Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
It's amazing how many pharmaceutical manufacturers blindly include ingredients that may cause reactions for the very people who are the most likely to be buying their products in the first place. Why do they go to the trouble of adding an ingredient that downgrades the usefulness of their product? Surely things such as this are approved and signed off on by a staff dietitian, which is an indication of the depth of misunderstanding pretty much universal to the pharmaceutical industry.
Do you have any problems with sorbitol, mannitol, or any of the other sugar alcohols? I can tolerate a small amount (as in most pills), but if I eat something that contains a lot of sorbitol, such as grapes, diarrhea is a guaranteed issue for me, so I go out of my way to avoid it. And look at how many unnecessary ingredients are in that product. Many of them are there for manufacturing convenience (not for customer benefits), and the rest are for flavor. Is flavor really that important? Not to me. I view the pharmaceutical industry in general as a bunch of inconsiderate, arrogant asses trying to deceive us into thinking that their products are actually safe and useful. Otherwise, they're a great bunch.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Tex- I generally avoid sugar alcohols, opting for honey or sugar in foods I make, so I don’t know. I do put white grapes in chicken salad but that would be a small amount. I don’t sit and eat a bunch. If I eat apple slices I only eat 1/2 the apple because it does seem more is too much.
It was such a tiny sublingual tablet it’s just hard to picture it having enough of anything that could case such a reaction. I looked up croscarmellose. It has its own list of nasty side effects. *sigh* So I’m now focusing on raising my D3 levels and looking for cleaner supplements.
Thanks- Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Hi Tex and all,
I saw a nutritionist yesterday. When I brought up my reaction to the B12 (she was already familiar since she had met with the functional med doc before seeing me), her response was ‘I know what caused that’. She pulled up a chart and showed me the cycle of homocysteine methylation. (My homocysteine level was 18. Optimal level is 11). I’m sure I can’t explain it as well as she did but basically my system was overwhelmed with the introduction of the B12. She said it’s as if your body takes it then tries to throw it in all directions that it’s needed. She said she’s seen it before and that methylation probably is not the place to start. We found a liquid source of B 12 with just a couple of inactive ingredients. She helped me make a plan as to the order I should add the supplements.
She also talked about trying digestive enzymes and get off of ranitidine after I get supplements started and am stable with those. She said she has had many clients who have been able to stop taking acid reducing meds once they started digestive enzymes. We’ll see.
I’m also switching to the AIP diet (AutoImmune Protocol) which is short jump from what I already eat.
And she showed me the Clean 15, Dirty Dozen- a system for knowing which vegetables and fruits tend to hold pesticides (so you’ll want to buy organic of these) and which fruits/ vegetables do not tend to absorb pesticides, so it’s okay to buy non-organic of these.
Here’s a link: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
So that’s the latest. I’m not thrilled about taking all these supplements, but I’m optimistic that if I can reduce more inflammation and improve my ability to get rid of toxins, I’ll feel better and may even be able to prevent heart disease or any other autoimmune diseases.
Thanks-
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
I wonder if she actually understands the basic issue. That homocysteine buildup is almost surely due to the inability to properly convert folic acid into 5- methylenetetrahydrofolate, which is then used to convert homocysteine into methionine which is subsequently used by the body for making proteins, using antioxidants, and processing fats. It's the first step in the methylation process. Here's a simplified version of the process mentioned in my book (pages 150–152):
In a nutshell, when one's MTHFR gene is healthy, these are the important chemical processes that it initiates.
Note that this only a general overview and if more detailed information is desired, it can be found online at many Internet sources including the stopthethyroidmadness.com webpage.174 Basically, when everything is working properly, the MTHFR gene initiates a multi-step chemical process known as methylation, which proceeds as follows:
The first step is the production of the MTHFR enzyme. This enzyme breaks down vitamin B-9 (known as folic acid), changing it from 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5- methylenetetrahydrofolate. The 5- methylenetetrahydrofolate is then used to convert homocysteine into methionine which is then used by the body for making proteins, using antioxidants, and processing fats.
Methionine can be used to help suppress inflammation and depression symptoms. In the liver, methionine is converted into s-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e). SAM-e is also an anti-inflammatory agent. It is used in the production and subsequent breakdown of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine; and melatonin, which is a neurotransmitter-like compound. SAM-e is also important in the repair and maintenance of cells.
And here is what can happen when the MTHFR gene is mutated.
When the MTHFR gene is defective, the MTHFR enzyme that's produced performs at only 70 % or 40 % of it's normal capacity, depending on the nature of the gene mutation. This can cause compromised ability of the body to break down and eliminate toxins and heavy metals, and it can lead to a buildup of certain heavy metals. The defective enzyme may not be able to break down and convert folate or folic acid properly, resulting in a buildup of homocysteine, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease and related issues. It can also increase the risk of developing dementia.
Homocysteine conversion to methionine may be compromised, raising the risk of arteriosclerosis, fatty liver disease, anemia, and inflammation. SAM-e production will be decreased, resulting in the likelihood of increased depression symptoms. Because the inactive forms of folate and vitamin B-12 cannot be properly converted into the active forms so that the body can utilize them, the inactive forms of folate and vitamin B-12 may accumulate and this can cause levels to test high. The risk of developing certain cancers may increase. Many diseases have been associated with one or more mutations of the MRHFR gene.
But she's quite right that this can be corrected by diet. The goal is to replace folic acid (supplements) with folate from real food. At least this is how I see it. If she suggested a lot of supplements, I wonder if they are all necessary. Thanks for posting the update.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks Tex. I think I’m only beginning to understand the whole MTHFR methylation/ homocysteine connection and impact. I see in the article you referenced they mention you can methylate too quickly. Maybe that’s what she was trying to describe. I think she tried to oversimplify her explanation and left some things out. (She later said she was impressed with what I did know and I said I learned it all here).
We are still using the same list of 5 supplements that the Dr recommended a couple of weeks ago. It seems like a lot but we are addressing high lipids and cholesterol, high homocysteine, and MTHFR A1298C. The Dr was more concerned about the MTHFR and inflammatory issues and the nutritionist seemed more concerned about my lipids and cholesterol. And I am more concerned about the low kidney filtration levels- 2 measures were mildly decreased and 2 were mildly to moderately decreased. The nutritionist said ‘you’ve had kidney damage at some point’ and that really threw me. I don’t really know if we are looking at actual impairment or the effects of homocysteine and inflammation, and if that’s somewhat reversible. Maybe there’s no way to know that until we see what the supplements and diet changes do. I really didn’t see that coming and it’s freaked me out a little.
So I’ll start the Omega 3s this weekend, which look like they are the size of a compact car, and hope I tolerate those well enough to move on to the next one.
As always thanks for your help and taking the time to respond. I want to continue to improve but I found it a little overwhelming to hear what all is wrong with me.
Love
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
I have a hunch that the kidney problems might be part of the package (rather than a separate issue), because I have compromised kidney function also, and the MTHFR A1298 gene variation, along with some other methylation issues. I'm not sure what you'll be taking for the Omega 3s, but I've been taking flax seed oil capsules and fish oil capsules for years, and while they aren't quite in the size range of a compact car ( — I couldn't keep from laughing at that one), they are indeed big pills, but they seem to go down easily. You should tolerate them well, unless they've got too many other ingredients in them.
The compromised kidney function really caught my attention, too, but it has improved significantly, and I don't worry about it as much anymore. It seemed to concern me a lot more than my doctor, for some reason or other.
Anyway, I hope you have good luck with the supplements.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks so much Tex. You really have relieved some of my tension and worry. I have to admit I’ve been brooding about the kidney issues. I know the decreased kidney function showed up on lab tests when I had my first big flare that led to my diagnosis. I thought it might resolve as I improved. But if others here have experienced that and saw some gains then I can be a little more optimistic.
Looks like the Omega 3 are a fish oil concentrate (tilapia, sardine and anchovy) by Artic Oils, but I appreciate knowing what you take because as you know the first supplement is not always the right one. It says it’s free of soy protein. I wonder if that means there’s another form of soy there? I’ll check more deeply into that.
Thanks so much,
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
It's well-labeled and appears to be free of pretty much every known risk. As you can see, the vitamin E is in the form of d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, which is a synthetic form (not soy-derived).
You're very welcome,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
