Q: I am taking Boluoke® every day, because I have three small Lacunar cerebral infarctions. Will this help? I am also taking several vitamins at the same time. Is that OK？What vitamins would lower the effects of Boluoke®? Takao O. (Santa Ana, CA)
A: Boluoke® (lumbrokinase) should help you recover from lacunar ischemic stroke faster, especially if you just had the stroke (within 3 months). The suggested dosage is 2 capsules 3 times daily for 3-6 weeks for acute strokes. If your lacunar stroke was more than 6 months ago, then the goal would be to prevent future strokes. For prevention, the dosage is 1-2 capsules 3 times daily. Whether for acute treatment or for prevention purposes, it is best to consult a doctor who’s familiar with Boluoke® and your health history in order to decide on the optimal dosage for you. Boluoke® should be taken on an empty stomach, so it is not likely to interfere with other vitamins (since most vitamins should be taken with meals). So, in general there is no problem for you to take Boluoke® even if you are taking other vitamins.
Q: Are there any tapering requirements when stopping Boluoke®? Chris D. (Unknown Location)
A: There is no tapering requirement for stopping Boluoke®. Fundamentally, we advise that Boluoke® dosage should be increased or decreased according to the patient’s symptoms and lab results.
If the patient is doing well and lab results show that there is no longer a hypercoagulation issue, then the dosage can be reduced or stopped as per the doctor’s clinical judgement.
Q: I have a patient taking Boluoke® to improve blood flow and energy. It’s been very successful. I’m wondering what the high end of safety (ie., how many capsules can be taken daily—6, 8, 12)? Alex B., MD (Waltham, MA)
A: Most of the studies on Boluoke® (lumbrokinase) use 2 caps tid as the therapeutic dose, but the suggested maximum clinical dose is 12 caps per day for a 50kg adult. In most situations (acute and chronic), 2 caps tid should do the job. The other option is to use laboratory testing to guide your dosage. Attached please find a dosage guideline developed by Dr. McCombs as a reference. The LD50 dose in rodents is 480 caps/kg/day, so the safety margin is very high.
