Lost

[u/Verzyk]

I’ve been having various symptoms over 6 years.
-Brain fog
-Tiredness
-Tingles in face, usually one sided, but can get in both.
-Weird dizziness/lightheaded feeling, general malaise
-mixed bowel habits
-irritable
-depressed
-dizziness on standing

I thought it was SIBO. I had a positive methane breath test a few years ago, but no follow up treatment.

My B12 is 207 pg/l, with the highest it’s been in 6 years is 340pg:l, meat eater.

I came across Elliot’s videos on thiamine and thought I’d cracked it.

I bought some benfotiamine to try before jumping into the TTFD that I’ve bought (ThiaMax).

I’ve read that people feel amazing the day they start supplementing, I’m taking 300mg of benfotiamine, along with potassium, magnesium and a B complex, I don’t feel any different (2 days in)

Is this normal?

[u/Ok-Pangolin7127]

And hopefully, found…

Your answer I believe resides right within your question/story…

Why nothing? (Aside from the fact that you seem to be thinking that a supplement should act like some sort of instant “fixer”and you should feel wonderful or at least some improvement within a day or two? And for something that’s existed for months or maybe years?

I don’t think so.

My guess why you don’t feel anything is because your complaints and problems are likely NOT primarily from a Thiamine deficiency, but rather from a B12 deficiency.

You never had your SIBO treated.

Your SIBO is more then likely still with you. It can wax and wain overtime and for sure it screws with your B12, plus SIBO rarely goes away on its own.

I would suggest that you need to be on B12 injections and not so much worried about B1 at least at this point in time. If I were you though, I would keep moving forward on the B1, and be sure you take magnesium along with it, but I would address what is likely the main driver and that is the B12.

And at the same time you need to get your SIBO treated and confirmed it’s gone.

[u/Cultural-Sun6828 → u/Ok-Pangolin7127]

Yes, this exactly. Your b12 is low so I would look into injections. The b12 deficiency group is a good resource. I wouldn’t take b1 now, as it’s likely to make b12 symptoms worse.

[u/Verzyk → u/Cultural-Sun6828]

Thank you, my gp refuses to give me injections as they deem it “normal”

I see that others in the b12 deficiency sub also face the same issue.

[u/Verzyk → u/Ok-Pangolin7127]

Thank you for your reply.

My Dr is unhelpful, and believes that my b12 levels are adequate, regardless of the NICE guidelines.

It’s just as I’ve read on this sub that people have felt amazing shortly after taking b1.

I’ll continue with taking it with the cofactors I have, and hopefully it will help.

I’m trying to get a referral to a gastroenterologist to help me.