Posted by bleauberry on October 31, 2009, at 9:30:34
In reply to Re: Experiences with N-acetyl-cysteine?, posted by g_g_g_unit on October 31, 2009, at 0:10:52
Lacking in any detailed theories, there may be some generalized theories to consider.
The entire body, including the brain, is linked by the immune system, the hormone system, and probably hundreds of enzymes and such. What we know might be only a tiny fraction of what there is to know.
NAC is linked into many biochemical chains. It helps build the body's primary detox glutathione. I don't think it would be unrealistic to expect that most ill/stressed patients are also manifesting in overtaxed detox systems.
It is not uncommon to experience a healing crisis when a biochemical dysfunction begins repair. Old symptoms may get worse, new symptoms appear. On the other side, which may be days to months, is rejuvenation.
NAC is going to boost detox. Beginning to dislodge things like mercury, lead, plastics, chemicals, and pathogen debris is not likely to feel good. Maybe one of the reasons we feel like crap is because toxin buildup from a stressed system is stored in fat tissues, glands, and the nervous system. Beginning to flush those things out cannot help but be a good thing, but will feel bad at first. All the things your body did to adapt now have to begin to reverse-adapt. There is confusion. The amount of mobilized detox material may be more than what the body can handle so quickly. Some of it may be making its way all the way to excretion, while some of it may just get redeposited in another location. With all this confusing stuff going on, no doubt there could be bizarre symptoms of any imaginable kind.
Since NAC is intricately linked in various basic biochemical pathways in the body, I think the explanations for any adverse reactions or side effects are beyond what we could explain. My best guess is that as long as the doses are low or modest, the supplement is probably a good thing, and that any adverse reations are probably temporary manifestations of healing crisis...heavy metals being moved around, pathogenic microbes being killed, body-wide readaptations to a new environment.
Just my 2 cents.
On a similar note, while someone who buys a bottle of the common antioxidant Alpha Lipoic Acid and they begin with the suggested doses that are in the 100's of mgs, someone who has had documented elevated mercury or lead often find that a ridiculous 3mg can set off a horrendous healing crisis, as ALA is one of the few substances that can cross the brain barrier to grab heavy metals from inside the brain.
With NAC or any substance I think it is wise to ignore the suggested doses. Instead, go by instinct and go by what your own body is telling you. If NAC is causing adverse events, the dose needs to be lower. If it still causes adverse events, the dose needs to be even lower. Eventually a higher dose will probably be easily tolerable, after some healing has taken place.
Same thing with the ALA example. People who had a real hard time with 3mg ALA every 3 hours for chelation are usually taking 50mg-100mg every 3 hours a year later, and a lot of metals have been cleaned out by then. NAC is sort of, kind of, in that same vein.
poster:bleauberry
thread:923422
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091029/msgs/923619.html