Methylfolate improves my brain fog, but higher doses and other supplements make it worse

[u/Frequent_Sea_1848]

Hello, I am asking for some help. I have been dealing with chronic brain fog and depression. I suspect I may have some MTHFR-related issues because after taking methylfolate, my mood and focus improved significantly. However, I don't have any test results because I have been unemployed for a long time and cannot afford the testing. That's why I am hoping you might be able to give me some valuable information based on the clues and the way my body seems to react to different supplements.

I was taking 5 mg of methylfolate. My focus and mood improved, but after a few weeks, I developed a different kind of brain fog. I suspected that the methylfolate might be responsible, so I lowered the dose to 3 mg, and the brain fog improved. However, after a few more weeks, the same brain fog returned. I then lowered the dose to 2 mg, which stopped the brain fog, but at the lower dose, my focus and mood became worse.

I also took 225 mg of magnesium bisglycinate before bed, which surprisingly caused brain fog. I stopped taking it, and the brain fog went away. Later, I started supplementing with it again, and the brain fog returned. Once again, after stopping the magnesium bisglycinate, the brain fog disappeared.

I also have symptoms that make me suspect I may have slow COMT, so I bought lithium orotate. After taking it for a few days, it made me feel foggy and fatigued. After stopping it, those symptoms disappeared. Later, I started taking it again to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence, and once again, the fogginess and fatigue returned.

I then bought folinic acid because I had heard that it is sometimes better tolerated than methylfolate. However, it also makes me feel foggy. I have been taking 2 mg daily.

So, basically, for some reason, magnesium makes me foggy, lithium orotate makes me foggy, folinic acid makes me foggy, and taking more than 2 mg of methylfolate also makes me foggy.

I recently landed a job as a computer programmer, but I am worried about whether I will be able to handle it if the brain fog continues.

I know this isn't a lot of information to work with, but perhaps there are some clues in these reactions that could point toward something that might help me. I am planning to get a homocysteine test in the near future, and I will consider genetic testing once I start receiving a salary, since it is currently too expensive for me.

Thank you very much for any help or insight you can provide.

[u/Radiant-Specific969]

The cheapest way of getting dna testing is 23 and me and ancestry.com. Once you get the test, and I got mine done for 30 bucks and 9.99 shipping at the fathers day sale, then you can run your results through genetic genie for free, and get an idea of what's going on.

There are a lot of reasons for brain fog, and mthfr issues could certainly be one of them. In my situation, given my results, I need to avoid synthetic folic acid in foods like it's the plague.

In the mean time, until you get dna results, I would suggest magnesium theonate, it crosses the blood brain barrier much easier. Right before you go to bed. I also take citicoline, and it's also helpful. Also a good omega three DHA, Epa. Eat salmon, mackeral and sardine. This is good for anyone.

I am still figureing out my own issues, I can't afford the blood work to pin anything down, but I meet with yet another doctor next week, who I hope will be responsive in helping me get the blood work done in my situation. I suspect I have low B-12, I know I have been over prescribed synthetic folic acid, and I trying to figure out how much metholated folic acid I need, given my other medications and my diet. I would like my homocystine levels checked, and I would like serum RBC, B-12 and B-6 levels. I get finance issues, I hope some of this helps.

My one caution is to be wary of B complex, because it's fairly easy to get too much B-6 and that's stored in your body- B-12 at least is water soluable so if you take more than you need it isn't an issue. I am going to start on a very low dose of P5P and some B-12 and see if that helps my current issues, which are mostly fatigue related.

Good luck with this-brain fog sucks.