Just got my 23andMe results and am trying to decipher them. I have been struggling with peripheral neuropathy, atrial fibrillation, insomnia and blurred vision. My Dr. recommended that I have them but also wanted me to get help interpreting the results. 23andMe is collaborating with InformedDNA to help interpret. However, my insurance does not cover them and the initial consult is $375. Has anybody heard of them? I ran my results through Genetic genie and would appreciate any assistance in interpreting them
COMT V158M +/+
COMT H62H +/+
MAO A R297R +/+
VDR Bsm +/-
VDR Taq +/-
MTHFR C677T +/-
MTRR A66G +/-
MTRR A664A +/-
BHMT-02 +/-
BHMT-04 +/-
BHMT-08 +/-
CBS C699T +/-
SHMT1 C1420T +/-
We think the peripheral neuropathy may have been caused by B6 toxicity. I was only taking a supplement with 50mg of B6 per day which is supposed to be too low to cause toxicity. Things were gradually getting better for first couple months after stopping the B6 but appear to be getting worse the last 2 weeks. I am wondering if I know have another issue with methylation or B12 deficiency. Does the priority/order of treatment recommended by Yasko differentiate between whether you are homozygous and heterozygous or do you just treat in order listed? Anybody heard of good Dr. familiar with this stuff in PA?
b6bob,
A few thoughts:
1. MTRR A66G +/- indicates that you will probably need higher B12 levels than people who are -/-. The type of B12 matters. Avoid cyanocobalamin. You may or may not react badly to methylcobalamin because of the COMT and MAO A +/+s you have. If it does work for you, great. If it doesn't work for you, hydroxycobalamin might.
2. You have +/- for both MTHFR C677T and A1298C, the combination that Dr. Rawlins thinks is such a bad one. Methylfolate supplementation is probably a very important help for that, and I would start it before the B12 because when you start the B12, it will start using up methylfolate faster. Pay attention to how you feel and don't hesitate to up your methylfolate when you start B12, particularly if your face and/or scalp break out.
3. Peripheral neuropathy has many causes. One is B6 toxicity (by supplements only), but another is B6
deficiency. Another is the antibiotic Levaquin. Another is related to diabetes. Here is where lab results come in, or at least they did for me. I was taking 100 mg B6 daily for months, but my lab results (amino acid profile) indicated B6 deficiency. It appears I can't use the pyridoxine hydrochloride I was using. I switched to 100 mg P5P, the active form of B6, and no more deficiency.
4. With your VDR +/-, see if your doctor will check your Vitamin D levels. When your Vitamin D receptors aren't as 'receptive', higher levels of vitamin D are needed. While +/- isn't as bad as +/+, your doctor may want your levels in the top half of the range.
5. I know nothing about atrial fibrillation, but that makes me think about potassium. My pulse goes up (double) when I'm low on potassium. Maybe check that?
6. Insomnia. Well, that has a million causes too. For me, I was low on protein - bad digestion, bad absorption, and when I started branch chain amino acids, it cured my insomnia that very day and for a few months. I was using methylfolate and methylB12, too. Then my blood tests showed low serum tryptophan and methionine. I added tryptophan supplements and started sleeping better for a while, then had to increase it again when I the insomnia returned and my lab tests showed my tryptophan was low again, in spite of my supplementation. Of course, these things may not help you at all, but it does show how lab tests can inform your treatment.
I'm sure your doctor knows that genetics and symptoms are only part of the picture. Environment and lifestyle are also important parts. That's why I think that lab tests are also important. These symptoms have so many causes - it's hard to tell what to do from your genetics only, especially when you have so many +/-.
Food for thought. I hope that you get some other inputs, as my knowledge is limited.