Great video/article on addressing energy problems in ME/CFS

[MonkeyMan]

 

[TracyD]

https://tracyduvall.com/2017/08/31/addressing-energy-problems-in-mecfs/

Thanks for posting the link! I did the research (a lot!) to improve my own health, and I thought that sharing the results would interest - and possibly help - others. It's on an all-in-one blog, but people can avoid it by watching the video here:

 

[PinkPanda]

Thankyou for the informative video!

I'm also looking into the pyruvate dehydrogenase and how to possibly increase its function.

Some more info on the pyruvate dehydrogenase:

Cofactors of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex are vitamin B1/thiamine, vitamin B2/riboflavin (as FAD), vitamin B3/ niacin (as NAD+), vitamin B5/pantothenate (Coenzyme A), alpha lipoic acid. (Reference)
Alpha lipoic acid can be produced by the body in the fatty acid synthesis and additionally needs/contains SAM-e. So this might make methylation relevant for alpha lipoic acid levels/ the pyruvate dehydrogenase function.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase is inhibited by high levels of ATP, NADH and Acetyl-CoA.

Carnitine can increase the function of the pyruvate dehydrogenase by binding to acetyl-CoA to form acetyl-carnitine:
Carnitine+acetyl-CoA-> acetyl-carnitine+ CoA-SH
This can reduce acetyl-CoA levels and raise coenzyme A, which then can increase pyruvate dehydrogenase function.
(Reference)
And carnitine synthesis also needs SAM-e.

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

Re the similarity to starvation this is curious. The experience on TV which seems most like pwme life is The Island. They basically starve on the island they're dumped on as they don't have adequate survival skills. But the combination of symptoms they describe is weirdly similar.

I eat plenty of food, I'm a bit overweight so I'm not literally starving, but if the biochemical process of converting glucose is faulty, perhaps the knock on consequence feels pretty similar to not having eaten at all?

 

[Wonko]

Re the similarity to starvation this is curious. The experience on TV which seems most like pwme life is The Island. They basically starve on the island they're dumped on as they don't have adequate survival skills. But the combination of symptoms they describe is weirdly similar.

I eat plenty of food, I'm a bit overweight so I'm not literally starving, but if the biochemical process of converting glucose is faulty, perhaps the knock on consequence feels pretty similar to not having eaten at all?

It's worse coz all that glucose that your cells can't use has to go somewhere, and eventually, once the regulatory mechanisms fail, causes symptoms all on it's lonesome.

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

BTW I was just looking up Lipoic Acid and Examine has a caution note:

"Caution Notice

Warning: potential for Severe Adverse Events (SAEs). Although ALA has been well-studied and found to be safe at standard doses in humans (typically 300-600mg), high doses are toxic and may be fatal. Consult with your personal physician before taking any supplement, and do not exceed recommended doses."
https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-lipoic-acid/

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

What type of quantity are you taking @TracyD ? Do you take one tablet (100mg)?

My l-carnitine is 500mg too

I take 25mg Benfotiamine so you're taking a huge dose in comparison (300mg) is that deliberate? How did you decide on quantity?

 

[TracyD]

What type of quantity are you taking @TracyD ? Do you take one tablet (100mg)?

My l-carnitine is 500mg too

I take 25mg Benfotiamine so you're taking a huge dose in comparison (300mg) is that deliberate? How did you decide on quantity?

I take 100mg 1x/day of R-lipoic Acid, 300 mg 1x/day of benfotiamine, and 500 mg 2x/day of acetyl-l-carnitine. I read a lot of official and not-quite-official recommendations about maximum dosages, but I can't remember the details. I generally avoid exceeding the maximum recommended on the bottle.