I started on richvank's protocol a few months ago, and it caused a noticeable improvement in my ME symptoms in general. Then NMH became my most limiting symptom, to the point where I was almost entirely housebound.
The first thing that helped somewhat was upping my B12 from 2mg/day to 30mg/day.
And after seeing a naturopath, being tested, and being prescribed supplements, my NMH has been completely gone for about 10 days now (oh, and no more cold feet or palpitations).
He ran adrenal and neurotransmitter labs, which showed very high glycine and glutamate, and cortisol starting out too low at the beginning of the day and ending too high. Apparently the stuff he tested is very important in regulating circulatory function.
He prescribed TheaNAQ and TRAVACOR, both from NeuroScience in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, they only sell to doctors.
TheaNAQ: I take 2 pills three times a day, before meals. According to their site (can't link to specific pages, but you can find these under Products on page 5), it "is commonly used to reduce anxiousness, support healthy levels of GABA, and promote sleep." It contains N-acetylcysteine, Alpha-Lipoic acid, Coenzyme Q10, and L-theanine, as well as cofactors (C, folic acid, selenium).
TRAVACOR: I take 1 per day, an hour before bedtime. "TravaCor is specially formulated to increase serotonin levels, enhance GABAA receptor function, and block glutamate receptors. TravaCor helps relieve your patients' low mood, cravings, anxiousness, and sleep issues." It contains taurine, 5-HTP, and L-theanine, as well as cofactors (C, B6, folacin, methylcobalamin B12, magnesium, zinc, selenium).
After starting these I had an immediate improvement in cognitive function ... able to engage in teasing my fiance again, which he was actually thrilled about! The next days I had no light-headedness, even when on the go most of the day with shopping and cooking and such. I still had/have limits on how much my muscles want to do, and how high my heart rate likes to go - but I think these are improving, albeit not literally overnight. Most importantly, a 9 hour flight and associated airport treks were not a problem at all. I even voluntarily walked more than I had to, and felt fine and alert (albeit exhausted in a normal way).
My problem now is that these specific supplements are produced in the US and hella expensive to ship to europe. Does anyone know of anything similar in Europe?
I also want to pinpoint which of the ingredients are likely to have caused my improvement, since supplementing a few items is a lot easier than supplementing 10 or so, if I can't find a similar blend.
The components that were new for me were: 5-HTP, L-theanine, and alpha-lipoic acid. Everything else in them I've been on using richvank's protocol.
The first thing that helped somewhat was upping my B12 from 2mg/day to 30mg/day.
And after seeing a naturopath, being tested, and being prescribed supplements, my NMH has been completely gone for about 10 days now (oh, and no more cold feet or palpitations).
He ran adrenal and neurotransmitter labs, which showed very high glycine and glutamate, and cortisol starting out too low at the beginning of the day and ending too high. Apparently the stuff he tested is very important in regulating circulatory function.
He prescribed TheaNAQ and TRAVACOR, both from NeuroScience in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, they only sell to doctors.
TheaNAQ: I take 2 pills three times a day, before meals. According to their site (can't link to specific pages, but you can find these under Products on page 5), it "is commonly used to reduce anxiousness, support healthy levels of GABA, and promote sleep." It contains N-acetylcysteine, Alpha-Lipoic acid, Coenzyme Q10, and L-theanine, as well as cofactors (C, folic acid, selenium).
TRAVACOR: I take 1 per day, an hour before bedtime. "TravaCor is specially formulated to increase serotonin levels, enhance GABAA receptor function, and block glutamate receptors. TravaCor helps relieve your patients' low mood, cravings, anxiousness, and sleep issues." It contains taurine, 5-HTP, and L-theanine, as well as cofactors (C, B6, folacin, methylcobalamin B12, magnesium, zinc, selenium).
After starting these I had an immediate improvement in cognitive function ... able to engage in teasing my fiance again, which he was actually thrilled about! The next days I had no light-headedness, even when on the go most of the day with shopping and cooking and such. I still had/have limits on how much my muscles want to do, and how high my heart rate likes to go - but I think these are improving, albeit not literally overnight. Most importantly, a 9 hour flight and associated airport treks were not a problem at all. I even voluntarily walked more than I had to, and felt fine and alert (albeit exhausted in a normal way).
My problem now is that these specific supplements are produced in the US and hella expensive to ship to europe. Does anyone know of anything similar in Europe?
I also want to pinpoint which of the ingredients are likely to have caused my improvement, since supplementing a few items is a lot easier than supplementing 10 or so, if I can't find a similar blend.
The components that were new for me were: 5-HTP, L-theanine, and alpha-lipoic acid. Everything else in them I've been on using richvank's protocol.