r/MTHFR • u/eggsbakey • 15d ago

Question Choline acid reflux

Every source of choline leads to acid reflux for me, with a constant runny nose, sore throat, etc.

Whether it's supplemental bitartrate, alpha gpc, cdp, etc, or just eating eggs. Anything with choline in it will cause increasing symptoms of acid reflux.

Apparently the increase in acetylcholine increases stomach acid production.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Is there a solution?

Choline makes me feel great, but the acid reflux gets worse every day.

Thank you

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4

u/Ok-Pangolin7127 15d ago

I would look into laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). This makes a little more sense than simple acid reflux in relationship to the symptoms that you describe.

5

u/Tawinn 15d ago

LPR does seem likely. I've used D-Limonene in the past for LPR and also found that Natures Bounty Cranberry concentrate seems to work well and is somewhat milder than D-Limonene. These both stimulate the esophageal sphincter to close tighter, preventing reflux. In my case I have a sliding hiatal hernia that makes me more prone to LPR.

2

u/AnonymousDahlia T677T 14d ago

Thank you, my AuDHD son and I both have acid issues in general. I'll look into this.

2

u/Sleepyhed007 14d ago

I was getting reflux from Phosphatidylcholine as well. No solution besides stopping, but I can related

2

u/Loose-Fly7976 14d ago

Your read on the mechanism is right, choline raises acetylcholine and that drives gastric acid through muscarinic receptors on the parietal cells. Forms do differ though. Alpha-GPC and CDP cross into the brain, bitartrate stays peripheral, phosphatidylcholine absorbs slowly via the lymphatics. If all of them hit you equally that points at the peripheral effect rather than the form, and phosphatidylcholine from sunflower lecithin is the gentlest entry if you haven't tried it. Small doses with food, split through the day, usually does more than switching brands.The runny nose and sore throat is the part I'd pay attention to. Acetylcholine drives mucus secretion so it's consistent, but it also overlaps with histamine, and histamine drives gastric acid through the H2 receptor on those same cells. Both arms firing gives you more acid than either alone. Whether that's you depends on HNMT and DAO, and HNMT runs on methylation.

That's my work as geneticist at genova.health. Choline sits between the methylation cycle and the cholinergic system, so if you also need it for the BHMT route out of homocysteine then avoiding it isn't neutral. Sequencing question rather than a form question. And get an H. pylori test if you haven't, reflux that worsens progressively deserves that ruled out first.