Fibrin are deposits from coagulation. If you have ever looked at pipes under your bathroom or kitchen sink, you will often find them coated with a thick slimy substance.  If the amount gets too much, you may have those pipes backup. If you get too much fibrin, you may have a strokes. The typical situation for CFS is not a stroke, just choked pipes so the sinks drain slowly.

Fibrin can be the difference between eliminating an infection or simply reducing it. If some of the pathogens cannot be reached, then over time they will be re-introduced to the body.

Compounds that dissolve fibrin are called fibrinolytics or thrombolytics. There are a number of prescription drugs. In the US there are several supplements available that are also fibrinolytics. One of these was only by prescription when I first used it (and I had to cross the border to Canada to purchase it). Fibrinolytics should not be used without active involvement of a knowledgeable medical professional. If you start to notice any bruising anywhere (for example, at the site of a blood draw), you should immediately stop them and  consult with your knowledgeable medical professional before starting them again.

My own usage tend to be in pulses of 5-15 days whenever there are symptoms of excessive fibrin or once every 6 months if there are not.  This approach has been approved by physicians past for me.

The four supplements documented on PubMed as fibrinolytics (often acting by different mechanisms) are:

• Bromelain
  • US Orders[2400GDU @ 120 capsules $17]
  • UK Orders[3000GDU @ 90 capsules £17]
• Lumbrokinease
  • US Orders[720K LU @ 60 capsules $41]
  • UK Orders[720K LU @ 60 capsules £32]
• Nattokinase
  • US Orders[2000 FU @ 90 capsules $12]
  • UK Orders[2000 FU @ 90 capsules £16]
• Serrapeptase
  • US Orders[120KSU @ 90 capsules $30]
  • UK Orders[120KSU @ 90 capsules £20]

Note that they are sold by units of dissolving ability, not by gm alone. For example Swanson sells 240 GDU tablets and someone else sells 2400 GDU capsules. So care need to be taken in comparing products.

Watchout for severe herx

All of the above have been reported to increase tissue concentrations of many antibiotics up to ten fold. This means that if you are taking 100 mg of minocycline, the effective dosage will equivalent to 1000 mg. This is to be expected from a fibrinolytics because past fibrin deposits block the penetration rate. Removing this blocking layer result in deeper and faster penetration into tissue.

Also, some are known to inhibit the production of biofilms or break down existing biofilms. Again a severe herx could happen as a result.

In following posts, I will look at each of these unique supplements.