BrainFog Research

[B12life]

I couldn't find the post where someone mentioned that their brainfog was resolved by B1 (thiamine). Thanks to them I started taking 200 mcg / day and I had instant improvement. Since then I have been on a research binge.

I'm not saying this will fix it for others, but I'm thinking that it will for me and that I not only have a b12 deficiency but a B1 and who knows what deficiencies in other b vitamines.

I liked this video that talks about why diabetics and in my case I have insulin resistance dump Thiamine and how critical it is to glucosis:

youtube.com/watch?v=m3DopqT...(Not working as expected?)

I went back an looked at my labs and only b12 was tested.

I will be getting my b1, b2 and other vitamins tested now to confirm this.

[Narwhal10]

Hi B12life,

Thank you.

That gentleman is a British functional nutritionist and I sent him a thank you letter. I watched his work on YouTube and thiamine linked to the diagnosis fibromyalgia (an umbrella term condition). His work is based on Derrick Lonsdale and Chandler Mars (American M.Ds) Book ‘Thiamine Deficiency and Dysautonomia.’

Like yourself, I know it may not work for others as we are all individuals but it did for me.

Having worked with a private dietician, I take magnesium threonate as thiamine works in conjunction.

Best wishes

[B12life in reply to Narwhal10]

Was it you that recommended b1 in a previous post on brain fog? If so you are a god send!!!!

[Narwhal10 in reply to B12life]

I am afraid I cannot take credit for the post but am really pleased it is working for you.

Thiamine deficiency can result in Wernicke’s encephalopathy or Korsakoff syndrome severe problems with memory and cognition. Ability to understand and process.

For anyone else reading dysautonomia can include Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (when you stand up you can feel very giddy, your heart rate rises), exercise intolerance, double vision and insomnia.

Vitamin B1 is also water soluble like vitamin B12 so excess is excreted.

[EllaNore]

This is all new to me and please don't take my word as absolute, but I was doing research and found that B6 is sometimes deficient and also iron and copper. But what I think is if we're having trouble absorbing one vitamin and nutrients it's very likely that we're not absorbing others as well. That's just my thoughts and what I feel but I don't know for sure maybe somebody else here does. I plan on asking my doctor to test me for everything. All the b's the iron the copper and whatever else. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

[Littlelodge123 in reply to EllaNore]

Vit B6 requires an acidic environment for uptake so does iron hence these are two things that PA suffered are often deficient in.

[jade_s in reply to EllaNore]

Except be careful, some B complexes have very high amounts of B6, and you can overdose on it, unlike other B vitamins. I guess common wisdom says to get no more than 10mg B6 from your B complex.

[Narwhal10 in reply to EllaNore]

Hi EllaNore,

Welcome here. My goodness, I read your bio. I am amazed and actually lost for words. All I can muster, sorry, is it is good to see you here.

Yes, you are correct in we can also be deficient in other micronutrients. You do have to be careful with B6 as Jade_S has said and FlipperTD (our scientist) very wisely writes about taking too much iron.

For me personally, I could not maintain my iron levels but then had further testing (not by bloods, it was via gut microbiome and worked with a functional nutritionist) I was found to be copper deficient. It too has to be taken with caution.

We are all unique and what works may not work for another

[EllaNore in reply to Narwhal10]

Thank you Narwhal!! I read your bio too. I'm sorry for your health issues too, but I did get a chuckle out of the tattoo comment. I am too afraid to take anything without my doctor knowing, and we have not gotten to the other deficiencies yet. So I for sure will not take anything like b6. I do plan on speaking to him about it when he gets back from vacation. Thank you, be well.

[ForViolet]

Dr Costantini, neurologist, did studies that showed thiamine helped Fibromyalgia. He mainly is known for his use of thiamine to help Parkinson's patients, but became interested in using it for other patients too.

I don't think he found it useful to do blood tests to evaluate B1 status. It was used more along the lines of a drug rather than treating a lab results deficiency. If it helped people, that was the test.

[ForViolet]

I should add that Dr. C often used Magnesium along with the B1/thiamine. The amounts of thiamine varied greatly for patients, and of course some were not helped with it.

[Littlelodge123]

Yes I take 1500 mg a day along with magnesium and it is great for fatigue and pain too.