I have identified a 2nd major reason why Nanna1s method stopped working for me: SAM-e quality/dosage/tolerance
For context, adding back the D3 improved the method to around 80-90%, but still wasn't perfect until I made the following adjustment:
I just started taking another brand of SAM-e as my old Jarrows brand ran out. Upon taking this new brand, I felt an immediate improvement in symptoms. It's supposedly the same dose as the Jarrow's I was taking (200mg active from 400mg total per pill). The brand is NutraLife, and is a high quality reputable brand. After taking 1 pill from this new brand, I felt exactly how I felt in that first month of the method working. Sensitivities went away like magic.
I also distinctively remember the pills in the Jarrows box sticking to the plastic, which is probably indicative of melting/heat exposure, which is known to degrade SAM-e. So it's possible the quality from this batch had been diminished from heat exposure. Either that or, it's possible I'm absorbing this new brand better and getting a slightly higher amount of SAM-e. This morning when I took the SAM-e on an empty stomach (along with B complex and choline) I felt like I still could have used more SAM-e. This afternoon I decided to take 2x 200mg active SAM-e, but 30 minutes spaced apart so I could observe the effects of each dosage. And sure enough, after the first dose, which was my 2nd total for the day, again felt like I could use another. So I dosed the 3rd and sure enough felt incredible again. So more than likely a tolerance is building to the SAM-e. This is the first time I've gone over 400mg of active SAM-e per day. Some people dose as high as 1600mg/day.
From reading through Nanna1s messages, he cycled the SAM-e/POIS Cascade stack. For me, this isnt preferable as the SAM-e (POIS Cascade Stack) takes away my food sensitivities as well as POIS. He does say in his theory that each one of us, given our unique genetic breakdown, will have a different mixture of symptoms alongside POIS. Sounds like he probably didn't have too many food sensitivities like I do, and yet, our cure/root cause appears to be extremely similar as per his theory. From memory, he had exercise intolerance, which I do not. Given that he most likely cycled the SAM-e, this would have broken up any tolerance that built for him, allowing him to keep his dosage relatively low (200mg active twice a day).
Hi Nas,
That's awesome you are seeing results. Keep listening to your body to see what works best for you. I take around 1800mg omega-3 EPA and 2000IU of D3 per day and on orgasms days I usually take 2 x 200mg of SAM-e (400mg). To save money, I have started taking alphaGPC, SAM-e and B1 only on orgasm days. Cutting the stack when you don't need it sounds like a useful strategy to guard against any tolerance that might develop to SAM-e. Thanks for sharing that part . B6 should also help prevent tolerance to SAM-e.
I'm cautious about pausing and resuming omega-3 and D3 since they take days to fully build up in the body. So for me, I always take those two supplements.
In a new development on my side, I have started experimenting with tocotrienols which are rare forms of vitamin E. I did a post about it. It just came in two days ago and subjectively today have noticed more creativity and quickness in my thoughts. And also I feel more resilient to stress. Not much worries me. I'm not entirely sure this is due to the tocotrienols since it has only been two days, but my ultimate goal is to replace/eliminate/reduce the three most expensive parts of the stack (SAM-e/alphaGPC/omega-3). This is not something I would suggest others do. I'm more curious to see if I can reduce the number of pills I take (and save some money).
Heres some tolerance information from PsychonautWiki on SAM-e:
Tolerance and addiction potential
SAM-e is not habit-forming with a low potential for abuse. It does not seem to be capable of causing psychological or physiological dependence among users.
Tolerance to many of the effects of S-adenosyl methionine develops over several weeks of prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly larger doses to achieve the same effects. After that, it takes about 3 - 7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 1 - 2 weeks to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption).
Moving forward I am going to continue to investigate the SAM-e component of the method, specifically tolerance, bioavailability/absorption on empty stomach & whether this is effected by orange juice versus water, SAMe brand quality, and tolerance cycling. It may be that I need to cycle Nanna1s method (specifically the SAM-e) with my animal-based method for the SAM-e to work long-term. I.e., take SAM-e for month straight, enjoy normal diet, then take 2 week tolerance break & jump back on animal-based while tolerance resets, etc.
With all this being said, I dont believe the Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio has impacted the effectiveness of the method, like I initially thought. So far I havent seen or felt any evidence of that. I still try to keep my ratio in Omega-3 balance regardless. The one thing I'm learning with this method is attention to details is important lol