Hi All,
I've been reading these boards for a while now but have never posted until now. There seem to be so many knowlegable people on here that I wondered if anyone could help me please?
I've been struggling with health for quite a few years now, and most of that time it has felt as if I am alone. My doctors here in the UK seem to think I am either making up my illness or that it is all in my head. Whatever they think, they have offered me no help. So thanks for this board!.
I have made a lot of progress over the last few months but can't seem to stay consistently well enough to be able get my life back.
Brief History: 32 year old female. Been very ill for last few years (roughly 8 years where I have been really struggling with illness but I think I have been affected in one way or another all my life) and have been unable to work for over 3 years in the last 5, and have found it extremely difficult the rest of the time. I have also thought for quite a few years that I probably have always had some form of autism but have never been diagnosed or even mentioned this to a doctor. Diagnoses have so far been IBS-C in about 2004, endometriosis in 2009 and CFS in 2012. In my immediate family we have lots of health issues such as depression ( at times seems similar to bipolar or manic depression), anxiety, thyroid disorders, diabetes, dyslexia, severe allergies, asthma, vitiligo, and my paternal aunty has multiple sclerosis type symptoms and is largely in a wheelchair.
I have made great progress through lymph drainage massage to help me detox, a virtually paleo, organic diet, filtered water, high quality vitamins and minerals, cleanses and probiotics, and just by generally paying attention to what goes into my body and how I feel. My problem is I get periods of feeling great for a week or so but I can't seem to sustain it. I have always had issues with my menstrual cycle and this seems to be a great barrier to feeling well. I get Ill leading up to and during menstruation, but also mid cycle and also at times that I can't seem to explain. I feel great and truly healthy for a short while if I try a new supplental regime, but I can never sustain this feeling for longer than a week or two, so it is clear I have not been addressing the true cause of my symptoms.
I recently got a metabolic analysis done from Genova diagnostics, as I was interested in the MMA marker as I thought I had a severe b12 deficiency and wanted to try to convince my doctors to give me methylB12 injections ( blood levels have been between about 100 and 200 for as long as I've been Ill and getting blood tests, but my doctors don't think this is a problem because I am not anaemic- anymore). When I got my results back they show that I am basically not processing b vitamins especially folic acid, and I have a high need to supplement. I have been supplementing with very high quality and high dose b vitamins for around a year, and my diet is very good so I couldn't understand it. I knew that I have problems with an under active thyroid (my doctors don't believe this either with TSH of 7.07 and T4 between 11.5 and 12.5) and was told that this can stop you absorbing nutrients from food but I was a bit stuck as to why it was only b vitamins. My nutrionist took one look at this test and mentioned MTHFR and suggested I try methylfolate as he thought it would really help. I read up a bit on MTHFR and it was like everything fell into place. I had worked out that I had been having problems with all these seperate areas (hormone regulation, immune system, thyroid, mental and cognitive function, nutrient absorbtion, and methylation but thought that this was just a case of having low b12 and didn't really understand the process), and have been trying to address them through diet and Supps, but MTHFR would potentially explain them all. Phew! Anyway I have sent off for my 23andme test and am anxiously awaiting my results. Eep! In the meantime, I just wondered if anyone could offer any advice on how to progress from here please? I know this is difficult without knowing if/ what mutations I have! I have been trying methylcobalamin on and off over the last few months to address the b12 issue myself, and have recently tried small doses of methyl folate but again, can't sustain health. I think it sounds like I have been over methylating (symptoms of fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, dizzyness on standing, neck and shoulder pain, ear pain, swollen glands, depression, anxiety and insomnia) but the symptoms are the same as my normal symptoms so it is so difficult to know. I have tried small amounts of niacin which helps for a while but basically think I am swinging between being under and over methylated. Maybe! Its all so hard to figure out especially with brain fog!
I will post my genetic results when I have them but would be grateful for any advice in the meantime. I am just so confused about supplementing now that I don't know what to do, and am scared of making myself worse again after making so much progress. I can post my metabollic analysis results if this would help. Thanks so much in advance.
I've been reading these boards for a while now but have never posted until now. There seem to be so many knowlegable people on here that I wondered if anyone could help me please?
I've been struggling with health for quite a few years now, and most of that time it has felt as if I am alone. My doctors here in the UK seem to think I am either making up my illness or that it is all in my head. Whatever they think, they have offered me no help. So thanks for this board!.
I have made a lot of progress over the last few months but can't seem to stay consistently well enough to be able get my life back.
Brief History: 32 year old female. Been very ill for last few years (roughly 8 years where I have been really struggling with illness but I think I have been affected in one way or another all my life) and have been unable to work for over 3 years in the last 5, and have found it extremely difficult the rest of the time. I have also thought for quite a few years that I probably have always had some form of autism but have never been diagnosed or even mentioned this to a doctor. Diagnoses have so far been IBS-C in about 2004, endometriosis in 2009 and CFS in 2012. In my immediate family we have lots of health issues such as depression ( at times seems similar to bipolar or manic depression), anxiety, thyroid disorders, diabetes, dyslexia, severe allergies, asthma, vitiligo, and my paternal aunty has multiple sclerosis type symptoms and is largely in a wheelchair.
I have made great progress through lymph drainage massage to help me detox, a virtually paleo, organic diet, filtered water, high quality vitamins and minerals, cleanses and probiotics, and just by generally paying attention to what goes into my body and how I feel. My problem is I get periods of feeling great for a week or so but I can't seem to sustain it. I have always had issues with my menstrual cycle and this seems to be a great barrier to feeling well. I get Ill leading up to and during menstruation, but also mid cycle and also at times that I can't seem to explain. I feel great and truly healthy for a short while if I try a new supplental regime, but I can never sustain this feeling for longer than a week or two, so it is clear I have not been addressing the true cause of my symptoms.
I recently got a metabolic analysis done from Genova diagnostics, as I was interested in the MMA marker as I thought I had a severe b12 deficiency and wanted to try to convince my doctors to give me methylB12 injections ( blood levels have been between about 100 and 200 for as long as I've been Ill and getting blood tests, but my doctors don't think this is a problem because I am not anaemic- anymore). When I got my results back they show that I am basically not processing b vitamins especially folic acid, and I have a high need to supplement. I have been supplementing with very high quality and high dose b vitamins for around a year, and my diet is very good so I couldn't understand it. I knew that I have problems with an under active thyroid (my doctors don't believe this either with TSH of 7.07 and T4 between 11.5 and 12.5) and was told that this can stop you absorbing nutrients from food but I was a bit stuck as to why it was only b vitamins. My nutrionist took one look at this test and mentioned MTHFR and suggested I try methylfolate as he thought it would really help. I read up a bit on MTHFR and it was like everything fell into place. I had worked out that I had been having problems with all these seperate areas (hormone regulation, immune system, thyroid, mental and cognitive function, nutrient absorbtion, and methylation but thought that this was just a case of having low b12 and didn't really understand the process), and have been trying to address them through diet and Supps, but MTHFR would potentially explain them all. Phew! Anyway I have sent off for my 23andme test and am anxiously awaiting my results. Eep! In the meantime, I just wondered if anyone could offer any advice on how to progress from here please? I know this is difficult without knowing if/ what mutations I have! I have been trying methylcobalamin on and off over the last few months to address the b12 issue myself, and have recently tried small doses of methyl folate but again, can't sustain health. I think it sounds like I have been over methylating (symptoms of fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, dizzyness on standing, neck and shoulder pain, ear pain, swollen glands, depression, anxiety and insomnia) but the symptoms are the same as my normal symptoms so it is so difficult to know. I have tried small amounts of niacin which helps for a while but basically think I am swinging between being under and over methylated. Maybe! Its all so hard to figure out especially with brain fog!
I will post my genetic results when I have them but would be grateful for any advice in the meantime. I am just so confused about supplementing now that I don't know what to do, and am scared of making myself worse again after making so much progress. I can post my metabollic analysis results if this would help. Thanks so much in advance.