Hello, I’m new to this forum. I’ve likely had MS for 16 years, but I was only diagnosed this May. I’m very active in the German MS forum, which has been incredibly helpful to me. I noticed that there is no discussion about Propionic Acid in the UK forum. In the German forum, many people take it and, for the most part, report only positive experiences. Since I started taking it, my fatigue has vanished, and I have much more energy. This is not an advertisement, just a suggestion. I wanted to mention it because it seems to be completely unknown in the UK - even my neurologist wasn’t familiar with it, which I find quite surprising. I might be wrong but in my opinion propionic acid deserves more attention. If you take it - what is your experience?
Many thanks. I haven’t used it but it sounds interesting
There seems to be a clinical study going on in Austria, but no results posted as yet.
In the absence of any information in the UK, can you please advise what amount is generally taken and if there are any possible side effects.
Thanks for sharing the information.
Study Details | Propionic Acid in Multiple Sclerosis | ClinicalTrials.gov
I take 500mg in the morning and 500mg in the evening. I haven’t experienced any side effects, other than increased energy and reduced tingling. Some people may feel mild nausea after taking it, so it’s important to take propionic acid with meals. However, the nausea typically lasts no longer than 10 minutes and is manageable.
Hi! Do you know what form it’s mainly prescribed in? Naproxen and ibuprofen contain propionic acid derivatives here in the UK.
Interesting- and I’ve now learnt about Magnetoencephology - something new to me
Thanks for useful tips and I already have 240 500mg caps on the way, so that should be enough to see if it helps.
I am so glad we now have greater cooperation with Germany.
Not entirely sure this is correct, but I ordered these ones today.
Happy to let you know if they work.
How interesting. I’ll be looking into this. And no, I’ve never heard of it before.
Hi Fujur. Many thanks again for telling us about Propionic Acid.
Can I ask : are the discussions on the German forum similar to those on this one? Do people discuss the same sort of topics and are people’s ideas about how to live with MS and its symptoms similar or are there any differences?
I would find it very interesting to learn about any differences especially in the ways of treating symptoms.
Thanks again
I’m taking the same. Just be careful and keep the capsules in their original container, as they tend to leak. It takes a while for them to work, I felt a diffrence after two weeks. It doens’t work for everyone but I think it’s always a good idea to support your gut bacteria. Good luck!
Hi Hank,
The German Forum is a lively and active community. It’s a bit different because, in addition to sharing advice, we also exchange books we’ve read, cooking recipes and support each other when someone is feeling down.
The biggest difference is that the forum isn’t moderated, which can sometimes lead to heightened tensions. That said, it’s very informative. The approach to treating symptoms is quite similar, but we also have some highly knowledgeable members who share insights on new therapies, studies and their experiences with supplements.
Many thanks. I take Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) as a ‘ supplement’ which I get from a high street store. Quite coincidentally ALA is part of an MS Society trial for primary and secondary MS although the Society says that the version sold as a general supplement is not the same as the version used in their trial ( they don’t say in what way its different- most mysterious!)
I know I’m always linking through to this, but here it is again. Excuse this time is that he refers to the potentially good effects for us of short chain fatty acids like beta hydroxybutyrate, propionic acid being another such. Dr Food really does seem to be important.
I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for a few months now - eating in a 6 to 8 hour slot. Discovered that even when busy doing things i don’t feel hungry and sometimes think I might push it to a 4 hour slot ( just as an experiment).
Occasionally eat an oat, berries and seeds biscuit but otherwise it’s complex carbs
Absolutely no idea if all this is doing me any good MS wise but my cholesterol level has dropped a lot and I’ve lost a bit of weight ( never been overweight).
Also expect that the diet will go out the window over Christmas 
I’m impressed. Personally the natural 12-hour overnight fast is all I can comfortably manage. I do eat three square meals a day, but the rule I do observe religiously is: no eating between meals. Snacking just upsets my digestion and spoils my appetite for dinner - just like granny used to say 
With luck your metabolic health will be better and the bit of weight you’ve lost will be exactly that visceral fat that they keep telling us to get rid of. It’s got to be worth the effort: the downside risk is tiny and the upside benefits surely worth going for.
Doesn’t always go to plan. Feeling hungry during the day doesn’t seem to trouble me (although there are limits 
) but I can’t get to sleep at night if I’m hungry so I can sometimes be found in the kitchen in the early hours.
I tried taking ALA for a while, but it seemed to worsen my symptoms. I might give it another try with a different brand this time.
*** Update ***
My personal trial of Propionic Acid is now two months old and pleased to report there has been modest improvement to a few symptoms. I use a rehabilitation gym regularly, so even small changes are easy to measure.
My energy levels are better and this has allowed me to increase the amount of exercise I can manage. General moving about is a little more secure and the most noticeable benefit is a stronger grip in my dodgy left hand.
I have probably had PPMS for over thirty years and about 6.5 on EDSS. Clearly a lot of damage has already been done and might work better for those with not so many miles on the clock.
To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting much and will be perfectly satisfied if these small, but welcome improvements are maintained.
Thank you for the tip.