CoQ10 Side Effects: Is Taking CoQ10 Risky?

There are two primary reasons.

First...

CoQ10 is such an important element in heart health.

CoQ10 research has been going on for many years. CoQ10 has become one of the most important natural treatments for a number of heart health related issues. For example...

CoQ10 is used in the prevention and treatment of congestive heart failure. When the heart becomes damaged due to any number of underlying reasons it often becomes weak and incapable of proper function. The end result is that the heart cannot adequately supply the body - especially the major organs - with blood. There are nearly half a million new cases of CHF each year in the US.

Both short-term and long-term studies have demonstrated marked improvement in ejection fraction (the measure of the heart's ability to pump blood), as well as overall heart function. The studies also demonstrate CoQ10 as a powerful treatment for ischemic cardiomyopathy - a low oxygen state usually due to an obstruction. In short...

CoQ10 has long been used as a natural treatment to prevent and reverse congestive heart failure.

Another important use for CoQ10 is the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). We have long known that excess LDL (the bad cholesterol) promotes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis promotes coronary heart disease.

However, you may not know that many scientists believe it is actually the oxidation of LDL that causes atherosclerosis and not the mere presence of LDL. CoQ10 has been demonstrated to be a very powerful antioxidant for the prevention of LDL oxidation... many times more powerful than vitamins E or C. By preventing LDL oxidation, CoQ10 reduces the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease.

CoQ10 is therefore a very important natural element for the prevention of congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease. If it were not so important you would not be concerned about side effects. You simply wouldn't take it.

The second reason we raise the question about CoQ10 side effects is because...

Some CoQ10 side effects have been reported.

Some of these side effects are...

• Insomnia
  
• Nausea
  
• Heartburn/Acid reflux
  
• Vomiting
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Dizziness
  
• Fainting
  
• Low blood pressure
  
• High liver enzyme count
  

It is not always clear under what conditions each of these symptoms have been reported. It is important then to consider symptoms as they appear under controlled situations such as during research studies. One thing to notice is that during research studies CoQ10 supplementation is often given at unusually high levels... far beyond what you would normally take.

Symptoms have sometimes been reported during research projects when CoQ10 supplementation is in very high dosages. For example...

An abstract entitled: "Effects of coenzyme Q10 in early Parkinson disease: evidence of slowing of the functional decline" brought up the question concerning the side effects of Co Q10. The researchers had this to say...

Coenzyme Q10 was safe and well tolerated at dosages of up to 1200 mg/day.

The dosages used in this study were much higher than most of us would consider taking. The study showed that CoQ10 was safe at high levels but we are not really given any details. That is good news. But "safe and well tolerated" does not mean there aren't any side effects of CoQ10 supplementation.

A longer study (6 years) was published concerning 126 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This study also showed no harmful side effects of CoQ10.

Again, there were no "harmful" side effects. But were there any at all?

Another study entitled "A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 and remacemide in Huntington's disease" was a little more specific about the side effects of CoQ10.

There was increased frequency of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness with remacemide and increased frequency of stomach upset with coenzyme Q10.

The remacemide used in the study produced the worst side effects while the side effects of CoQ10 were mild.

Other studies have reported minor side effects with CoQ10 usage at high levels. However, usually these "discomforts" could be avoided by taking smaller dosages (not more than 100 mg.) several times a day.

Another way to look at CoQ10 side effects is to consider how CoQ10 interacts with prescription drugs. We can look at it from two perspectives. First we should consider how CoQ10 affects our bodies when we are taking medications. And we should consider what influence medications have on our CoQ10 levels.

This latter point is important because CoQ10 is an essential element for the production of cellular energy - which is very important to an organ as energy dependant as the heart. As we age our ability to produce CoQ10 diminishes. If anything we do further restricts CoQ10 production we could be at higher risk for developing certain chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure.

Co Q10 can act as a blood coagulant. This might be a problem for someone taking a blood thinner such as Coumadin. There have been reported cases where CoQ10 apparently decreased the anticoagulant effects of Coumadin.

If you are taking a blood thinner you should talk to your doctor before taking CoQ10. If warfarin and CoQ10 are to be used together, blood tests to assess clotting time should be monitored frequently, especially in the first two weeks.

CoQ10 and Statins (such as lovastatin and simvastatin) can also have an interaction. However, in this case, the statins are the problem. While statins have the ability to lower serum cholesterol they also lower serum COQ10 levels. Since many people are CoQ10 deficient this can be a huge problem. If you are taking statins you will want to consider CoQ10 supplementation.

There is no evidence that CoQ10 supplementing - even at high dosages - produces any serious side effects. CoQ10 is a naturally occurring coenzyme that is absolutely essential for cellular energy production and good cardiovascular health. Many of the reported discomforts associated with CoQ10 supplementing are mild and usually present themselves only at high dosages. If you are taking high levels of Co Q10 consider taking smaller doses several times a day to relieve any discomfort.

Learn more about CoQ10 and heart health at Optimal-Heart-Heatlth.com