This topic was discussed recently on the forum. Today I received my order and started taking 5mg x2 a day of methylcobalamin taken under the tongue in lozenge form. Wish this old white rat good luck
I read again this article (as well as other sources).
http://www.prohealth.com/library/sho....cfm?libid=481
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Japanese scientists have identified a form of vitamin B-12 that protects against neurological disease and aging by a unique mechanism that differs from current therapies.

Some of the disorders that may be preventable or treatable with this natural vitamin therapy, called methylcobalamin, include chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathies, Alzheimer's disease, muscular dystrophy and neurological aging. Americans have immediate access to this unique and new form of vitamin B-12, and, unlike prescription drugs, it costs very little and is free of side effects.

Vitamin B-12 is a general label for a group of essential biological compounds knows as cobalamins.

The cobalamins are structurally related to hemoglobin in the blood, and a deficiency of vitamin B-12 can cause anemia. The primary concern of conventional doctors is to maintain adequate cobalamin status to protect against anemia.

The most common form of vitamin B12 is called cyanocobalamin. However, over the last ten years, a number of central and peripheral neurological diseases have been linked to a deficiency of a very specific cobalamin, the methylcobalamin form, that is required to protect against neurological diseases and aging. The liver converts a small amount of cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin within the body, but larger amounts of methylcobalamin are necessary to correct neurological defects and protect against aging.

Published studies show that high doses of methylcobalamin are needed to regenerate neurons as well as the myelin sheath that protects nerve axons and peripheral nerves.

CFIDS and B-12
In the Summer 1998 issue of HealthWatch, an important research article reported a fascinating new finding. Over 60% of CFIDS and FM patients' cerebral spinal fluids contained subnormal levels of vitamin B-12. On the other hand, vitamin B-12 levels in the blood did not significantly deviate from normal ranges.

According to Dr. Paul Cheney's treatment pyramid for CFIDS, vitamin B-12 in its non-cyanocobalamin form - the [only type then] commercially available - is a potent detoxifier of the brain. Recent studies in Europe suggest that it needs to be given in large doses in the range of 10 - 20 mg per day, or even more. This supplementation of methylcobalamin might protect the cognitive function of patients with CFIDS by preventing the death of brain cells.

One cause of brain cell death is glutamate toxicity. Brain cells use glutamate as a neurotransmitter, but unfortunately glutamate is a double-edged sword in that it can also kill brain cells. The release of glutamate from the synapses is a usual means by which neurons communicate with each other.

Effective communication means controlled release of glutamate at the right time to the right cells, but when glutamate is released in excessive amounts, intercellular communication ceases. The flood of glutamate into the receiving neurons drives them into hyperactivity, and the excessive activity leads to cellular degradation.

The good news is that it may now be possible to protect brain cells against glutamate toxicity by taking methylcobalamin supplementation. In a study in the European Journal of Pharmacology, it was shown that methylcobalamin protected against glutamate-, aspartate- and nitroprusside- induced neurotoxicity in rat cortical neurons.

Researchers concluded that methylcobalamin protects against neurotoxicity by enhancing brain cell methylation. The CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Health Resource recommends methylation-enhancing therapies such as vitamin B6, vitamin B-12, folic acid and trimethylglycine (TMG), taken together, to protect against heart disease, stroke and other aging-related diseases.

The scientists who conducted the methylcobalamin studies emphasize that ongoing intake of methylcobalamin is necessary to protect against neurotoxicity. Thus for methylcobalamin to be effective in protecting against neurological disease, daily supplementation may be required.

An appropriate dose to protect against neurological aging might be 1 to 5 mg a day taken under the tongue in lozenge form.
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