Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 I have the following blood test results: 1) B12 at the top of normal 2) Folic Acid above normal 3) Homocysteine above normal 4) Methylmalonic Acid above normal. I had stopped supplements for quite a while before the tests. Anyone know what this means? I believe some take folinic acid (I think related to the methylation cycle..maybe? not sure). Thanks, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi, Jim. Your levels of B12 and folic acid are saying that you are not deficient in these nutrients. The elevated homocysteine is saying that there is something amiss either with your methylation cycle or your transsulfuration pathway, or both. The elevated methylmalonic acid is saying that you are not metabolizing it well, possibly because you don't have enough of the active form of B12 (adenosylcobalamin) that is the coenzyme for this reaction. Since your B12 status is above normal and you are not metabolizing methylmalonic acid well, this suggests that your body is not able to readily convert B12 into the active form adenosylcobalamin. Glutathione is required to do this, so glutathione depletion could be responsible. Since it appears likely that your body is not able to convert B12 into adenosylcobalamin, it seems possible that it is also not able to convert B12 into the active form needed to process homocysteine, which is methylcobalamin. Glutathione is also required to convert B12 into methylcobalamin, so glutathione depletion may be responsible for this problem, also. It is also possible that you have genetic variations in one or more of the enzymes (such as MTHFR) that are involved in the folate metabolism or in the enzymes that use or recycle methylcobalamin (MTR and MTRR, respectively). If there are problems with these enzymes, your body would not be able to make effective use of B12 or folic acid for completing the methylation cycle, even if it could convert them to the active forms. The Yasko panel would tell you whether you have such genetic variations. Rich > > I have the following blood test results: > > 1) B12 at the top of normal > 2) Folic Acid above normal > 3) Homocysteine above normal > 4) Methylmalonic Acid above normal. > > I had stopped supplements for quite a while before the tests. > > Anyone know what this means? I believe some take folinic acid (I think > related to the methylation cycle..maybe? not sure). > > Thanks, > > Jim > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid level - they are low (not high). In summary I have: I have the following blood test results: 1) B12 at the top of normal 2) Folic Acid above normal 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Rich, If I cannot afford the Yasko tests, is my case 1 in which following the protocol mentioned on here would also apply to me? (e.g. folinic acid, taurine, tmg) Thanks, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hi Jim Are these serum tests?My b12 was also little above top limit but than i developed some peripheral neuropathy. Started taking b12 regulary and my neuropathy got better. Nil Re: Re: Hi B12/Folic Acid > Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid level - > they > are low (not high). In summary I have: > > I have the following blood test results: > > 1) B12 at the top of normal > 2) Folic Acid above normal > 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal > 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 O.K., Jim. The low homocysteine is saying that your methylation cycle is not working right. The low methylmalonic acid suggests that your body is able to make adenosylcobalamin alright. Based on these revised data, I suspect that you are not deficient in B12 or folic acid, but that your body is not able to use them to operate the methylation cycle properly. I do think it's likely that you have one or more genetic variations in enzymes that affect this cycle and the folate metabolism, including such enzymes as MTHFR, MTR, MTRR, and maybe even CBS. It's also possible, though, that you either have a very low protein diet, or your digestive system is not digesting protein and/or absorbing amino acids very well. If not much in the way of amino acids is coming in, that could also explain the two low values. Methioninine is necessary to make homocysteine, and isoleucine is necessary to make methylmalonic acid. Rich > > Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid level - they > are low (not high). In summary I have: > > I have the following blood test results: > > 1) B12 at the top of normal > 2) Folic Acid above normal > 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal > 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. > > Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hi, Nil. This is important information. Improvement of the neuropathy would require that you have more methylation capacity, from SAMe. So you must have brought your SAMe up by taking B12. What kind of B12 did you take? Was it cyano, hydroxo or methyl? The fact that taking taurine helped you suggests that you were low in taurine. Putting these things together suggests that you are able to operate your methylation cycle O.K. if you supplement some type of B12, but perhaps your trannsulfuration pathway is not working well, since that is what is involved in making taurine. Have you tried taking P5P and magnesium together? The transsulfuration pathway needs P5P. Most people can make it from B-6, but some can't do that well, and then P5P is more effective, since it is the active form. Rich > > Hi Jim > > Are these serum tests?My b12 was also little above top limit but than i > developed some peripheral neuropathy. Started taking b12 regulary and my > neuropathy got better. > > Nil > Re: Re: Hi B12/Folic Acid > > > > Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid level - > > they > > are low (not high). In summary I have: > > > > I have the following blood test results: > > > > 1) B12 at the top of normal > > 2) Folic Acid above normal > > 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal > > 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 hi rich Thank you for your answer. After reading your note i thought that i was also taking l-methionine for some time together with B12.Than i stopped using it for some time to check if it would make any differance. Just at this point i realised that my improvement on neuropathy problems were faster when i took l-methionine together with B12.Thank you for making me to realise that.So,what do you think? It looks to me that I might need to go back to l-methionine,too.is that correct? I am taking MC in capsule form. I was also taking both p5p and of course magnesium before I started taurine and I continue taking them.50 mg of p5p daily.P5p helps me but adding Turine helped me more. Would you think taking law-methionine and taurine at the same time would be fine? What would you think my minimum magnesium need would be while taking taurine? I was decreasing my magnesium intake at this point.I am at about 200 mg's. Best wishes and thanks. Nil Re: Re: Hi B12/Folic Acid >> >> >> > Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid > level - >> > they >> > are low (not high). In summary I have: >> > >> > I have the following blood test results: >> > >> > 1) B12 at the top of normal >> > 2) Folic Acid above normal >> > 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal >> > 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. >> > >> > > > > > > > > > This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each > other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment > discussed here, please consult your doctor. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Rich How on earth did you learn so much about the pathways and the inter relationship they have??? I want that knowledge!!! I never really comprehended the Krebs cycle. Diane in MI Re: Re: Hi B12/Folic Acid > > > > Oops, I was mistaken on the homocysteine and methylmalonic acid level - > > they > > are low (not high). In summary I have: > > > > I have the following blood test results: > > > > 1) B12 at the top of normal > > 2) Folic Acid above normal > > 3) Homocysteine BELOW normal > > 4) Methylmalonic Acid BELOW normal. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.6/378 - Release Date: 6/28/2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hi, Diane. If you are referring particularly to the sulfur metabolism (methylation cycle, transsulfuration pathway, etc.) then the best sources of information I can suggest are the book by Pangborn and Baker called " Autism: Effective Biomedical Treatments, " available for $30 plus shipping from http://www.autismwebsite.com, and the charts, books and DVDs that Amy Yasko offers. Her websites are http://www.holistichealth.com, http://www.holisticheal.com, and http://www.autismanswer.com. Her material is very complex and not so easy to hear or read on her earlier DVDs, but the later ones are quite well produced. Another person who is extremely knowledgeable about sulfur metabolism is Owens, who runs the sulfurstories list. She has posted some very good explanations, which are in the archives of that list. If you are referring to biochemistry in general, I bought several biochemistry and physiology textbooks over the past 10 years and read major parts of them. There are still a lot of gaps in my understanding, because I have mostly studied the parts that seem relevant to the questions I am trying to answer, regarding CFS. Rich > > Rich > How on earth did you learn so much about the pathways and the inter relationship they have??? I want that knowledge!!! I never really comprehended the Krebs cycle. > Diane in MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Hi, Jim. This will take some thought. Right now I'm in the middle of helping my wife pack for an expedition and don't have time to ponder this. I'll get back to you when I can. Rich > > Rich, > > If I cannot afford the Yasko tests, is my case 1 in which following the > protocol mentioned on here would also apply to me? (e.g. folinic acid, taurine, > tmg) > > Thanks, > > Jim > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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