MTHFR/LAB WORK

[GentleSoul]

Hello, I have recently got my blood & saliva test back. I cannot see my NEW Dr until Nov 14th. She did email me on blood work and said everything looked good except iron and wanted me to take an iron supplement. Before I went to her the first time in August 2019, I was dealing with severe fatigue, exercise intolerance, low libido, and normal Hypo symptoms. I am on Armour 90 mg a day(split in 3 doses). The Dr suggested I start Ferretts Iron ferrous fumarate 325mg 2x a day on Aug 29th.I do have the MFTHR mutation gene. The new DR. I am seeing told me I didnt have to take anything for the MTHFR, another person I know told me I shouldn't be taking iron with the results I received because it's a methylation issue. I would just like some advice to get started on my road to diminishing some of these symptoms seeing I cant see her until Nov. I am exhausted mentally and physically and feel very confused with once again a Dr. That doesn't t help. I did saliva hormone testing through a Compound med place. The consult was good, she wants me to up my B's and take Calcium D-glucarate for detoxing the high's. I am currently on:

Eagleshines Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), 500mg, Pure Encapsulations - B-Complex Plus for my B's and she told me to add in Metagenics Cortico B5B6. I also take Magnesium, Vit A, d-3 & K, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, Vit c (3000mg a/day), milk thistle. I also forgot and took my thyroid meds before the took my blood. Just want to make sure i am on the right path and would appreciate any feed back. ~Much Love

•A1C 5.3. Range- 5.7

• Est Avg Glucose 105

•Iron 114. Range. 50-212

•TIBC. 271.0 Range 228.0-428.0

•Iron% Saturat 42 Range 20-55

•UIBC 157 Range 155-300

•Ferritin 38 Range 11-307

T3 free 3.98 Range 2.52-4.34

T4 free .69 Range 0.55-1.60

TSH 0.398 Range 0.270-4.200

Thyroglobulin Ab 1 Range 0-4

Thyroid Peroxidase Ab 1.64 Range 0.00-9.00

Reverse T3 14.8 Range 9.0-27.0

Vit B12 518 Range 180-914

Saliva Test

Estradiol 2.3 Range 1.3-3.3

Progesterone 390 Range 75-270

Ratio: Pg/E2 170 Range 100-500

Testosterone 1329 Range 16-55

DHEAS 14.7 Range 2-23

Cortisol 5.8 Range 3.7-9.5

[BLipe]

Just a note about MTHFR and B vitamins, make sure that the B-complex is a methylated version. B12 as methylcobalamin, folic acid ad methylfolate, etc. Frequently the MTHFR lab will make suggestions as to how much of the vitamins to take since the MTHFR will disable methylation by a percentage. Could leave you with 50 percent of your methylation or more or less. You may already be aware of this...

[RockyPath]

Oh Dear, GentleSoul! It's terrible how so many health practitioners don't remember what they were taught in medical school and can't bear to say "I'm not sure. I don't remember."

Having just seen a Functional Health Specialist (Nutritionist with exceptional training and a keen interest in the nuts and bolts of energy metabolism), I can say that your lab results certainly suggest you need iron supplementation, taken with Vitamin C, on an empty stomach.

This specialist I saw directed me to send my 23andMe raw genetic file to StrateGene for a detailed report on my folate cycle and methylation issues. I do carry the MTHFR SNPs and a host of others that impact the Krebs cycle. My SNPs impact iron levels (and hence LT4 conversion), B vitamin requirements, and whatnot. I received a Mito Food Plan, for helping to revitalize my mitochondria. With hypomethylation, one needs more sources of choline, so I bought a tub of lecithin granules while I await delivery of the methylcobalamin + methylfolate lozenges.

After getting the report from StrateGene, I also uploaded my data to Xcode Life and received a detailed methylation and nutrition reports. These identified specific vitamins and minerals where my genetics indicate I need more than the usual amount, and others where I don't need extra supplementation. Of course they're making generalizations, so you have to take into account your own lab results.

Speaking of your own lab results, I don't see any other B vitamin plasma test results. When I took a B complex, my B-6 went into the danger zone (excess B-6 can cause neuropathy), so I'm only taking the B vitamins that I can confirm I need.

Likewise with the CoQ10. I tested my levels and they were in the basement of the reference range. The specialist advised me to take 400 mg daily of the Qnol Mega CoQ10 Ubiquinol capsules daily; but she said I could go up to 12 per day.

With some struggle I was able to get a 6-point salivary cortisol test, and had last year's results as a baseline, showing a significant decline along the curve. The specialist directed me to take three of the Thorne Adrenal Cortex capsules, two in the morning and one at night with my LT4. And then I'm taking 3 grams of acetyl-l-carnitine, one of the building blocks of ATP.

I hope all of this gives you some ideas of the field of possibilities before you.

Wishing you the best on your journey.

[GentleSoul in reply to RockyPath]

Wow! All of that put me into mental over load. It sounds like your Dr. At least knows what they are doing and getting you on a good direction to go. See how I dont see my new Doc until November. I am wanting to be able to visit her with some knowledgeable help. What would you suggest I have her test me for? All my b levels? I appreciate you feedback.

[RockyPath in reply to GentleSoul]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, GentleSoul. I experience a major cognitive traffic delay and some unplanned physical downtime.

If you can get a doctor to test for as many key vitamin and mineral levels as possible in one fell swoop, all the better in my mind. Your genetics give you particular needs for supplementation, but overdoing it with B6, iron and choline can be toxic.

The nutrients of interest in treating methylation condition might be:

B6, B9 and B12, CoQ10, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and Selenium. Testing these will give you good insight into your individual needs and guide your supplementation more accurately.

All the best.

[Charlie_b in reply to RockyPath]

Hi

Would you mind sending me the details of your functional health specialist?

Many thanks 🙏

[SilverAvocado in reply to Charlie_b]

Hehe, I thought the same! Rockypath's doctor sounds amazing!

[RockyPath in reply to SilverAvocado]

Hi SilverAvocado and Charlie_b,

I live in the land of avocados and my amazingly effective specialist studied at the Institute of Functional Medicine (ifm.org). Like me, she sustained a brain injury, and also like me, she's genetically predisposed to hunt through vast stacks of data in the relentless search for answers to life's puzzles. Not everyone can assimilate huge amounts of data and then draw correct conclusions as a result. Some people will simply create narratives that have no connection to reality.

I found my specialist because I spoke of my difficult health journey to the therapist who was treating my brain injury-related binocular vision defect. The therapist said, "Oh, you need to see Julie. She's the only person who's ever been able to help me, and I've seen countless specialists."

The Institute of Functional Medicine has a web page where you can look for a practitioner in your area: ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/. If you're in the U.K., you're in luck, because you have loads of practitioners.

Here in the U.S., MDs and chiropractors seem to like to add this to their arsenal of certifications, and I'm not sure how effectively they actually practice functional medicine. I do know that one of the three practitioners in my area is the nitwit neurologist (MD) who first saw me after the motor vehicle accident and declared me free of brain injury. "Vitamin B deficiency," he suggested lamely. Hence, I'd steer clear of MDs and consider people whose daily focus at work is nutrition, and not nutrition for diabetics, as that's an entirely different need set.

[SilverAvocado in reply to RockyPath]

Thank you RockyPath, very useful.

[Banjogirl]

Without commenting on your general health, your Armour (thyroid) should always be taken at least 3-4 hours away from any vits/mins etc. And especially never close to taking iron supplements. Probably best to take your vits/mins near bedtime as you take Armour 3x day.

[dtate2016]

When we think methylation we should also think detox issue / pathways. The Dr. who found my MTHFR variation immediately switched me to methylated B vitamins and particularly emphasized the need for methylated folate. I felt the difference within 3 days, with much greater benefits within 10 days. Less anxiety (much less!), more energy, greater mental clarity and emotional drive (increased “can do” attitude.) He gave me a brochure outlining the methylation process. It showed that taking the type of folate that is not methylated was actually causing more problems causing the whole methylation process to be slowed down and taxed even more . Mind you he is a real healer one whose goal is to heal permanently if possible and obviously a methylation process that is optimized is going to keep us more healthy - again think DETOX / Cleansing that is optimized naturally.

So when we have doctors who say you don’t really have to do anything we have to also say well that depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to see me once a month and give me something new some new medicine well, right - I don’t have to do anything.

I was super grateful to be educated on the methylation process and understanding that we are constantly bombarded by things that we cannot control that our body gets rid of in a “normal” way - but if we have the MTHFR genetic abnormality - then in a sense we have a handicap when it comes to detoxing and keeping clean internally . It’s not a bad handicap there could be things much worse, much much worse. But we could also be doing things to make it better to compensate for the weakness. And if we are in a place of ignorance as I was, we could also be making matters worse - like taking the wrong kind of folate / B vitamins RELIGIOUSLY!

It was a life-changing event for me to find out about the genetic variation and so easy to make one small change I feel so much better !

Hope this helps! wishing you well - be glad you know, and read all you can about the methylation process. Please share with us what helps or what changes!

[bookish in reply to dtate2016]

Thanks for the extra information - I have just had genetic and functional testing showing MTHFR defect also poor toxin and stress capability/detox function and higher methyl B12 need. Dr said I was wrong when I asked if possibly affecting me and for help with B12. I am slowly increasing my methyfolate and methylcobalamin liquids and hope it will gently start things moving, having had increasing signs of B12/folate deficiency for 20 years but 'normal' bloods. Methylation and B12 deficiency are fascinating and I'm reading everything I can find. Best wishes

[dtate2016 in reply to bookish]

Highly encourage you to ignore the doctor that says you were wrong you are on the right path please let us know when you start to feel better because you will! Those of us with the MTHFR defect need to be shouting this from the mountain tops!

[GentleSoul in reply to dtate2016]

Thank you for that wealth of knowledge and encouraging words. When she told me this , it was a little upsetting. When I first started this journey 6 yrs ago, they really didnt explain the mutation gene to me, just said to take Methyl- guard twice a day. As I did! However, I stopped because of my ignorance which has just recently kicked me into gear of become more knowledgeable about this area. It can become exhausting because I have other issues that need attention and with adrenal fatigue, well I get very overwhelmed quickly then exhausted mentally trying to figure things out. I do not feel the doc is helping. Here is the ingredients on the B's I am currently on

Please let me know what you think. ~Much love 🌺

Pure Encapsulations - B-Complex Plus - Balanced B Vitamin Formula with Metafolin® L-5-MTHF and Vitamin B12 - 120 Count amazon.com/dp/B00JYFN6DU/re...

[bookish in reply to dtate2016]

Thank you for your positive message! I was so sure that it was part of my story and his view was such a disappointment. I found Micki Rose's information very helpful -

purehealthclinic.co.uk/heal... including the 2 part caution article at the bottom. You can't help wondering how many of us particularly with autoimmune issues actually have methylation /MTHFR underlying as a long-acting trigger. I am doing my bit of shouting where I can - keep up the good work!