Cordyceps

[stauffenberg]

In traditional as well as modern Chinese medicine they give patients Cordyceps -- the fungus of a certain type of worm -- as a treatment to nourish the kidneys, prevent or slow renal failure, and lengthen the lifespan of transplanted kidneys.  It has actuallly been scientifically demonstrated to be effective and proof of its effecacy has been published in peer-reviewed, respectable scientific journals.  I tried some recently, but I found that it partially blocked the absorbtion of the cyclosporine dose I was taking, so I quickly stopped taking it.  I was wondering if anyone else, perhaps with a different immunosuppressive drug regimen, has tried Cordyceps?

[angela515]

Never heard of them.... but I wouldn't tr anything without discussing this with my doctor first.

[stauffenberg]

The problem is that you will never find a doctor in the Western world who has ever heard of Cordyceps treatment, and their scientific arrogance makes them profoundly disinterested in anything they weren't taught about in medical school.  But the fact is that if Cordyceps is prolonging the life of transplanted kidneys by 20 to 40% in China, I don't want to be cheated of that benefit siimply because the medical system within which I live is too stupid to know anything about it. 

I assume that if Cordyceps interferes with the absorbtion of cyclosporine, then in China they must either increase the cyclosporine dose when they give Cordyceps or they must use a cyclosporine substitute. I am only assuming that it interferes with cyclosporine, since I was careful to experiment with taking Cordyceps only shortly before my regular blood test to see what influence it might have, and the result indicated low cyclosporine levels.  But of course these low levels could have been coincidentally caused by other factors as well.

[angela515]

Very true... If I found soomething that works elsewhere, I would look at the research and if it leads me int he direction I want and believe it to be true, I may have done the same as you and try them.