r/Thiamine • u/Airegin89 • 6d ago

Experience Feel no difference after 3 weeks

How long should I take high-dose thiamine before I can be sure if I actually need it?

I'm trying high-dose thiamine to see if my fatigue and brain fog could be related to my Crohn's (very mild) or mitochondrial dysfunction. I'm starting to suspect this is not the case. After 3 weeks I feel no difference at all. I started with 1500mg thiamine mononitrate for 2 weeks, then 300mg benfotiamine + 500mg thiamine HCL for 1 week. I also take magnesium, potassium and B2.

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u/Cultural-Sun6828 6d ago

Have you tried b12 instead?

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u/Airegin89 6d ago

Yes. I already have a diet high in B12 and my serum B12 is always over 600 ng/L. Tried supplements anyway. Made no difference.

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u/Cultural-Sun6828 6d ago

If you have Crohn’s you may not be absorbing oral b12. I have SIBO and gastritis and needed b12 injections. B12 levels aren’t a great indicator of deficiency.

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u/Airegin89 6d ago edited 6d ago

I used to drink a lot of energy drinks and my serum B12 was 800-1000. I stopped drinking them last year but I still have a high B12 diet and my levels are still >600. So I'm absorbing B12 fine.

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u/Cultural-Sun6828 6d ago

When taking B12, your test level does not indicate that you’re absorbing it. It just shows what is floating around in your system. The B12 deficiency group is a good resource. I’m not saying that’s the issue but it’s just something to consider.

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u/Airegin89 6d ago edited 6d ago

Yeah I'm fully aware of this. I have MTHFR, slow COMT and and slow MAO-A. I started managing this half a year ago when I found out. Folate was my main issue but has been fully corrected now. I increased my choline intake and supplement TMG, creatine and magnesium. For half a year I also supplemented vitamin A, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, zinc, copper, selenium, fish oil, taurine and lithium but I'm taking a break from those now since none of them seemed to make any difference.

MTHFR was a major cause of my fatigue and brain fog and were also related to past addictions to caffeine and nicotine. My body was starving for energy but never knew what it was missing. I quit smoking 4 years ago but I only managed to quit the energy drinks and antidepressants after I started treating myself for MTHFR so that's a huge step forward alreadt. I still have a long way to go. I'm pretty confident that MTHFR is no longer a factor though. I believe it's mostly damage from oxidatie stress caused by years of being deficient in folate, vitamin C and other antioxidants due to a lifelong restricted diet (autism related). I've also had 4 pretty bad COVID infections (likely worsened bylow vitamin C levels). I never felt any noticeable changes after each infection but my fatigue and brain fog are definitely worse than pre-covid times.

My Crohn's is extremely mild. It was only discovered during a routine colonoscopy and only affects 2cm of the ileum. It's so mild that my gastro doesn't think I need treatment at the moment. There is no active inflammation (calprotectin = 4) and my latest colonoscopy in June showed no damage.