Thursday, January 25, 2018

Emailing researchers about molybdenum

In the past week or two, I've sent off around 40 emails about molybdenum's helpfulness with gastrointestinal virus-caused nausea to 60+ researchers/public health officials and cruise lines. I've had one cruise line respond and three researchers so far. I'm actually very pleased with that number of responses because I know how much spam mail I get inviting me to bogus conferences and asking me to submit papers to sketchy journals, and I expect many of my emails go immediately to spam folders due to my lack of an .edu or .gov email address. There are drawbacks to being an independent researcher.

Yesterday, as I was responding to one researcher, I had to laugh a little because I was literally taking a molybdenum tablet as I wrote to him. Remember my complaints about how "stomach bugs" keep circulating in my church and school circles? Monday, I visited a friend whose son was home sick with a vomit-causing virus and helped her wash dishes. Then Tuesday and Wednesday, I didn't feel so great. I think I took around 2000 mcg in 250 mcg doses over the past two days because my stomach kept feeling "wrong," for lack of a better word. I found out Wednesday night that my friend and her daughter were homebound with a "stomach bug," probably the same one her son had on Monday.

It's Thursday now. The weird feeling has moved to my lower abdomen, so I'm apparently nearly done passing this virus. I never threw up. My friend does know about molybdenum and uses it to shorten the duration once the vomiting hits, but I think I'm quicker to take molybdenum than my friend because I've had more experience with it (my 18 months versus her 1 month). If I recall correctly, I took some molybdenum right after leaving her house on Monday because I knew I had likely been exposed to her son's virus.

By taking molybdenum earlier on, I escape vomiting entirely and go merrily on my way, no doubt shedding viruses at some point. So I make a conscious effort to wash my hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before preparing food because I don't want to pass this to the rest of my family or anyone else. So here's a question: Is it better for society for me to stay home vomiting and isolated for a day or two or continually out in society due to being mostly asymptomatic? Considering we let children go back to school a mere 24 hours after vomiting and that viruses are being shed for weeks or more afterward (https://experts.umich.edu/en/publications/heterogeneity-in-norovirus-shedding-duration-affects-community-ri), I don't think it makes a difference as long as I am aware that I am potentially shedding viruses and so practice thorough handwashing.

(Disclaimer: I do not prescribe the use of pharmaceutical drugs in any way. I am not a physician, and I reject out of hand any attempt to hold me liable for what boils down to a discussion of food. Any use of a molybdenum supplement should be prudent and guided by the tested tolerable upper intake levels for its usage (see http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/molybdenum for those limits). Any use of an isolated molybdenum supplement during pregnancy should be under the direction of a medical professional as such supplements have apparently not been tested during pregnancy.)

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