Focus:
Understanding that your nervous system is listening, and giving it signals of safety.
Repetition:
My nervous system is safe.
My body knows how to heal.
I am held. I am whole.
The B Vitamin Ladder: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Rebuilding Your B Vitamins
You have seen me mention the B Ladder in several articles now, so this week I want to give it to you all in one place.
B vitamins work as a team, and taking a B-complex all at once can backfire. It is like trying to climb a ladder by skipping rungs. Instead, we add each B vitamin one at a time, in a specific order, so your body can adjust before the next one comes in. This keeps us from overwhelming the system. B1 and B2 always come first.
The Ladder
Step 1: B1 (Benfotiamine)
Take it with meals. Start low and increase very slowly, working up to 2,600 mg a day. Stay at that target dose for 9 months.
Step 2: B2 (Riboflavin)
Take 400 mg a day for 5 months.
Step 3: B3 (Niacin, Non-Flush Form)
Take 1,000 mg a day for 6 months to 1 year. You can continue longer if needed.
Step 4: B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Start with 500 mg a day, taken in the morning, and build up to 1,000 mg a day. Stay there for 3 to 6 months, then taper off. After tapering, take it with food going forward.
Step 5: B6
Take 50 mg a day, and a standard, inexpensive brand is fine. Take it for 3 to 6 months ONLY, and do not go past that.
If there is neuropathy and no mercury concern, you may add alpha lipoic acid (ALA), 600 to 1,800 mg a day split into smaller doses through the day, for 3 months. If the neuropathy gets worse at any point while taking ALA, stop it right away.
If there is low hormone function, low immune function, mental health symptoms, or neurotransmitter issues, consider P-5-P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) instead of standard B6. Start at 25 mg a day and increase up to 100 mg a day for 3 to 6 months, then stop.
Step 6: B9 (Methylfolate, Never Folic Acid)
Start at 1 mg a day and build slowly up to 5 mg a day. Go slowly, just like with B1, because increasing too fast can cause a die-off reaction. Add B12 at the same time as B9.
Step 7: B12 (Methylcobalamin Only)
Take 500 mcg a day for 6 months to 1 year.
A Few Reminders
Most of these are taken with food. Go slowly with every rung, and let your body settle before you add the next one. If a step does not feel right, pause where you are and give your body time; the ladder will still be there when you are ready.
Please check in with your practitioner before starting, adjusting, or stopping any supplement, especially if you take other medications.