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Can old people (with health issues) do Freddd's protocol too?

Messages
6
I'm about to start on Freddd's protocol pretty soon, and I was also considering having my mother try it too... but I didn't know if it was ok for older people to do it too?

She's 78, and is in poor health... it's kind of a complicated story, but in a brief nutshell, she has Parkinson's Disease (but relatively mild), which, as a side note, I believe was caused by many decades of her having a large amount of dental toxicity in her mouth (amalgam fillings, several root canals, as well as some other stuff, like dissimilar metals in her mouth, metal bridges, and a couple infected teeth, etc).

(I myself got extremely ill from amalgam mercury poisoning many years ago, and am still trying to recover right now... so genetically speaking, it seems quite likely to me that she also could have a genetic predisposition to getting ill from mercury, as well as other toxins)

She got much worse right after she got a bad case of flu/pneumonia in December 2014 (almost 2 years ago now, at age 76). That was the first time she ever got pneumonia/flu, and it indicated to me that her immune system was now low. (My thought on it was that after many decades, the mercury and other toxins in her mouth might've finally significantly lowered her immune system, esp. in old age)

Anyway, shortly after that, she went into a rapid and major decline... she lost 20 pounds, got extremely weak, fell for the first time, kind of developed "CFS" overnight, her back got much more stooped, and she had to start using a walker (previous to that, she could walk without one).

She also, in the last year or so, has a chronic hacking cough, and the signs of a chronic "cold" (runny nose, some sneezing, etc), which to *me*, looks like signs of a chronic infection (that her now low immune system probably can't fight off).

Since all this first happened (starting Dec. 2014), she has been in a pretty similar state up until now, but just a *tad* improved from that earlier time, due to, I think, just a lot of time passing from the initial acute illness, plus just continuing to try several health-promoting things, like frequent gentle exercise, good diet, etc. (We also finished up extracting all her infected teeth and all root canals, except there is now only one root canal left... we left that in for now b/c she needs that tooth for chewing)

The reason why I was *considering* trying Freddd's protocol for methylation on her is b/c..
1. on a recent blood test, her homocysteine level was elevated. (I think the range was from 1-14 or so, and hers was 17, I think), and
2. on a genetic blood test I did last year, called Counsyl, it said that I tested positive for the MTHFR genetic mutation. (So I figured if I have this, maybe she has it too, being that we're closely related?)

Questions:

1) Does an elevated homocysteine level on a blood test (such as in her case) indicate impaired methylation? (and thus a potential candidate to try Freddd's protocol?)

2) If I tested positive for the MTHFR genetic mutation, does it seem likely that she has it also? Or does the MTHFR mutation not necessarily occur frequently in closely related relatives... and to be sure, maybe she should get tested herself first, before trying Freddd's protocol?

3) Can old people (and in relatively poor health), like her (age 78), also try Freddd's protocol?

4) Does anyone by chance have any thoughts/feedback as to perhaps why she had such a huge decline after her flu/pneumonia event in Dec. 2014, that I had just mentioned?

Any and all feedback greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
 

Eastman

Senior Member
Messages
526

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
@Healthy7 - here's a link by Stephen Sinatra about homocysteine levels and how to treat high homocysteine: http://www.drsinatra.com/the-ideal-homocysteine-level-for-cardiac-health/
He recommends folic acid, B6 and B12 (although he also says folate or metafolin with the MTHFR defect). I don't see why someone shouldn't just take folate instead of folic acid - folic acid is synthetic.

And here's another link which also talks about using folate, B6 and B12 for high homocysteine levels: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/111/19/e289

My biggest concern would be the potential for your mom's potassium levels to tank. That's what happened to me about 3 days after I started taking methylfolate. I'm not going to tell you to give her potassium - I think you'd have to read about it yourself, talk to her doctor and make an informed decision. However, it's very important to be aware of the very real potential of a sudden drop in potassium - it made me vERRRRRy tired, and if I hadn't known what was going on, I would have stopped the methylfolate. Some people get palpitations, muscle cramps, lots of different symptoms with low potassium, and it can be potentially dangerous, which is why if you start these supplements, go low and slow - start with low amounts, see how she does, increase only gradually. Low-sodium V8 is high in potassium and something I drink every day, in addition to taking a potassium supplement. The chief problem that can arise with adding potassium is if someone's kidneys aren't working properly so they can't filter excess potassium.

And of course talk to her doctor about all of this. Odds are he or she may not have much input and you and your mom may have to decide on your own what to do.

Also, - is her D vitamin level okay? Low vitamin D is very common and will contribute to impaired immune functioning.