Treatment for mthfr 1298 (homo) and chronic fatigue/depression?

[skylizard]

I'm pretty new to this as I've just discovered I am homozygous for mthfr 1298. The heavy fatigue started about 3 -4 years ago. Was able to find a decent doc last year who found that my thyroid levels were borderline low and put me on 60mg Armour thyroid. This helped decrease my fatigue slightly. Just the past two months I've had more testing done during which I discovered the mthfr 1298 polymorphism. So I'm sure this has been a huge part of why I've struggled with low energy levels and ongoing low level depression.
Testing also revealed the following:
Low vitamin D (I'm now taking 5,000 a day)
Very High c reactive protein levels (inflammation?)
Ferritin on the low side (30 out of a 15-150 range)
B12 very high (1500 level where as the max range was 900)
B6 in normal range.
Estrogen/testosterone and progesterone all within normal range (I'm female)

Two months ago I started on the methyfolate supplements as soon as I found out about the 1298 polymorphism. The supplements are 800mcg methylfolate and 800mcg methylb12.
After a month I didn't notice a difference so I asked my doc for a rx for Deplin 15mg. Have been taking that for almost a month and still don't feel any better. (Fortunately I haven't felt any worse either so I am able to tolerate high levels of methylfolate).
At this point I'm unsure of what to do next. Do I need more testing? Different supplements?
I've read the those with the 1298 polymorphism have low levels of bh4 and glutathione. Do I need to try supplementing with those?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[PeterPositive]

You may want to discuss with your doc the possibility to try SAMe (S-Adenosyl-Methionine), maybe in conjunction with methyl-folate.

Seems to be effective in cases of depression:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19909689
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/investigating-sam-e-depression

It also helps the methylation cycle.

 

[sueami]

Did you also test for Vitamin D receptor mutations? 5000 ius may not be enough to get your D into high-normal range if you are homozygous on VDR. I was taking 5000/day for three months and could only get mine up to 35 or so. I'm now taking 10k for three months and then backing down to 5k for the rest of summer and retesting.

Also, there is a more detailed protocol for addressing methyl cycle dysfunctions developed by Freddd that involves some baseline vit and mineral supplementation, then slowly graduated supplementation of two types of b-12, mfolate and l-carnitine fumarate. He calls them the deadlock quartet because without all four, the methyl cycle may not unblock.
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/freddd-protocol-2014-cliff-notes.28718/

Also this is a great link, if you haven't read through it already:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...ks-to-successful-methylation-treatment.29273/

 

[Mary]

Skylizard - do read links that sueami posted. I started with all four of the "deadlock quartet" and within a couple of days my energy increased markedly. You may need more B12 - I take 5,000 mcg. sublingually daily, also 1600 mcg. of methylfolate (solgar brand), plus the carnitine fumarate. And I did take the dibencozide for quite awhile but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference for me.

The other thing that is VERY important is to watch for low potassium, as noted in the first link above. After my energy increased on the methyl supplements, within a couple of days I felt like I had been hit by a truck - and thanks to reading Freddd's posts, I realized my potassium had tanked. Freddd explained that once the body starts to heal with the methl supplements, it uses more potassium, thus in effect creating a deficiency. If I had not known about this, I would have had to stop the protocol. I titrated up to 1,000 mg. of potassium a day for about week, the horrible fatigue went away, and then I gradually backed down to 400 mg. a day, which I continue to take.

Mary

 

[skylizard]

Thanks!
I've read up on all the links provided. Lots of great info!
I'm hoping to find others who are also mthfr 1298 homozygous. Curious to hear what has worked for them.

 

[Hip]

@skylizard

In spite of the many people on this forum who have had their genotype determined by 23andme (myself included), there do not seem to be many people who have really benefited from knowing this genetic information, in terms of improvements to their health obtained by drug or supplement interventions (such as individually tailored methylation treatments).

I started the following thread asking people if knowing their genotype had actually led them to improving their health:

Who has improved their health through knowing their SNPs, and how did you achieve this?

However, judging from the scant amount of replies on that thread, knowing your genotype has not led that many people to improved health.

Certainly learning your genotype is very interesting, and I am pleased that I got my genotype tested; but I would not place to many expectations on this knowledge.

 

[skylizard]

Thanks. I had actually read your thread in hopes of finding some more info. Unfortunately, not many replies, like you stated. I haven't spent any money yet on any of those genetic tests and I doubt I will. (The mthfr diagnosis was actually from a lipid panel test may doc ordered so covered by insurance.) I'm leary of taking too many supplements that may not do me any good anyway.

@skylizard

In spite of the many people on this forum who have had their genotype determined by 23andme (myself included), there do not seem to be many people who have really benefited from knowing this genetic information, in terms of improvements to their health obtained by drug or supplement interventions (such as individually tailored methylation treatments).

I started the following thread asking people if knowing their genotype had actually led them to improving their health:

Who has improved their health through knowing their SNPs, and how did you achieve this?

However, judging from the scant amount of replies on that thread, knowing your genotype has not led that many people to improved health.

Certainly learning your genotype is very interesting, and I am pleased that I got my genotype tested; but I would not place to many expectations on this knowledge.