Forum Replies Created

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  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    November 21, 2023 at 11:20 pm in reply to: New to oxygen

    After 7 years with IPF and at 74.5 I am medically on my own in the Philippines. Suffered a very serious acute exacerbation and as I slowly – slowly – recovered I started looking at many different supplements. Some help some don’t but each of us is different and may have a different type of PF. So the only consistent thing in my life is our spiritual walk because all else fails.

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    November 21, 2023 at 11:17 pm in reply to: Using Morphine

    Would a sedative or tranquilizer work too?

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    November 17, 2023 at 12:25 am in reply to: TETON PPF

    From the looks of things this trial is not available in the USA. Can anyone confirm that please? – Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    November 7, 2023 at 11:12 pm in reply to: Serrapeptase and nattokinase and Ofev

    I have used both for several years and it just depends on why you want them. Serrapeptase has been around for a long time to help with liver scar tissue and the hope is it can do similar to the lungs – but there is no evidence of that. I started it 5 years ago because of a growing mucus problem and it almost immediately solved most of it. You can NEVER take it close to food or especially other meds as that can be dangerous (meds). Natto is a good blood cleaner and the Japanese have eaten it for centuries as fermented soy or tofu. It is a blood cleaner – not thinner. If you are taking D3 and with K2 most likely you are getting some natto depending on the K2 type. I do take all of those and more because I am on my own medically in the Philippines with IPF. Had it 7 years and doing pretty good at 74.5 years with other issues as we all have.

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    October 13, 2023 at 12:38 am in reply to: Telomere length and specific genes associated with IPF:

    If you take a good B vitamin complex, most have B3 which is Nmn. I have followed Sinclair for a while and don’t always find his answers adequate. So on my own I am taking NAD+ and Sirt1 – with my IPF I have seen it help my endurance and strength but it has not improved my O2. I am happy with the results so far and of course, there are many other things I do and lots of different factors/diet/supplements/etc. affect each one of us…

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    October 11, 2023 at 12:40 am in reply to: Avalyn Pharma’s AP-01 Inhaled Esbriet

    Would like to and will see if any are still available when we get stateside later this year…

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    October 11, 2023 at 12:27 am in reply to: Altitude and IPF

    At 7 years in and 74, I will be flying from the Philippines soon to the US without O2. Should be interesting…

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    August 29, 2023 at 11:25 pm in reply to: Excess mucous

    @lenoxx

    Hi Joyce,

    I have been taking serrapeptase for mucous and have very little even though my IPF is getting worse.  You might want to look at it but there are some high cautions I will mention.  Never – never take it with other pills and the same for food for about 3 hours on either side.  It dissolves protein and sees pills that way – not good, I know – the hard way. It is measured in SU and I take 720,000 SU’s daily at night.  I probably could cut that in half for the mucous but some notes ”suggest” it might help scar tissue.  Be cautious…

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    August 18, 2023 at 1:27 am in reply to: Saracatinib

    @everyone

    Astra Zeneca had intended to complete the trial in June  2023 – looking for an update soon…

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 27, 2023 at 9:26 pm in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @jayme

    Hi Jayme,

    I was diagnosed October 2016 with ILD and confirmed May 2018 as IPF after I returned stateside. Diet, water, exercise (a little forced if necessary), proper rest, other supplements, Pulmonary PT, and spiritual walk add up to be a significant arsenal against this disease.

    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 27, 2023 at 9:22 pm in reply to: EGCG Green Tea Extract

    @jgenesio

    Hey Jerry,

    I took EGCG a few years ago and stopped after a few months because I noticed no difference.  I started it again about 2 years ago and it has helped. Green tea has lots of benefits on its own, EGCG being the concentrate.

    Regards weight loss I take 6 EGCG per day and it has had no effect on my weight. So it must affect everyone in that way a little differently.

     

    Stay well,
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 20, 2023 at 11:35 pm in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @jayme

    Hi Jayme,

    Diagnosed October 2016 and I am only on various supplements and O2 at night usually and sometimes after I climb stairs for a minute, at 74, and other issues that is ok for me.  NAC is good but please look at other forums where other solid supplement recommendations are made such as zinc – the right type, EGCG, D3, and K2 with M7. Because I have PAH I take others as well such as Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha lipoic acid, will be adding melatonin soon as it is a better antioxidant than NAC which I really like.

    Stopped mucus with serrapeptase 5 years ago BUT A BIG CAUTION – never take it close to other pills or food as it sees them as dead protein and that is what it dissolves. Others I take too but we are all different with this lovely disease and other medical/metabolic history.

    Success and welcome to you…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 11, 2023 at 7:54 pm in reply to: NAC supplements for IPF mentioned in studies.

    @jbrollo

    Hey James,

    I have used NAC for a few years because an internal medicine/pulmonologist/professor at Loma Linda on the daily front lines with covid highly recommends it for energy and it is essential for making glutathione among several other benefits.

    Stay well,
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    September 21, 2023 at 11:41 pm in reply to: O2 and Essential Oils

    @jayesim – that was informative. Basically probably ok in a nebulizer but not recommended for an O2 concentrator…

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    September 19, 2023 at 4:43 am in reply to: O2 and Essential Oils

    Hi Sue – sorry for the delay but we had no internet for a few days here in the Philippines. Because I have had IPF 7 years there are many items I have researched and decided what works for me at the moment. I don’t know your situation so a little reluctant to say try this or that. Please PM me and we can discuss this more thoroughly as I am interested in helping and discovering more that will help us with this lovely disease.

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    September 8, 2023 at 12:00 am in reply to: O2 and Essential Oils

    @Dale Winter

    Dale – I know little about the oils other than several papers on the internet. I used them years ago and at the least, they are relaxing but I have noticed things like peppermint, and a treat I like – wasabi peas help open my sinuses so getting something like eucalyptus in my O2 may or may not help open my lungs. I do a fair amount of research regards supplements and take a number but there are some experts on PF News and hope they will add in. Think of it like this: Vicks Vapo-rub was used by every mom in America when I was growing up – for the purpose of opening our lungs when we were sick. It has (or used to) have eucalyptus in it.

    I am willing to take risks on supplements and things like this because I have had IPF for 7 years next month and other issues. So I have nothing to lose and for the most part what I have tried and take help – sometimes a lot…

    Stay well…

    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    September 7, 2023 at 11:40 pm in reply to: O2 and Essential Oils

    @David Bennett

    Dave – I have had IPF for almost 7 years (next month) and at 74 other issues too. Also had 2 acute exacerbations the first 1 – almost died; 2nd much milder. Part of that is because I do a lot of research into supplements and am willing to take risks since there is no treatment available here in the Philippines. So after the 2nd flair-up, I started various supplements and they helped. I used to walk our stairs only a few times per day as needed and always used O2 for a few minutes each trip. Now I walk the stairs about 40 times a day, 6 days a week – still use O2 but not every tip. Of course, diet, water, and Spiritual walk are key – especially my Spiritual walk.

    What do you know and can share about essential oils?

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 27, 2023 at 9:15 pm in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @kathywhitehead

    Hi Kathy,

    Yes, our spiritual walk is primary. I was raised LDS and stopped going in my teen.  Was baptized on 10/12/2002 as SDA – finished medical missionary training in the Philippines with my wife and look forward to being on the spiritual frontline back in the USA.

    Attitude is a lot of our battle and roughly stated I do not see anything about fairness on my birth certificate…

    Blessings. Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 26, 2023 at 11:42 pm in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @tonyhernandez

    Hey Tony,

    A lot of similarity – 74 and almost 7 years in, living in the Philippines  (been to Puerto Rico a few times) on no meds except a bucket of supplements as IPF and PAH are very rare here. Took 35 trips up and down the stairs today.  Exercise, diet, and water are key.

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 26, 2023 at 8:59 am in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @caneelbay1

    Hey John,

    Most I named above to Jayme but the dosage and timing – what to combo with and what not to combo with is a little complicated.  Maybe we can talk?  I am adding NAD+ and SIRT1 to zinc (the right kind) and taking magnesium away from zinc as zinc negates the magnesium (again the right kind – there are several varieties and each acts differently). Others are Haritaki, nattokinase, B complex, and EGCG.  But again dosage, how and when are complicated…

    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm in reply to: How quickly can pulmonary fibrosis progress?

    @caneelbay1

    Hey John,

    Glad to hear you came through that harsh learning experience.  I agree with you managing CO2 is essential to faster recovery times.  I do not know exactly what has happened to me the past 3 weeks but I have gained strength and able to walk our stairs 30 times per day.  A couple of months ago I would not have attempted more than 5 or 6.

    I keep modifying the supplements and know the current combo works well.  What I believe has happened is my PAH has relaxed and thereby so has my heart rate. O2 recovers fast on each trip up and down, and so does the heart rate.  BP is great – yesterday 113/64.

    Keep experimenting – I have to since I am still in the Philippines and IPF is almost unheard of…

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 21, 2023 at 12:09 am in reply to: Pirfenidone from India

    @vincestravino

    Hi Vince,

    Did you need a prescription to get it past customs?

    Stay well…
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    July 4, 2023 at 10:36 pm in reply to: Updates – check-ins- Inspiration – Personal experiences?

    @salgal

    Hi Sally,

    We have a lot in common – well sorta.  Contracted IPF at 67, now just 74 in May.  Had a similar exacerbation and did not eat for almost 6 weeks.  I don’t recommend that as a weight loss program.  Did not go to the hospital as over here in the Philippines IPF is very rare so my wife and stepson ran around all over the city getting those huge O2 bottles and I could finish 1 in about 12 – 16 hours.  Could not even shower it was so bad and took more than a year to ”recover” (I use that term loosely).  The 2nd event was just a few months ago and much much milder – was mostly able to still work online.

    We will be flying stateside later this year and I am concerned about my O2 on the plane without any support for the very long journey. But no one said getting old was easy or for the timid and I will have to make the journey regardless.

    My faith and spiritual walk will support me through these trials – regardless of the result.

    Stay well,
    Steve

  • steve-dragoo

    Member
    June 27, 2023 at 10:39 pm in reply to: ECMO

    @adele

    Hey Adele,

    That’s interesting.  I have seen O2 tents (mini-hyperbolic chambers) on Amazon from time to time but have no idea of their usefulness.

    Stay well,
    Steve

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