I'm really not sure what the MAO mutation really entails. That's what I was hoping we could figure out.
MAO A's role is at least two fold: break down excitatory neurotransmitters (noradrenaline and dopamine) in the brain and break down Tyramine in the gut.
MAO A inhibitors are typically used to make people happy. I, with a homozygous mutation, seem to be more happy by myself already. I have an inbuilt MAO A reduced function it seems.
This coincides with a reverse ADHD signature which makes sense since ADHD people often have a too fast working MAO A enzyme. I have "opposite ADHD"? It would explain why MAO A inhibiters are an anti-depressant that work typically well for people with ADHD.
Next I found in an insomnia thread here that lots of folks with a particular insomnia pattern have the same MAO A mutation I have. We fall asleep readily, wake up after about five hours and lie awake for two hours. Really awake. Totally alert. Feverish alert brain, it seems.
It's a signature sleeping pattern and the MAO A coincidence is present and interesting.
Lastly Tyramine. I have the classic "cheese effect" head aches that come with not enough break down of Tyramine in foods in the gut, by MAO A enzyme. As a matter of fact, I had one last night from eating too much dark chocolate and possibly two pickled herrings and tonight I have that darn insomnia again. Which I resolved in the last couple of months which coincided with eating a Tyramine free diet (not the sole solution for this insomnia)
I may have used up tonight's reserve of MAO A on the Tyramine and now lack the enzyme to counter the insomnia.
Summarizing I present the classic triade of what a slow working MAO A enzyme stands for. Too much noradrenaline, (too) much dopamine and head aches when eating cured products (containing Tyramine).
You focused on moods. My mutation affects mood in so much that too much noradrenaline makes one alert and focused. Superfocused. Up to aggresively so. And dopamine gives a positive outlook on life. That's what makes MAO A inhibiters an anti-depressive. A drug I must avoid.
But I still have excessive moodswings and have known dangerous depression. However, these seem to come from poisened cells (not enough waste disposal abilities due to mutations and imbalances), from not having enough long term anti stress hormones (cortisol and progresteron) and from not having enough functional vit D receptors.
These three causes are dealt with via supplementation: minerals Yasko suggests; HRT (20 mg HC and 100 mg MOP daily) and 75 mcg vit D daily when on methylation. (50 mcg when not on methylation)