if you were ever wondering what is wrong with me, why i'm on edge, sensitivities high, injury-prone or spinning wheels, i'm finally figuring it out and sharing because everyone could benefit from getting the same blood tests, regardless of foot type, starting with this one: Homocysteine Hcy.
10 days ago, i took the first 3 tests i lined up, last week the first result came in... this is where this story gets relevant, as it applies to everyone, morton's foot aside...
'not feeling right' for several years now in mind spirit body, with an array of issues, visiting doctors in canada and usa, doing endless bloodwork that always comes back 'normal' while the symptoms pile up and get worse incl. low energy/mood, edgy/impatient/irritable, blurry vision/dizzy spells, cold hands/feet, with a 10-year numbing/tingling and tics/spasms in a weak/skinny leg now spreading into both hands/arms, and tired after limping through half of 2016 unable to do yoga/soccer/sports thanks to acute heel pain atop knee/hip/shoulder stuff..
i went to my doc early feb, my 50th bday month, to spell it all out for the nth time and ask for a full B panel (which they dont do). she ordered up routine tests incl. B12/B9, CMP-comprehensive metabolic panel, CBC-complete blood count, and Mg which, like last year, all came back 'normal' (which never gets me anywhere and renders 'doctors/medicine' useless). but i had read of a possible genetic P5P deficiency and how to discover it and how unreliably inaccurate 'normal' on face-value tests of vitamins/minerals can be, so i spent 10 days pressing my doc by phone for 3 more tests, one i had to order online as she literally could not.
10 days ago, i took the first 3 tests i lined up, last week the first result came in... this is where this story gets relevant, as it applies to everyone, morton's foot aside...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: wolf <wolf@amplifyroi.co
Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2017 at 9:02 AM
From: wolf <wolf@amplifyroi.co
Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2017 at 9:02 AM
as anticipated: my Hyc aka Homocysteine is "out of range" toxic
the battery of tests i took are good starters for everyone (with or w/o Morton's Foot), hence why i am sharing, as you may want to run these tests too...
the battery of tests i took are good starters for everyone (with or w/o Morton's Foot), hence why i am sharing, as you may want to run these tests too...
lab note: homocysteine is increased by functional deficiency of folate (B9) or vitamin B12. testing for mehylmalonic acid differentiates bw these deficiencies. other causes of increased Hyc incl renal failure, folate antagonists such as methorexate and phenytoin, and exposure to nitrous oxide.
Homocysteine Hcy, a toxic amino acid that P5P metabolizes/converts into usable proteins with the help of other vitamin/coenzymes is pretty high out of range indicating B vitamin deficiencies, typically multiple incl B12 [and/or genetic inability to produce enough P5P] by 3 umol/L at 13.8 umol/L where <10.8 is the range according to some experts and <11.4 umol/L to others.
*doctors debate the upper range of 'normal' on this and many blood tests and consider 10.8 the max. doctors also disagree on when 'high' qualifies as 'hyper' etc.. also, when you test 'normal' or 'high' in B12 you could still have symptoms of a deficiency due to various reasons, depending on what else you may have i.e. genetic disorder, so face-value vitamin and mineral tests are inconclusive and unreliable and several additional tests are required to get a more accurate picture.
the lab notes provided me clues by suggesting a methylmalonic acid test that can help me cross-check verify 'differentiate' the results of my 'normal' B9 and B12 tests (face value metrics are known to give false 'normals'), yet even these great lab notes do not hint at checking B6 or B2 as i read i should as they all work together.
so my system is slow-poisoning me (and that's what it feels like) aka "our systems can be poisoning vs feeding our neurotransmitters if our micronutrients/enzymes are not optimally in balance" whether its gut/sinus flora or any other biochemical process, stuff regular doctors don't test and/or can't test. you have to navigate around the limiters and 'normal' metrics and self-advocate, to get to the truth.
and if the P5P/MF hypothesis is accurate, and so far it looks that way, my toxicity/deficiency 'tilted imbalance' has been occurring my whole life aka since the womb, not to mention my mother's entire life, etc. (but the same imbalances could evolve or get gradually more problematic over time for anyone who takes prescription rx incl blood pressure, diuretics, birth control/hormone pills, arthritis rx, etc.) yet 99% of doctors do not know to test for it, and insurance policies and software systems dont even let regular doctors order the Hyc test even with my repeat urging. dr weil warns about this system error regarding this specific high value test.
i guess its not too surprising. if we can afford to pursue a well researched hunch and order our own tests, the people would have no need for pharma/doctors until or unless we break our bones or need a few stitches after accidents, two things we can't normally do at home. but that aside...
glad to get a handle on which studies/doctors/researchers to believe more now. dont trust your local lab coats know it all because they usually dont. they are overworked and stressed out and have no time/interest to keep up with journals - they are slave to the system - wear big pharma blinders and obey the norms. we need to help our poor doctors or they can't help us. be friendly but firm, half ask, half tell them what you want/need them to do for you.
i walked in there asking for a B-panel (all my Bs) but she ordered the routine one-dimensional B9/B12 snapshots that are largely inconclusive and can show 'normal' when it is often not the case) so had to pester by phone 3x to get all three ordered and even with pestering, she could not order up homocysteine, which some MD experts and most cardiologists consider "a gold standard".
i will print my Hyc results and see what my doctor has to say about it, maybe she doesn't even know how it aligns with my symptoms, she will have to go check the intranet, wish i could videotape her before and after she references her intranet, as they do when they leave the room.
now, lets look at homocysteine...
[NIH.gov abstract from national institute of health]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pAbstract
Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin needed for many chemical reactions in the human body. It exists as several vitamins forms but pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is the phosphorylated form needed for transamination, deaminatio
PLP is important in the production of neurotransmitters, acts as a Schiff base and is essential in the metabolism of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid involved in cardiovascular disease, stroke, thrombotic and Alzheimer's disease. [to me that's a partial list, ex. if alzheimers in the mix, then anything from autism to adhd on the dimentia spectrum incl peripheral neuropathy should be included honestly, but ok.]
This report announces the connection between a deficit of PLP with a genetically linked physical foot form known as the Morton's foot. Morton's foot has been associated with fibromyalgia/myofascial pain syndrome. [aka odd pain and anomalies all over your body]
Another gene mutation methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFr) is now being recognized much more commonly than previous with chronic fatigue, chronic Lyme diseases and as "the missing link" in other chronic diseases. PLP deficiency also plays a role in impaired glucose tolerance and may play a much bigger role in the obesity, diabetes, fatty liver and metabolic syndrome. Without the Schiff-base of PLP acting as an electron sink, storing electrons and dispensing them in the mitochondria, free radical damage occurs!
The recognition that a phenotypical expression (Morton's foot) of a gene resulting in deficiency of an important cofactor enzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate will hopefully alert physicians and nutritionist to these phenomena.
Supplementation with PLP, L5-MTHF, B12 and trimethylglycine should be used in those patients with hyperhomocysteinemia and/or MTHFR gene mutation. [starting to wonder about this MTHFR gene - great acronym for sure!]
...excerpts from other articles i looked through...
google: high homocysteine levels
google: high homocysteine levels
Can elevated homocysteine levels be hereditary? yes.
-Most clinical testing laboratories consider a homocysteine value of less than 11.0 micromoles per liter (µmol/L) as healthy; some allow slightly higher values as normal. The Life Extension Foundation® and other experts believe that this upper limit of normal is far too high for optimal health. Studies indicate that people with homocysteine values greater than 8.5 µmol/L are at increased risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.
-Other factors thought to raise levels are poor diet, poor lifestyle - especially smoking and high coffee and alcohol intake, some prescription drugs (such as proton pump inhibitors), diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and poor thyroid function.
There is no consensus about the upper reference limits for plasma homocysteine concentrat
A constantly increasing number of studies have been published that show homocysteine to be a predictor of potential health problems. It is clear now that raised plasma homocysteine concentrat
Raised levels of homocysteine are also linked to Alzheimer’s, dementia, declining memory, poor concentration and judgment and lowered mood. Women with high homocysteine levels find it harder to conceive and are at risk from repeated early miscarriage. High homocysteine has also been linked to migraines
... vascular damage, cognitive impairment, neurological complications
... raised homocysteine is associated with damage to the arteries and one mechanism by which homocysteine is thought to cause this damage is by interfering with the way cells use oxygen, resulting in a build-up of damaging free radicals. Oxidation triggers many diseases including heart disease, strokes, cancers and autoimmune diseases.
-What is the normal homocysteine levels in blood?
Most laboratories report normal homocysteine levels in the blood between 4 and 15 micromoles/liter (µmol/L). Any measurement above 15 is considered high. Optimal homocysteine lev
-What is hyperhomocysteinemia symptoms?
Elevated homocysteine levels a
-Elevated homocysteine levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) may cause irritation of the blood vessels [thus causing high blood pressure etc.]
Elevated Homocysteine - Dr. Weil's Condition Care Guide
Symptoms of B-6 deficiency may include: anxiety, seizures, involuntary jerking movements or tics, neuropathy, iron-deficiency that does not correct with iron-rich foods or iron supplementation, elevations in homocysteine. [and i got all of those, the 02-06 sciatic 'muscle freezure' episodes that gave me loud ringing in ears and sensitivity to bright light/noise since 02; and the numb/tingly toes/ankle and spasm/ticky/crampy calf and skinny/weaker L leg and knee since 06, but the last few years of cold hands/feet, low memory low mood low drive low energy never-ending 'hangover' brainfog, so i alone over decades have connected them together and described it all to my inbox journals as literally feeling like a 'slow-motion seizure'. and when all that is occurring across decades without letting you up for air, antisocial/edginess/anxiety logically creeps in].
Elevated homocysteine levels are thought to contribute to plaque formation by damaging arterial walls. High levels may also act on blood platelets and increase the risks of clot formation; ...
Researchers looked at data from 116,000 individuals, all of whom had genetic analysis for mutations in a gene that prompts homocysteine productio
Other contributors to elevated homocysteine levels include stress and coffee consumption: the more coffee you drink, the higher your homocysteine levels are likely to be. ...
In addition, elevated homocysteine levels may be due to low levels of thyroid hormone, kidney disease, psoriasis and some medications. ...
How is elevated homocysteine diagnose
Homocysteine levels are checked via blood tests. Physicians may order the test for patients who have a family history of heart disease but no other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. These tests aren’t done routinely, are not widely available, and their cost (about $100) may not be covered by health insurance. A normal homocysteine level is between 4.4 and 10.8 micromoles per liter of blood.
-What causes raised homocysteine levels?
Many factors are thought to raise levels of homocysteine; among them are poor diet, poor lifestyle especially smoking and high coffee and alcohol intake, some prescription drugs, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and poor thyroid function. Raised levels are also associated with chronic inflammatory diseases in general, and some intestinal disorders ...
It is clear now that each increase of 5µmol/L in homocysteine level
The most important nutrients that help lower homocysteine levels are folate, the vitamins B12, B6 and B2, zinc and trimethylglycine (TMG). [again: B2, B6, B9 (folate), B12, zinc, TMG, together process H, so go get your Hyc and B's tested. i will create a separate email/page exclusively to list symptoms and tests and post it to a blog i aim to create to widen the audience.]
-Normally vitamins B6, B12, and folate quickly convert homocysteine to other products when there are no deficiencies.
-Very low or high blood levels of homocysteine can indicate a B12, folate, and/or B6 deficiency (21).
"OMG, its like you're totally psychic!" no, i'm a pattern-spotter, deep problem-solver.
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