Thirst for MFolate, those that have ramped up

[sregan]

What type of Mg do you take?

I don't know the solution to it, but the probable cause is too much purines. What helped me so far was Mg oxide. But then again I never touched Mfolate again

Mg-Glycinate

 

[whodathunkit]

@sregan, a lot of people really like niacin. And I know it can be quite beneficial for a number of conditions. I wish I could take it, but it always, always, always seems to give me symptoms of methyltrap. So I just stay away.

Glad it worked for you. As always, three steps forward and two steps back is better than nothin'.

 

[sregan]

@sreganAs always, three steps forward and two steps back is better than nothin'.

That's exactly what I feel like. Just not sure I took any steps in either direction. Did the SMP benefit me in any long term way? If I can "come down" with the Niacin and see if I generally feel any better then maybe I can say yes? I've assumed I have a mercury issue due to a lifelong mouth full of amalgams (all out now). Wondering if I might have chelated some metals during the SMP?

 

[whodathunkit]

Wondering if I might have chelated some metals during the SMP?

Could be. Kick-starting your metabolic processes frequently provokes the body into some kind of "clean out".

Have you ever done any chelation? Might want to think about it whether you have or haven't, if you've recently removed all your amalgams. Now THERE is something that will definitely make you feel like crap while you're doing it.

Did the SMP benefit me in any long term way? If I can "come down" with the Niacin and see if I generally feel any better then maybe I can say yes?

From your feedback I'm betting it did do you some long-term good. But your bod is telling you to back off so just go with that.

A pattern for me with a lot of stuff is that I can't tolerate it at first, so I have to leave it and do some other things to build myself up. Then circle back around to the offending substance(s). When I come back tolerance is remarkably improved. One notable thing this happened with is iodine...I had an awful time with it when I first started. So I quit, chelated, went back, and then it did me a whole lot of good.

LCF is another thing leaving off it for a while did me some good, although I didn't intentionally leave off of that. I just forgot to take it for a while then realized I wasn't feeling so good and remembered I hadn't had it for a while. When I went back to it I realized much more benefit from it and was able to ramp my dosage up quickly from about 250mg/day to 1000mg/day (the max known effective dose).

 

[Gondwanaland]

Mg-Glycinate

Some time ago I read this riddle about +/+MAO-A and it certainly rung a bell for me:

you need to be careful about taking mag glycinate and 5-htp

 

[Gondwanaland]

One notable thing this happened with is iodine.

Do you take iodine on a daily basis? For how long have you taken it? How much do you take now?

 

[sregan]

Do you take iodine on a daily basis? For how long have you taken it? How much do you take now?

I don't take it, used to a long time ago. Careful about thyroid stimulants now.

 

[Gondwanaland]

I don't take it, used to a long time ago. Careful about thyroid stimulants now.

I know, I have no intention to take iodine soon. It is a plan for the future.

 

[whodathunkit]

Do you take iodine on a daily basis? For how long have you taken it? How much do you take now?

Izzy, iodine was the first supplement I purposefully took after really running myself into the ground that I could tell did me a whole lot of lasting good. I consider it a foundation supplement of my current health. I've always taken some supplements and dabbled around in alt nutritional methods, but iodine is the first thing that ever had a noticeable and dramatic effect...probably because my health had deteriorated so badly in the first place.

I started taking it about 5 years ago. I had a pretty bad detox off it at first, and some intolerable sides (got sick/crashed, insomnia, jitteriness, sky-high anxiety, etc.) so I had to back off it for a few months and chelate. When I went back to it after chelating it really helped my thyroid and helped me to feel better. TSH went down to below 1 (had been as high as 4 in the past), plus all other values improved.

I megadosed on it for a year or so (100mg/day) in the hopes it might help my uterine fibroids, but it didn't do much for them. However, I think it did chelate some mercury and bromides and maybe other bad stuff out of my system over the long haul.

I also think it may have had a somewhat deleterious effect on my gut flora, which is one reason I finally backed off the big doses. I went down to about 12.5 mg/day, and eventually just only took it sporadically.

Interestingly, when I was taking MSM for a few months last year I think the MSM chelated all the iodine I had left in my system, because I started getting these horrible menstrual cramps again, like I did when I was in my 30's. So I started asking myself what was different and researching, then it dawned on me that it was the MSM (sulfur) antagonistic to iodine. So I upped my iodine dose again and magically my menstrual cycle went back to pain-free. I cut the MSM for that reason...it was also making my hair greasy.

Edited to add: MSM also helped chelate my iron stores because it was during this time that my ferritin levels bottomed out again. Another reason I quit.

Now after "loading" iodine again I'm back to sporadic ("as needed") dosing. I don't seem to need 12.5mg/day orally, but sometimes I do ingest it. I also paint it on my skin sometimes, plus I use it in my Waterpik as part of oral hygiene routine every night. So I'm getting some from waterpik every day, too.

Probably more than you wanted to know but that's how I take iodine. LOL

 

[SwanRonson]

I also think it may have had a somewhat deleterious effect on my gut flora

Did this to me too. I took about 6 mg iodine a day for over a year until I finally went hyperthyroid and had to stop it. In the long run I believe it really disturbed my gut flora balance. I was very regular during that time, so I never thought about it. But later I found out that hyperthyroid will cause loose stool, which for me translated to normal stools since I've had lifelong chronic constipation. After coming off the iodine is when things really went down hill gut-wise (sibo, constipation, gastritis, etc.) 2 lessons learned. Be careful with iodine. And, be careful taking anything every single day, unless you're keeping really close tabs on side effects.

 

[whodathunkit]

be careful taking anything every single day, unless you're keeping really close tabs on side effects.

Yes.

I still love iodine but like everything, it should be used with discretion and moderation.

 

[Rand56]

Yes.

I still love iodine but like everything, it should be used with discretion and moderation.

I agree with what you said here. For a short while I took a higher dose of Lugol's, then thought it would be a wise thing to do to cut back considerably on the amount. Now I only put a drop of Lugol's 2% solution in a pitcher of water.

Also, SSKI is a very good expectorant. Last time I did it, which I will still do on occasion, I took 100 mg's of it daily for about a week. Helped to clear out some gunk in my lungs. I'm a smoker

I was able to handle that amount fine, but each individuals dose of it may vary considerably.

 

[aturtles]

I do keep an eye on my fingernails. Thumb nails in particular. Mine develop horizontal ridges as they cycle in and out of strong and weak growth. I associate the weak growth with folate deficiency. Unfortunately, they are not a good immediate indicator since it seems the ridging only becomes visible weeks after the growth ( or lack of growth ) actually took place. Before I started Freddd's protocol, I was taking some folic acid supplememts and the ridging got very bad. These days it's mostly not noticeable. Anyway, I do find that the thicker nail growth is also faster.

I've been doing high-dose methylation work since mid 2014, and the one thing that has not improved are the horizontal ridges in my thumbnails, so I know there's still room for more improvement.

If anyone's solved this one, please tell me what you think did it.

 

[skwag]

If anyone's solved this one, please tell me what you think did it.

I don't claim it's a solution, but there was a great deal of improvement after I switched to a low dose B-complex ( nature made bcomplex w/ vit c ) and bumped the methylfolate to 8 to 10 mg. I was previously taking Pure encapsulation B complex and about 4mg methylfolate. I tend to believe that the high doses of B1, B2, and maybe B3 were driving much of the folate deficiency as Freddd has posted. My angular chelitis also largely disappeared at the same time my nails got better.

 

[aturtles]

I don't claim it's a solution, but there was a great deal of improvement after I switched to a low dose B-complex ( nature made bcomplex w/ vit c ) and bumped the methylfolate to 8 to 10 mg. I was previously taking Pure encapsulation B complex and about 4mg methylfolate. I tend to believe that the high doses of B1, B2, and maybe B3 were driving much of the folate deficiency as Freddd has posted. My angular chelitis also largely disappeared at the same time my nails got better.

Thanks, @skwag -- that was all true for me as of about a month ago. Maybe there is lag time on the improvement.

 

[pogoman]

I am homogenous for c677t mthfr.
I take 800 mcg jarrows methylfolate 3 to 4 times a day, I can actually feel it reduce pain.
Also taking Methylife 10 mg methylfolate daily but it does not work quickly, going to see how it goes with this one bottle's worth before deciding whether to continue.
I stopped taking multi B's, for some reason I cannot absorb multivitamins or minerals and they have to be separate.
And also supplement with adeno B12 and just about every mitochondrial energy cofactor I can find.
I started phosphorus earlier this week and manganese yesterday.
I did not get sleepy or tired til 4am this morning even after working on my car for 4 hrs yesterday, got 6 hrs sleep and feel remarkably good today.
Considering that until last summer I was on opiate painkillers for several years its a vast improvement.

 

[SwanRonson]

@sregan At the end of the day, do you think your time doing Freddd's protocol had any benefit? Just wondering what your view of it is now that you've been stopped for a while.

 

[sregan]

@sregan At the end of the day, do you think your time doing Freddd's protocol had any benefit? Just wondering what your view of it is now that you've been stopped for a while.

@SwanRonson glad you asked...

Although now that I've stopped mostly I can't say I'm feeling any better after the fact. But I do believe that I have learned some things.

I felt I had to stop as I believe my adrenals were on the edge of collapsing. I felt my body becoming very toxic. I tried to push through but no good.

The first couple of times I did low dose SMP I had a day or two where I felt incredible and I attribute that probably to the BH4 cycle becoming more active. I feel I need to study the diagram more and figure out how to support MORE or ALL of the interacting cycles and not just the one.

The best thing I got out of it was my motivation coming back along with my mental ability. I was seriously getting things done and had the mental ability to put all the piece together when I needed to and execute. There have been so many weekends where I don't even know where to start and there is so much to do!

My current protocol I've stepped back to 3 MB12 and 2 Solgar Mfolate in the morning. Taking one of my swanson B-complex and some NAD and NADH. Also added Chrysin and Myricetin for prostate issues. And just added Artichoke and seeing really good results in my GI from it. Hoping its keeping my body from trying to recycle the bile on it's way out (with all the toxins). Taking my MFHTRAde and some misc minerals (mag, zinc).

And feeling pretty good with this adjusted protocol.

I may try to ramp up again one day but wondering what it's doing for me. I was able to basically just stop without any ill effects.

 

[SwanRonson]

Very interesting.

With regards to the last part about quitting without negative effects, I've often wondered how it would go with pulsing the higher doses. Everybody says something similar, that the first few days are great, then the negatives come. I just wonder how it would go with doing 2 days (maybe Sunday/Monday) at a higher dose, then the rest of the week off. If that cycle was repeated weekly I wonder if you could get the benefits without the predictable difficulties down the line.

Is the artichoke for diarrhea or constipation?

 

[Gondwanaland]

Is the artichoke for diarrhea or constipation?

It is cholagogue, which helps with constipation. It can also be a goitrogen.