Restarting methylation with compromised adrenals

[therron]

I'm just wondering about the possibility that some of us have such weak adrenals that we are unable to kickstart methylation. As for myself, I know now that I have had adrenal issues since I was a child, but not with the typical fatigue issues. I had more energy from the time I was born to about my 50th birthday than anyone I know. I literally never wore out, did multitudes of activities, did well in school, excelled at work, slept like a baby, managed a family of 6 and full time job, blah blah blah. What I do remember as a child that makes me think that I had adrenal issues is that I had strange pains in my lower back, and that I would be physically ill if I stayed up late. I'm guessing that my lifetime of energy may have come from excitotoxicity from wheat products (probably the folic acid component rather than the gluten). Once I stopped eating wheat or any other processed product about 5 years ago, at the same time as going through some horrific life stresses, my adrenal and MTHFR issues started to surface. Now, I seem to be among the group of PWCs that never have typical reactions to supplements (even my alternative practitioners are puzzled by me), and am not making progress with the methylation protocol. Actually, I have gotten more fatigued than ever (perhaps the supplements tax my adrenals). So.........here is my question.............do you think that those of us who are intolerant of potassium (another sign of adrenal insufficiency), and fail to respond to supplements, need to fix up adrenals before the supplements will work?

 

[Adster]

The potassium intolerance is interesting, I'd not heard of that before, but have noticed that potassium salt makes me feel noticeably worse.

My understanding was that methylation support would help the adrenals.

 

[JPV]

The potassium intolerance is interesting, I'd not heard of that before, but have noticed that potassium salt makes me feel noticeably worse.

My understanding was that methylation support would help the adrenals.

There was some discussion, on the "B-12 - The Hidden Story" thread, about the possibility that high levels of B12 could possibly stress the adrenals too much.

Here's where the discussion started...
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?188-B-12-The-Hidden-Story&p=27068&viewfull=1#post27068

Rich did some research on the subject and has found instances where B12 was recommended for adrenals but in much lower doses than what is generally indicated on these protocols...
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?188-B-12-The-Hidden-Story&p=32013&viewfull=1#post32013
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?188-B-12-The-Hidden-Story&p=32035&viewfull=1#post32035

From what I can tell it seems like a somewhat contentious subject.

I'm keenly interested in this topic, as I have all the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and have had mixed success on methylation protocols.

Most of the supplements on Freddd's protocol are actually supportive of adrenals except for perhaps the B12. At least at the levels he recommends. I've started experimenting with drastically reducing my B12 intake and added Pantethine and Pantothenic Acid to my vitamin regimen. If this works out, then I will experiment with increasing B12 later on.

One interesting aspect of Rich's protocol is that includes Phosphatidyl Serine, which is absent from Freddd's protocol. Phosphatidyl Serine is believed to lower excessive cortisol which, for some people, may be a contributory factor to adrenal fatigue issues. Then again, others have reported bad reactions to this supplement...
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/showthread.php?188-B-12-The-Hidden-Story&p=27322&viewfull=1#post27322

And potassium make me feel much worse too. It is absolutely contraindicated for those suffering with adrenal fatigue.

 

[ukme]

Dr James L Wilson says to take 1/2-1 tsp salted water to help the adrenals. The less salty it is to the taste the more you need it.

Rich says to leave out Phos Serine if you suffer adrenal problems and to take lecithin instead.

 

[therron]

Thank you ukme, JPV,and Adster for participating in this discussion and for your links. It's great to hear your thoughts on the adrenal issue. I know that the methylation protocol is supposed to help the adrenals, but in my case, my fatigue has gotten worse. Like all of you, I have to listen to my body in addition to informing myself through reading. My current tweaking involves simply taking the 5MTHF at 200 mcg 1x per day (I really feel I need this due to two MTHFR gene issues). I am leaving out B12 and all other supplements for now (except one D3 capsule and 2 mg of melatonin at bedtime). I need to concentrate on supporting my adrenals through reducing stress, balancing blood sugar throughout the day, doing mild exercise only, and finding time to do deep breathing/meditation. Another interesting note is that my acupuncturist finds that my reactions to even mild chinese herbs are way out of the ball park, and that my pulse is very weak. I don't really think that my body has the energy for the full protocol right now. I will continue to seek input from all of you good people, as I move into the lower-and-slower-than-ever zone. Let me know if you come up with any more interesting research!

 

[suzanne]

I also have low adrenal function (saliva test results confirmed). My dr put me on a natural adrenal cortex product ( can buy it from i herb. It is called ADRENergize by enzymatic Therapy). I take one capsule a day. It has made a tremendous difference to my cortisol readings- and I am now in the normal range- it is still a bit low in the morning but I hope it will continue to improve now I am improving te methylation cycle.

I hope this information might help you. I know how you feel, it is like where do you start with our bodies that are so sensitive to supplements but we need to get a foot in the door somewhere to start healing.

I too am sensitive to potassium and have had bad GI issues with it. I know I needed to supplement with potssium though as I was getting terrible muscle spasms when I first started the methylation protocol ( Fredd's). So I started to take celery seed extract capsules ( the research suggests they are really high in potassium) and I have not had problems with the muscle twitching since....just thought i would mention...

 

[rydra_wong]

I have extreme adrenal issues during allergy seasons only (I actually only had this tested during allergy season). I believe I manage adrenal issues with DHEA (at least they seem significantly less when I take DHEA), but during allergy season I also take a dried adrenal product or else I have repeated low blood sugar (many times a day) and extreme exhaustion. I did not used to have the blood sugar symptoms but did always have the extreme exhaustion during allergy season. I would consider whether hormone replacement might help you. You might check if you have any allergies as well. There is some company in Germany which analyzes your blood and tells you what peptides you need to cancel your allergies. It takes 6 months -- I am getting it done, but the results haven't come back yet.

I have 3 genes that cause high blood pressure (stage 3) but DHEA keeps it down to pre-hypertension and 500 mg potassium brings it down to normal. During allergy season I crave salt and have to eat it alot or I can't think, yet my blood pressure is normal to low. I guess now that you mention it that I did not take potassium at that time -- I was stirring it into vitamin water and it made me throw up right about then so I couldn't stand the thought of it anymore. So maybe it was a violent reaction to potassium when my blood pressure was already low - dunno.