Re: Best way to increase oxygen in the blood?

[Guest guest]

Are you certain you have low oxygen in your blood (i.e. hemoglobin

usually has a constant level of oxygen). This can be measured in a

doc's office. It's more likely that through chronic illness you have

low oxygen in your tissues...not your hemoglobin/blood...

Some possibilities would be sauna (to open circulation), get an Rx

for oxygen and a tank and breathe it in at low flow rates (if you

*do* have low oxygen), hyperbaric oxygen.

> I was wondering what is the most effective way of getting more

> oxygen into the blood of a CFS sufferer? I wonder if there are

> supplements/herbs that can help.

>

> Any information would be very helpful.

>

> Thanks

>

> Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam.

Here is a breathing exercise recommended by Dr. Cheney, originally

posted by Carol Seiverling, that is very quick and easy to do. It

increases the blood's ability to carry oxygen. An explanation of how

it does that is included below.

Tom

" New " Breathing Technique: no cost, easier, and more effective at

increasing

oxygen transport than the " rebreather " protocol.

First, the benefits of increased oxygen:

1) more energy at the cellular level;

2) suppresses growth of yeast (and other pathogens);

3) prevents swelling of the brain caused by decreased oxygen; Dr.

Cheney said

this was not uncommon in CFIDS and is the connection between Chiari

Malformation

and CFIDS. (The pressure-like headaches that many of us get also came

to mind!)

Dr. Cheney said that Chiari is a compression phenomenon die to lack of

sufficient width/depth at the base of the skull, while CFIDS is a

compression

phenomenon due to anoxic cerebral edema (brain swelling due to lack

of oxygen,

is a correct " translation " , I think.)

Many are familiar with Dr. Cheney's earlier oxygen protocol using a

partial

rebreather mask to address tissue acidosis/blood alkalosis and

thereby improve

oxygen transport from the blood into cells. (see

www.virtualhometown.com/dfwcfids - Cheney Treatment Plan -

Prescriptions) Dr.

Cheney has realized this rebreather protocol, while beneficial, has

limitations.

It can be difficult to find the equipment, expensive, and requires

much

" tweaking " . Most significantly, he has come to realize that it does

not address

the underlying problem of 2,3 DPG levels.

2,3 DPG is a substance that allows oxygen to be released from the

hemoglobin in

our blood. Without 2,3 DPG, oxygen can't get off the hemoglobin and

into the

cells of our body. This oxygen deprivation makes the body switch over

to

anaerobic metabolism, which produces tissue acidosis, which can be

painful.

However, the more 2,3 DPG one has, the more oxygen is released from

the blood

into the tissues and organs - and brain. (And oxygen will help kill

candida and

other pathogens.)

The very simple breathing technique Cheney is recommending to all his

patients

can be found on Weil's tape/CD of eight different breathing

methods. This

particular method is Weil's favorite - he says it's the most powerful

way to

treat chronic illness that he knows of. Ayurvedic physicians

developed it 3,000

years ago. And 30 years of clinical experience now back it up.

Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7

seconds. Exhale

through tightly pursed lips for 8 seconds, creating " back pressure " .

(You should

be able to hear the air being forced out of your mouth.) Do this 8

times - a

total of two-and-a-half minutes. Do this twice a day - a grand total

of 5

minutes a day. That's all it takes. (If you feel lightheaded just do

it 6 times

- or until you begin to feel lightheaded - then build up to 8.) You

must be very

faithful and consistent for this to work, and it takes weeks for the

body to

adjust the 2,3 DPG levels. But your oxygen transport will get better

and better

over time.

What does this do? This method is based on the same principle at work

in the

marathon runners from Kenya who always win the Boston Marathon. They

live and

train at a high altitude. They run like fiends at 12,000 feet. To

compensate for

the lack of oxygen at higher altitudes, their bodies make a

physiological

adjustment - raising 2,3 DPG levels so more oxygen is released. The

higher the

2,3 DPG goes, the easier it is to run. Then the Kenyans go to Boston,

which is

at sea level (with more oxygen in the atmosphere of course), and run

their race.

But their bodies are still set for high altitude, so they end up with

more

oxygen being transported into their tissues than other runners. They

are

super-oxygenated, transporting oxygen like crazy.

Dr. Cheney's goal is to trick our bodies into thinking we live at a

higher

altitude, thus raising our 2,3 DPG levels, thereby transporting more

oxygen from

our blood into our tissues. How is that done? By not breathing! This

method is

actually regulated breath holding. As you regularly breath hold, your

O2 drops.

You induce a state called desaturation. (I assume this means not

enough oxygen).

And for those five minutes a day of desaturation your body panics. It

believes

it's high up in the mountains and it spends the rest of the day

compensating for

that (by raising 2,3 DPG), even though you're not up in the

mountains. The body

is so paranoid about desaturation that even though you live in

Dallas, for

example, it will program your body as if you live in Denver.

Besides being cheaper, easier, and more effective, Cheney says this

method has

another advantage over the rebreather mask - you can't " over-

regulate " . I think

this means to over correct. With the rebreather mask you can " counter-

regulate "

in a complex way I didn't follow, but the result is that you can get

too much

oxygen transfer going on, which will cause your body to lower 2,3 DPG,

ultimately lowering oxygen transfer. This is why the rebreather

stopped working

for many of us after several months. With this breathing method,

Cheney said

that the body will raise 2,3 DPG to the point that it is beneficial,

but it

won't raise it so high that it some how (I didn't follow the

explanation)

" forces a more profound alkalosis " of the blood.

[Guest guest]

> Hi Pam.

>

> Here is a breathing exercise recommended by Dr. Cheney, originally

> posted by Carol Seiverling, that is very quick and easy to do. It

> increases the blood's ability to carry oxygen. An explanation of

how

> it does that is included below.

Hi Tom

Thanks so much for that, it probably explains why I feel so good

when I have done my yoga!

I will try and do it regularly.

Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi .

I think that the answer to both your questions is yes. Other list

members report doing it frequently as a relaxation tool.

For those not familiar with breathing exercises, focus on your

breathing while you do this exercise and don't consciously try to

hurry through it, and you will probably feel calmer and more relaxed

when you are finished.

The increasing 2,3 DPG effect is accomplished by tricking the body

into thinking that it's not going to get enough oxygen. This is done

by holding your breath briefly and exhaling in a way that causes back

pressure (exhaling through pursed lips). Once you've done that, it's

OK to do meditation or whatever.

I don't think that anyone has ever reported this exercise causing any

problems. If anyone has, please let us know.

Tom

> Tom,

>

> Thank you for posting this! The breathing exercise is also

relaxing. Can you do this more than 5 minutes a day? Also, can I

begin my relaxation breathing/meditation immediately following and

still get the desired effect?

>

> Thanks!

>

>