Ceruloplasmin test #6

Less than 24 hours after I showed up at the lab to get stuck with a needle again, I have received the results.  This time, I opted for the ceruloplasmin only in order to save money.  The result was a score of 23.0, which is 92% of the low edge of “healthy.”  That’s short of the 23.8 that I was shooting for but I’ll take it.  It’s an increase of 1.9 units in 19 days or exactly 0.1 per day, which is on par with previous increases.  I had feared that the zinc and whole food C that I had been taking would interfere with the production of new ceruloplasmin but that was not the case.  Good news there.  My first test was a 17.9 back in July and as recently as early October, it was only 18.2.

I have little doubt that another 3 weeks of treatment with the Liver Beef would pull me up to the magic number of 25 but if you’ve been reading my training log, you know that’s not an option.  The fatigue is simply intolerable and towards the end, even the adrenal glandular did not provide much relief.  In my last attempt to run, I was honestly trying my best and could not better 31 minutes for 3 miles.  My personal record for that distance is 18:29, set during a 5K time trial in early September.

Okay, so if my copper numbers are getting better and better all around, why do I feel worse and worse?  This underscores my point that a complete picture is necessary to determine the status of one’s health.  Until I get good results in the Zn/Cu/Mag panel as well as the hair and neurotransmitter tests, symptoms will be present.  While one measure may be improving, others are getting worse and vice versa.  I expect to get the hair test results within 2 weeks, which should reveal the cause of the fatigue.  I can see 2 possibilities: 

1)      A flip to slow oxidation.  That’s my hope and something that I had thought of many times before but it has yet to happen.  Why might this time be different?  The copper, choline, zinc, and Vitamin A are designed to lower tissue Na and K.  Add to that my Cal/Mag combo, which also lowers Na and K and has also increased the fatigue in recent days.  In theory, simply modulating my adrenals with ADHS and staying off the liver will almost certainly re-build adrenal function and raise my Na and K to normal levels.  That is a path to ultimate victory.

2)      More toxic metals such as cadmium or mercury being released into my tissues.  If these toxins were stuck in my liver, which is no doubt stronger now, it is a good thing that they are out but it will take time for them to clear out of my tissues and the fast oxidation may actually look worse than usual on this test.  That’s fixable but a long and difficult process.

3)      The final question that needs to be answered is this:  I do believe that although it may take several months, I can get the Cp up to 25 by simply taking the liver pill once per week.  Will such a low dose produce symptoms?  What will happen to my ceruloplasmin if I stay off the liver over the long haul?  Can I maintain it in the mid-20s or will it fall back to the 18-range again?  If the latter is true, I’ll have to do the whole thing again with the liver pill.  That would SUCK!  Overall, I feel better about my prognosis.

2014 review

Not really looking forward to writing this post but here it is.
Last year's stats:
17-33 with a 2.47 GPA and 1,754 miles
This year's stats:
22-28 with a 2.60 GPA and 1,758 miles.
   It's an improvement but it's like an NFL team going from 4-12 to 5-11.  If this does not turn around within the next few months, I'll declare myself semi-retired.  I'll still run but only when I feel like it and my racing will be limited to low-key local events but this blog will continue for at least the next 3 months.

Highlights:
-set an unofficial PR for 5K in training with a 19:09 on a magical day in September.
-course PR at Peachtree in Atlanta (41:54). My 3rd time racing this course and this was my best time by more than 30 seconds.
-Picked up 2 more states in the 10K (Tennessee and Kentucky) and now have just 1 to go.
-Picked up 3 more states in the half marathon (Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma) plus my first international race in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  I have 4 states to go and am committed to finishing this goal in 2016 even if it is as a casual jogger.

January:
I was just a few days short of quitting at the end of last year when I was headed towards complete intolerance to my supplements before I learned of the Hulda Clark liver cleanse.  I opened the year with 2 impressive wins but injured my hip and was down for the better part of the next 3 weeks.

February:
Returned just in time to participate at Mercedes.  I opted for the 5K, where I took advantage of soft competition to score an age group award then ran a leg of the marathon relay.  The liver cleanse removed a lot of toxic copper from my liver but it leaked into my tissues and forced me to turn to an adrenal glandular temporarily.

March:
Began building some momentum when I was able to switch back to the Thym-Adren but became intolerant to copper and turned to molybdenum, which was successful for a short time.

April:
Traveled to Roanoke, Virginia for the Blue Ridge half marathon (America's Toughest road course).  Time was not important on such a course but my performance was decent and it was a good trip overall.

May:
I was hoping to build on my performance at Roanoke towards my goal race in Nova Scotia but it was not to be.  Again, it was good and enjoyable trip but my extreme sensitivity ruined my race and I limped in with a 1:43.  Shortly thereafter, the molybdenum stopped working and I was again intolerant to copper.

June:
Hair test revealed the the tissue copper had normalized but cadmium toxicity flared up.  Again, I was forced to take the adrenal glandular temporarily.

July:
Peachtree 10K in a CR.  Blood test showed normal copper but a very low ceruloplasmin and high unbound copper.  The rest of the year would be dedicated to solving that issue.

August-September:
Extreme sensitivity to Cal/Mag and had my worst race ever at the Franklin Classic 10K (49:30).  Adding taurine reduced my sensitivity to Cal/Mag and reduced my toxic copper but did little for my low ceruloplasmin.

October:
Tried a liver glandular supplement, which was initially helpful and allowed for perhaps my best race of the season.  I ran a 41:28 on a hilly course in Bowling Green Kentucky but soon after had to quit the liver pill.  The good news was that ceruloplasmin had begun to rise.

November:
First sub-95 half marathon since January '13 in Indianapolis and reached the 20 mark in states but it was a downer 3 weeks later in Tulsa (1:37).  Ceruloplasmin continued to rise but feel worse overall.

December:
Pretty much shut it down as my energy was shot for most of this month.  Perhaps with normal liver function, the adrenal balance will work smoothly and I will be able to maintain my ceruloplasmin level without liver pills.  I won't know where I stand as far as adrenal function for another few weeks. I am hoping for slow oxidation, NOT toxic metals.

Tentative 2015 racing schedule:
February 28- Phoenix half marathon (state #22)
March/April- A Kentucky half.  Depending on family obligations, it will be in either Lexington in March or Louisville in April. (state #23)
October- Greenville, South Carolina half (state #24)
November- Texarkana 10K, which will be my 10th and last 10K state.

I want State #25 to be special so I'll save it for 2016.  It will be in Anchorage, Alaska, which is somewhere that I would go regardless of my running status.

Training 12/22-12/31

I have little to gain at the point with a win in the final week so I'm sticking with the liver pill in an effort to normalize my ceruloplasmin.  Garbage paced runs will probably be all that I will be able to do but I should have enough strength to beat last year's mileage total.  I need 22 to tie and 23 to beat it.

  The test will be done on the morning of 12/31.  A score of 25 or higher may be too much to ask 3 weeks after a 21.1 but I do think a 23.8 or better (within the 5% error) is likely given how aggressive I have been.  After that point, it my sincere and realistic hope that I will be done with the liver pills forever and I can maintain the Cp at or near the edge of the healthy range.  If not, I could live with simply taking it once per week for maintenance.  As for the adrenals, I won't know for sure until I get the hair test results back, which may not be until the middle of next month.  I will NOT BE AT ALL WORRIED IF THEY ARE TANKED.  I am a natural fast oxidizer and I KNOW that I can restore that simply by staying off the liver pills with their copper, Vitamin A and choline.  I'll just take a modulator plus magnesium for maintenance.  I will declare victory given that scenario.  If I am still a fast oxidizer and there is another reason for my current symptoms such as toxic metals, I'm in BIG trouble and I will probably retire if it doesn't turn around soon.

12/22- AM.  1 mile in 9:30 but learned quite a bit.  First half mile without the Endodren was a 5:04 then improved to a 4:26 after popping 1 pill.  If I remain on the liver without adrenal support, I CANNOT break 10 minutes for 1 mile.  With adrenal support, I will be somewhat better.

PM- Gold's 5 mile in 48:53 (9:47 pace).  Strangely, I am really NOT too depressed lately even though my running is arguably the worst it's ever been the last 2 weeks.  No doubt that the increased ceruloplasmin has radically altered my chemistry.  Only 8 more days on the liver pill and improvement should be strong and steady thereafter.  Need to knock out 17 more miles this year.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/23- AM 2 miles in 16:42 (8:21 pace).  Continued improvement with adrenal support.  I'll go backwards from here after I take the liver for the day.  15 miles to go.  I should get it done in 3 sessions.

PM- Laughably bad again.  Did not even take a liver pill but did take Mag, which also slows the adrenals and took no more adrenal glandular.  Gold's 5 in 49:40 (9:56 pace) and had to rally in the last mile just to stay under 10.  I need only 9 miles to tie last year and 10 to beat it.  3 more sessions ought to do it then I will shut it down.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=7.0

12/24- Planned rest day.  I've accepted that I will not see any improvement until I get off the liver.

12/25- Planned rest day.  Only 5 days to go.

12/26- 3 miles untimed at garbage pace but I am 3 miles closer to the goal.  Need 6 to tie and I hope to put a cap on this year over the weekend.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/27- AM-3 miles in 31:27 (10:29 pace).  3 more garbage miles to go.  I will continue to get worse on the liver.  Only 3 more days to go.

PM- Got through another 3 miles and this time I did not even take my watch.  I have just tied my mileage total from last year and will break it on the 31st.  I cannot hold on any longer with the liver pill.  I have got to quit taking it on Monday instead of Wednesday so I can end the year on the upswing.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/28- Planned rest day.  Test is tomorrow.  No matter what the result, I'm not taking the liver pill more than once per week. I will take my last liver pill as soon as I wake up in the morning.

12/29- Planned rest day.  Took the last liver pill this morning and I cannot stand it another day.  I may get the test results on the 31st.  It doesn't even feel like living today, just existing.  I expect to be marginally better tomorrow.

12/30- AM First day off the liver.  Did not expect or even want a sudden overnight turnaround.  Rather, I want to see a slow and steady climb out of this hole.  That said, I do feel better than expected this morning and though it is a planned rest day, I may run a couple easy after work.

PM- 3 miles at Gold's and my time is down to 25:53 (8:38 pace).  I'll take it.  Slow and steady.  I'm hoping for a sub-8 Mile tomorrow morning.  I have passed my mileage total from last year.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/31- Closed out the year with a HARD mile in 7:06.5.  Splits were 2:21-2:25-2:20.  This might sound strange but I am actually concerned that my progress has been too quick.  The last thing I want is to be sub-6 tomorrow then over 9 again by the end of the week.  Glad this year is over!
Grade;D+/1 credit/distance=1.0

Weekly summary:
It's over.
Distance=26.0/ GPA= 5.6/5= 1.12
Final stats:
22 wins, 28 losses.  GPA= 2.60.  1,758 miles.

Training 12/15-12/21 (possible race)

I'm hoping for a win this week just for pride and I do think I have a decent chance at it.  If I do race, it will be a local 5K and a fairly low-key deal.
New theory about the zinc/copper sensitivity:
It could be the cadmium toxicity, which may be reduced by selenium.  I am very interested to see the results of the hair test.  Cadmium was high on my last test and there is a chance that it may be preventing me from tolerating the Thym-Adren.  We'll see if it came down.  The only change on Monday will be the adjustment to zinc/copper ratio.

12/15- Went with the 10:1 zinc/copper ratio and it was an improvement.  1 mile quickie in 6:30 at moderate effort.  I know that the 10:1 will help and the selenium probably won't have any effect.

PM- SICK.  Awful sore throat.  Don't feel like doing anything but sleeping.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.0

12/16- Unplanned rest day.  Still too weak to run.  The sore throat and chills have diminished but the malaise is still there and the congestion is setting in.  I think it's viral and the only thing I can do is let it run its course.  I blame the low zinc, which has weakened my immune system.

12/17- Garbage 2 miler at Gold's in 19:56 (9:58 pace) plus a cool.  Even with a mild viral infection, I should be better than this.  I believe it must be the excess liver and will cut it from 2:3 down to 1:1.5.  I'm going to lose my 5th in a row.  Got some whole food Vitamin C in an attempt to reduce the sensitivity.  I don't think I hurt myself by running today and my year end stats will look a tad better as a result.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/18 AM-  HARD 2 miler in 16:52 (8:26 pace).  Improved by 3:04 literally overnight by cutting the liver from 3 pills down to 1.5.  Did the first half mile without zinc in 4:21 (8:42 pace) then proceeded to run the next 1.5 in 12:31 (8:21 pace) so there was not a radical difference and I credit the whole food C.  More thoughts to come later.

PM- 3 miles in 23:28 (7:49 pace).  This is a statistically significant improvement in pace over double the distance.  What made the difference?  It was the adrenal glandular (stimulant).  It made me feel jittery and angry at work today but I calmed down in time for the workout.  What to make of this?
Jury is still out but there is a chance that the new whole food C will reduce the zinc/copper sensitivity.  That would be excellent news.  Why did the adrenal glandular help?  Of course, the dream is that I am a slow oxidizer now but it could very well be more toxic metals.  I won't know until I get the hair test results.  I'm predicting a mixed pattern with slow thyroid and mild fast adrenals.
Grade:C/2 credit/distance=5.5

12/19- Gold's 4 in 30:57 (7:44 pace).  Even pace (15:26-15:31) but a very mediocre performance overall and only marginally better than yesterday.  Formula was the same with the exception of ADHS(modulator) instead of the adrenal glandular.  Tomorrow, I'm going to run before I take the liver pill.  Within 33 miles of matching last year's total.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.5

12/20- AM.  FAILURE!  1 mile in 10:00.  I believe that Calcium was the culprit.  I can't wait until the end of the year when I can quit the liver pill.  I believe my tissue potassium has tanked.

PM- Garbage 2 miler on the 'mill and my time is down to 18:44 (9:22 pace).  30 miles to go.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/21- AM- Easy 6 at a pace over 10:00.
PM- Tacked on 2 more also at garbage pace.  22 to go.
Grade:E/2 credit/distance=8.0

Weekly summary:
I'm sticking with the liver pill even though it is likely tanking my adrenals in hopes that I will no longer have to take it in 2015.
Distance=25.0/ GPA= 1.00
YTD: 1,732 miles.  Record: 22-27 with a 2.62 GPA

Zinc/copper panel test #5

This test underscores the importance of regular testing.  It cost me $139 but it was worth every penny and MAYBE some day soon, I won't need to test so often.  The plan of alternating Thym-Adren with the liver pill will NOT work long-term.  Here are the raw numbers:

Ceruloplasmin- 21.1 (PR).  1st time I've posted a score above 20.

Copper-74

Zinc-68

Bound copper- 63.3 (21.1*3)

Unbound copper-10.7 (74-63.3)

Unbound Cu percentage- 10.7/74= 14%

Zinc/copper ratio= 68/74= 0.92

Ceruloplasmin-  This is a rise of 1.2 points in the last 5 weeks although I had only taken the liver pill for less than 2 of those weeks.  I said that I would be pleased with anything north of 20 and I got it.  As recently as late September, it was only an 18.2 so it's up by 2.9 points even though during that time, I took the liver pill for a grand total of less than 4 weeks.  That is still sub-optimal however.  It needs to be at least 25.  This is especially important as I clear the unbound copper.  Even if all of the unbound copper is gone, the total can drop no lower than 75 and if it drops to 5 units, my total copper will be at 80, which is the low end of the healthy range.

Total copper- This was a big surprise.  Total copper fell from 85 units (healthy) to 74, which is low which means that while bound copper rose by 3.6 units, unbound copper dropped by a staggering 14.7 units.  What to make of it?  I credit the glutathione, which is a much stronger detoxifier than taurine and too strong to be taken without the liver pill.  The optimal range of unbound copper is 5-15 units or 5-20% so as of today, I AM NO LONGER COPPER TOXIC!!  Still, I remain 6 units below the optimal.  As posted above, all I need to do is get the ceruloplasmin up and I've got it.

Zinc-  This is the source of the recent suckage and a reason to vent not just about my situation but the millions of people who are within the lab's reference range but feel terrible.  The reference range is 56-134 but the optimal range is 90-120.  I am 22 units below it.  I believe the liver pill, which has been great for building ceruloplasmin, has depleted my system of zinc.  I was 113 as recently as September 30 of this year and have lost a mind-boggling 45 units in just 9 weeks. No wonder I've been strugg-a-ling so much!   Now on to the rant:

A patient could come back with lab values of 60 in zinc and 140 in copper with a ceruloplasmin of 20 and be told that they are normal.  That would mean that 80/140 units are unbound (15+ is toxic) and a zinc/copper ratio of 0.43 (healthy is 1.0-1.3).  That's right, it's possible for a patient to be "normal" with a ratio less than half of ideal. Mine is 0.92, which is low but not terrible.  It's better for both zinc and copper to be low than have one healthy and one deficient.  Consider the following analogy:

A healthy weight for a 6 ft tall man is about 160-180 pounds.  Does that mean that a 350 pounder is "normal"? Why not?  He's less than twice the upper end of the optimal range. The "reference range" for height and weight would probably be 5 ft. 4"- 6 ft. 6" with a weight "reference range" of 120-320 lbs.  Can you imagine telling a man who is 5 ft. 4" and 320 lbs or someone else who is 6 ft. 6" and 120 lbs that they are "normal" in terms of body composition?  People with severe chemical imbalances are just as sick on the inside as an obese or anorexic person appears on the outside but often look healthy.  I hear it all the time.  "You have such a nice build. OR You look fast.  I'd never believe that you were sick."  That's why I call an MD a "mineral denialist."

Plan:

Thym-Adren-  This will raise my zinc and take care of any deficiency that I have and do so quickly but especially if I remain on the taurine, the copper will continue to fall and ceruloplasmin will remain flat.  In other words, I'll always be copper deficient.  Not so good.

Liver Beef- Will raise both my copper and ceruloplasmin but exacerbate the zinc deficiency to extreme levels.

In other words, my system will reject the Thym-Adren because of copper issues and reject the Liver Beef because of zinc issues.  No win situation right?  Wrong.   I'm going with 15 mg of zinc in addition to my liver glandular.  MAYBE that will solve it.  Again, ceruloplasmin will rise almost a full unit per week on the liver.  Within 5 weeks, it ought to be very close to the magic number of 25 units.  From there, all I have to do is maintain.

I've ordered a hair test but may not know the results until after the end of the year.  I'm not worried about my adrenals going haywire without the Thym-Adren.  The liver pill contains Vitamin A, copper and choline, which are all good for fast oxidizers.  There's got to be a reason why my system rejected Thym-Adren + liver this time around but did not last round.  COULD IT BE THAT MY ADRENALS ARE NORMALIZING?  I'll know soon enough.  I'm not getting my hopes up too high but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel.  These past 2 years have been horrible overall and have sucked too!

Training 12/8-12/14 (possible race)

12/8 AM- 2 mile quickie in 15:40 with a steady 7:50 pace.  I'm not complaining about another improvement of more than 1:00/mile literally overnight.  Went with no Thym-Adren and just 1 liver pill with glutathione.  I did take 1 serving of Cal/Mag.  I expect to run 3-4 this evening at a similar pace, maybe slightly faster.

PM- Easy 4 in 30:49 (7:42 pace).  Double the distance from this morning at a slightly faster pace but I still don't feel good about this one.  It should have been better considering that I've been off Thym-Adren for 36 hours.  I may have to up my liver dosage, which would be fine with me.  I KNOW that my ceruloplasmin will rise as a result of that.  Speaking of which, the testing will be done tomorrow and I will get the results by the end of the week.  Cp had BETTER be on the north side of 20 especially since I've been on the liver for 5 days.  I really don't care if my unbound copper is high.  I know I can bring that down.  I will try again to quit sugar tomorrow.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/9- Unplanned rest day.  Took a 2nd liver pill and began feeling better then got greedy and took a 3rd, which was a disaster.  Did not even attempt a workout.  I was sugar free today and got tested.  I really do enjoy getting stuck with a needle but if the Cp is close to 25, I may not need to do it much longer.

12/10- VERY POOR!  3 miles in 25:21 (8:27 pace) and needed to rally at the end for a sub-8:30 overall.  Faded badly at the end too.  Splits were 12:20-13:01.  Cut the liver pills from 3 to 2 and it wasn't enough.  That does it.  I'm going back to the Thym-Adren no matter what the lab results.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/11- AM Back on the Thym-Adren and improved significantly.  2 miles in 14:56 (7:28 pace) with splits of 7:32-7:24.  Anxiously awaiting the lab results.

PM- Lakeshore 5 in 38:32 (7:42 pace).  Not half bad for a standard issue run.  Strong negative split too.  1st half : 19:27, 2nd half: 19:05.  Took some zinc and ate a high copper protein bar.  The results are in:
Ceruloplasmin 21.1 (+1.2) but still sub-optimal
Copper- 74 (-11) low
Zinc-68 (low)
More to come in a separate post.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

12/12- 1st day on new formula (zinc+ liver).  1 liver pill was not enough and I knew it before the workout.  Felt a lot better on 2 liver so that means that my Cp could rise even faster than I predicted.  Workout was a 3 mile tempo at Golds in a time of 19:55 (6:38 pace).  That time would be acceptable in a 5K but not a 3 mile.  This is equivalent to about 20:40 for a full 5K and a "C" grade in a race setting but it was probably my best showing overall since Tulsa.  Added a glacial cool down.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.0

12/13- Just wanted a non-horrible MLR and I got it today.  Run with the slow gnomes, who are not arrogant and are a friendlier group but often talk about things I don't care about.  Did the Trak Shak 8 plus the Dexter loop for a total of 10 miles in a time of 78:45 (7:52 pace).  First double digit run since Tulsa and I've hit 30 on the week for the first time in a while.  I was hoping to do a little better today but I'll take it.  I got slightly worse after taking a morning Cal/Mag.  Hmm.  I believe it's the Cal, not the Mag that is the issue.  Maybe a 500/750 combo, which suggests that my tissue potassium may be normalizing.
Grade:C+/2 credit/distance=10.0

12/14- Gold's 5 in a solid time of 36:50 (7:22 pace).  Better but I still feel "off."  The only difference in the formula was cutting the Cal from 750 to 500.  The zinc/copper balance is still not right.  15 mg zinc with 1 liver pill favors zinc too much.  Adding a 2nd liver pill seems to favor copper too much.  Tomorrow, I'm going with 30 mg zinc and 3 liver pills, which is roughly a 10:1 ratio.  Again, it is RIDICULOUS that 1 pill makes that much difference.  I'm not aware of anything for sensitivity to zinc/copper but the Cal/Mag is still okay.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
I've clinched another losing season.  Bring on 2015.
Distance=35.0/ GPA= 19.3/8= 2.41
YTD= 1,707 miles.  Record: 22-26 with a 2.66

Zinc and copper sensitivity

As of now, it appears that I will have to rotate 3 key treatments:

1)      Thym-Adren (20:1 Zn/Cu ratio)

2)      ADHS (10:1 Zn/Cu ratio)

3)      Liver glandular (unknown ratio but favors copper)

Here’s how the cycle goes:

Start out on Thym-Adren, which does have a small amount of defatted liver tissue and may support a slight rise in ceruloplasmin.  Unbound copper and total copper will fall especially if I take taurine.  I posted earlier that a Cp value around 20 is acceptable but I no longer believe that.  A Cp value of 20 means that only 60 units of copper are bound (20*3) so as the unbound copper falls, the total copper will slip below the healthy range (80-100).  Indeed I have had symptoms of deficiency when my total copper falls under 80.  Ideally, Cp should be no less than 25 (75 units of bound copper) and Thym-Adren won’t get me there.

I made a critical error in supposing that I could skip the ADHS and go directly to the liver glandular. By the time I realized it, I was already on the road with the key pill back home and endured a whole week of feeble attempts to run.  Apparently, my Zn/Cu ratio must be very high (at least above 1.3) before my system can accept the liver glandular.  It’s too bad that I need the ADHS because I don’t see its purpose.  It’s less effective in fighting fast oxidation; it slows the process but does not prevent excess Zn/Cu.  Lastly, its effect on ceruloplasmin is neutral at best as it contains no glandular material.  However, it will allow me to function at a high level for a couple weeks before I can tolerate the liver glandular.

Things get even more complicated when it comes to the liver glandular.  Taurine is not strong enough.  I need glutathione to tolerate it but cannot tolerate glutathione when I am off the liver glandular.  Also, I need low dose Thym-Adren, not ADHS when on it.  The end result is that it will raise both the bound and unbound copper very quickly and within 2 weeks, I’ll be forced back on the Thym-Adren and the cycle repeats itself.

Note:  I absolutely CANNOT take zinc or copper alone to balance the ratio! 

Possible solution:

This extreme sensitivity to zinc and copper is ridiculous.  Taurine has been great for Cal/Mag issues but has done little for the zinc/copper.  The only other option that I can think of is another sulfur containing amino acid called cysteine, which is recommended by Dr. Wilson.  Vitamin C worked well before the detox because my copper had been too high.  It is no longer good for me because it lowers both bound and unbound copper thus contributing to my deficiency.    I know that glutathione and taurine cannot be taken together.  What about taurine and cysteine?  I won’t know until I try.  Will cysteine allow me to take Thym-Adren again?  For the LAST time, I must be extra disciplined in avoiding sugars.  I tend to cheat on my bad days figuring that since I’m already messed up, it doesn’t matter.  That’s wrong and needs to stop.

 UPDATE:  Immediate negative reaction to cysteine.  It's got to be taurine and the above rotation.

 

Prognosis:

I intend on getting tested again in about 2 weeks or just about when I go back to the liver glandular.  My ceruloplasmin was 19.9 on my last test.  If it’s on the plus side of 20 next time around or even in the high 19s, I still believe I have a chance because I know that 2 weeks on the liver glandular will pull it up to the 21s.   If it drops back to the 18 range, I’m afraid I’m doomed and 20 is as high as it can go.  I’ve not had a hair test in 5 months and plan to send that in before the end of the year as well.  My last hair test looked horrible because I was eliminating cadmium.  It should look better now.  How much?  I don’t know.

Training 12/1-12/7

12/1- AM.  2 miles in 15:40 (7:50 pace) with splits of 7:48-7:52.  Went with all ADHS.  Improving.

PM- Gold's 4 in 30:52 (7:43 pace) with perfect splits of 15:26 each.  That's still weak but I get a decent grade because of the massive improvement over yesterday.  Took some cysteine and got an immediate negative reaction so that's a NO.  Also, it did NOT help me tolerate Thym-Adren.  That stuff is poison until I take the liver pills.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/2- Planned rest day.  I feel rotten today but that's to be expected.  I had to try the cysteine and it didn't work.  It should clear by tomorrow morning.

PM- 2 mile junk run on Wisteria and it sucked but I am 2 miles closer to 1,800 on the year.  No more freebies.
Grade:None/0 credit/distance=2.0

12/3- Gold's 4 in 29:21 (7:20 pace).  Fastest pace in more than 2 weeks.  Continued improvement.  I'm going with the ADHS until it stops working (which it will) but at the first sign of trouble, I'm switching to the liver glandular.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0

12/4- Sudden shift!  Felt terrible all morning and I knew that I needed to switch to the liver glandular.  Did an easy 5 on Lakeshore and finished in 39:17 (7:51 pace).  Rather pedestrian overall but it was a nice progression from an 8:08 down to a 7:32.  I'm actually fairly upbeat about this development.  There will be sudden shifts and if it happens on race day, it's just bad luck.  I hope I can take pre-emptive action to prevent a disaster on a goal race.  The ADHS serves no real purpose except to keep me afloat until I can tolerate the liver pill.  Now, I know that my ceruloplasmin will rise.  I'll get tested next week.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/5- Weak tempo.  3 miles in 20:30 (6:50 pace) plus a warm and cool. Even pace (10:16-10:14).  It was good to see a sub-7 pace again.  It may take a couple days to reach equilibrium on the liver pill but that's okay.  Grading is still lenient but I need a good weekend and cannot afford to lose again.  In a hollow victory, I have clinched a 2.50 GPA on the year, which is better than last year.
Grade:C+/2 credit/distance=4.0

12/6- Gold's 4 in 30:00 (7:30 pace) plus a mile cool.  Felt very sluggish and was fading at the end.  Splits were 14:47-15:13 but a 5th mile would have been ugly.  I believe a high copper protein bar to be the culprit.  Need an "A" to win and it's not looking good.  Package from my supplement company arrived and it's the wrong product!  That means I may run out before the new one arrives and will have to endure another rough couple days.  SUCKS!
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/7- AM-This is the death-knell for my year-end goals.  1 Mile on Wisteria in 9:44.  The culprit was not the high copper protein bar.  It is the Thym-Adren.  The last time that I was on the liver glandular, I started on 6 Thym-Adren and went down to 3 then was back to 6 when I went off it.  I have no idea what to make of this but I'll soon find out with testing next week.  I may attempt to run again in the afternoon but don't expect much improvement.

PM- Learned that my liver glandular does indeed contain 2 ingredients (choline and Vitamin A) that DO slow the oxidation rate, which makes me feel a little better.  When I get my HTMA and copper panel results, I'll have a good idea of how this will play out.  I did run again on Wisteria and got the expected marginal improvement.  2 miles in 17:48 (8:54 pace) but I managed to run the upside slightly faster than the down side.
Grade:F+/2 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
OUCH.  3rd consecutive BAD loss.  I'm guaranteed a non-winning record and a GPA below 2.75.  I'll still keep trying and shoot for .500 and a 2.70 with 1800 miles.  I already clinched more wins and a higher GPA than last year and need just 82 more miles in 3+ weeks
Distance=29.0/ GPA= 16.9/8= 2.11
YTD: 1,672 miles.  Record: 22-25 with a 2.66 GPA