• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Questions regarding methylation

Messages
10
Hello all, I am new to the forums as a member but I have read many pages of threads relating to methylation over the years. I have homozygous C677T as
well as many other notable mutations. I don't want to write a life story so I will give it as short as possible:

Sometime in the past during a very stressful time in my life I began to become less coordinated, slower cognitively, and worsened verbal
fluency. I also got very fatigued and had no energy to do anything and became very anhedonic. Focusing and learning went completely
down to zero. And most importantly, extremely powerful negative ruminating thoughts that would especially shine at night.
It became difficult to do basic mental math. I've tried a million things, from many different dieting protocols
(the only thing I learned from those is starch makes me feel a bit worse,) to a bunch of different supplement protocols.

What I've learned:
While many different things provided some tangible beneifit, none lasted long enough to provide me total relief of my symptoms. When
I discovered MTHFR I began taking 800 mcg of L-Methylfolate and noticed it brought me a feeling that nothing else provided - very normal.
It wasn't a euphoric feeling or anything pleasurable if that makes sense, rather is was the lack of rumination and increase in mental
clarity, energy, and drive. Life went from 2D to 3D and I stayed on it for a while. Eventually, I moved back to university and
went through a partying phase during which I stopped all supplements and ended up back where I was before. Never experienced any side
effects of methylfolate by the way, just as long as I had sufficient potassium intake.

Much later on, as in these past few months, I started taking a very high quality B-Complex (without B9/12) and the increase in energy
reminded me of methylfolate. Started it up again a week ago and once again I feel like myself. It's still working and I feel like it
will continue. This time though, presumably because of the b-complex, I feel like I'm benifitting much more from the supplement.

Questions:
1. If I apparently never needed B12 to begin with (I've tried all different types and routes of admistration - never felt anything different) should
I still make it a point to supplement?

2. Clearly methylation increases my adrenaline/noradrenaline because of the onset of cold hands and feet (with normal oral temperature) how
do I mitigate this? Salt?

3. It seems like Methylfolate works more like a drug and less like a vitamin in my case: because a single day without it is enough to
bring my symptoms back. Is there any way to reach a point of good methylation status without supplementation?

4. Is it typical to have to consume over 4-5g of potassium to stop the 'over-stimulated' feeling? When I consume this much, I am left
with only benefits.

5. According to the Chris Masterjohn calculator I have a very broken PEMT enzyme and it says I have over 88% reduced mthfr status. I've tried
increasing choline intake significantly and apart from the first few days didn't feel much. Is this relevant? I've also tried Alpha GPC and it didn't do much.

6. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thinks to look into?

My current protocol is extremely simple: just 800 mcg L-methylfolate daily, b-complex (thiamine hcl, R-5-P, Niacinamide, B5, P-5-P, Biotin), enough potassium, little starch/bread (get carbs from fruit mainly),
enough beef, chicken, sea food. I don't eat any processed junk and haven't in a long time. I will ocassionaly pop a MB12 lozenge and let it sit for an hour to dissolve.
 
Messages
10
1644953276319.png
 
Messages
10
Hello all, I am new to the forums as a member but I have read many pages of threads relating to methylation over the years. I have homozygous C677T as
well as many other notable mutations. I don't want to write a life story so I will give it as short as possible:

Sometime in the past during a very stressful time in my life I began to become less coordinated, slower cognitively, and worsened verbal
fluency. I also got very fatigued and had no energy to do anything and became very anhedonic. Focusing and learning went completely
down to zero. And most importantly, extremely powerful negative ruminating thoughts that would especially shine at night.
It became difficult to do basic mental math. I've tried a million things, from many different dieting protocols
(the only thing I learned from those is starch makes me feel a bit worse,) to a bunch of different supplement protocols.

What I've learned:
While many different things provided some tangible beneifit, none lasted long enough to provide me total relief of my symptoms. When
I discovered MTHFR I began taking 800 mcg of L-Methylfolate and noticed it brought me a feeling that nothing else provided - very normal.
It wasn't a euphoric feeling or anything pleasurable if that makes sense, rather is was the lack of rumination and increase in mental
clarity, energy, and drive. Life went from 2D to 3D and I stayed on it for a while. Eventually, I moved back to university and
went through a partying phase during which I stopped all supplements and ended up back where I was before. Never experienced any side
effects of methylfolate by the way, just as long as I had sufficient potassium intake.

Much later on, as in these past few months, I started taking a very high quality B-Complex (without B9/12) and the increase in energy
reminded me of methylfolate. Started it up again a week ago and once again I feel like myself. It's still working and I feel like it
will continue. This time though, presumably because of the b-complex, I feel like I'm benifitting much more from the supplement.

Questions:
1. If I apparently never needed B12 to begin with (I've tried all different types and routes of admistration - never felt anything different) should
I still make it a point to supplement?

2. Clearly methylation increases my adrenaline/noradrenaline because of the onset of cold hands and feet (with normal oral temperature) how
do I mitigate this? Salt?

3. It seems like Methylfolate works more like a drug and less like a vitamin in my case: because a single day without it is enough to
bring my symptoms back. Is there any way to reach a point of good methylation status without supplementation?

4. Is it typical to have to consume over 4-5g of potassium to stop the 'over-stimulated' feeling? When I consume this much, I am left
with only benefits.

5. According to the Chris Masterjohn calculator I have a very broken PEMT enzyme and it says I have over 88% reduced mthfr status. I've tried
increasing choline intake significantly and apart from the first few days didn't feel much. Is this relevant? I've also tried Alpha GPC and it didn't do much.

6. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thinks to look into?

My current protocol is extremely simple: just 800 mcg L-methylfolate daily, b-complex (thiamine hcl, R-5-P, Niacinamide, B5, P-5-P, Biotin), enough potassium, little starch/bread (get carbs from fruit mainly),
enough beef, chicken, sea food. I don't eat any processed junk and haven't in a long time. I will ocassionaly pop a MB12 lozenge and let it sit for an hour to dissolve.
I forgot to add, and apologies for three posts, but when I'm on Methylfolate something about my face changes
for the better. I look much less bloated and more youthful.
 

GreenMachineX

Senior Member
Messages
362
I forgot to add, and apologies for three posts, but when I'm on Methylfolate something about my face changes
for the better. I look much less bloated and more youthful.
I have the same experience with methylfolate (and methyl-b12 for that matter). I need to take daily like a drug or symptoms come back immediately. I'm able to eat enough potassium though through spinach, broccoli, quinoa, riced cauliflower, etc. Methylation increases my adrenaline as well, referring the cold hands and feet, but without enough folate, I'm hot and bordering on sweating constantly which I hate. Anyway, nothing helpful to add here, just relating my experience.
Do you not have any sleep issues?
 
Messages
10
I have the same experience with methylfolate (and methyl-b12 for that matter). I need to take daily like a drug or symptoms come back immediately. I'm able to eat enough potassium though through spinach, broccoli, quinoa, riced cauliflower, etc. Methylation increases my adrenaline as well, referring the cold hands and feet, but without enough folate, I'm hot and bordering on sweating constantly which I hate. Anyway, nothing helpful to add here, just relating my experience.
Do you not have any sleep issues?
Every time I start methylfolate I have a few days of poor sleep and it evens out. Today I was able to fall asleep quickly again so I think I'm good now. Even though it took me longer to sleep this week I felt like the sleep was higher quality.

Actually, the adrenaline issues have subsided by increasing salt intake and not letting my blood sugar dip too low.