mgk
Senior Member
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- 155
I realized just recently that the increased need for magnesium must be what's happening to me too. I knew I had a B12 deficiency so I just assumed all my symptoms were due to that. But I also noticed that some symptoms got worse when taking potassium (which I thought I need lots of since I was taking lots of B12). Must be a fine balance between potassium and magnesium I guess. So it seems like methylation is not working at all because I don't get enough magnesium. After increasing my magnesium intake some symptoms (magnesium deficiency) have improved. But I guess I should go easy on the B12 until all my magnesium deficiency symptoms are gone.
Is it the same for you that methylation seems to stop completely if there is not enough magnesium?
I've also noticed that with more magnesium, I need more potassium. Could it be simply because of the magnesium/potassium balance or is it more likely that with enough magnesium, methylation starts and increases the need for potassium?
Magnesium and potassium are critical, but as @PeterPositive said, there are so many cofactors that you'll have a hard time narrowing down the problem if that's all you're taking.
For many of us, the limiting factors for a long time have been B12 and folate. Once you starting taking more of those, you will experience a deficiency in something else, and what that is will depend on your individual nutritional status. That's why it's such a good idea to start with a good baseline of a B complex without folic acid & cyanocobalamin, multimineral, extra mg & zinc, vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and fish oil.
The idea is to start from as blank of a slate as possible and then add one thing at a time. As you do this, you will get to know what better methylation feels like, and you will be able to tweak more and more to replicate and improve that feeling.
Once you have your blank slate, you start adding in the critical cofactors (called the "deadlock quartet" in other parts of this place): methylb12, adenob12, methylfolate, and l-carnitine fumarate (in my experience, that's a good order). Adding these things will drive the methylation cycle harder and you may need more of the baseline nutrients in order to feel better. Depending on your situation, you may also have to try things like TMG, SAM-e, extra B2, B6, biotin, ...
There's one other point I want to make about potassium. In my experience, adenob12 deficiency can seem like potassium deficiency. If you already have the basics in place and find that taking more potassium doesn't help or makes things worse, try increasing adenob12. Again, a lot of these things are highly individual, but I wanted to mention it as an avenue for you to explore.
I wish there were a simpler answer, but this is the best we have right now. Keep trying and have faith that you will get better. I hope this helps!