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Does Hydroxycobalamin convert to Methylcobalamin with MTHFR SNP?

bertiedog

Senior Member
Messages
1,738
Location
South East England, UK
To save me doing loads of searches could somebody let me know if hydroxycobalamin converts to methylcobalamin in somebody with a MTHFR SNP? I haven't actually been tested for MTHFR but as I had a baby with a neural tube defect it is obvious I do have this problem. Also I have had mercury poisoning and family history of cancer.

Dr Myhill has given me a spray with DMSO as a base and I use 6 sprays a day which is equivalent to 6000 mcg but wasn't sure if it would be effective for me. I don't do well with the sublinguals and find the methylcobalamin injections very expensive.

I also take extra Folapro.

Thanks
Pam
 
Messages
15,786
To save me doing loads of searches could somebody let me know if hydroxycobalamin converts to methylcobalamin in somebody with a MTHFR SNP? I haven't actually been tested for MTHFR but as I had a baby with a neural tube defect it is obvious I do have this problem. Also I have had mercury poisoning and family history of cancer.
MTHFR only converts folates (B9) not cobalamins (B12).

Cobalamin specifically gets remethylated by MTRR, for the specific purpose of recycling MTR. I don't know if there are other processes for methylating B12 (or if it's needed elsewhere), but I'm trying to look into that and other aspects of B12 genetics.
 

bertiedog

Senior Member
Messages
1,738
Location
South East England, UK
Of course, thanks for putting me right Valentijin. I wonder if there is much information out there whether the Hydroxy form is effective for those of us with an illness like ME/CFS? So far I don't think I have had as many migraines as I was getting when using the MB12 plus Folapro.

Pam
 
Messages
15,786
Of course, thanks for putting me right Valentijin. I wonder if there is much information out there whether the Hydroxy form is effective for those of us with an illness like ME/CFS? So far I don't think I have had as many migraines as I was getting when using the MB12 plus Folapro.
I've been looking into it a bit more. HydroxoB12 should be effective - basically it gets stored it the liver, where it can be converted into other forms (or used as straight cobalt?). MTR recycling by MTRR seems to be the only process involving the methylation of cobalamin, or methylcobalamin. Adenosylcobalamin feeds into the Citric Acid cycle via MUT.

If you have no MTRR problems (especially MTRR A66G), then hydroxoB12 should be fine. If you do have MTRR problems, a higher dose of B12 probably helps to overcome the problems caused by the MTRR enzyme's structural flaws by amping up production somewhat.

But if there's a lack of methyl groups due to having the fast (-/-) versions of MAOA, COMT, and VDR, methylB12 (or another source of methyl groups) is probably needed, especially if there's a serious MTRR problem.
 

stridor

Senior Member
Messages
873
Location
Powassan, Ontario
My injectable mB12 costs about $1 a day plus the price of the syringes which are about 35 cents each. Compared to some of my supplements which through the years have cost up to $80/bottle, it is a bargain :)
 

ahmo

Senior Member
Messages
4,805
Location
Northcoast NSW, Australia
To save me doing loads of searches could somebody let me know if hydroxycobalamin converts to methylcobalamin in somebody with a MTHFR SNP? I haven't actually been tested for MTHFR but as I had a baby with a neural tube defect it is obvious I do have this problem. Also I have had mercury poisoning and family history of cancer.

Dr Myhill has given me a spray with DMSO as a base and I use 6 sprays a day which is equivalent to 6000 mcg but wasn't sure if it would be effective for me. I don't do well with the sublinguals and find the methylcobalamin injections very expensive.

I also take extra Folapro.

Thanks
Pam

Hi Pam. I can only say that hydroxy never worked for me, and I tried it several times over the years. Also tried folinic, with no results. I don't know if it's due to the MTHFR or not. When I switched from Rich VanK's SMP to Freddd's, I got excellent results with each addition of the "Deadlock Quartet": methylfolate, methylB12, AdB12, L-carnitine fumarate (LCF). I'm better now than I've been for over a decade. Best to you, ahmo
 

Helen

Senior Member
Messages
2,243
Hi bertiedog,
Rich Van Konynenburg also told that it might be a problem for people with an impaired methylation to take hydroxycobalamin as hydroxycobalamin has to be methylated to the active methylcobalamin. A kind of vicious cycle. He recommended hydroxycobalamin to start with as some people with COMT mutations have reported problems with methylcobalamin.

As for ahmo methylcobalamin did wonders for me when I got injections 20 years ago, and I still take them 3-4 days a week as I have the mutations MTRR/MTR and MTHFR (as most people with ME/CFS seem to have). I never had problems with methylcobalamin though I have several COMT mutations. HydroxyCbl doesn´t work at all for me. Everyone has to find her/his best B12/folate treatment and unfortunately it takes some time and might cause trouble when you start. A 23andme test is a good help if possible. All the best!