MORE brain fog since dx - 1.5 years in. Vitamin deficiencies?

[aperlo34]

Would love to get some input on this. Still trying to figure out what is causing my general fogginess. Thyroid labs all looked perfect, latest labs are borderline normal (I think). Please help!

[knitty kitty]

Hello, @aperlo34,

A few questions, if you don't mind.  

Were you taking multivitamins in the weeks leading up to the blood test for vitamins?  

What kind of diet do you adhere to, besides gluten free?  Are you dairy free as well?  Do you eat lots of processed gluten free foods?  

My brain fog didn't improve until I started taking Benfotiamine, a form of Thiamine vitamin B 1,  that has been shown to improve gastrointestinal healing.  It also helps brain function.  

Most multivitamins contain Thiamine Mononitrate, a form that is difficult for the body to absorb and utilize.  Only thirty percent is absorbed and less is utilized.  

Benfotiamine plus your multivitamin should help lots.  The B vitamins and Vitamin A need a better form of thiamine to interact with, otherwise they remain in the bloodstream.  

[aperlo34]

3 minutes ago, knitty kitty said:

Hello, @aperlo34,

A few questions, if you don't mind.  

Were you taking multivitamins in the weeks leading up to the blood test for vitamins?  

What kind of diet do you adhere to, besides gluten free?  Are you dairy free as well?  Do you eat lots of processed gluten free foods?  

My brain fog didn't improve until I started taking Benfotiamine, a form of Thiamine vitamin B 1,  that has been shown to improve gastrointestinal healing.  It also helps brain function.  

Most multivitamins contain Thiamine Mononitrate, a form that is difficult for the body to absorb and utilize.  Only thirty percent is absorbed and less is utilized.  

Benfotiamine plus your multivitamin should help lots.  The B vitamins and Vitamin A need a better form of thiamine to interact with, otherwise they remain in the bloodstream.  

Hi @knitty kitty, thanks for the response. 
 

full gluten-free since diagnosis, lifelong vegetarian. I eat gluten-free substitutes 4/5 days a week but other than that eat pretty cleanly. 
 

I was not taking a multi regularly leading up to my blood test. 
 

any help is appreciated!!

[knitty kitty]

What are your protein sources?

[aperlo34]

1 minute ago, knitty kitty said:

What are your protein sources?

I forgot to mention - after going gluten free I decided to switch to pescatarian. So seafood, beans, whey protein shakes, etc. 

[knitty kitty]

Do the whey protein shakes contain added vitamins?   Thiamine is necessary to turn proteins, fats and carbs into energy for the body to use.  

There's thiamine in seafood and beans, but the fiber in beans can prevent its absorption.  

[knitty kitty]

Do you eat ancient grains, corn, quinoa, brown rice?   Anything like that?

[knitty kitty]

You'll feel better if you supplement B vitamins and take Benfotiamine.

Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/

[Aretaeus Cappadocia]

@aperlo34 Aside from the thiamine/vitamin B issues raised by the others, your test results show that you have a high level of vitamin A. Humans can accumulate and stores lipid-soluble vitamins (like vitamin) to the point of toxicity, whereas excess water-soluble vitamins tend to get washed out quickly. Your test result is higher than "normal" but lower than what is regarded as "toxic".

Your high vitamin A level might be related to brain fog (I don't know). You might want to ask your Dr about that if they haven't already discussed it with you.

Either way, I would pay attention to that result and reduce something (diet/supplement/other medication) to allow it to get back to the normal range.

This article might be interesting to you:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532916/

 

[knitty kitty]

In situations where there is a thiamine deficiency, the liver has a decreased capacity to store fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins A, D and E, and releases them into the bloodstream. 

Also in thiamine deficiency, the body can't utilize B12, B6 Pyridoxine, and Folate B 9 so they may run high.  

Thiamine levels are not regularly checked.  Altered mental status is a symptom of thiamine deficiency.  However, thiamine deficiency is frequently overlooked in malnutrition.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity Assay gives a better reflection of thiamine status than a blood test.  

I had serious brain fog which was only improved with high dose thiamine supplementation.  My doctors did not recognize the symptoms (brain fog aka Wernickes Encephalopathy, and gastrointestinal Beriberi).  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses needed to correct thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine deficiency can lead to heart attacks, so please get checked.  

Interesting Reading:

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6459027/

A Complex Interplay of Vitamin B1 and B6 Metabolism with Cognition, Brain Structure, and Functional Connectivity in Older Adults

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5663975/

High-dose vitamin B1 therapy prevents the development of experimental fatty liver driven by overnutrition

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7988776/