Heart Disease and Parkinson's Disease and Vitamins

[JuggernautTCW]

Hi,  my name is Kathy and I am new to this forum.  I am a Parkinson’s patient and I have a few questions on vitamins and their effects on hearts.

I’ve purchase CoQ10 200mg from a local pharmacy.  On the label it claims that it can “improve heart function”.  Can it really improve heart function as it claims on the label?

I have Parkinson’s disease and since the Parkinson’s medicines make my heart feel uncomfortable.  Neurologists have told me that 1200 mg of CoQ10 can protect my neural systems and that is what I have been doing.  Is 1200 mg of CoQ10 too much (or considered as overdose) and actually have detrimental side effects on my heart?  Will 1200 mg give me any side effects?

I am taking the following vitamins daily: 200 IU of Vitamin E, Vitamin B50, Calcium 500 mg, CoQ10 1200 mg, Fish Oil 1200 mg.  I am not taking any of the Parkinson’s medicines.  I used to have chest pain and shortness of breath and CoQ10 had helped my conditions a lot.  Do you have any recommendations or suggestions about the vitamins that I am currently taking?

Thanks for taking my question!  I am looking forward to your response.

[Cleveland Clinic]

hi kathy,

thanks for the post.

I’ve purchase CoQ10 200mg from a local pharmacy. On the label it claims that it can “improve heart function”. Can it really improve heart function as it claims on the label?


There are no significant clinical trials supporting the beneficial effects of CoQ10 on cardiac function. CoQ10 is a supplement and thus does not have the same oversight as prescription medications to monitor the benefits and risk of its use. Due to the lack of data, I do not recommend this supplement to my patients.

Is 1200 mg of CoQ10 too much (or considered as overdose) and actually have detrimental side effects on my heart? Will 1200 mg give me any side effects?


Again the benefits and risk are not known. However, Im not aware of sigificant negative effects form its use.

Do you have any recommendations or suggestions about the vitamins that I am currently taking?


The most important overall of the medications you listed would probably be calcium from the medications we have data for.  It promotes strong bone grownth and reduced the risk of fractures as you age.  Vitamin E may carry a higher risk of adverse complications for patients with known coronary heart disease.  The other vitamins do not have significant benefit one way or another.

hope this is a start.

[knicks30]

Good questions. Vitamins can be interesting but the "FDA" doesn't approve of them. I sometimes hate the FDA it feels like they are lying to us, hence our whole united states government is so stupid. Still love my country though.

[knicks30]

hold up if the doc say's the other vitamins has no factors in treating one way or the other....what about Fish Oil? I've heard TOO MANY trials saying to take fish oil capsules daily. Heck even the White House on May 27th 2003 urged the Nation to consume more Omega 3. I took Fish Oil and it raised my HDL like 8 points but kept my LDL the same. I have no cholesterol problems but want my HDL to be as high as possible and right now the Fish Oil capsules are working as well as exercise and Red Wine.