The Tissue:
In one of my previous posts about Interstitial Cystitis (IC), I listed many of the alternative medicine’s/supplements available to help treat IC. One of those supplements was Serrapeptase. I’m sure many of you have not heard of a supplement called, Serratiopeptidase (Serrapeptase). That’s because it is a proteolytic enzyme (digests proteins) derived from a certain strain of bacteria in the gut of the silk worm.
Research for Serrapeptase
Unfortunately since it isn’t a very well known supplement, the research for it is very hard to find. If you do discover some research, the big lingering question is one of trust. Since most dietary supplements and herbs are not regulated by the FDA, the companies that sell them don’t have to abide by the same rules of testing and researching that pharmaceutical companies do. Obviously, this poses a great threat to those of us suffering with an illness and looking for safe and effective alternative medicines. The only help we have from the FDA regarding dietary supplements and herbs is accountability. The FDA will monitor and hold the producers of a supplement responsible if their product turns out to have safety issues. Also, if the producer makes a claim that their supplement will help support (never cure or alleviate) a certain health condition, then that statement has to be backed by some sort of research.
How Did I Find Out About Serrapeptase?
I first heard the name mentioned on the Interstitial Cystitis Network (ICN) Facebook chat forum. Then I discovered it on a website touting that they know how to help ease the symptoms of IC with supplements. The website is called Even Better Now. It seems to be a credible company based in Arizona. Their main goal is to help introduce people to alternative medicine choices for certain health conditions. Apparently, the founder of the company also has/had IC. I’ve tried a lot of the supplements and herbs they recommend, not because this website told me to, but because I did my own research as well.
How Does Serrapeptase Work?
Serrapeptase can help reduce inflammation and pain in a manner that almost equals that of popular over the counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin. It does this by either dissolving the dead tissue that can get inflamed or preventing the production of the pain mechanisms coming from the inflamed area.
My Experience with Serrapeptase
Pertaining to the relief of my IC pain, I’m going to give Serrapeptase 3 out of 5 Chuck’s.
Why? Well because it didn’t always perform a miracle at relieving my bladder pressure and pain. It did reduce the symptoms and one time it actually took them away for the day. Since I’m treating Serrapeptase as a take as needed medicine, I take it only when my bladder pressure and pain become too much to handle. Another reason for the not so perfect rating is that I picked a brand that produced their Serrapeptase pills without enteric coating. Our stomach acids can break down the serrapeptase enzymes before they are able to enter the bloodstream through the intestines. Obviously this is a problem, so most manufacturers put a coating over their pills that doesn’t break down in the acidic stomach juices but does break down in the more basic intestine juices. I am wary of enteric coating however, because sometimes the coating contains a chemical known as phthalate. Pthalates are put into plastics to make them more flexible and have a human health safety concern attached to them. However, there are some manufacturers who make Serrapeptase pills with an enteric coating that doesn’t involve phthalates. So since I’ve been using the non enteric coated pills, which you can find here at iHerb.com, the relief I could have gotten from the Serrapeptase has been minimized, even though the amount of Serra enzymes in one of those pills far exceeded that of the enteric coated pills (more is not always better).
Summary
Since I just threw a bunch of information out at you I’m going to sum up my review on using Serrapeptase to help treat the symptoms of IC.
- I’ve got to mention this because it is always important. Make sure to ask your doctor if taking Serrapeptase is something you should be doing. That way you can at least get some kind of professional opinion.
- Buy Serrapeptase with enteric coating but buy from a manufacturer that doesn’t use enteric coating with phthalates in it. Usually it will be listed under “other ingredients”. I found this brand on iHerb.com that looks to be enteric coated without phthalates. I will write an updated post on it later to report any noticeable differences in pain relief.
- Try taking the pills on an empty stomach. Let’s say at least 2 hours after a meal and maybe one hour before. I know this gets a little hard when your pain suddenly decides to rear its ugly head at random times.
- Don’t take it on a daily basis. This same advice is not something someone with constant daily pain wants to hear, but I’m going to be cautious since the effectiveness and safety research is so fragmented and a little all over the place. So try taking it on an as needed basis and definitely not more than the recommended amount on the bottle.
By the way, if you would like to order some supplements from iHerb.com and you are a new costumer, use this referral code at checkout so you can get $5 off: FEX822
Does anyone else have experience with Serrapeptase? Feel free to leave a comment or a question.
For more information on the regulation of dietary supplements and on Serrapeptase see the following:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Alerts and Advisories
did you mean “Doctor's Best, Best High Potency Serrapeptase, 120,000 SPUs, 90 Enteric Coated Veggie Caps ? because in the listed “other ingredients” it says:
” enteric coating (HPMCP).” HPMCP means (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Phthalate)
Hi Joanne,
Yes you are correct. The Doctor's Best Serrapeptase brand is one of the ones I found that actually lists that their enteric coating includes phtalates. I'm glad they at least listed it somewhere instead of just calling it “enteric coating” like some other brands do.
I’m looking into treating PAD (peripheral arterial disease – so called by the medical establishment) or short for poor circulation to the extremities for hereditary and diet reasons with serrapeptase. ANy thoughts?
Hi Stephanie,
The only thing I know is that Serrapeptase is suppose to be good against inflammation. I have heard that it can be used to help people with plaque in their arteries but I’m not sure if that applies to peripheral arterial disease as well. Although there are a lot of illnesses related to chronic inflammation in our bodies so serrapeptase could potentially help. Definitely be cautious with this supplement though and definitely ask your doctor if it’s alright to try it before you do. Have you found anyone else (like on a blog or support group) who’s written about trying Serrapeptase for your medical condition?
I hope this helps.
Serrapeptase is also good for cleaning out the waste products like blood clots e.g. used instead of rat poison the doctors use.
I have taken serrapeptase for years with very good results; however, since taking Doctor’s Best I have a circulation problem in my toes. My mother says she is “itching” – she never discribes symptoms accurately so take that with a grain of salt. I take 40,000 units. When I took the non-enteric coated they were less effective and seriously hurt my stomach. Is there a brand that is enteric and without Pthalates.
I think Serra Trol by MRM maybe not have phtalates in it even though it’s enteric coated. That’s what I gather from the ingredients they divulged online. That really interesting about your circulation problems, I haven’t heard that before. If you stop taking the pills does the circulation improve?
I tried “Ennerex” serrapeptase and actually had serious kidney and back pain, but I was taking a high daily dose on empty stomach. Other issues might have been involved, and now I”m going to try again here a few months later, only taking one per day.
Actually, I found endless research on this stuff. It’s actually been pretty well proven with few side effects. But I think when someone with a lot of gunk in their body take too high a dose it can overload the kidneys with the detox.
THe Ennerex has a very clean algae based enteric coating as well. After lots of research it was the best one I found. Will come back after I get back on it and let you know if I’m having improvement for the bladder.
enerex uses cellulose phthalate for it’s enteric coating. vegetable sourced doesn’t mean safe or clean.
Awesome! algae based enteric coating sounds intersting. Let me know how you’re doing!
I have been diagnosed with sarcoidosis and I just read that Serrapeptase could be used for this disease. Has anyone used this for sarcoidosis ?
After taking 8 tablets, skin rashes + GI track disturbance, hence stopped immediately.
Check out the Serrapeptase sold by Hallelujah Acres, found at hacres.com
I haven’t taken it myself, yet, but the product description is good, the reviews from their customers are great, and I have been extremely impressed by every other product I’ve bought from Hallelujah Acres over a 10+ year time frame.
Hello, my mother has had pulmonary fibrosis and I would really like to help her. I am afraid to harm her. She is 84 and has a tumor on her lung as well. I will be finding out soon what that tumor may be. I would like to try this serrapeptase enzyme treatment and carefully watch her, of course with a doctor knowing. Any thoughts for me…CATHY
I’m sorry but I really have no experience with using serrapeptase to treat what your mother has. You should definitely talk to her doctor about it. I think all doctors should listen more to their patients when they suggest alternative treatments along with modern medical treatments. I hope your doctor will listen to you. Good luck, hope you get some answers from a doctor.
hi, cathy, saw your post about wanting to help your mom with her medical condition. First of all, i commend you for wanting to help your mother, I too, do alot of research in order to help my mother with the pain associated with ra. Once they reach a certain age, it becomes more difficult for them to make healthy choices for themselves. I ran across serrapeptase a couple of years ago, and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I ordered it for my mother but while reading about all the things it helps with I ordered it for myself too. For many years I have lived with acid reflux, if I did not take the over the counter med every single day, I would not be able to keep down anything I ate or drank, it was very uncomfortable and painful. But the serrapeptase has helped me, I no longer take prevacid everyday, just one serrapeptase a day. Many of my family members are taking serrapeptase for various reasons and all are doing well. Where I found the most helpful information was through a man named robert redfern, he has been featured on many talk shows here in the us. His website address is http://www.robertredfern.com Please check it out for yourself. I wish you and your mom all the best.
I’ve been using TriStar Naturals Serra 100,000 U 3x day (wake up at night to take them) for approx 3 weeks. I have chronic pain, fibro, severe osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, asthma and a host of other conditions. I live on the “Wet” Coast and most days could Not get out of bed easily. Since using the Serra, I can get out of bed, I don’t cry from pain during the day. I am going to back down on the dose, to 2 x day, the recommended dose. I was advised by herbalist at store to start with 6 since I was so sick, when I got relief, back it down. This is a good brand, if you’re in Canada. I’m hoping that by this time next year I’ll see improvement in my cholestoral levels.
Carrie, Try useing Protandim. It works even better than Serra for pain.
Check Carotec for more information