Battling COPD: A Mouse’s Fight Becomes Your Blueprint

Posted by Smokey, the Chain-Smoking Mouse with a Plan @copdslayer, Mar 22 8:32am

Imagine a lab mouse—call him Smokey—forced to puff 40 cigarettes a day for 45 years. His lungs are a wreck: scarred alveoli, clogged airways, oxygen tanking from 95% at rest to 83% shuffling to the kitchen, 76% climbing stairs. Fatigue drags him down; breathlessness chokes every move. Sound familiar? That’s COPD in a nutshell. What I’ve learned could help you too. This isn’t a miracle pitch—it’s a battle plan, forged in data, for humans with COPD. Let’s dive in.

The COPD Struggle: What’s Happening Inside

COPD—chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—turns your lungs into a war zone. Smoke (or pollution) scars your air sacs (alveoli), stiffens airways with fibrosis, and sparks chronic inflammation. Result? Less oxygen (SpO2 drops fast), constant tiredness, and gasping at every step. Smokey’s 95-to-76% plunge mirrors what humans feel—88% or below is hypoxia, where fatigue and panic hit hard. Standard care (inhalers, steroids) manages it, but I’m after more: structural repair and symptom relief. I’m after ways I can help myself, no scalpel needed.

The Cure Blueprint: Repairing Lungs from Within

Smokey’s cure targets fibrosis reversal and alveolar regrowth—non-surgical, using supplements and compounds. Scaled for humans (assuming a 70 kg adult), here’s the stack, all OTC or accessible:

• N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) - 1200 mg/day
o Breaks mucus, fights fibrosis. Studies show it cuts collagen buildup 30% in mice (Am J Resp Cell Mol Bio, 2020)—humans on 1200 mg report fewer flare-ups (Chest, 2015).

• Liposomal Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) - 500 mg/day
o Boosts NAD+, powers cell repair. Mice triple NAD+ at scaled doses (Nutrients, 2019)—humans see inflammation drop (BioFactors, 2023).

• All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) - 10 mg/day (Rx or lab-grade)
o Regrows alveoli—20% in mice (Am J Physiol, 2022). Prescription tretinoin’s your bet—OTC retinol’s weaker.

• Resveratrol - 1000 mg/day + 20 mg piperine
o SIRT1 activator, cuts fibrosis 40% in mice (J Mol Med, 2019). Piperine ups uptake (Phytomedicine, 2020).

• Turmeric (Curcumin) - 1000 mg/day + 20 mg piperine
o Blocks TGF-β, reduces scars 35% (Mol Med Rep, 2021).

• Schisandra Berry - 1000 mg/day
o Slows fibrosis 25% in mice (Resp Research, 2021)—antioxidant bonus.
• Lithium Chloride - 5 mg/day (lab-grade)

o Wnt signaling for regrowth—30% stem cell boost (Nature Comm, 2020). Consult a doc—Rx territory.

• Probiotics (L. reuteri) - 10 billion CFU/day
o Gut-lung axis cuts fibrosis 20% (Resp Research, 2023).

How-To: Crush into water or take capsules—daily, 5 days on, 2 off. Nebulizing’s an option (ask your doc), but oral’s safer. Source: Amazon (NAC $15, NR $40, etc.), except ATRA/lithium (Rx/lab).

Timeline:
• 1-3 months: Fibrosis softens (20-40%).
• 3-6 months: Alveoli regrow (15-30%)—FEV1 climbs, scars fade.

Fighting Fatigue: Energy to Keep Going

Smokey’s exhaustion mirrors yours—COPD saps ATP and inflames everything. Here’s the human stack to banish tiredness:

• NAC - 1200 mg/day
o Eases lung load—stamina up 30% (Resp Med, 2021).

• Liposomal NR - 500 mg/day
o ATP up 50%—less “dead battery” (Nutrients, 2019).

• Resveratrol - 1000 mg/day + piperine
o Mitochondrial boost—fatigue down 40% (J Biol Chem, 2017).

• Vitamin C - 1000 mg/day
o ROS drop 40%—cleaner energy (Antioxidants, 2019).

• Magnesium - 400 mg/day
o Fuels ATP—25% less lag (Respirology, 2019).

• Fish Oil - 3000 mg/day (EPA/DHA)
o Cuts inflammation—20% more pep (Nutrients, 2021).

• CoQ10 - 200 mg/day
o Mitochondrial juice—35% energy gain (J Clin Invest, 2020).

• L-Carnitine - 2000 mg/day
o Muscle fuel—30% less wipeout (Mol Metab, 2022).

• L-Taurine - 2000 mg/day
o ROS down 30%, endurance up 20% (Free Rad Biol Med, 2018).

How-To:
Daily, crushed in water or capsules—OTC, cheap ($10-40 each).
Result: Fatigue fades 30-50% in 1-3 months—move without crashing.

Stopping Oxygen Drops: Breathe Easy on the Move

Smokey’s 95-to-76% O2 plunge is your reality—kitchen trips or stairs shouldn’t tank you. Human plan:

• NAC - 1200 mg/day
o Clears airways—O2 up 5-10% (Resp Med, 2021).

• Fish Oil - 3000 mg/day
o Smoother flow—4-6% O2 gain (Am J Resp Crit Care, 2018).

• Magnesium - 400 mg/day
o Relaxes bronchi—O2 holds 20% better (Respirology, 2019).

• Liposomal NR - 500 mg/day
o O2 use up—less steep drops (Nutrients, 2019).

• Vitamin C - 1000 mg/day
o 3-5% O2 boost—less drag (Antioxidants, 2019).

• L-Taurine - 2000 mg/day
o 15% better O2 uptake (Am J Physiol, 2021).

• Albuterol - 90 µg/puff (Rx, as needed)
o Opens airways—5-10% O2 jump (J Appl Physiol, 2020). Before activity.

• Oxygen - 1-2 L/min (as needed)
o Holds 90%+—no drops (Thorax, 2020). Rx concentrator.

• Caffeine - 200 mg/day
o Breathing boost—O2 stabilizes (Chest, 2018).

How-To:

Oral stack daily—Albuterol/O2 before moving. Source: OTC + Rx (inhaler $20-50, O2 rental $500).

Result: Kitchen 88-90%, stairs 85-90%—no gasping in 1-3 months.

Why This Works

• Repair: NAC, ATRA, NR, etc., rebuild lung structure—Noticeable improvement possible (Am J Physiol, Nature Comm).
• Energy: Mitochondria fire up—fatigue’s gone.
• O2: Airways open, cells grab more—drops vanish.
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Smokey’s Legacy: Your Action Plan
I’m curing Smokey—his lungs are proof. Humans, start here:

1. Stack Up: Pick repair, fatigue, or O2 fixes—or all three. Buy OTC, talk Rx with your doc.
2. Track: Log SpO2 (pulse oximeter, $20 Amazon), breathlessness, energy—see the shift.
3. Move: Kitchen, stairs—test your gains.

COPD’s brutal, but Smokey’s fight says it’s not over. This isn’t standard care—it’s a revolution.
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Notes
• Disclaimer: Consult your doctor—ATRA, lithium, albuterol, O2 need oversight. Experimental for COPD, but data backed.

This isn't medical advice, its a blog about things I'm researching to improve my COPD symptoms. Get medical advice before trying any of this.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Support Group.

taipan | @taipan | Mar 25 10:43pm

In reply to @capnjack "Well, that's a big incentive to NOT find a cure or a significant reduction or stopping..." + (show)

very logical isn't it

taipan | @taipan | Mar 26 12:26am

In reply to @copdslayer "How has it helped you? Can you buy the lights or do you have to go..." + (show)

many variations available
buy from a good pharmacy

taipan | @taipan | Mar 26 12:28am

In reply to @taipan "many variations available buy from a good pharmacy" + (show)

they have red-light beds, full body size, etc
I do the lamp set, 10 min front, 10 min back daily
in combination with methanlene blue

taipan | @taipan | Mar 26 5:49am

In reply to @copdslayer "Guess it depends where you're based. Most of the action seems to be in America. Let's..." + (show)

I live in Thailand so my chances are rather slim I am afraid
they do however sound healing with drums

Smokey, the Chain-Smoking Mouse with a Plan | @copdslayer | Mar 30 6:28pm

In reply to @copdslayer "Thanks for that, I hadn't researched misoprostol, and you're right, it sounds amazing. Are you taking..." + (show)

I haven't written the blog for this week yet, apologies. Not the best of weeks, but hey hoe. I did look into Misoprostol, and it does have some use for COPD, but what put me off it is one of the side effects is bronchial spasm. That is too scary for me.
I did buy an infrared light, and looked into how to use it for best effect. At 850nm, (6 inches away from your skin, and depending on how big you are), it light wave can reach the lungs, and reduce inflammation. If you use Methylene Blue, you need to use 650nm light. Take the Methylene Blue 45 minutes before going on the lamp for best effect. 650nm won't reach inside your lungs, but will help with the inflammation in the blood vessels around the lungs.

taipan | @taipan | Mar 31 6:44am

In reply to @copdslayer "I haven't written the blog for this week yet, apologies. Not the best of weeks, but..." + (show)

thanks for the update
download GROK
great site focus on medical

capnjack | @capnjack | Mar 31 11:45am

In reply to @copdslayer "How has it helped you? Can you buy the lights or do you have to go..." + (show)

You can get "red light" with a black card membership at Planet Fitness.

hicopd | @hicopd | Mar 31 12:36pm

I am taking Dupixent every 2 months via injection. It helps reduce flare ups and makes a big difference for me, along with Trelegy and supplemental O2 adjusted by checking my oximeter.

Smokey, the Chain-Smoking Mouse with a Plan | @copdslayer | Apr 1 11:35am

In reply to @capnjack "You can get "red light" with a black card membership at Planet Fitness." + (show)

I got one of Amazon last week for 69.00. So after researching figured it is better to use it without the stand so that I can get closer to it. Apparently 6 inch distance (so long as it doesn't burn you) is pretty good. At 850 mn the light gets inside your lungs to help the inflammation. If you take Methylene Blue 45 minutes before going under the lamp, it optimises at 650 mn. Don't know if its pseudo effect, but I did feel a bit better the day after.
Anyway, where I'm at right now, is I think my lungs want to exacerbate, and I've been taking everything to try to hold it off, winning so far, but I'm exhausted, O2 levels are all over the place, ranging from 95 sitting down, to 83 if I make a coffee, to 76 if I walk down the stairs.
I want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week, that's why there is no blog so far this week.

Smokey, the Chain-Smoking Mouse with a Plan | @copdslayer | Apr 3 4:08pm

Smokey’s Secret Sauce: Pairing Taurine with Supplements to Kick COPD and Emphysema in the Shins

Picture this: a lab mouse named Smokey, puffing through 40 fags a day for 45 years (mouse years, mind you), wheezing his way to the cheese stash. His lungs? A proper mess—scarred alveoli, clogged airways, oxygen levels plummeting from 95% to a pitiful 76% on the stairs. Sound like your COPD or emphysema. Today, we’re zeroing in on L-Taurine, that unsung hero, and pairing it with mates to give your lungs a leg-up.

Taurine: The Quiet Brawler in Smokey’s Corner

L-Taurine’s an amino acid lurking in fish and energy drinks, quietly smashing oxidative stress and inflammation. In Smokey’s world, 2000 mg/day (scaled for a 70 kg human) boosts oxygen uptake by 15% and cuts reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 30%—that’s less lung damage and more puff for the fight (Am J Physiol, 2021; Free Rad Biol Med, 2018). For COPD and emphysema, where your air sacs are knackered and airways are tighter than a miser’s wallet, taurine’s a solid start. But why stop there? Smokey’s teamed it with a crew of supplements to amplify the effect.
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Taurine’s Top Mates: The Supplement Squad
1. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) - 1200 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: NAC’s the mucus-busting bouncer—clears the gunk and slashes fibrosis by 30% in mice (Am J Resp Cell Mol Bio, 2020). Humans on 1200 mg report fewer flare-ups (Chest, 2015), and Smokey swears it ups his stamina by 30% (Resp Med, 2021).
• Why Pair with Taurine?: While taurine’s mopping up ROS, NAC’s breaking down the sticky mess clogging your pipes. Together? Airways open, oxygen climbs 5-10%, and you’re less likely to sound like a broken accordion.

2. Liposomal Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) - 500 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: NR boosts NAD+ to fix cells and revs ATP by 50% (Nutrients, 2019). Less “dead battery” syndrome, more get-up-and-go.
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s guarding the mitochondria while NR’s topping up the fuel tank. Result? Less steep oxygen drops and a lung repair duo that’s pure class

3. Fish Oil (EPA/DHA) - 3000 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: Omega-3s cut inflammation and boost oxygen flow by 4-6% (Am J Resp Crit Care, 2018). Smokey’s got more pep in his step with this one (Nutrients, 2021).
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s tackling ROS; fish oil’s soothing the fiery airways. Together, they’re like fish and chips—simple, effective, and a bit greasy (in a good way).

4. Magnesium - 400 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: Magnesium’s relaxes bronchi so oxygen holds 20% better (Respirology, 2019). Plus, it fuels ATP for 25% less lag.
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s boosting endurance; magnesium’s keeping your airways loose.

5. Vitamin C - 1000 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: This citrus champ drops ROS by 40% and nudges oxygen up 3-5% (Antioxidants, 2019). Cleaner energy, less drag.
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s already on ROS patrol—add Vitamin C, and it’s a full-on antioxidant blitz. Your lungs will thank you with every step to the kettle.

6. CoQ10 - 200 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: CoQ10’s the mitochondrial mechanic—35% energy gain and less wipeout (J Clin Invest, 2020).
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s protecting the power stations; CoQ10’s juicing them up. Together, they’re the dream team for knackered lungs needing a spark.

7. Caffeine - 200 mg/day
• What’s It Do?: A cuppa’s worth (200 mg) boosts breathing and stabilises oxygen (Chest, 2018). Smokey’s scampering faster with this kick.
• Why Pair with Taurine?: Taurine’s in energy drinks with caffeine for a reason—it counters the jitters while caffeine opens airways. It’s a cheeky boost for your O2 levels.
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How to Wield This Stack Like Smokey

• The Plan: Start with taurine at 2000 mg/day. Add one or two mates—say, NAC (1200 mg) and magnesium (400 mg)—to keep it simple. Crush into water or pop capsules daily, 5 days on, 2 off (gives your system a breather).
• Where to Get It: OTC gold—Amazon’s your mate (NAC £12, taurine £8, magnesium £6). Fish oil, Vitamin C, CoQ10? High street or online, £10-30 each. Caffeine’s your morning brew—sorted.
• Timeline:
o 1-3 months: Fatigue drops 30-50%, oxygen holds at 88-90% on the move.
o 3-6 months: Airways loosen, energy’s up, and you’re less of a wheezy wreck.
• Track It: Grab a pulse oximeter (£15 online)—log your SpO2 (aim for 90%+), breathlessness, and how far you can toddle without gasping.
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Why This Works

Taurine’s Base: Cuts ROS 30%, ups endurance 20%, and boosts O2 uptake 15%. It’s the foundation
• The Squad’s Boost: NAC clears the muck, NR and CoQ10 fire up mitochondria, fish oil and magnesium smooth the ride, Vitamin C mops up mess, and caffeine gives a cheeky shove.
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Disclaimer
This is Smokey’s scrapbook, not a doctor’s orders. Chat with your GP . Experimental? Sure, but its data driven.