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Why aren't I getting better?!? Critique my protocol, please? Help!

veganmua

Senior Member
Messages
145
Location
London, UK
I would really appreciate some help, as I feel like I am doing everything right, but not getting anywhere!

I was feeling awful with muscle cramps, heart pounding fatigue and weakness from mid December until around 10th January, when I realised the symptoms correlated with my running out of coconut water and not buying more because of lack of funds. Obvious potassium deficiency. I'm now trying to eat more potassium rich foods, drink coconut water and take 1 99mg potassium tablet daily. I feel SO much better than I did at that time, but still not great, still so tired - getting up to make food, go and wash my hair etc takes major effort and willpower.

Below are details of the supplements I am taking daily. I am also on 375mg daily Venlafaxine, Dianette contraceptive for PCOS, Aciclovir 800mg daily to prevent cold sores (which I believe is the virus that triggered my CFS back in 2007).

Morning/early afternoon
  • Nature's Own Wholefood Multi (contains MB12, Mfolate & P5P, full list and amounts in link under ingredients)
  • L-Cartinine Fumarate, 2x 855mg
  • Phosphatidyl Serine 100mg, Phosphatidyl Choline 8mg, Phosphatidylethanolamine 4mg (all in one capsule)
  • L-Lysine - 100mg
  • D-Ribose 2x 1g
  • Lithium Orotate 2x 5mg
  • Opti3, providing 250mg EPA, 500mg DHA, 780mg total Omega3, plus 5mcg vit D3
  • GliSODin, 250mg
  • Magnesium 1,250mg
  • Metafolin (Solgar) 4x 1000mcg
  • MB12 (Jarrow Formulas) 5000mcg sublingual

Evening and/or nighttime
  • Potassium 99mg
  • Co-Q10 100mg
  • Zinc 10mg
  • Magnesium malate 1250mg
  • Vitamin D3 62.5mcg
Recent Blood Results. There were more results but everything else was well within normal range, so I omitted what I thought might not be relevant.

  • Serum Sodium 137mmol/L (133-146)
  • Serum Potassium 4.0mmol/L (3.5-5.3)
  • Serum Urea level 1.9mmol/L (2.5-7.8) Low
  • Serum B12 2000ng/L (246 -911) High
  • Serum Folate 24.0ug/L (3.4-20.0) High
  • Serum Ferritin 20.2ug/L (20-300) *This may be on the low end of normal as I was having a very heavy period at the time, sorry for TMI!
SNPs are in my sig.
I am not experiencing any kind of bad reaction to the high doses of B12 and folate.
Do you think I need more potassium to compensate for the high doses of folate & B12?

I know there are some knowledgeable folks on here, like @caledonia and @Freddd, and I would really appreciate some advice! I want to get better! Thanks for reading!
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
How long have you been taking all this?
Did you at least some changes from the start up to these days?

Aren't you a bit too high with the Mg @ 1250mg? Sounds like a lot. While the 99mg of potassium is pretty low, and the coconut water may or may not be sufficient.

Do you take any adenosyl-B12?

cheers
 

veganmua

Senior Member
Messages
145
Location
London, UK
How long have you been taking all this?
Did you at least some changes from the start up to these days?

Aren't you a bit too high with the Mg @ 1250mg? Sounds like a lot. While the 99mg of potassium is pretty low, and the coconut water may or may not be sufficient.

Do you take any adenosyl-B12?

cheers

Well, I just ramped up the dose of B12 and folate in about November. I've been on a methylation protocol for over a year now. I did notice small improvements when I first started taking it, and more slight improvement when I increased the B12 and folate. I'm definitely better on the supplements than off them, but it's nowhere near as much improvement as I wanted, I'm still a 2 on the scale.

I don't take adenosylB12.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
Adenosyl-B12 might be very helpful as it is active in the mitochondria.
Also do you take any anti-oxidants? Vit C, Vit E (full tocopherol spectrum, not just alpha) etc...?
 

veganmua

Senior Member
Messages
145
Location
London, UK
I take vit C and E in with my multivitamin. Apart from that I take GliSODin.
How much Adenosyl B12 would you recommend me taking? Should I reduce my MB12 or take the AsenosylB12 in addition to it? It would be hard to reduce my MB12 as it comes in a single lozenge.
 

PeterPositive

Senior Member
Messages
1,426
I have no specific recommendation, but I can tell you I am taking ~8mg of Adeno-B12 alongside 10mg of Methyl-B12.
Maybe you can start with a couple of milligrams and slowly increase to see if what effect you're getting.

If I remember correctly Freddd said he takes 50mg of Adeno-B12 once a week... which seems a lot (for one dose) but I end up taking more (7x 8mg = 56), only I don't do it all in one day :)

Some days if feel enough energy I just take 1/2 the dose.