don't think any researcher to-date has ever had any clinical evidence of NO deficiency. My theory which I stated last year and which has evolved over the past year is that we have NO dysfuction, stemming from Endothelium tissue damage. We have 4 tissue layers in our body Muscle, Nerve, Connective and Endothelium. Endothelium tissue regulate NO and there are much more neurotransmitters involved in activating the endo release it as well...

Further I think the damage is not necessarily in every organ for all of us. Depending on were the main damage is, that's how our main symptoms manifest. This also can mean there is too much NO in one are and not enough, basically our NO is off balance in certain organs..

There dose seem to be more people who would have too high NO overall than have too little, but it depends on a lot of things.

Well it's complex and if I were supplement, it might help one area but bother the rest of the body that's normal or high... For example people with pulmonary hypertension maybe have normal BP but only in their lungs they have high BP. So if you gave them supplements if would bring down their normal systemic BP too low. So with Pulmonary hypertension they pipe pure NO directly to patients lungs all day long. No has a very short half life...