HI there
@Athene* I hope you're doing well. My experiment with staying off the Bs has surely come to an end and left me wrung out. I couldn't stand the facial tightness and tingling any more and jumped back into the game two days ago. Further, I think my B-12 levels were tanking. I was very unbalanced and exhausted. The dose is still low by any standards here--only 3,000 mcg per day, but it took away much of the symptoms.
As always, I seem to be doing more than one thing at a time, so there's not a straight line between supplement and reaction...but I think it's fairly clear.
I was interested to see that molybdenum was causing you stomach upset. Even at about 30mcg/ day, mine was doing the same, so I have done a bit of research on it. The BodyBio drops I use are Ammonium Molybdate, and apparently the best form to use is a cheated amino acid form. There is one by Country Life that has 150mcg/tablet that I think I may try. What form have you been using?
During the past two weeks of experimentation with the molybdenum, it always gave me a very tired, even exhausted chest-heavy feeling. At first it helped my sleep at night, but very quickly made it impossible for me to go to sleep at all until at least 2 a.m. I know you've been having sleep issues since going off the hydrocortisone, but wondered if this might be contributing. Last night, after taking none yesterday, I fell asleep instantly by about 11.
Unfortunately I woke at 1:30 with my heart racing. It was not potassium need as I'd had some just before bed, but I drank another 300mg just to make sure, and it didn't help. Straight to the Propanolol then, the beta-blocker, which resolved it completely within about fifteen minutes. But then, as always at full doses at night, it kept me fully awake till 5:00 this morning, when 1/4 Valium helped me fall asleep.
Every night, a new adventure...
But it does re-confirm (if I needed reconfirmation) that the B12 is stimulating the adrenals and the adrenaline, or other hormonal stuff which the molybdenum might have taken care of soaking up had I taken any yesterday. Today I'm going to try taking a bit with my lunch to see if that will help. At this point I'm not about to go back on B12. It would feel reckless to do so.
Just as a side note, Athene, I well know that you worked on your adoB12 levels orally even before you switched to the oils. What level were you up to? I think this is obviously the way to go to help the body adjust to the jump/switch over to the oils. Raising my MeB12 levels was what helped me tolerate the oils the first time and I'd like to head back I that direction.
My husband started getting concerned by my symptoms over the weekend and asked if I ought to have injections. I used you as a reference point as someone who did just fine on the oils. Furthermore, I don't know how I would test given my even admittedly low B12 doses.
The good news is that I have my annual physical in a week and a half. Maybe some things will come clear (though I'm not holding my breath!). Things change, it seems, slowly, over time, and we are left to wait and see.
The bad news is that we're going on a family vacation to Paris and the South of France to see my brother-in-law's family at the end of July, and I am completely dreading it. One suitcase full of supps, I'm thinking! And lots of research to try to have some control over the situation--if that's even possible.
Way too hot here in Boston. And muggy. I walked around the block twice yesterday and that felt like more than enough.