CO Q 10 for improved heart function

Hi All: Just wanted to ask those of you out there what dosage you use if you take CO Q 10 supplement for improving heart function. My Onc. is trying to get my ins. co. to approve starting herceptin again for me. The last time I used Herceptin I had to quit after a couple of months because of heart damage. We think it was due to having A/C so close to the Herceptin/Taxol. I figured I would stack the deck in my favor by trying to strenghthen my heart by starting the CO Q 10 now while we await the decision from the insurance co. but I don't know how much to take. Any info would be great! Thanks, Linda in Calif.

HI Linda. For what it's worth, I can tell you that after many long hours of research on the matter, I began giving my Mom 100 mg of CoQ10 three times a day. I was hoping to strengthen her cardiac function ahead of her oncologists decision to give her Herceptin. I do know that the greatest reductions in patient cardiac functions come with the administration of anthracycline chemotherapy agents along with Herceptin. When Mom's onco nurse read the results of her MUGA scan she was shocked. Her number was 80, which she then said was higher than that of her 29 year old son. I give my Mom a whole host of other supplements and vitamins to improve her immune system and general health, so I don't know how much the CoQ10 helped per se. If anyone has information suggesting that it is unsafe, I hope they will post something to that effect. By the way, I failed to mention that my Mom is 81, and wheelchair bound.

Hi Linda,

Rachel takes 400 mg. a day--it's hard to get that much but Life Extension makes a (very expensive) capsule that contains 300 mg...

Best,
Jeff

Hi Linda,
My Linda takes 150 mg 2 x day. All's well so far. I have great confidence in CoQ10.

Al

Hi Linda,
I have been taking 150mgs AM and PM. I started on 50mg twice a day and gradually inreased to 300/day, w/ 81mg coated aspirin. My Ech-card is still normal after 6 yrs on Herceptin.

Feeling great on CoQ10 and herceptin. Exercise helps to strengthen the heart also. Walking 3-4 days/wk a few miles helps and is the recommended activity. Hugs

[Lolly]

Hi Linda; I started with 50 mg twice a day, for the last couple of months I've taken 100 mg twice daily on my PCP's advice and am going to start taking 150 twice daily. My Echo and Muga have always been in the mid 50's range, and I'm due for another Muga in a couple of months so it will interesting to see if the increased dosage will improve my ejection fraction ratio. My oncologist commented at my last visit that if Herceptin is going to damage the heart it does so early on.

<3,
Lolly

Hi Linda
I have been on Q10 for about 5 years and have done a lot of research on it. Just remember it is fat soluble so needs to be taken with food that has a highish fat content for best absorption (eg chocolate!) I actually take 100 mg/day usually with breakfast which includes 10 ml of flaxseed oil. I am 4.5 years out from diagnosis with early BC (2 cm tumour, 1 node positive.) At the first sign of any further trouble I will go to >300 mg /day in divided doses particularly if I was going to be on Herceptin (which I havent had).
I heard last month that some trials in the US have been using doses as high as 900 mg/day without any side effects. At the moment if I am doing strenuous exercise or have a sore throat etc I go to 200 mg/day. I would also add that if you are coming off it to do so gradually and preferably stay on a maintenance dose of 100 mg/day for general good health.

Cheers
Jackie

HI Linda -

I was taking 400 mg per day but recently swiched to COQ10 by Usana per my Primary Care Physcian's suggestion. She said that the way it is manufactured and absorbed by the body that 200 mg of it is equivalent to the 400 mg of the one I was taking. I also asked her if she had a vested interest in Usana, which she does not. Does anybody have any thoughts on this? I would love to take less because it is not cheap!

I also read in Christiane Northrup's book - Women's Body, Women's Wisdom that she recommends 300+ mg/day for bc patients. Her recommendation is unrelated to heart function but rather based on some studies that have shown about 20% of BC patients have less than normal levels of COQ10 in their system. CoQ10 is is necessary for the production of ATP which is the main molecule that powers are cells. Also it has been shown to enhance immune functioning. (p357-358).

Best,
Tami

[StephN]

Coenzyme Q10 has been my friend for a long time. I initially got it in combination supplement that is especially good for hair, skin and nails. With the cancer diagnosis, I still took what I had been taking and added another 100mg of the straight CoQ10. That was almost 5 years ago.

I had Adriamycin for 12 weekly treatments, then Taxotere as adjuvent therapy. Six months after getting off all that I had mets to liver and bones. I started on Herceptin, Taxol and navelbine then. So, I had a lot of cardio-toxic drugs within a short time plus the Herceptin.
Had my heart functions checked this spring and all is well. I feel that the CoQ10 has helped me thus far as I have been on herceptin with or without chemo for 3.5 years.

I did bump my dose up to 200mg a day while on the Decadron for my brain mets this past winter. Dropped back after I had been off that stuff for a couple of months.