Which thread is absolute easiest to read re: Methylation for Dummies?

[Gingergrrl]

The 23andme kits arrived last night for our whole family and we are going to do it for a variety of reasons. Partially b/c I am so ill to see if there is any info that can be helpful for my naturopath (and my soon to be CFS specialist) that can be of help in my treatment. The info will be way over my head so we will be using all of the links that you guys provided. We don't intend to spend a lot of money on this route but figured any info gained couldn't hurt.

 

[ahmo]

From where I sit 1.5 years after my 23andme testing, it seems like having an X-ray of my entire life. Here were the underlying reasons for why my body failed at so many points, why I had asthma or low back flares at each challenge.

In retrospect, I could have just continued working from my symptoms, without the testing. That's how I've been treating myself into wellness for the past 2.5 years.

When I was at my wit's end I stumbled upon GAPS, fortuitously following a link from a comment on an unrelated article. What if I hadn't been reading that article, followed that link? Gut and Psychology Syndrome...could that be why I'm such a mess???

From GAPS forums I heard of MTHFR, pyroluria, and 23andme. I took a questionnaire for pyroluria, and started supplementing, changed my life. A blood test showed a single MTHFR defect, I began treating for it. Going histamine-free for a urine histamine test which showed nothing, demonstrated that my facial eczema was driven by histamines. And eliminating sulfur foods knocked out the remaining eczema.

So I didn't actually need the genetic testing to show me the MAO and CBS defects pointing to sulfur and histamine intolerance. As well as the additional MTHFR factor, which moved it out of the 'inconsequential' status my blood test had suggested.

It's been handy, interesting, informative to learn that COMT is worrier/warrior, that MAO is known both as the psychopath and violence gene. These might help explain my over-reactivity, tho I'm far too empathic, not anywhere need psychopathic. Here, too, when my adrenals cleared after a significant detox, I was no longer over-reactive, irritable, agitated. Only in researching adrenals at that time did I find the link to low back inflammation It took commitment to detox to get there, not reading my genetics.

So Coolie, I agree w/ you.

 

[Valentijn]

One thing that turned up in my results is that I have an allele on my mitochondrial DNA which very often results in adult-onset dystonia. The gene that mutation is on is also associated with MELAS, though that SNP is not. So those are things I keep in mind, and look into from time to time, to see if there's any info regarding additional risk factors or avoidance.

 

[whodathunkit]

I started tinkering with my methylation three months before getting the 23 &me results. You don't need the results to start. You have to tinker anyway. And you have to tinker everyday, if not every hour of the F%^&king day! for the rest of your life.! And that' a good thing. (I guess).

LOL! This is kind of what's freaking me out. But like you said, when you consider the alternative (feeling like crap and bewildered as to why for the rest of your life), it's not a bad thing. I thank God for these supplements and that we have the ability to be proactive in our own healthcare every single day. I'm kind of paranoid that some of the malign, controlling forces in our civilization are going to be able to take this away from us, though. For profit's sake and also for the sake of sheer control. I've never been that worried about it before the last few years, but they seem to be growing more powerful and holding more sway, I'm starting to get more worried now. Something else we've all got to be vigilant against.

After being around here for a while I think that the "rest of your life" thing is what stymies and frustrates a lot of people who come here looking for help. They come and expect to be able to take a few supplements for a few months and then that's it, they'll be well and they don't have to fool with it any more. Sadly, that's just not the case. Unrealistic expectations can be a big barrier to progress.

Also, as far as doctors...IMO the problem there is that most of them haven't lived what they're prescribing for. My own MD, who is fabulous and prefers to prescribe alternatives before pharmaceuticals, was kind of gobsmacked when I told her the benefit I've derived from methylation protocol. We'd been working together for years trying to get my energy back on track, appetite under control, etc., with little success on energy and pretty much no success with appetite. She said she'd simply never considered a methylation protocol/supplements for her patients who are simply "non-responders" (her term for patients who don't react in the expected way to other therapies). Probably one reason she never considered it is because she'd never been desperate enough herself to step that far out of the box. Etc.

I don't think all doctors are full of it. But they definitely need our help if they're to treat us effectively. If you can't find one who believes that, then it's time to move on.