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Possible theory on how I got here - Input welcome!

seamyb

Senior Member
Messages
560
I became ill last year during the first wave of the pandemic - air hunger which gave way to CFS with terrible constipation, gut pain and urinary tract problems.

The temptation to believe it was COVID is obviously very strong. However I think I remember smaller bouts of the air hunger before the pandemic. Plus I didn't have any other covid symptoms.

Years ago I was told by my doctor's secretary that I was low on folate. And on and off for years I had been supplementing folic acid - no other Bs. I'd also been supplementing vitamin D.

Prior to my illness I'd begun working out, very heavy exercise and very committed, after years of no exercise. Of course, it took me a while to realise that the exercise was what was making me wake up a day or two later feeling like I might die if I exert myself even slightly.

Another possibly important factor is that I had recently come off Sertraline (an SSRI). Another probably important factor is that I'm 6 years sober from very severe alcoholism, so B vitamins may have been impacted already.

So, could the isolated supplementation of folic acid have caused these issues, which respond so clearly to B12? Perhaps it drove the methyl cycle and depleted my vitamin B12, but because I'm supplementing folic acid it's masking some of the symptoms? Then the exercise pushed it into a devastating state.

I read a post on here from a good while ago about somebody claiming vitamin D supplementation can deplete B2... I don't know how much truth there is to it, but if there's any then my head was right to explode.

I suspect I need more folate, despite the folic acid supplementation. Even beyond our mistrust of folic acid as a form of folate, I think it's possible that the induced B12 deficiency could cause (the classical definition of) a methylfolate trap and hence all my folate leaves the cells and goes into the blood to be urinated out.

So perhaps I have depleted folate, B12 and B2 by supplementing folic acid and Vitamin D. I also definitely had a thiamine deficiency when this all started, this was easier to correct.

If this is the case, it might suggest I have a good chance at full recovery, as it's all caused by depletion. However, it is proving very difficult to supplement all the Bs, especially B12 (I'm on the oils), because of side effects.

Just wanted to run the theory by you lot. Perhaps somebody has some thoughts?
 

nerd

Senior Member
Messages
863
If it was a vitamin-induced pathway depletion/dysregulation and remained after fixing the deficiency, I think it was a lingering condition that just waited on a trigger.
 

LINE

Senior Member
Messages
832
Location
USA
Anything is really possible, then only way to know is through experimenting and observing. If your observation does not work then change the theory and start over. Don't mean to sound crass by the way. Considering the past alcohol abuse, I would think magnesium levels to be low. Magnesium plays a key role in energy production, detoxification etc. I consider it a critical nutrient.