5-MTHF supplement
 

Hi! I'm hoping someone can answer a question for me. My holistic doctor just started me on methyl-guard from results of blood and urine testing.
My b12 blood levels have always been high but my urine levels of all b vits were low. I think if I understand it correctly my body doesn't break done b vits to get them into my tissues so the supplements I take end up staying in my blood.

My question is the methyl guard has B 6 in it. 20.6 mgs. When I told her I'm of the understanding people with neuropathy should never take B6 she said that wasn't true and this low dose was fine for me to take.

What do you think?

She also put me on SPM Active to lower inflammation. Does anyone take this? If so does it work? My cortisol levels are a little on the high normal side and I think she said this may help bring them down. It's very expensive!
I didn't sleep the night before I saw her so I can't remember a lot of what she said.

I've been in a flare. ( I was before I started the methyl guard) Will these supplements make things worse? I haven't started the SPM. I wanted to start one at a time plus I have IVIG this week and don't want to interfere with the benefits of that.


Any help anyone can give me is appreciated.

Thanks hopeful

SPM Active is made by a company called Metagenics though it is also available from various on-line shops. It contains two fatty acids, 18-hydroxy-eicosapentaenoic acid (18-HEPE) and 17-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (17-HDHA) which Metagenics sources from oily fish. There is limited clinical evidence that both of these have anti-inflammatory properties.

I don't know if 18-HEPE and 17-HDHA are available as prescription drugs. This could be worth checking out - if so, that could be cheaper than buying them from commercial sources.

Thanks Kiwi. I hadn't thought of prescription. It cost me $115.00. Next appt I'm going to ask the doctor that
Thanks again

I can only respond to your post a little.

1) The body does not break down B vitamins. These occur typically in very small amounts in foods, and supplements. The supplements usually are INACTIVE forms and are chemically altered (converted to biologically active forms) after being consumed, to take part in various metabolic reactions to provide energy and tissue building the body needs.

They are water soluble and eventually excreted in the urine. If you consume a high dose of them they are therefore not all used in the tissues. If you have a genetic failure in converting them they will also be excreted in the urine as unused by the various reactions they are needed for. Today some good manufacturers will include the ACTIVE forms of B's in their products. This makes them a bit more costly. If your urine is low in B's you are either not getting enough in the diet, or using them up too quickly for the kidneys to excrete the excess.

Folic acid is inactive in the tissues and has to be metabolized in cells to methylfolate, for example. The active form of B12 is methylcobalamin (and not cyano form the inactive form which is still common in vitamin capsules).

2) B6 in vitamins is not active either, and is converted to pyridoxal 5 phosphate in the body.

You need to decide what your goals are. I have seen you on these boards for a long time. It is possible you will see some
improvement with some supplements, but there could be damage that is not fixable at this late date.

Metagenics is a prestige company-- It is very very expensive and its website is confusing and does not give the cost up front for its products. I find that deceptive in a way. On Amazon there is a price for it, at around $80.00 a bottle for the SPM.

The Methyl Guard (if the name is the same I found) is a Thorne
product and Thorne company who makes it has had a good reputation, and corresponding high priced line of supplements.
You need to decide if you want these two expensive brands.

There is solid research on using Omega products in general, however this stops short of 100%. I don't think there is HARM from them, but there may be limited effectiveness in using them.

Did you have MTHFR testing? This will show if you need Methylfolate and methycobalamin (B12) for life due to a genetic mutation which fails to convert them to activity. People with the inherited mutations are quite common (up to 40%) as this new information has recently has been explored with 23andMe and other labs advertising on TV now. The thrust of this new information is for cardiac treatment, but these two B vits are critical for many other functions in the body. This testing is not really expensive anymore and should be done if you need more complete data.

The bottom line? Neither of these 2 products are dangerous....but you may be paying way too much for these companies.

Thank you. Mrs D. No she did not test for the MTHFR. I will see her again in November and ask her to do so. If she is unable maybe I will just do the 23 & me.

I was really concerned about taking B6 with neuropathy but I really trust your opinion and won't worry about it.

As for the price I'll give these a try for the next few months. If I don't see results I'm not going to stick with them. Also, I'm going to take Kiwi's advice and ask about prescription forms. I saw the SPM on Amazon but it's different from the one she gave me. I think this is their newer version. My husband has been battling stage four lung cancer for a year and a half now. Needless to say, our medical bills are mounting so I need to watch what I spend on myself.

That is why I'm not on the board much anymore. I hope people don't mind me coming on and just asking questions now and then. I know there is a wealth of knowledge on this board.

I have been in such a flare lately and can't figure out why. Then again there never seems to be any rhyme or reason. I took a medrol dose pack but it did not let up. As I said I'm hoping my IVIG this week will help.

Thanks again for your answer. I always appreciate the advice!

Hi Hopeful, sorry to hear that you are having a nasty flare, as well as the other issues you are dealing with in your life. Don't forget that stress can often be a factor in how you feel - so do the best you can to relax and dial down the stress a bit. I know it can be difficult, but it is very important to your health.

Thanks Ragtop, you are right stress does make this worse. I do have a lot of that in my life for sure. I don't think this flare up is from that though. I'm usually someone who can acknowledge its stress related. I don't think this is.
Sometimes I just wish I could jump out of my body put it in a corner and give myself a break!
Haha! Wouldn't that be nice if we could do that!