For you Pat, if you don't mind. Tho I guess the first question doesn't apply now.
I don't mind at all, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't answering a question aimed at SJB944.
What dose are you on now?
I'm avoiding LCF again for the moment while I wait for the potassium demand to fade.
Otherwise each day I still take the following supplements from the treatment:
* 1mg B12 Infusion
* 800mcg Solgar Metafolin
* A mix of Source Naturals coenzymated B vitamins
* Potassium (amount varies at the moment while the LCF induced demand fades)
* 25mg Zinc picolinate
I also take Dibencozide every few days. The amount varies because the little Dibencoplex pills don't split evenly.
How long did it take to get there?
I'll answer this one according to how it used to be when I was fully doing Freddd's treatment.
Daily, I used to take:
* 5-8mg B12
Sometimes I would try up to 40mg in a day to see if I noticed anything new. Other than a little over-stimulation I didn't notice any benefits, but I rarely took such a high dose for more than a couple of days. I started with 1mg and went up from there over a few weeks.
Now I just take 1mg B12 per day.
* 8-24mg of Solgar Metafolin
I varied the amount a lot over the months because I was learning how various deficiencies felt. I took Freddd's advice to increase the folate when folate deficiency symptoms arose. It took a couple of weeks to get up to around 12mg per day. Then I increased or decreased at various times based on need.
I started with 400mcg Metafolin on one day, then 400mcg x 2 the next, then worked my up based on symptoms.
Now I take 800mcg Metafolin per day and haven't noticed any folate deficiency symptoms. (Maybe they would arise again if I resumed the lCF.)
Any effects that you can specifically put down to the carnitine?
Potassium demand: no doubts about this effect.
Physical energy: noticible improvement (still miles away from normal, but it was a nice boost). Maybe mental energy but I'm not sure if it's from the LCF, or another supplement, or a combination. I still have the mental energy even though I've stopped the LCF but maybe it's being maintained by the other supplements, or maybe it represents healing from the treatment.
Insomnia: if I took it too late in the day.
Anxiety: I started very low with the LCF because I was wary of Freddd's comment that some people started with a high dose and had a severe anxiety reaction that lasted for days. I started with a tiny amount, then worked up by taking a little more twice each day. After about a week and half I was up to half a capsule. Eventually I found that 1/2 cap was the limit for a single dose before anxiety would become a problem so I took 1/2 cap in the early AM, and another 1/2 just after lunch.
I had some mild-moderate anxiety for the first couple of weeks but it faded unless I took more than 1/2 cap at once.
Weight gain: roughly six pounds. See B12 comment below about why this was a good thing. I'm certain it's related to the LCF because I have now lost six to ten pounds since I stopped taking it.
Improved cold tolerance: after a few months I wasn't cold all the time and could stand cold outdoor temperatures much better than before. Now that I've stopped taking LCF I'm not as cold tolerant.
Hypersexual response: after roughly four months my libido kicked in like crazy. I'm working on another post related to this effect to see if anyone else has had this response. It might have been an interaction with a medication I was taking.
Improvements noticed from other supplements
I'll add the other improvements I noticed in case it may help you in some way:
B12 - better vision, brighter colors, mild better mood, weight gain (nine pounds! From 112 lbs to 124 lbs in six weeks. This was a good thing since I'm male and 5'10" tall. I'm in the subset of CFS patients that usually can't gain weight. I know it was the B12 because I hadn't started the other supplements or diet changes.
Folate - Improved mood. My old personality started to resurface somewhat, along with my sense of humor. Both had been hidden in fog for many years. This effect was wonderful and unexpected.
Improvements noticed overall
More relaxed, greatly reduced wired but tired feeling, improved sleep (still dismal and unrefreshing, but better), improved ability to comprehend what I read. Far better mental energy after roughly four months on the treatment. Can now think better and type long posts like this in a reasonable amount of time.
Any tips generally?
Always have enough potassium available. Enough, meaning an amount to keep you going for several weeks (minimum) at your current demand. After running out of potassium gluconate powder and having to rely on pills (
lots of 99mg pills, 35 of them to get 3.5 grams per day) I learned a good lesson and started keeping a several month supply of the powder on hand.
Always keep some potassium with you for emergencies if you are outside your residence.
I've found that if I put some potassium gluconate powder on my tongue and it tastes sweet, then I need more potassium.
I had to become skilled at knowing which supplement treated which symptom. This can be difficult when brainfog interferes with understanding. I would sometimes have
severe colon pain just before a bowel movement. I thought it was related to folate deficiency but after a few months I realized it was due to low potassium (paralyzed illium on Fredd's list of hypokalemia symptoms.)
My symptoms changed over time. I had to adapt and learn what supplement helped to resolve each new or changed symptom.
I've found that if I don't take methylB12 each day I feel a very specific sense of loss. I might be looking out of a window at a nice view, turn away, and feel a sense of loss. I might look at a PR member's avatar and see that they haven't been around for a couple of years and feel a sense of loss. I'd like to know what causes such a specific emotional response. It's interesting that this effect is even possible. Brains and minds are subtle and curious.