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Electromagnetic radiation sensitivity and methylation

richvank

Senior Member
Messages
2,732
Hi, all.

I would like to suggest an explanation for the sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation (emr) that so many PWCs report, in terms of the methylation cycle block. I dont know if this hypothesis is valid or not, but I think it is consistent with observations and known science, and I have not heard any other explanations of this phenomenon so far.

First, some background:

Our environment contains increasing amounts of emr from a variety of sources, including cell phones and other wireless communication devices. This emr has a wide frequency spectrum and a range of amplitudes and polarizations.

The human body, being a conductor, acts as an antenna to emr, which means that the emr induces currents in it.

I think its likely that most of the induced current is normally carried by the blood, lymph, and intracellular fluid, since they constitute physically longer effective conductors. The intracellular fluid, on the other hand is confined inside phospholipid cell membranes, which act as electrical insulators. Generally speaking, a conductor serves as a more efficient antenna if its length is comparable to the wavelength of the emr, or to a fairly large fraction (such as half) of this wavelength. The wavelength of emr with a frequency of one gigahertz (GHz) is about 1 foot, and the wavelength varies inversely with the frequency of an em wave. Cell phones operate either at about 0.8 GHz or at about 1.9 GHz, so their wavelengths are typically a few inches, which matches well with the sizes of human body parts, so the coupling should be pretty good.

Nerve cells (neurons) are exceptional in that they can have fairly long axons, up to about three feet for some. So an individual neuron might be able to act as a good antenna in this frequency range. However, the neurons are normally mostly electrically insulated by myelin, and they are imbedded in an electrically conducting medium, i.e. the extracellular fluid, which is effectively in parallel with them in an electrical sense, and which is also outside them, so that it can produce a shielding effect by absorbing at least some of the emr that is coming from outside the body.

O.K., here comes the methylation cycle block:

When that occurs, it becomes more difficult for the nervous system to maintain the myelin in good condition. Like other structures in the body, it continuously degrades and needs to be repaired. One of the important components of myelin is myelin basic protein. This protein requires methylation for its synthesis. When the methylation cycle becomes partially blocked, the capacity to perform methylation reactions decreases. We can expect that this will inhibit the normal repair of myelin, so that it will become somewhat degraded. We have evidence that suggests that this occurs in CFS, in that the best proven brain-related feature of CFS is a slowing of the processing speed of the brain. It is known that the presence of myelin is what normally maintains the high speed of transmission of nerve impulses in the axons of the neurons.

A myelin sheath that is in disrepair would likely be electrically leaky. I think that one consequence of that would be that larger currents would be induced by environmental emr in the axon of the neuron that it normally protects. I suggest that this is the basis for the sensitivity to emr that many PWCs report.

Best regards,

Rich
 
A

Aftermath

Guest
Very Intriguing

Rich,

Excellent post and very intriguing.

I'm going to move it to the methylation section of the forum if you don't mind to keep it organized with the other similar posts.
 
S

selfkindness

Guest
Rich,
Very interesting. I suffer from EMR virtually every day at work --I need to be outside of the range of Wi-fi at my school, and it is increasingly difficult. When I'm exposed I get head pain in my left temple within a few minutes. Naturally I can't use a cell phone either, for the same reasons. I've looked into a few potentail causes, and only recently, at Electrosensitivity.org,
came upon the methylation theory, that you too are suggesting.

So, if this were to be entirely true, what would help repair the myelin?
 

Freddd

Senior Member
Messages
5,184
Location
Salt Lake City
Rich,
Very interesting. I suffer from EMR virtually every day at work --I need to be outside of the range of Wi-fi at my school, and it is increasingly difficult. When I'm exposed I get head pain in my left temple within a few minutes. Naturally I can't use a cell phone either, for the same reasons. I've looked into a few potentail causes, and only recently, at Electrosensitivity.org,
came upon the methylation theory, that you too are suggesting.

So, if this were to be entirely true, what would help repair the myelin?

Hi Selfkindness,

I have found that to have myelin repair that I need active b12s (methylb12, adb12), methylfolate, omega3 fishoils, the full range of vitamins and minerals and several critical cofactors supplements. The most variable factor is if the problem is in the brain and spinal cord, ie subacute combined degeration. This is really my only continuing problem and it is very response to sufficient quantities of mb12. For me it takes 10mg of methylb12 subcutaneous injection 3 times a day and then only certain batches of methylb12 work. People with CFS/FMS/Alzheimer's have been found to have very depressed CSF/CNS cobalamin levels compared to the rest of the population and generally require larger doses to penetrate the cerebral spinal fluid and induce healing. Right now I am trying to trace down what makes the mb12 so variable. I have actual experience in this type of healing. This thread will be informative.
http://forums.aboutmecfs.org/showthread.php?188-B-12-The-Hidden-Story&p=49606#post49606
 

anne_likes_red

Senior Member
Messages
1,103
Thanks Rich!

I was intrigued when after reducing EMFs in my bedroom I stopped waking feeling agitated around 3am every night.

I've since started a gut protocol (leading into KPU and methylation support) which has mobilised some toxins and seems to have increased the sensitivity further so I'm waking again, but without the agitation.

I really appreciate your taking the time to carefully examine and explain a further piece of the puzzle from a Methylation point of view. Very interesting, and much appreciated.

Anne.

ETA this is an older post. So, thanks are belated!
 

richvank

Senior Member
Messages
2,732
To anne and selfkindness:

I'm glad you liked the methylation--myelin hypothesis. It has since occurred to me that perhaps an even more important reaction involving methylation in the synthesis of myelin than the synthesis of myelin basic protein is the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine. That is actually one of the two main users of methylation in the body, the other one being the synthesis of creatine.

I think it's interesting that magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain in CFS has shown abnormalities in the ratio of choline to creatine. It's difficult to do an absolute calibration of an MRS measurement, so usually the results are expressed as ratios, and the other observed peaks are usually ratioed to the creatine peak, since it is thought to be more constant than the others, and it is also one of the largest peaks observed. However, in CFS, one can't assume that the creatine production is normal, because of the partial methylation cycle block.

This same problem comes up in urine panels, which are usually normalized by dividing the results by the creatinine concentration. However, since creatinine is the breakdown product of creatine, it can't be assumed to be constant in CFS, either.

The way to fix the myelin is to lift the partial methylation cycle block. freddd has commented on his protocol. I have also posted the Simplified Treatment Approach on this forum. The two approaches have some things in common. They both include B12 and folate, in different forms. There has been a lot of discussion of these protocols on the B12 thread.

Best regards,

Rich
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
EMFs & Mylein

Thanks Rich for this EMF information. Very interesting and very timely, as I've been walking around in a thicker than normal pea soup tonight. After I read your mentioning creatine above, I took some, and am actually doing a little better. I usually do well with it, but have forgotten to take it lately.

I started a thread recently regarding some experiences I've had recently with SAM-e and made some comments on how I feel it is supporting my methylation. I'll provide a link here in case you would like to visit it.

SAM-e, Acyclovir, Atlas Profilax = Improvement from 3 to 4

Best, Wayne
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Anne,

I've started flipping off the circuit breaker to my bedroom at night. Have you tried this? Even electrical outlets that aren't in use emit EMF's (or so I am told!)

Best,
Sushi
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,266
Location
UK
very interesting rich

I have been thinking about emr recently and am considering using a 'faraday tent' to sleep in - it is a curtain of fine wire mesh that stops emr from penetrating.

One thing I have noticed especially earlier in my illness is that I was always a live wire - I seemed to have a lot of static electricity. I would sometimes get mini shocks if I touched something metal. Do you think this is connected? My new thing is rehydration therapy and I am taking elecrolytes and something called Plato H2O. I wonder how dehydration will affect emr sensitivity?
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Hi Rich

I don't seem to have any EMR sensitivity but I was interested in what you said about degraded myelin.

One of the tests I had was for neurologic antibodies and it showed abnormal myelin basic protein IgG (my result 109; normal range < 50), and abnormal myelin basic protein IgM (my result 57; normal range <37).

I also had abnormal BBB proteins and neurofilaments.

Doc said all these were consistent with a Lyme diagnosis, but nearly 3 years of various abx hasn't helped.

Could EMR cause abnormal myelin basic protein antibodies?

Jenny
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
emfs and healing

One of my most trooubling probelms is dizzy ness and nausea that can come on especially when using the computer. My appetite and hormones and everything can change quite rapidly. I get chest pain, get tired and my circulation slows down. I can loose my appetite. All thhis can happen in a matter of 20 minutes or so.

Scroll to the bottom of this site for explanations from doctors on EMF's.

http://www.electrosensitivity-support.com/id4.html
 
S

shell

Guest
I've read that mold exposure damages the myelin sheath so that makes total sense about the connection with the electrical sensitivity but there is a book (which I have not read yet) called "Cross Currents" which says that when you have organisms like mold or lyme disease (XMRV, Epstein Barr, etc, etc) they are very sensitive to electrical fields and when you are exposed to them they think they are under attack and so they ramp up their bioactivity and become more virulent (that is the jist of it I think)