Just got Metametrix ION test results back

[tim0011]

So I got these results and there are many imbalances on the results. One that looks most off is in energy production.

All Citrate, Cis-aconitate, Isocitrate are very low, Pyruvate is high.

My Phenylalanine/Tyrosine ratio is high, the same with Glutamic acid/Glutamine and Tryptophan/LNAA is also high.

Proline, sarcosine, hippurate are all high

Anyone has any ideas? I'm just nervious and would appreciate any answers because I'll need to wait quite some time for doctor consultation. Thanks!

 

[Valentijn]

It's hard to guess without the rest of the info. A lot of test results are interrelated, and without context, this data is pretty hard to interpret. More vitamin B3 might help with the low high pyruvate and low citrate, but maybe your other results say you already have plenty.

Files can be uploaded into posts. If it's a .pdf, there are free programs online that let you crop each page (say a couple inches off the top) to remove any personal info you don't want people to see, and .pdf splitters which let you remove pages (if the whole front page has private info).

But these sorts of tests are really only useful if all the results can be seen.

 

[Valentijn]

And 2nd part. Thanks for any help!

You have elevated Vitamin A levels, which really shouldn't happen unless taking vitamin A (can be in liver or fish oils), or using drugs or other treatments with retinol. Vitamin D might be low due to the elevated Vitamin A, since they use the same transport mechanism and the excess Vitamin A might be blocking the Vitamin D. And without sufficient Vitamin D, calcium will not be absorbed, potentially explaining high calcium levels excreted in your urine.

You have elevated Pyruvate levels, but low values in your Kreb's (citric acid) Cycle. This could be because of a deficiency of substances needed to transform pyruvate into the substance which feeds into the Kreb's Cycle. That requires B1, B2, B3, B5, and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Your vitamin metabolite results suggest you aren't deficient in those B vitamins, but it still might be worthwhile to try B-complex vitamin with active forms of the B vitamins. Supplementing ALA also might help.

Despite your "B6 Status Markers" looking normal, your elevated xanthurenate indicates a B6 deficiency. I'll try to look into that a bit more, because it's a rather odd result.

Vitamin C might help with your elevated proline levels.

Summary of basic things to consider trying:

• Reduce Vitamin A intake
• Supplement Vitamin D
• Supplement active B Vitamins
• Supplement Vitamin C
• Supplement ALA

 

[tim0011]

You have elevated Vitamin A levels, which really shouldn't happen unless taking vitamin A (can be in liver or fish oils), or using drugs or other treatments with retinol. Vitamin D might be low due to the elevated Vitamin A, since they use the same transport mechanism and the excess Vitamin A might be blocking the Vitamin D. And without sufficient Vitamin D, calcium will not be absorbed, potentially explaining high calcium levels excreted in your urine.

You have elevated Pyruvate levels, but low values in your Kreb's (citric acid) Cycle. This could be because of a deficiency of substances needed to transform pyruvate into the substance which feeds into the Kreb's Cycle. That requires B1, B2, B3, B5, and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Your vitamin metabolite results suggest you aren't deficient in those B vitamins, but it still might be worthwhile to try B-complex vitamin with active forms of the B vitamins. Supplementing ALA also might help.

Despite your "B6 Status Markers" looking normal, your elevated xanthurenate indicates a B6 deficiency. I'll try to look into that a bit more, because it's a rather odd result.

Vitamin C might help with your elevated proline levels.

Summary of basic things to consider trying:

• Reduce Vitamin A intake
• Supplement Vitamin D
• Supplement active B Vitamins
• Supplement Vitamin C
• Supplement ALA

Thanks Valentijn for the reply. I used to supplement with all of those except the active B vitamins for a while to no avail. I was actually expecting worse results and thought that something must be very off in my nutrigenomics (some severe deficiencies) which are causing my severe symptoms but I guess I was wrong. I don't know I mean how can these results look fine but I'm so sick? Do you think that those low levels of Kreb's cycle metabolities could be causing my fatigue or are those still "Normal"? I'm thinking if there might be some kind of blockage (mutation) in the enzyme that is converting Pyruvate into further metabolities?

 

[Valentijn]

Thanks Valentijn for the reply. I used to supplement with all of those except the active B vitamins for a while to no avail. I was actually expecting worse results and thought that something must be very off in my nutrigenomics (some severe deficiencies) which are causing my severe symptoms but I guess I was wrong.

I think one deficiency can be enough to cause severe problems. Even if you're supplementing 99 things, if the one you are deficient in is #100, then those other 99 aren't going to help. B vitamins are used in a ton of reactions, and being deficient in any of them is pretty nasty. I also recall seeing a study recently where it shown that ME/CFS patients were less effective at using a certain substance (I think it was a vitamin?), but that supplementing it helped, even though they weren't particularly deficient in the supplemented material to start with.

I don't know I mean how can these results look fine but I'm so sick? Do you think that those low levels of Kreb's cycle metabolities could be causing my fatigue or are those still "Normal"?

One value is borderline low, but two are definitely low. And yes, a dysfunctional Kreb's cycle can cause really nasty consequences. It's how energy is produced, and yours indicates that you are not producing much. If you can't do much before you need to rest, or your muscles give out, or you get PEM the next day, your inability to produce energy is probably behind it.

I think in general it's a good thing that so few of your results are abnormal. And your high pyruvate followed by low Kreb's Cycle values gives you a very specific point where a problem is arising. Mine is showing up somewhere between having normal fat/sugar metabolism, and the Kreb's Cycle, which leaves about 12 steps where something could be going wrong

There are also substances (neurotransmitters, hormones, etc) which regulate body functions, and it's possible one or more of those are off as well. But it makes sense to try the easiest and most obvious course of action first (vitamins and supplements).

I'm thinking if there might be some kind of blockage (mutation) in the enzyme that is converting Pyruvate into further metabolities?

You said you haven't tried supplementing an active B-vitamin complex (together with the other necessary things), so that might be a good place to start. Beyond that, it's really hard to guess what's going on (though obviously something bigger is going on). The best we can usually do is narrow things down a bit and try what's indicated to improve things a bit or exclude some more possibilities.