BeautifulDay
Senior Member
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Doctors, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies are all looking into this path -- energy metabolism in the brain (glutamine, glycine, gaba, etc….) and brain inflammation and symptoms (cognition, fatigue, autistic features, etc….). Some of the researchers and doctors believe that low dose dextromethorphan looks promising for some individuals with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, cognitive loss, autism, etc…..
I don’t believe low dose dextromethorphan is going to help everyone and I don’t believe it will be the cure all. However, for people who fit a certain criteria, low dose dextromethorphan looks promising for improving some symptoms in some people. If this is ultimately found to be the case, I expect pharmaceutical companies to develop better and more precise medications that will help with energy metabolism in the brain through similar means.
I’m planning on trying low dose dextromethorphan (over the counter cough suppressant) to see if it has any impact on my fatigue and other symptoms (including cognitive issues). I’m the guinea pig in our family. Until the doctors find a cure, I’ve got to keep looking for items within my reach that can improve (even slightly) our symptoms. It’s very hard when one of our kids sobs that he/she is missing out on something because of severe fatigue or another related symptom.
I’m not going to start low dose dextromethorphan until next week, so please post any thoughts, concerns, suggestions. Thanks!
Here is a quick summary of my thoughts. I’ll post the more detailed science/research discussion in bite sized pieces in separate posts.
There are many studies indicating that inflammation is higher in the brains of some people with CFS, Alzheimer’s, Austic Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, etc…. Scientists have found that people with inflammation in the brain can have higher levels of glutamine or glycine or Gaba in their blood and/or urine. The question then enters – if my brain is not getting the glutamine, glycine, or Gaba it needs for energy, then 1) Does my body produce more to try to overcome what the body sees as a defect? 2) Will the amino acids that are not being absorbed in the brain show up as being higher in the blood or urine? I don't have the answers to those questions (I'm just thinking out loud).
Across the board in our 5 family members with Mitochondrial Disease and Chronic Fatigue, we all have amino acid issues. Glutamic acid is low in all of us, while we all have various issues within our group from high Glutamine in blood and urine, high GABA in urine, and high 3-methylhistidine in urine. Everyone who has mitochondrial issues is different, even within the same family - so something that improves a symptom in one, may not work for everyone.
I don’t believe low dose dextromethorphan is going to help everyone and I don’t believe it will be the cure all. However, for people who fit a certain criteria, low dose dextromethorphan looks promising for improving some symptoms in some people. If this is ultimately found to be the case, I expect pharmaceutical companies to develop better and more precise medications that will help with energy metabolism in the brain through similar means.
I’m planning on trying low dose dextromethorphan (over the counter cough suppressant) to see if it has any impact on my fatigue and other symptoms (including cognitive issues). I’m the guinea pig in our family. Until the doctors find a cure, I’ve got to keep looking for items within my reach that can improve (even slightly) our symptoms. It’s very hard when one of our kids sobs that he/she is missing out on something because of severe fatigue or another related symptom.
I’m not going to start low dose dextromethorphan until next week, so please post any thoughts, concerns, suggestions. Thanks!
Here is a quick summary of my thoughts. I’ll post the more detailed science/research discussion in bite sized pieces in separate posts.
There are many studies indicating that inflammation is higher in the brains of some people with CFS, Alzheimer’s, Austic Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, etc…. Scientists have found that people with inflammation in the brain can have higher levels of glutamine or glycine or Gaba in their blood and/or urine. The question then enters – if my brain is not getting the glutamine, glycine, or Gaba it needs for energy, then 1) Does my body produce more to try to overcome what the body sees as a defect? 2) Will the amino acids that are not being absorbed in the brain show up as being higher in the blood or urine? I don't have the answers to those questions (I'm just thinking out loud).
Across the board in our 5 family members with Mitochondrial Disease and Chronic Fatigue, we all have amino acid issues. Glutamic acid is low in all of us, while we all have various issues within our group from high Glutamine in blood and urine, high GABA in urine, and high 3-methylhistidine in urine. Everyone who has mitochondrial issues is different, even within the same family - so something that improves a symptom in one, may not work for everyone.