[hopeful]

Hi,
I got the results of some blood work back and want some opinions. My Vitamin D was 43 and B12 is 611. Are they OK?
CARNITINE CARNITINE, TOTAL 25 () mild decrease
CARNITINE CARNITINE, FREE 21 () mild decrease
CARNITINE CARNITINE ESTERS 4 () mild decrease

Any ideas?

Everything else states normal.
MRI states chronic white matter lesions including brainstem. No changes. I knew I had just a few lesions in the brain but did not know about the brainstem. They told me before they could not say what the lesions were from. Again any ideas? Should I be concerned about this?

Fasting glucose was normal at 90. No A1c was done. All the antibodies came back normal.

Isn't it crazy, I don't know about everyone else, but in some weird way I get disappointed when everything comes back normal. I guess I just keep waiting for an answer.

Well, thanks for any answers you can provide.
Kim

[mrsD]

Well, um....

If you are taking B12, 600+ is not sterling. It is okay, but for people having neuro symptoms it would be nice to be a bit higher IMO. B12 has to get into the CNS...and the higher the gradient from the blood serum the better it crosses into the CSF.

I just read that toxicity from Flagyl can cause brain lesions.
Let me see if I can find that again.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963744/
also there are reports of unilateral lesions on Google as well.
It is an example of a drug actually damaging the brain. So who knows
what yours could be from?

I'd take some acetyl carnitine just as insurance if you aren't already. Start at 250mg twice a day.

The D is good... not perfect but very close to my results too.
Considering how many people have results in the single digits, 43 is okay. My doctor wanted me at 70 but I've never made that goal. 50 is the "new" low norm now with the new research.
Given lab error possibilities you are very close.

[hopeful]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Well, um....

If you are taking B12, 600+ is not sterling. It is okay, but for people having neuro symptoms it would be nice to be a bit higher IMO. B12 has to get into the CNS...and the higher the gradient from the blood serum the better it crosses into the CSF.

I just read that toxicity from Flagyl can cause brain lesions.
Let me see if I can find that again.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963744/
also there are reports of unilateral lesions on Google as well.
It is an example of a drug actually damaging the brain. So who knows
what yours could be from?

I'd take some acetyl carnitine just as insurance if you aren't already. Start at 250mg twice a day.

The D is good... not perfect but very close to my results too.
Considering how many people have results in the single digits, 43 is okay. My doctor wanted me at 70 but I've never made that goal. 50 is the "new" low norm now with the new research.
Given lab error possibilities you are very close.

Hi Mrs. D.
I went to the all natural store by me and brought l-carnitine 500mg. I didn't realize you had said 250mg twice daily. Is this ok? It was $30 for 60 pills what do you think?
Also, I do not take B12 supplements as I wrote before my level was 611. Should I take B12? I have a b complex here and I also have just B12. I brought them but then a doctor told me not to take any supplements because they are useless. Obviously, I disagree. Dko you think I should be taking B12?
Thanks, hopeful

[mrsD]

500mg is okay since you already have it. Carnitine is not 100% absorbed anyway.

Just take 500mg a day to start. See what happens.

I'd take 1000mcg methylB12 just as insurance ..daily on an empty stomach. Dr. Snow found some people in his study who were in the normal range but not high, did improve on extra B12.
I have that quote on the B12 thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post698522-70.html

Because B12 is so safe to use, trying it can't hurt. You have those "lesions" which may need help remyelinating.

It is a sad shame that doctors don't understand the biochemistry of the body. In fact we are all complex chemical factories where movement of ions, messenger RNA, and building blocks like Omega-3 fats, and choline, are used to repair daily wear and tear and injuries to all our tissues.
Doctors will give toxic drugs that damage us, as "treatments" but they fail to understand the mechanisms of healing on a chemical level! sigh.

[hopeful]

Originally Posted by mrsD

500mg is okay since you already have it. Carnitine is not 100% absorbed anyway.

Just take 500mg a day to start. See what happens.

I'd take 1000mcg methylB12 just as insurance ..daily on an empty stomach. Dr. Snow found some people in his study who were in the normal range but not high, did improve on extra B12.
I have that quote on the B12 thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post698522-70.html

Because B12 is so safe to use, trying it can't hurt. You have those "lesions" which may need help remyelinating.

It is a sad shame that doctors don't understand the biochemistry of the body. In fact we are all complex chemical factories where movement of ions, messenger RNA, and building blocks like Omega-3 fats, and choline, are used to repair daily wear and tear and injuries to all our tissues.
Doctors will give toxic drugs that damage us, as "treatments" but they fail to understand the mechanisms of healing on a chemical level! sigh.

Thanks Mrs. D.
I will start both the carnintine and B12. I am now taking CoQ10, R-lipoic Acid and adding the adding these two. I take my meds and supplements when I wake all on an empty stomach except the CoQ10. I wait until I eat and add a brazil nut before I take that for the fat. Can I take the B12 and carnitine with the other supplements and meds first thing in the morning?

I appreciate your support with difficult emotional time right now. You are so right, doctors really do not understand. I think they just want to help and be right and the thing they have are meds. I just wish they would be more open minded. Maybe some day they will become more open to adding more alternative medicine to their regime.
hopeful

[mrsD]

Yes, you can take the supplements that need empty stomach
together. Make sure you take a full glass of water with them for best dissolving.

[hopeful]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Yes, you can take the supplements that need empty stomach
together. Make sure you take a full glass of water with them for best dissolving.

Hi Mrs. D.,
I have another quick question. I read a lot of the B12 forum and saw that you were taking Jarrow B12 from i-Herb but switched to Amazon for ordering it. Are you still taking the Jarrow brand?
Thanks for all your help!

[mrsD]

I am using Puritan's Pride version now. They started offering it about 2 yrs ago, and I tested it out. Had my B12 tested 3 months after using the 5mg daily.

The tablets are smaller and taste better and the price is better too.

http://www.puritan.com/vitamin-b-12-...000-mcg-032860
There is also a 1000mcg version at Puritan's. Read the offerings carefully because they also sell the cyano type.
It is easy to pick the wrong one.

Their buy one get 2 free will start soon, maybe in May.

There was a time when methylcobalamin was not easy to find.
Back then Jarrow's was at iherb.com and most of us used that.

I only use it once or twice a week now, since I tested so high (1999).

[Synnove]

Hi hopeful

I read your post where you mentioned the lesions on your brain. I also have demyelinating lesions in the white matter on the brain, and the doctors have not been able to tell me what they are, could be so many things.
And I agree with you, it can be so very frustrating and scary when we are feeling sicker and sicker as time goes by, and they can not come up with a cause. The neuropathy is bad for me.
I hope you feel better soon.

[judiesva]

Mrs D-

In regard to the CARNITINE testing, this is something that I have not heard of before. Is it important to have your Carnitine tested? I was in the process of searching for info regarding supplementation with acetyl L-carnitine and came across this thread. It appears that there are several forms of Carnitine and different supplements contain 1-3 different forms of Carnitine. Is is worth it to buy a supplement that has Acetyl l-carnitine with one or two other forms? Especially the ones that contain ArgioCarn or GlyoCarn?

Thank you,

Judie