The patient in question particularly complained about a complete lack of spark. Interesting, I thought because I had just read an article by someone who was comparing the role of CoQ10 in the body to a spark plug, “Just as the car cannot function without the initial spark, the human body cannot function without CoQ10 .” The reason is easy to explain, as CoQ10 is an essential component of the mitochondria. It is involved in the production of ATP, the energy currency of all body processes. Less CoQ10 means less ATP, and less ATP means less energy.
Unfortunately, because of the geographic distance as well as because of the complications involved in the case I could not help the person with some of the other therapies that I offer. However, I was sure that regular CoQ10 supplementation would at least lighten the burden, which it did as long as the patient took it regularly.
Now, this is just an anecdote. In order to drive the point home, we will now quote the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, which gives a great overview of the interactions caused by CoQ10, as well as its mitigating effects. Actually, there is not much to be said about interactions. There are none. “There are no known adverse interactions between CoQ10 and any drug or nutrient.”
However, “While there are no adverse drug interactions, many drugs adversely affect CoQ10 levels, or CoQ10 can mitigate the side effects of the drug. In addition to the adverse effects of adriamycin, CoQ10 supplementation can counteract some adverse effects of certain cholesterol-lowering, beta-blocker and psychotropic drugs.”
“The drugs lovastatin (Mevacor) pravastin (Pravachol) and simavastatine (Zocor) are widely used to lower blood cholesterol levels. They work by inhibiting the enzyme (HMG CoA reductase) that is required in the manufacturing of cholesterol in the liver. Unfortunately, in doing sothese drugs also block the manufacturing of other substances necessary for body functions, including CoQ10. Supplementing CoQ10 (100 mg daily) is necessary to prevent the depletion of CoQ10 in body tissues while on these drugs.”
“CoQ10 can also help prevent some of the side effects of beta-blockers. These drugs are frequently prescribed for high blood pressure, angina, congestive heart failure, and certain arrhythmias. Beta-blockers can inhibit CoQ10 dependent enzymes. The anti-hypertensive effect of these drugs may therefore be compromised in the long run by the development of CoQ10 deficiency. In fact, it is well known that long-term therapy with beta-blockers leads to congestive heart failure in some cases. This development could be the result of CoQ10 deficiency. In one study, CoQ10 (60 mg per day) prevented the cardiac contractility decrease produced by the beta-blocker propranolol in normal volunteers and increased contractility in patients with hypertensive heart disease. Three of five volunteers treated with propanolol complained of general malaise, while none of seven individuals given propanolol plus CoQ10 reported side effects (according to an article published by Hamada, Kazatani and Ochi in Biomedical and Clinical Aspects Coenzyme Q, Elesevier, Amsterdam 1984).”
“CoQ10 may also help reduce the cardiac side effects from the use of certain psychotropic drugs including phenothiazines and tricyclic antidepressants. EKG abnormalities… occur commonly in patients taking these drugs… In two clinical studies, CoQ10 supplementation prevented electro-cardiographic changes in patients on psychotropic drugs. CoQ10 supplementation may therefore be useful for the prevention of cardio-toxicity because of phenotiazines and tricyclic antidepressants.”
Incidentally, Japanese scientists did much of the research on CoQ10 in the 1980s and 1990s, which might explain why the supplement enjoys such great popularity in Japan, where in the late 1990s it was one of the top six pharmaceutical agents used.