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So, I have been reading about how Tecfidera works by depleting levels of glutathione in your body. In my research I can't find info about whether I should, when I start Tecfidera next week, stop using the glutathione supplement I take? What about other supplements that are supposed to raise levels of glutathione, like milk thistle? If Tecfidera works by depleting glutathione, seems counter-productive to take supplements that increase glutathione. Thoughts?

Lainie wrote:So, I have been reading about how Tecfidera works by depleting levels of glutathione in your body. In my research I can't find info about whether I should, when I start Tecfidera next week, stop using the glutathione supplement I take? What about other supplements that are supposed to raise levels of glutathione, like milk thistle? If Tecfidera works by depleting glutathione, seems counter-productive to take supplements that increase glutathione. Thoughts?

I can't answer your question. However, I did want to mention that it was my understanding that taking actual glutathione wasn't very helpful since it would mostly get digested as it's composed of a short tripeptide. Many people who want to raise glutathione take n-acetylcysteine instead.

Hi lainie,
I don't have links or anything but from what I understand, bg12 causes an increase in intercellular glutathione and a decrease in intracellular glutathione. Whether it's the increase or decrease that allegedly stabilizes ms is beyond me. Whether taking nac or glutathione will hamper, enhance, or reduce the adverse effects or the beneficial effects of the drug is also beyond me. I just thought I'd throw that out there to confuse matters more. Maybe you can figure it out.

For the record, I'm not a fan of the drug.

hi lainie can you link us up to what you've been reading on tecfidera as pertains to glutathione? I'm interested in which particular form or forms are supposed to be affected.

fyi
Oxidative stress in patients with multiple sclerosis.
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/10609 ... shvwXVyp.2
"It is well known that brain and nervous system cells are prone to oxidative damage because of their relatively low content of antioxidants, especially enzymatic ones, and of the high levels of both membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and iron easily released from injured cells. We have investigated the oxidative stress in the blood (plasma, erythrocytes and lymphocytes) of 28 patients affected with multiple sclerosis (MS) and of 30 healthy age matched controls, by performing a multiparameter analysis of non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants--Vitamin E (Vit. E), ubiquinone (UBI), reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH, GS-SG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and fatty acid patterns of phospholipids (PL-FA). PL-FA and Vit. E were assayed by GC-MS; UBI and GSH/GS-SG by HPLC; SOD, GPX and CAT by spectrophotometry. In comparison to controls, patients with MS showed significantly reduced levels of plasma UBI (0.21 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.08 mg/ml, p < 0.001), plasma Vit. E (7.4 +/- 2.1 vs. 11.4 +/- 1.8 mg/ml, p < 0.01), lymphocyte UBI (8.1 +/- 4.0 vs. 30.3 +/- 7.2 ng/ml blood, p < 0.001) and erythrocyte GPX (22.6 +/- 5.7 vs. 36.3 +/- 6.4 U/g Hb, p < 0.001). This blood antioxidant deficiency was associated with plasma levels of PL-PUFA--especially C20:3 n-6 and C20:4 n-6--significantly higher than controls. In conclusion, the blood of patients with MS shows the signs of a significant oxidative stress. The possibility of counteracting it by antioxidant administration plus an appropriate diet, might represent a promising way of inhibiting the progression of the disease. Antioxidant supplements should include not only GSH repleting agents, but also Vit. E, ubiquinol, and selenium."
of course I'd add zinc as well I have posted elsewhere re zinc (and selenium) correlations with glutathione status.

Laine
Are you on Tecfidera and supplements now?